Here are some facts to help you make an INFORMED decision:
I didn't like that old pic of our swaybar with the rusted rear cover
Boy the things you have to get by with the day before the nats!
I would like to think that all of the help, advice, support, and sponsorship dollars, and contingency sponsorship dollars that we give out would count for SOMETHING! If not, then what's the point of doing it?
It's easy to forget that without the sponsors on these message boards and sponsors of the events, they will dwindle fast & not be there for ANY of us to enjoy! If we didn't support the Buicks like we do, and did some shortcuts on the swaybar like others did (see below), then we could actually BEAT their price for the same parts! Trust me, it's not easy to post THOUSANDS of dollars in sponsorship money every year for several Buick events, with an average of 4-5k going to the Nat's each year alone! For our size here & compared to ANY manufacturer out there, we go WAY overboard on this! But we are, and have always been, behind the RACERS 150% and do WAY more than our share to support them.
As for a direct comparison on the parts between ours and what's pictured above, here you go:
First, ours DEFINITELY mounts up to the frame/crossmember and NOT to the lower control arms like the factory (and ATR style) bars do. This was one of the main points that free up the suspension to help it move when & where it needs to without restriction. And to compare our setup to an ATR style (bigger "factory replacement" bar) that bolts to the control arms, it is like comparing a GNX to a claw hammer!!! The difference in quality, materials, performance, features, etc are so different, they are nowhere near the same category. Talk to ANYONE who has upgraded from one ant they will tell you! It's like riding in a Corvette compared to a dump truck!
Next, even though ours looks like a drag race only setup, it works GREAT on the street, track, and strip! Because we use a bigger poly bushing (more expensive ones) on the axle clamps, it has a progressive compression rate that helps offset the high rate on the swaybar itself. This also helps keep the car hooked up by moving in a smooth action as forces are applied. Any abrupt resistance caused by little to no cushion (like thinner poly & weld-in styles) can cause the chassis to unload or be harder to handle/predict on corners. Also, for drag racers we recommend the poly brackets as WIDE as possible for max spring rate. For street & track racers, we recommend putting them as NARROW as possible. That in effect lowers the rate of the bar making it "seem" like a smaller dia, because the car now has more leverage to the pivot point. Ask ANYONE who uses our bar on the street, even at the wide mounting position, and you will hear 99.9% that absolutely LOVE IT !!!!! Personally, I would NEVER have a street car without one of these, it makes a night & day difference on how good it handles. Our bar is also sand blasted & cleaned before powdercoating & pre-heated & baked on after powdercoat (costs more but it's the RIGHT way to do it), which others RARELY if ever do on any of their stuff. We wanted them to look good on installation day & 50 years later too! Same with all the brackets, EVERY one gets sand blasted and cleaned before the finish is applied.
Other differences in the construction & component part of these being compared are:
Our bar is made from a MUCH more expensive aircraft grade 4130 Chromoly TUBE. There are a couple reasons for that. The tube is lighter (11# vs approx 19#) which every drag racer should be concerned about (with everything) unless it's not strong enough or safe. Ours is STRONGER, because we heat treat it AFTER bending it up, to a specific hardness that makes the 4130 work like a true torsion bar or spring. The heat treat actually gets to the outside surface AND the inside surface, making it a LOT stronger than solid. If that's hard to grasp (was even hard for me in the beginning), then just look at all the Pro-Stock & fast cars running the gun drilled (and heat treated) axles. Also BEWARE that some competitors claim theirs is "heat treated", but are actually the original condition from the mill that allows the material to be formed easily. They could be "normalized" or "annealed" which are actually heat treatments, but both make the Chromoly SOFTER and WEAKER. If it is actually heat treated to make it harder & stronger before bending, then the chances of the material cracking and breaking in the corners GREATLY increases. But to some it's about making it as CHEAP as possible. For us it's about making it as GOOD as possible.
On the lower brackets for the axle clamps, ours are the only ones that tie in the ends so it looks like a "bathtub". The picture with this post shows that, but the one with the orange frame above was one of the first prototypes that had the open ends. With the open design, any little force or stress lets the sides flex, which DECREASES CLAMPING PRESSURE! We tested and proved this WAY back during our design phase, that's why we go the extra mile in bending & welding the ends closed to tie it all together. That set was put in the scrap pile a LONG time ago
The lower axle clamps on theirs are a one-size-fits-all design. With the one-fits-all design, the actual contact point is only 4 gripper points per bracket. Ours are custom fit to the exact tube dia needed, and has 12 gripper points that are in contact. Because the material is not as wide as the upper clamps, we made these gripper points shallow. That way they don't smash down from constant stress/force applied to them. With agressive points (like theirs) on such a small surface area, we have heard and seen that they smash down & come loose.
On the upper clamps, ours seem to be the only ones with provisions for the factory (and aftermarket) brake lines. Might sound simple, but once you have to pull the factory ones off the axle tubes and bend/kink/break them, you might think differently. Also, our setup looks a LOT cleaner with the brake lines running where they should be. Our top clamps "horseshoes" have sharp & hardened gripper points that are cut to match the EXACT tube dia. Ours have a total of 6 grippers that are 1/2 inch wide each that contact the axle tubes, making them grip a LOT better than a smooth "U" bolt could ever do. Our design for 9" applications can also bolt on even with aftermarket rearends with back braces! I see some red brackets above you are NOT going to do that with!
Our crossmember (frame) brackets are made from 1/4" steel, and fabricated 3 piece design. We weld thru the plate to the "ears" first, and then down the side are tie it in around the ends. The less all these parts are tied together, the more chance stuff can move and/or come loose. That can cause irratic performance and also break bolts MUCH easier & even tear up the car or cause an accident!
Our strut link/rod end design uses a 3 pc LH/RH design that doesn't need to be unbolted to adjust (like one of the competitors version above). Again, might not sound like a big deal, until you have to get into a VERY tight spot with hand tools at the track between rounds. Ask anyone with adjustable upper control arms that have to be unbolted to adjust, it makes a difference!
We also go thru extra steps to get our bolts plated in the silver color to match the locknuts and rod ends etc. Personally, I HATE the gold bolts & silver nuts & washers, and have heard from many that there are plenty of others that care about this too. We do this with ALL of our products, which is just one more thing that makes this kit look better once installed.
We have also updated the bends slightly on the bar since the picture above. It now fits closer to the pumpkin for a nicer installed look & more ground clearance, while still keeping the factory "look" there. We also include VERY detailed instructions & tuning help, and they have a 1 year warranty on ALL parts (including the rod ends). Not sure what my competitors offer there, but usually they go 30-90 days at most, and might not cover all the parts. Ours are built to last & look great for years, and we stand behind each & every one!
So, yeah at first glance they look similar, but there are a LOT of things that are better on ours. Not to mention we were the ones that started all this, not one to copy someone elses stuff
Plus I can honestly say that we only get GREAT feedback on all of our stuff, ESPECIALLY our Swaybar/Anti-Roll kit. Knowing that people in general are quick to pass on bad news & go out of their way to say good stuff, that makes me feel REAL good hearing the feedback that we get on our stuff!
Thanks for all the support & hope that helps!!!
PS- Hope to see ya at BPG / Columbus OH in a couple weeks! We will be there supporting as usual...
