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

Nice work. I think it's apparent the Addco front bar will work on a '95, but Addco has only just now been made aware of it.

AA wrote:

Nice work. I think it's apparent the Addco front bar will work on a '95, but Addco has only just now been made aware of it.

I haven't heard back from Addco yet. I just sent them the photos yesterday.

Am also waiting for Mr.Riviera to confirm what bars, model and front and rear he fit up to this 96. Would also want to confirm he has the 96 lower control arms still and not the later ones, although not sure that would matter.


But yes, that would be good news if the Addco bars fit 95 & 96 directly

Al

Ill have to check part numbers when i get home. I am running solid larger front and rear sway bars, not sure anyone but addco makes them and i have the 96 lca because the 97+ ones do not fit bc of a bushing change.

I don't monitor this site much anymore so I missed this thread's expansion. Sort of bored with the riv a bit but it has been reliable!

The addco catalogue is garbage. It has always been riddled with errors. There were glaring errors back in the regalgs.org group buy days, and there still are now. The bar was never designed for the Riv. It was specifically made for the STS with the other G-body vehicle applications being an afterthought. Addco was made aware of the catalogue application issue multiple times over several year and did nothing. For the final time, IGNORE the Addco parts catalogue. The part numbers are 02015 and 02018 for all 95-99 rivieras.

The front bars fit 95-99 rivieras. The difference between the 95-96 and 97+ bars is just the diameter.

Go for the addco bars. It's a great -perhaps the best- handling mod.

charlieRobinson wrote:

Has anyone tried an addco 2015 in the back and an F41 up front? Based on 0 firsthand experience and only what i've read here, this combo plus the STS STB is what I think I am looking for.

Front Sway Bar P/N# 25649664 = F41 sport tuned '97-2004 PAU

Don't bother with the F41 front/addco rear combo. The bars will be mismatched. On p. 19 I showed the cut bars, and expanded on the increase in stiffness. The F41 is a hollow 30mm bar. The spreadsheet below should help you see why. Someone on a tight budget could benefit from getting both matched OEM STS bars (30mm hollow front, 22mm hollow rear) bars from a u-pull-it.

I'm getting pretty tired of posting this kind of thing so here's a link to the G-Body (FWD) swaybar google docs spreadsheet. LMK if it works.

Thanks!

Thank you, good sir. I've memorized the addco #s but it was those bushings I was looking for!

Do we need new bracket/mount things for the bushings or will the ones on the car already work fine?

AA, you should update your first post in this thread with all part #s so its not a treasure hunt each time. thanks!

LOL theyre like 3 posts up from here. But still. Write up threads should have all part #s in first post. Everyone agree? Ok. cool.

HOLY CRAP. $250+ for this bar?!
AA, isn't this a pic from your install?

Do you know neverenoughauto is using it?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Addco-2018-Front-Performance-Anti-Sway-Bar-Stabilizer-Kit-/310415113460?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item48462ebcf4&vxp=mtr

Holy sh*t. It is!!! Good catch man lol.

Page 23.

AA wrote:

Page 23.

Did you ever say anything to them?

No, I didn't say anything. When you upload an image to web, it's not "yours" anymore. They were fair in providing the bars to us, so I don't mind. Maybe I'll ask them to change the watermark and see what happens.

Quote :

HOLY CRAP. $250+ for this bar?!

Make him an offer.

Complete Part List for Addco Front/Rear Sway Bar Installation

Addco Front Bar- PN# 02018
*Summit- ACO-2018

Addco Rear Bar- PN# 02015
*Summit-ACO-2015

Energy Suspension Greasable Polyurethane Bushings- PN# 9.5165
*Qty-2

Energy Suspension Rear Links- PN# 9.8123G
*Qty-2
*Or buy rear links from our fearless leader AA

Addco Rear Bushings- GM PN# 25666235
*Qty-2
*I believe if you are ordering from Summit, the kit already comes with these, so no purchase necessary.

Yo yo yo!!

Where are those fancy mounts and bushings AA and Codith used, I think, on their sway bars?

I can't seem to find them!

Will somebody link me, please?

I am looking for those alien tech looking mounts+bushings for the rear 2015 Addco bar!

Thank you!

