Speedway Engineering custom Splined Sway bars
Mead Performance is the primary vendor and installer for Speedway Engineering sway bars. We can help you put together your own kit, tune an existing system or take care of the whole installation from beginning to end.
We are proud to have assembled a team with such a broad range of experience from general short track racing, to NASCAR, all the way to exotic hot rods. We have what it takes to steer you in the right direction.
What is listed on our website in the sway bar section is just a glance of what we stock and can provide. A full range of 49 spline, dog bone, stepped up and hollow sway bars are available.
ALL products are made here in Watsonville, CA with ALL American materials. All products being machined here in town means nothing is out of reach. The spline diameters we offer are 5/8, 3/4, 7/8, 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2 and 1-1/4.
Custom kits and parts are available in bulk for self branding purposes.
Design your own kit
Mounting options offered: Pillow blocks, solid tube or stock mounts.
Pillow block: Typically used in most off road and hot rod custom splined sway bar applications. Easy to mount, designed to flex along with the chassis, easy to maintain. Pillow blocks are typically bolted directly to the bottom of the frame rails, or sometimes small extensions are fabricated and welded onto the bottom of the rails for mounting. Multiple different style pillow blocks are available with different profiles, different mounting patterns and spacers to adjust the mounting height. Custom billet pillow blocks are currently in development. Please call to check availability.
Sway Bar Tube: Typically used in circle track racing, and various other applications where the chassis is intended to be rigid. This option adds rigidity to the chassis as it welds directly to the chassis on both sides.
Stock mounts: Stock mounts can be the easiest method, however you may loose rigidity if you use the stock urethane mounts AND its often a long shot to match the stock diameter. Stock mounts usually work when aftermarket bushings are available in the correct diameter and a harder material.
Determine Sway Bar Width
The sway bar width is typically determined by the width of the mounts (pillow block or tube). Measure the distance from outside to outside of whatever mounting option chosen, and add 1-½ on each side. This will give you enough room on each side to install the arms. When using pillow blocks, it is normal to use a sway bar that is wider than the recommendation given above to clear obstacles. When doing this, you must use collar clamps to keep the sway bar centered within the pillow blocks.
Stocking lengths are: 32", 33", 34", 35", 36", 36-1/2", 37-1/2", 38-1/2", 39", 40-1/2", 42" and 43"
Custom lengths are available
Determine arm material and drop
When there aren't obstacles, straight aluminum arms work good. When you have obstacles to work around, we stock a range of arms that work in most applications. Our steel arms are offered in a straight, 15 degree and 30 degree drop. Our straight arms fit most applications, and our drop arms are typically used to clear tie rods and other suspension members that may get in the way. Our arms are made long with intentions of them being mounted, then shortened to a reasonable length.
In this image is a 30 degree dropped arm.
Custom arms of any shapes and lengths are available
Determine arm offset
In most applications, putting a bend (offset) in the arm is necessary to make the sway bar get to the correct mounting location on the suspension members. Our steel arms can be bent with most industrial size press brakes which most fabrication shops have, or you can predetermine this and order them pre-bent. When the wrong offset arm is ordered, they can always be exchanged as long as they aren't damaged.
This picture has a 613-3B which is our standard bent arm with a 3 inch offset. It works in most stock car applications like NASCAR Stocks, Late Models and hot rods like Chevelles, Novas and Camaros
Determine sway bar links
In most applications, ½ heim joints are optimal. Existing mounts on the suspension members can be used, or new mounts may be fabricated and installed. Our ½ rod selection begins with a male and a female rods screwed together, which offers us the shortest possible option. When longer links are needed, we offer aluminum hex sleeves up to 8” long. We recommend you use as long of a link as you possibly can to limit erratic angle changes through travel.
Determine rate and diameter
Diameters and rates are normally chosen per application as there are so many unique factors to each different application. Please call and we will help you with your new Speedway Engineering splined sway bar!