Alfetta Sedan--Will Milano Sway Bars Improve Things?

4511 Views 21 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Ennio, Mar 11, 2008

superloaf

Discussion Starter · Oct 1, 2007

so i found some milano sway bars and was wondering if there is any handling gain when used on a '77 alfetta sedan? i don't even know the stock sway bar sizes for the sedan so if anyone has that info, please share. i'm assuming the milano bars are thicker (i think the front milano bar is 27mm?) so i would also assume they would be beneficial to the alfettas. of course, simple assumptions often turn evil when dealing with alfas.

so has anyone fitted these bars to their alfetta? front & rear? or just rear for a little more oversteer? is it a simple swap with similar mounting, bushings, etc?

thanks

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

sfalfa

· #2 · Oct 1, 2007

The swap should be straightforward, as they're the same mounting points for both cars. Off the top of my head - I'm thinking the stock sedan bars are 26mm (for some reason that's what pops into my head - but don't quote me), so if your Milano bar is 27mm you may notice the gain. I'm in the process of mounting 30mm RSRacing bar to my sedan - if that's too extreme, someone offered to swap their 28mm with me (which was the size I originally was going for...).

superloaf

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 1, 2007

sfalfa said:
The swap should be straightforward, as they're the same mounting points for both cars. Off the top of my head - I'm thinking the stock sedan bars are 26mm (for some reason that's what pops into my head - but don't quote me), so if your Milano bar is 27mm you may notice the gain. I'm in the process of mounting 30mm RSRacing bar to my sedan - if that's too extreme, someone offered to swap their 28mm with me (which was the size I originally was going for...).

yeah, i've since learned that milano front bars are either 22, 24, or 27mm but not sure about this--does anyone know all the sizes for F & R bars on milanos and alfettas? i did a search but couldn't find a complete listing. i guess i'll ask in the milano forum also.

sfalfa--i would think the milano bars would be significantly thicker than on alfettas but again i'm just assuming here so . . . .
anyways, we'll get to the bottom of this.

Ennio

· #4 · Oct 1, 2007

Ít would be best if you measure the diameters of your sedan`s bars as well as the Milano`s. I`ve seen 24mm bars on Milanos, and I think 27mm were Shankle bars, so it would be great to take the diameter.
I am planning to install poly bushes on my gtv2.0, I`ve talked to people with spiders with this mod, and they say it`s perfect, so if you upgrade your car with the Milano bars (in case they are wider) try to get poly bushes!

AR4me

· #5 · Oct 1, 2007

Verdes came stock with 24 mm front sway bar. I suspect some Platinums came with 24 mm as well (I had one like that...), but otherwise I believe other Milanos came with 22 mm front sway bar.
Jes

superloaf

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 1, 2007

thanks, guys for the info.

jes, yeah i saw a 27mm bar on ebay which i thought was a stock bar but now i see it was a shankle. (it sold for only $57--seems like a deal.)

yeah, i'll get out there and measure my alfetta and milano--just wanted to know the different sizes and i can't find my calipers.

ennio--the poly option is definitely a worthwhile mod. i recently upgraded most of my scirocco's old rubber bushings to poly and could not believe the difference. from now on, every car i ever buy will get 2 mods: poly bushings and ss brake lines. IMO, the 2 best things you can do for any car.

even on the scirocco (front wheel drive sacrilege, of course) REAR poly bushings transformed the car's feel and response. car also has bilstein sports, thick sway bars, and lowering springs but the poly bush still made a huge difference.

sorry, just my .02 love for the poly bush! (sounds like some porn confession!

