[carguy55]

I've ran the Hotchkis front and BMR rear bar with my 305 square setup on track for 3 years and never had any issues. I also recommend the BMR adjustable end links over others.

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by h018871

Good news Matt
Do you have the part number for the bushing kit to order from Hotchkis? Both I and Phastek have been trying to contact Hotchis without success.

I don't have a Hotchkis part number for the bushings or bracket, sorry. I didn't even exchange emails with them - I literally just called and told them what I wanted and they sent it - so there's no written record to look back at. I can tell you the part number for the whole front swaybar kit: 22118F. What you'd want is the bushing and bracket set that comes with that bar. I can also tell you that the number stamped into the bushing itself is 5637. That might be enough to call Energy Suspension and get them to track down which bushings these are, as well as the brackets that go with them. However, I doubt they will have brackets with the little gussets welded in.

A strange thing: I was trying to go to the Hotchkis website to pull up the page for this bar, and all their product pages are basically blank all of a sudden. That makes me wonder if they've gone out of business, which may explain why you couldn't reach them on the phone. Because when I called them, they answered right away and were very helpful.

As an aside, the energy suspension PN for the BMR bracket/bushing is 9.5172R (red) or 9.5172G (black). I've not had any issues with the BMR set on my rear bar other than the bushing is too big for the bracket. The bottom, flat, needs to be cut down slightly or washers added between the mounting bracket and frame. No failure of the bushing material to date.

It's an oddly shaped bushing with the corners of the flat base cut off for some reason. I think that plus the flimsy strap-style bracket makes it too flimsy for use with higher-than-stock bar rates up front.

Would you post a link to the other thread you reference?

Aftermarket Front Sway Bar Bushings.

[h018871]

Thank you Matt!

[FactoryMatt]

had my shop grind the knuckles and check for clearance for the BMR rear sway in the soft setting. using Powergrid links.
bar is in middle setting in these pics.

had to fully drop the exhaust to get the BMR bar in btw.

[Msquared]

I recently installed a Whiteline rear bar. I was able to do it by unhooking the second-to-last rubber exhaust hangers and disconnecting the rear-most hangers. That let the stock suitcase muffler droop enough to extract the stock bar and insert the Whiteline. It's the same 27mm as stock and shaped the same, so maybe more clearance is needed for some other aftermarket bars. I don't know.

[FactoryMatt]

interesting. would be curious to compare them. we were able to get the stock bar out with that method, but for whatever reasons couldn't get the BMR in.

[Christian1LE]

Yeah you can get the BMR in without removing the exhaust, you just have to remove the hangers and drop it a bit. It requires some master level tetris play though.

I'm still on stock though because of the reasons in this thread.

[Msquared]

FWIW the Whiteline has no interference problems. Since it's also a solid 27mm bar like the stock FE4 rear bar, it's easy to get approximate rate comparisons just by measure the effective arm lengths (bolt hole locations). Compared to stock, the Whiteline's three settings are: 87% as stiff, 0.8% stiffer (pretty much equal to stock, IOW), and 16.7% stiffer. I'd say those are give or take 1%. I've been running on the stiffest setting and so far the frame mount bushings it came with are holding up fine.

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by Msquared

FWIW the Whiteline has no interference problems. Since it's also a solid 27mm bar like the stock FE4 rear bar, it's easy to get approximate rate comparisons just by measure the effective arm lengths (bolt hole locations). Compared to stock, the Whiteline's three settings are: 87% as stiff, 0.8% stiffer (pretty much equal to stock, IOW), and 16.7% stiffer. I'd say those are give or take 1%. I've been running on the stiffest setting and so far the frame mount bushings it came with are holding up fine.

How do you like the bar set that way with the front bar? I was thinking I could use a bar just a tiny bit stiffer

[DaveC113]

Originally Posted by Msquared

FWIW the Whiteline has no interference problems. Since it's also a solid 27mm bar like the stock FE4 rear bar, it's easy to get approximate rate comparisons just by measure the effective arm lengths (bolt hole locations). Compared to stock, the Whiteline's three settings are: 87% as stiff, 0.8% stiffer (pretty much equal to stock, IOW), and 16.7% stiffer. I'd say those are give or take 1%. I've been running on the stiffest setting and so far the frame mount bushings it came with are holding up fine.

It's been a while since I checked so I may be wrong, but that sounds about the same as the ZLE rear bar, which is hollow and lighter. I got one for about $100 on ebay. With the MCS coilovers I like the middle setting best overall, although I need to do some testing to see if soft is actually faster for autox. It's definitely too soft on track. I'm also running the Hotchkis ft bar on medium.

I'm dialing in damper settings for the bumpy venue we use, I can't believe how much time it's worth...

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by DaveC113

It's been a while since I checked so I may be wrong, but that sounds about the same as the ZLE rear bar, which is hollow and lighter. I got one for about $100 on ebay. With the MCS coilovers I like the middle setting best overall, although I need to do some testing to see if soft is actually faster for autox. It's definitely too soft on track. I'm also running the Hotchkis ft bar on medium.

I'm dialing in damper settings for the bumpy venue we use, I can't believe how much time it's worth...

Dave,

From what I recall, the zle bar is 25.5 mm on middle setting. Chevy says soft is 10% less and stiff is 15% more then mid

[speedrico]

Kicking up an old thread that won't die . . .

Anyone aware of any outfits that offer a poly bushing for these 1.25" or 32mm sway bars but uses the factory sway bar brackets?

The factory brackets were way beefier.

[cdb95z28]

Originally Posted by speedrico

Kicking up an old thread that won't die . . .

Anyone aware of any outfits that offer a poly bushing for these 1.25" or 32mm sway bars but uses the factory sway bar brackets?

The factory brackets were way beefier.

I'm working on something for the front that uses a GM bracket with a Pedders poly bushing. I've already done this with the BMR rear bar. There have been a few issues for other guys with the BMR rear mounts too, just not as catastrophic as what happens to the BMR fronts.

[h018871]

Hey cdb, I've been away for a bit
What did you do to the rear mounts?