Write-Up: Front/Rear (Addco) Stabilizer/Sway Bar Installation

Caddy STS

update: 3rd time the charm. This time my Addco front bar went in as expected. Handling is greatly improved. Combined with the rear bar and STB, this car handles great! It's no corvette, but it's still very comfortable and stays very flat in the turns.

I'm very happy with it.

I just got around to putting the rear bar on yesterday. I'm not blown away by it, bit I think there is significant improvement. The car seems to roll just a little less in a hard turn. Part of this, no doubt, is psychological, but a another part is based on the physics of the bar being so much heavier and robust.

I also used the set of hard rubber insulators that Addco fabbed for me. I'd say go ask John at Addco to make you a set, but they were just barely harder than stock. I don't think they really change anything, not worth waiting for, imo. I have a set of stock Cadillac insulators (thanks, Dave) here that I'll ship to anyone that needs them for the install.

Install was a breeze. Will post up pics soon.

I was looking at the 5th post on page one of this thread - the links and bushings for the front.

Where can I get a nice set like Turtle used to replace his? Are those poly?

Also, the installation can be done without dropping anything, correct? I figure I'll just do these at the same time as the front struts.

I'm looking to do the rear stabilizer bar, is Addco still selling these?

Isn't it possible for me to use the rear stabilizer bar from some Cadillac instead of the addco?

And I'm guessing whatever poly bushings and links that Energy sells will be just fine.

Okay, apparently Energy doesn't sell any bushings or links for our car.

I guess I'll have to keep looking.

We didn't buy the bars directly from Addco. It was a group buy thru... hmmm, I forget the name of the place. Search the forum for "Addco", it should turn up.

In that case, the Caddy STS rear stabilizer bar should do just fine.

I don't plan on upgrading the front bar (due to difficulty of installation and laziness) so I'm going to do the back as cheap as I can.

I was thinking about that rear Caddy bar also, since I resold my Addco front and rear bars. Don't really want to mess with the front bar installation, but also need to be wary of over stiffening the rear. Need to have balance...

I'm interested in ordering Addco sway bars for my car, but after reading the various threads regarding this subject I'm concerned about getting the proper bushings and end links for the oversize bars. It appears y'all did a group buy some time back direct from Addco with a few issues. I looked at their site and they don't sell direct but refer to other vendor's. The only one that lists the Riviera is Swaybars.com from what I could tell and they have have a disclaimer on the rear bar not coming with all necessary hardware to install, which i interpret to mean the bushings and links are not part of the purchase. I could be wrong. Does anyone have any experience buying sway bars from this company? Do I have to buy the bushings and links for the oversize rear elsewhere? I would like to order these and install soon before the weather gets too cold! Winter is coming in these parts. If anyone has any info or advise from experience I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

Rick, try calling Brad (info above) and see if he can still get the bar from Addco. The front poly bushings were wrong at first, but they fixed the problem with a spacer and new brackets. You can also use stock rubber bushings for the front.

The rear bar uses a Cadillac STS rubber bushing. I have two that I can send you if you find yourself in a bind.

Thanks,
I appreciate the info. I'll let you know how it all turns out for anyone else considering doing this mod.

AA wrote:

Rick, try calling Brad (info above) and see if he can still get the bar from Addco. The front poly bushings were wrong at first, but they fixed the problem with a spacer and new brackets. You can also use stock rubber bushings for the front.

The rear bar uses a Cadillac STS rubber bushing. I have two that I can send you if you find yourself in a bind.

Just FYI when I did my front and rear bars in January the rears did come with the right sized bushings (rubber though). The fronts did come with the correct brackets and spacer plates needed as well.

Haven't contacted Brad yet, but FYI, the cost of sway bar kits from Swaybars.com is:
Front Kit = $260.20
Rear = $185.80
Total with shipping = $457.80
Are these prices in line with what you all paid from Brad?
Could someone take a look at this site (Swaybars.com) and tell me what you think. P/N's listed for 97-01 Riviera are K2-018-OU and K2-015-OU.
Confused about 2001 Riv.
Thanks

That's a steep markup, and the swaybar PNs don't match what I recall from Addco. Maybe they are not Addco swaybars? I think I paid $250 for the pair of sway bars. I do recall Brad telling me that Addco was raising prices for '08, but not that much!

Call brad!

Quote :

REAR 7/8" SWAY BAR FOR A 1996-2003 BUICK ELECTRA, PARK AVENUE (FWD); 1997-2001 RIVIERA, WILDCAT

I'm not sure I'd buy anything from this site if that's their description of the Riviera sway bars...

I will contact Brad, Thanks.
BTW, I clicked Contact Us on that site and it says they are Addco Industries/SwayBars.com

I recieved a return e-mail from Brad ( very prompt) regarding the sway bars.
Qutote: " I don't know if the bushing issue for the Riv's was ever sorted out. I don't believe Addco is sending bushings with the bars anymore for that Kit. " end Quote
Can order the bars for $320.00 including shipping though.
I'll probably order them soon and see what I get and sort throught the bushing and end link situation after.

Rick- you can get Energy Suspension bushings for the front and make a very simple back bracket too. It the bushings are fairly cheap from ES and the back bracket is pennies and very simple to do. I'll try to track down the part number for the fronts.

Got the email and will respond this weekend when I have a little time.

Thanks Eric,
I think I've read through most of the threads on the sway bars and relived all the shit everyone has gone through. I might of missed a few things though! I made a note from an earlier entry, that I think you made, P/N for Energy Suspensin front greasable bushing 9.5165.
Haven't researched thier site yet.
Did see photo of someone's install and the spacer or shim looked like nothing more than a piece of steel that fits under bushing, easy to make, yes? How thick?
Thanks again.
Rick

Quote :

greasable bushing 9.5165

That's the one for the front bushings.

As far as the backing plate- go to a local hardware shop and most all have long thin (approx 1.5") strips of sheet metal. 1/8" is plenty good for thickness. Use the ES bushing as a template to cut to length and locations of the bolt holes.

That front bushing and plate come with the addco sway bar. I actually have two sets if anyone need them PM me. It took 3 shipments to get me a front sway bar that fit, and they didn't have me return any of them, just told me to throw them out. Anyway, I have two more sets of front bushings from Addco. They are poly and have the plates that go underneath. They are too large a diameter for a stock bar, but if you have an addco bar and need the right front bushings let me know.

-Derek

Thanks Derik,
I 'll probably need a pair. I'll see what comes with the Bars and let you know.
THANKS,
Rick

I still could use some help with finding Quality Bar End Links, if anybody could tell me a source I would appreciate it very much.
And am I correct in assuming you all are satisfied with the rear GM bushings P/N 25666235?

Quote :

And am I correct in assuming you all are satisfied with the rear GM bushings P/N 25666235?

I wasn't. I wanted poly. Addco worked with me to create some 'harder' versions from Ford bushings. I used them, but I they weren't as hard as I wanted. I offered to work with a molding service to knock out some poly casts for $12, both not enough interest to pursue.

So, if the new swaybars don't come with bushings should i just use the GM ones I mentioned.