Thank you. Looks like those are for the front addco bar.
I'll see if I can find a part number from them that will fit the rear 2015 addco bar.

There are no aftermarket rear bushings. It's a different type of mount.

Jason wrote:

The largest front bar gm offered for the G-body was 30mm (FE2/FE3).  T  I believe it is safe to assume a wall thickness between .125" and .25" for the stock STS rear FE3 bar.
==== edit:  stiffness figures edited to account for stock bars being hollow =======

for reference:
assuming all OEM rear bars have a 3mm wall thickness; and
assuming all OEM front bars have a 5mm wall thickness

30mm front is 27.5% stiffer than the 28mm stock front
20mm rear (FE2) is 76.5% stiffer than the stock 17mm rear
22mm rear bar (FE3) is 144.9% stiffer than the stock 17mm and 23.1% stiffer than the FE2 20mm rear

02018 1.25" (31.75") front ADDCO:  99.4% stiffer than the stock 28mm bar or 56.3% stiffer than the 30mm bar.  This is considering they have the same overall and lever length.  The addco had a very slightly different bend to them, but it should not affect stiffness dramatically.
02015 7/8" (22.2mm) rear ADDCO: 254.2% stiffer than the stock 17mm bar,  62.7% stiffer than the 20mm bar or 44.6% over the FE3 rear bar

Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but how does the F41 front bar differ from the FE2/FE3 front bars? Is is stiffer or not?

Thank you!

[quote="AA"]https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t10096-complete-gm-f41-suspension-upgrade[/

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t10096p15-complete-gm-f41-suspension-upgrade

F41 front bar is 29% stiffer than stock front bar
FE2/FE3 front bar is 27.5% stiffer than stock front bar

Got it.

Has anyone had any issues with the bigger bars in terms of ripping bolts out or anything?

Has anyone actually welded them in on the Riv?

Can we be sure that the addcos are completely safe bolted up?

charlieRobinson wrote:

Has anyone had any issues with the bigger bars in terms of ripping bolts out or anything?

Has anyone actually welded them in on the Riv?

Can we be sure that the addcos are completely safe bolted up?

My Addco front bar tore the metal off the subframe around the sway bar bushing bolts. As far as I know I'm the only one who had that problem. I also had 8" wide rims and 255s and cornered hard, often. (had a favorite offramp on my daily commute...)

Aaron had some issues, along with someone else, with the supplied bushing bracket deforming which some speculated might contribute over time to damaging the frame if left undetected.

But Aaron solved that with high performance UMI bushings brackets that appear to have held up.

If I were installing the Addco front bar, that $100 set of UMI bushings would be part of the package as insurance.

Al

You don't want to weld brackets or fasteners to the subframe - the bushings can't be removed when they wear out. If you did weld, the bushings would melt anyway.

If you push the car hard in corners, the way to be completely safe is to use UMI brackets, or something similar (fender washers might work). The stamped steel rackets supplied by ES and Addco can deform under extreme cornering. If you just want more solid cornering feel and don't intend to push the car that hard, the supplied brackets will probably hold up just fine, at least for a while.

FWIW the brackets were not deformed on mine. They had the steel plate underneath to hold everything in place, and looked fine. It wasn't until we got under the car while bouncing up and down on it that we figured out the subframe itself was moving! Tore the threading and surrounding metal right out of the subframe. I'm not sure the UMI brackets AA used would have made any difference, I think the subframe was getting thin from New England salty winter roads.

If any issue with the bolts/frame, I think it would be fine to drill through the bottom of the cradle and use longer bolts + nuts/washers to mount the brackets more securely. Mine are holding fine, but that's what I'd do if needed.

ok ok.

Got to go test out the new suspension set up.

I couldnt help my fits of uncontrollable laughter!
THIS IS AWESOME!

I knew the rear addco bar would make a difference but I didnt expect it to be so perfect!
The car 'feels' lighter when turning. You know what I mean?
It just snakes around turns. It's incredible. I'm doing everything I can to stay inside tonight and not go for drive.

I really want to experiment with this set up for a bit and then try to lower the rear and see what effect that has on the set up. I am just a wuss and afraid of bottoming out with these dumb max air shocks and messing something up.

Robo, dont even say coil overs. I know, man. I know.