Installation of Hotchki s Fro n t Swa y Ba r
Sport Sway Bar Kit 2254
70-74 Chrylser E-Body ‘Cuda, Challenger
Thank you for your purchase from our new line of Mopar parts.
Please call us at 877 - 4NO - ROLL if you have any questions
regarding the service or instal lation of your Hotchkis Performanc e products.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE
STARTING THIS INSTALLATION. THERE’S SOME HOLE DRILLING INVOLVED
AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO MAKE ANY UNNECESSARY HOLES DUE TO
INSTALLER ERROR. METAL GRINDING IS ALSO NECESSARY.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL BEFORE
1F Raise the Vehicle
Raise the vehicle and safely secure it o n jack stands. Remove either the driver or passenger
side wheel.
2F. Disconnect End Lniks
Disconnect the stock sway bar end links form the lower control arm and the sway ba r
3F. Disconnect Bushing Br ackets
Disconnect the bushing brac ket fro m the subfr ame bushing mounts.
4F. Remove Subframe Bushing Mounts.
Unbolt the 2 nuts and remove the subframe b ushing mounts.
5F. Remove the Front Stock Sway Bar
Fish the stock bar towards the side that the wheel was taken off. The stock sway bar should
be able to be completely removed from the vehicle.
6F. Disconnect the Radiator Bracket
There is a radiator bracket direct ly in fr ont of the k-frame. Disconnect the rearward bolt and
loosen the front bolt to swing the br acket out of the way.
7F. Cut Skid Plate
If your k-frame has a skid plate you will need to cut the front welds that attach t he plate to
the k-frame. This will allow you to carefully bend the skid plate downward to allow the new
bar to go in. Use a cut-off wheel or grinder to cut the welds. Yo u will be re-bending and
rewelding the plate back to it’s original position later in this installation.
8F. Install Hotchkis Sway Bar
Insert the Hotchkis front sway bar through the middle of the k-frame like the stock bar use to.
9F. Install New Subframe Bushing Mounts
Install the Hotchkis subframe bushing m ounts with the included hardware. Use t he fine
thread 3/8 hex bolts for this mount. Make sure to use a washer for the bolt head and the nut
side.
10F Install the Bushings & Brackets
Lube the inside surface of the new bushings with the provided grease. Install the bushings on
to the bar. Install the bushing bra c ket onto the bushing. Due tolerances in subframes, you
may need to install one or two 1/8” spacers between the bushing and the subframe bushing
mounts. Please check the clearance the bar has inside the k-member. If it needs to move up
or down, use add or remove the spacers to achieve proper clearance. Use the provided 3/8
socket head bo lts and nuts. These are c ourse thread. Use the flat cut washers on the socket
head side and insert the bolts from the bottom
11F. Install End Links
Install the new end links in the same fashio n as the stock removal.
12F Re-Weld Skid Plate
Use a jack to push the skid plate back to it’s original position. Sand or grind down the area
near the cut. Disconnect the car battery and re-weld the plate.
13F Sway Bar Stiffne ss
This bar is 220% stiffer than stock.
Installation of Hotchkis Rear Sway Bar
1R. Raise the Vehicle, Remove Rear Bar
Installation must be done at ride height. Drive vehicle on to ramps, or use a 4-post alignment
style rack. If your vehicle has a factory sway bar, jack up the vehicle and support with jack
stands, remove one wheel, remove end links and bushing brackets, and slide bar out side of
vehicle. Install wheel, and low er vehic l e back down to ride height.
2R. Install Axle Brackets
Hang the bushing bracket u-bol ts over the axle tubes.
3R. Install Bushings & Brackets
Apply grease to the new bushings with the supplied grease, install onto sway bar, and press
bushing brackets over bushings.
4R. Attach bar to Axle
Lift the sway bar into position, and attach to u-bolts with the axle brackets. Install the nuts
onto the u-bolts, but do not completely tighten yet. Align the axle brackets so they are level
with the ground.
5R. Insta l l End Link Dog Bon es & Frame Bracket for Mock Fit
Install dog-bones and triangle frame brackets onto sway bar with the supplied hardware in the
center hole of the sway bar.
We’ve noticed on some E-bodies that the distance between the left and right frame rails were
½” wider. If the frame bracket does not line up in the center of each frame rail due to the
frames having a wider span, then please install the optional spacer between the sway bar and
the end link.
6R. Mock Up Reinfor cement Frame Brackets
Since the vehicles frame rails are made out of thin steel, it is necessary to reinforce the frame
rails in the area that the sway bar mounts to. There are 2 brackets that are included in your
kit (one per side).
Place the reinforcement bracket onto the frame rail and position the sway bar triangle frame
bracket up against the reinforcement bracket. Mark the frame rails outlining the entire bracket
including the side holes. Do t his for both sides.
With the brackets in position, mar k the ho le position of the triangle bracket onto the
reinforcement bracket.