)

See less See more

sfalfa

· #7 · Oct 1, 2007

Here's what I found from Performatek's website for the Poly bushings:

Front anti roll bar center mount, 20mm (GTV6 & Alfetta)

Front anti-roll bar center mount, 22mm for 2.5 L Milano (75)

Front anti roll bar center mount, 24mm, ‘88-’89 3.0L Milano

Other size bushings are offered - but I think the above would be correct for stock as confirmed by AR4me's post...

superloaf

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 1, 2007 (Edited)

sfalfa said:
Here's what I found from Performatek's website for the Poly bushings:

Front anti roll bar center mount, 20mm (GTV6 & Alfetta)

Front anti-roll bar center mount, 22mm for 2.5 L Milano (75)

Front anti roll bar center mount, 24mm, ‘88-’89 3.0L Milano

Other size bushings are offered - but I think the above would be correct for stock as confirmed by AR4me's post...

yeah, that makes sense.

and good thinking by using the bushing sizes! brilliant.

of course, now comes the question of the rear bars. according to performatek, the rears are 20, 21, 22, & 23mm. i'm assuming the 25.4mm is aftermarket.

and the question of whether a 2mm change in the bar is enough to notice? maybe on an alfetta, it is. i suppose it couldn't hurt.

Mark-in-Ind

· #9 · Oct 1, 2007

On my 78 Sport Sedan, I put a Verde bar on front with Performatek poly for the center mounts and end links. A nice improvement. On the rear I kept the stock bar but replaced the center mounts with poly. Unless something has changed the end links were not available in poly. They are available for a gtv6but the end links are different on a "6". What I did was go to a local Pep Boys auto parts and picked up a pack of aftermarket generic nylon end link pieces. I cut them down, ground off a little nylon, and made them fit. Not hard to do at all. Nylon is easier to grind down than poly because it is harder. Anyway, worked like a champ.
I would add that if you're looking at a 27mm or greater bar for Alfetta series cars, that you'd likely want to get the reinforcing plates for the center mounts or the mounts might tear out.
As for poly....my experience is that it is the best bang for the buck on suspension. I have done my gtv6 also. Improvement all the way around. It really doesn't add harshness but allows the bars to work quicker and better. Don't forget those Dedion mounting points and bars. Castor rods too!!!

See less See more

bshorey

· #10 · Oct 2, 2007

superloaf said:
so i found some milano sway bars and was wondering if there is any handling gain when used on a '77 alfetta sedan? i don't even know the stock sway bar sizes for the sedan so if anyone has that info, please share. i'm assuming the milano bars are thicker (i think the front milano bar is 27mm?) so i would also assume they would be beneficial to the alfettas. of course, simple assumptions often turn evil when dealing with alfas.

so has anyone fitted these bars to their alfetta? front & rear? or just rear for a little more oversteer? is it a simple swap with similar mounting, bushings, etc?

thanks

They'll fit, and work. An early Alfetta upgrade was to install an entire GTV6 suspension. The Milano torsion bars won't work in an Alfetta, but early GTV6 torsion bars will.

One word of caution, you really need to box in the front sheet metal around the front sway bar, otherwise if you install a stiffer bar you'll eventually tear things apart.

HTH,

bs

gt601

· #11 · Oct 2, 2007

I have a big sway bar on the front AND rear. The front one is one a buddy got from (I think Australia) and is like a Shankle Bar. The rear is a biggn' I got from a parts Alfetta. It's big and red! (25mm) It made a world of difference in the handling. It drives like it is on rails. The *** end likes to kick out under power but I like that. I did add the metal plates to the front so I would not tear the metal. I think that I will also add them to the rear and to the de doin as the parts car has the mounting bracket torn out of the de dion.

Paul

Ennio

· #12 · Oct 2, 2007

Paul can you post some pics of the metal plates installed? What diameter does your front bar have?

superloaf

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 3, 2007

gt601 said:
I have a big sway bar on the front AND rear. The front one is one a buddy got from (I think Australia) and is like a Shankle Bar. The rear is a biggn' I got from a parts Alfetta. It's big and red! (25mm) It made a world of difference in the handling. It drives like it is on rails. The *** end likes to kick out under power but I like that. I did add the metal plates to the front so I would not tear the metal. I think that I will also add them to the rear and to the de doin as the parts car has the mounting bracket torn out of the de dion.

