89 olds swaybar

[sadolboy48]

I have an 89 oldsmobile cutlass supreme 3.1 my front swaybar broke on the passengers side, not inlinks, it doesn't have any, the whole bar broke. Been looking everywhere for some kind of replacement. Just wondering if anyone knows any kind of other car that I can use one from because I can't seem to find any. Never seen a whole sawybar break but sure didn't think that it would be so hard to find one. The ones I can find are either for earlier or later models that do have inlinks and they won't fit.

[94 olds vert]

14101234

That's the GM part number I came up with for a 1989 Cutlass Supreme with the 3.1l. Seems to be discontinued everywhere. 

 

[sadolboy48]

Yeah and all junkyards don't have it either. If anyone has one on here they would be willing to sell I'd be happy to buy it. They don't make an aftermarket one either. I can get mine welded but it's meant to twist and bend so don't think welding would be a very good option but at this point it's the only thing I can think of lol. I'd hate to just junk the car cause I can't find a swaybar. That's just sounds crazy but without it is just sways all over the place unless you drive like a grandma.

[sadolboy48]

After a little more digging I may have found a solution. On the struts they're are holes that look like swaybar inlink holes. A 2005 pontiac grand prix had the w body but switched up the swaybar setup to use inlinks and I've read that you can use this setup for the w body cars so I might try that. Has anyone ever heard of this?

[Bake82]

any 1st gen w-body or 1.5 gen w-body will have a sway bar that will fit.  They MIGHT be different sizes, but will physically fit.  Grab the bar + brackets, and bushings.  and then get new bushings.  

 

 

cars with a 3.4 DOHC should have a bigger front bar.  

 

Edited yesterday at 04:10 PM by Bake82

[sadolboy48]

Nevermind about that the those holes are for brake lines and the plate is too flimsy. Apparently the 90 to 93 lower control arms have holes you can bolt endlinks to but mine don't. The 88 and 89 are the only ones with the bushings bolted on top of a arms so if I get a bar I'll have to change a arms to later model ones I guess. Thanks for responding. I'll keep looking I guess

[sadolboy48]

Apparently I'm wrong again.

You cannot change just the lower A-arms to adapt a different style of sway bar on your 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

Your 1988–1989 First-Generation W-body uses a highly specific, early-production front suspension setup. The sway bar has unique "looped" ends that slide directly over the front leg of the lower control arm, sliding into a thick rubber bushing pinned to the top of the arm.

Why Switching the A-Arms Won't Work

1. The 1990+ Redesign: In 1990, GM completely redesigned the W-body front suspension. Newer models use a sway bar that hovers above the frame and connects to the struts or control arms via vertical end links with small ball joints or vertical bolt bushings. [1, 2, 3]
2. Subframe Differences: The 1990+ lower control arms will not physically line up or bolt into your 1989 engine subframe cradle. The mounting pockets, spacing, and geometry are completely different. [1]
3. The Braking Threat: If you attempt to adapt or use a standard vertical end-link style sway bar on your original 1989 A-arms, the bar will swing wildly into your CV axles or steering linkage under a hard turn.

Your Best Options for a Broken 1989 Sway Bar

Because your early-style front sway bar is unique, you must replace it with a design intended for the 1988–1989 model years.

• Source a Used Factory Bar: Your quickest and most cost-effective solution is sourcing a front sway bar from a donor 1988–1989 W-body vehicle (Cutlass Supreme, Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Regal) at a local auto salvage yard.
• Verify the Subframe Bushings: When installing the replacement bar, make sure to replace the main frame-mount bushings and the A-arm target bushings. If these bushings wear out and seize, they bind the suspension, which is usually what causes these brittle older bars to snap under stress. 

SO, back to trying to find a specific donor car that no junkyard has. If anyone had any ideas i would greatlyappreciate it.

[Raffaelli]

I’m pretty sure a regular 1st gen, or 1.5gen w body front sway bar will work. I’ll attach a pic of all the junkyards around that show a listing for a 3.4L (beefy) front sway bar. Car-part.com   And make some phone calls.

 

would help a bunch if you post some pics of your car and what broke.

[55trucker]

You should have what looks like this......

basic lower control arm covers all 1st gen W's from 88-96/99

[rich_e777]

8 hours ago, sadolboy48 said:

I have an 89 oldsmobile cutlass supreme 3.1 my front swaybar broke on the passengers side, not inlinks, it doesn't have any, the whole bar broke. Been looking everywhere for some kind of replacement. Just wondering if anyone knows any kind of other car that I can use one from because I can't seem to find any. Never seen a whole sawybar break but sure didn't think that it would be so hard to find one. The ones I can find are either for earlier or later models that do have inlinks and they won't fit.

Any 1st/1.5gen W-body with a 2.8/3.1/3100 would have what you need at a local salvage yard. Search Chevy Lumina/MonteCarlo,  Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Regal Olds Cutlass through 90-97. Even the 4 door options used the same front sway bar, they are plentiful and cost me about $50 from the salvage yard. 2nd gen W-bodies had outer links, 1st gens had similar outer brackets bolted to the lower control arms.

Keep the original metal sway bar brackets and bolts! These are better than the generic hardware Energy Suspension supplies if you are looking to upgrade. Its worth it if you want a tighter grip to the curves but not exactly necessary if you just want to fix the issue.

Edited 16 hours ago by rich_e777

[sadolboy48]

I don't know but every junkyard I've called even ones out of state told me that only 88 and 89 had that swaybar but I guess they just don't know what they're talking about. I can post some pics of it tomorrow. It sounds like you guys are the only ones who are making sense to me lol. I appreciate all the help!

[55trucker]

Posting a pic would be a good idea, the swaybar is generally a simple straight bar with 45 degree bends at each end where it passes over the edge of the suspension member. It fastens to the top-side of the lower control arm via a saddle clamp & a slide on rubber bushing that sits inside the saddle clamp.

the bar is available in 28mm, 30mm, 34mm diameters. 

[sadolboy48]

There it is in all it glory lol. I went on car-part.com as you suggested and I was able to find one in tennessee. Its the closest place to me which is 3 hours away, but it could be worse. The bar is only $50 but to have it shipped is around $150. So haven't decided if I'm gonna drive out there or pay the shipping but I'm just happy to have found a fix finally. Mine is the 28mm but the one im getting is 30mm. Thank you guys for everything and all the advice cause I'd be stuck without it.

[55trucker]

Be choosy where you get one from.......as you can see they are hollow, dirt, moisture/salt gets inside them from the front facing ends & rots them from the inside.

Try to find one south of you, in a salvage yard... a rust free location.