7R. Clean Area for Welding
Raise the rear of the vehicle and remove the rear wheels. This will allow you go access the
outer section of the frame rails easier. Sand the paint off the frame rails near the outline of
the bracket.
Sand the frame triangle bracket in the sections showed below.
8R. Weld Triangl e Bra cket to the Reinforc ement Bracket
C-Clamp the triangle frame bracket to the reinforcement bracket and rosette weld the 2 holes
you marked at the end of step 6R. Once the brackets are together, weld a bead along the
side edges of the triangle bracket and the reinforcement bracket. Do this for both driver and
passenger sides.
9R. Weld Reinforcement Brackets to Frame Rails
With the triangle bracket and reinforcement brackets welded together, slide the reinforcement
bracket onto the frame rail. C-clamp it into place. Use the “positioning line” made in step 7R
to get the assembly into the corr ec t p osition.
Weld the bracket to the frame rail as shown below.
10R Paint & Reassemble End Links
Once the brackets are welded in place, paint the exposed metal with your choice of color.
Reinstall the end links onto the triangle brackets and fully tighten all hardware. You are
finished!
11R Offset Leaf Springs Owners!
If you have installed a 1-1.5” offset leaf spring kit prior or after the installation of the Hotchkis
sway bar set, you may have an interference issue between the leaf spring and the dog bone
attachment at the sway bar end. You can gain more clearance by installing our studded dog
bone conversion kit 17366.
Hotchkis Performance LLC
Return Policy & Limited Warra nty
Effective December 1, 2010 all Hotchkis products must be registered to qualify for warranty at
www.hotchkis.net or via t he mail-in warranty card, included with the product, within 30 days of the
original purchase date.
IMPORTANT: This warranty supersedes all other warranties included with this product.
Return Policy
We want you to be completely satisfied with your Hotchkis Performance product. For products, presenting signs of
shipping damage please contact the freight carrier immediately. All our products are guaranteed to be free from
manufacturer’s def ec ts . If your or der arr ives wit h a manufacture def ec t, pl ease contact our Cust omer Service Department
at (562) 907-7757. You w ill be assi gned a Re turned Goods Auth orization Num ber (RGA). The pack age you return m ust
show the RGA on the out side of the package, include the original invoic e and be shipped prepaid to our facility. The
product has to be unused and in its original packaging materials. Exchanges or refunds made after 30 days will be
subject to a 20% restocking charge. If you purchased your Hotchkis Performance product from an authorized
dealer, you are still covered by this return policy. All returns however, should be made to your dealer, not to
Hotchkis Performance directly.
Limited Warranty
Hotchkis Performance offers a Limited Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for the term of 36 months
(3 years) from the date of purchase of this product. This Warranty only applies to the original retail purchaser who retains
ownership of the vehicle on which the product was originally installed. If the product is determined to be defective,
Hotchkis Performance will repair, replace or refund the purchase price of the defective product at Hotchkis Performance's
sole discretion, which shall fully satisfy and discharge any and all warranty claims. Any repaired or replaced product will
be returned to the sender excluding the cost of freight.
www.hotchkis.net or via the mail-in warranty card, included with the product, within 30 days of the original
purchase date.
Products must be registered to qualify for warranty at
Exclusions from Warranty
Items offered but not manuf actured by Hotchkis Performanc e are warranted according to the manufac turer's terms and
are not covered by this limited warranty. Hotchkis Performance shall not be responsible for any labor, removal,
installation, re-installation or maintenance costs. This warranty does not cover the cosmetic finish or plating of any
product or any normal wea r and tear to any product inc luding, but not limited to bus hings, brackets , end-links, hardw are,
steering components, shocks or springs. In addition, this warran ty does not apply to any products that have been:
Improperly installed or installed by someone other than a qualified, licensed auto mechanic experienced in the
installation and removal of suspension products;
Improperly serviced, misused, or modified, altered or subjected to abuse, negligence, accident or collision; Installed in any vehicle that has been modified; Installed on any vehicle that has carried loads in excess of automobile manufacturer suggested weight limits; or Installed on any vehicle that has been subject to abnormal or excessive use, including rallying, racing, or racing-type
activities or off-road use.
Limitation of Warranty
This limited warranty is the entire and only warranty for the products and may not be modified or supplem ented by any
other person or company in any form . Any description of the produc ts, by anyone, is for the sole purpos e of identifying
them and is not part of the basis of the barga in, and d oes not constitute a war ranty that th e products wil l conform to that
description. The statem ents of any salesperso n do not constitute part of this limited warranty and cannot be relied upon
as a warranty.
THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WHICH EXTEND BEYOND THE
DESCRIPTION ON THE FACE HEREOF. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE DISCLAIMED TO THE
FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, LOSS OF TIME OR REVENUES, INCONVENIENCE, LOSS OF USE OF THE VEHICLE,
DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE, ANY OTHER TYPE OF
Loading...