Paul

so how much power is your car making to be able to kick out the rear end under power? give up some details on your car, paul, or give me a link to a thread about it. i'd really like to see some modified sedans. most people seem to keep them stock but what the hell's the fun in that!

i'd love to make mine handle on rails and be able to throttle oversteer but i guess at this point i'd settle to have it just pass smog!

anyways, love to see some more info on your sedan especially since you have the "better" early body style like i do. there don't seem to be many of us.

did you ever have milano bars on your sedan? i'm sure the shankle do wonders for the lighter alfettas but curious if it's worth doing the milano bars since they're only 2-4mm thicker?

1166

· #14 · Oct 3, 2007 (Edited)

The Alfetta sedans front swaybar is thin, something like 17-19mm. The Milanos were 22mm, or 24mm for the ABS cars. The late milanos all had the 24mm front bars.

I used a 22mm front bar and GTV-6 torsion bars in my 1975 sedan. I put in Koni gas shocks and found the ride to be very harsh (it pounded over bumps) and the shocks were on the softest setup. I switched to a low milage set of GTV6 shocks and eveything felt perfect after that. It cornered WAY flatter than before and felt much better all around. I really like the old hydraulic Koni's in the alfetta, but you'd have to find a set and have them rebuilt.

As far as I am concerned, poly bushing have their place, but castor joints on the 116 (alfetta chassis' car) are not one of them. I WOULD do the spider castor joints instead (like the 1990 SZ). Performatek sells a nice kit for that. The car I did with the spider joints felt fine - no harshness at all. I do not like the poly ones as they do not allow free movement of the suspension - they 'bind' as they compress. I used them in one car and NEVER again in that application. Early Mustangs have a similar castor rod in the front suspension and they crack the mounting area if poly is used there, so for preformance they (Global West, I believe) spec out heim joints on the castor rod for the freedom of movement. I would use them (poly bushings) for the watts link and swaybar links however. I am sure this could be a heavily debated subject however...

See less See more

gt601

· #15 · Oct 3, 2007

so how much power is your car making to be able to kick out the rear end under power? give up some details on your car,

My camera is acting crazy so I'm pretty sure that I can't post pics. I'll measure the bar in the front tomorrow at work. I'm really not sure how big it is. I had the Shankle sway bar plates in my too box that I was going to put on my old Verde but the ex got it (Beotch!!)
As far as the engine goes.
It has a cam that I have no idea what the specs are. It is a machined camshaft rather than cast and has no numbers on it. The head is a big valve,ported and polished(I haven't measured the valves so I don't know) The valves are big enough that they will "nick" a normal plug.
I have weber 40carbs with velocity stacks on them. I switched the points dizzy with a Plex system. I just recently installed a MSD Blaster coil that has really made a difference in top end. Oh the engine has a set of two peice headers on it with a straight pipe one Magnaflow muffler at the rear.(2.5"" pipe) It's running pretty good right now but I'm sure that it will get better after I adjust the valves.( got the shim set a few weeks ago to finish the 164

)
It's quick enough that I gave an older 325 BMW some grief this am.
(It won't go 135

)
It's really nothing special you just have to push her hard and hope that something doesn't pop.

Paul

She is still not finished. I'm planning on rebuilding a new block from one of my extras this winter and getiing the head re worked with new seals,stems etc.

See less See more

2

gt601

· #16 · Oct 3, 2007 (Edited)

Oh...by the way I have kicked the back end of a diesel rabbit around. You don't need power just a disregard for safety. Some in and out pics.

See less See more

3

gt601

· #17 · Oct 5, 2007

Oh.. I forgot to mention. The sway bars have stiffened the suspension enough that the front wheel lifts off the ground when I pull the car into the garage

And.. I forgot to measure the front and rear bars.

Paul

superloaf

Discussion Starter · #18 · Oct 5, 2007

what's that front spoiler? nice, either it's custom made or ultra rare!

looks good.

****, i gotta get mine up and running. and my milano!

gt601

· #19 · Oct 5, 2007

Thanks. I took a GTV-6 spoiler and cut out about six inches from the center and put it back together. It fit pretty well and I'm sure that it goes faster with it on there

Paul

Alex Csank

· #20 · Oct 5, 2007

VERY NICE CAR, Paul!!!!!!

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.