Since you did not get a concise answer, Do it in two careful steps:

1. Try an inexpensive scrap yard 260 rear bar.

2. If it works fine then upgrade to a suspension techniques.


A little extra work but no big losses.

 

This guy has a 73Z with MSA bars: alan240zt

This should help too:

I am trying to install a rear sway bar . the factory hangers are there. But my problem is this the car was built 8/73 which is after the 74 model production year. and what I wonder is if I have a '74 body pan . Is the rear sway bar on a 260 stright or curved where it crosses the driveline. My hangers are right in line with he differential mount and is in the way if the sway bar is supposed to be stright. I bought a used one that was supposed to fit but no joy. Will any one with a 260 let me know if the rear sway bar has a bend in it to clear the drive line mount. Thanks a lot . Gary Portland Oregon.


Re: rear sway bar problem on '73
Author: JOEYTEKNO (---.NYCMNY83.covad.net)
Date: May 22, 2002 5:37am

it is not just a c shape.. its kind of like this
i used a rear sway bar from a 74 260z in my 12/72 240z and thats how it fit.. its my understanding all 73's had the sway bar mounts (lucky us) but didnt get rear bars till 74



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Don't know if this will help....
Author: JohnH240 (---.as0.told.oh.voyager.net)
Date: May 22, 2002 5:40am

Have the MSA kit installed on a 72 and a 78. The 78 is straight and mounts are on the floor pan forward of the crossing frame support that is about 2" tall. The 72 mounts on top of that frame support member and it does have a kink in it, to jog around the control arms front mount. I notice that the MSA catalog shows a different setup for the 74. Great, just ..... great! I would have thought that the early 260 would have been like the 240. Perhaps it is! If you have factory mounts on top of the frame rail I would think you need the kinked bar.




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Re: Don't know if this will help....
Author: Zbartsky (---.dialup.mindspring.com)
Date: May 22, 2002 6:26am

I had a early 260 and ordered a larger rear bar. But before I could install it I bought a 72 240. I had to make brackets but it fits my 240 perfectly. It is straight across. It goes right under the u-joint on the driveshaft I think. No interference.




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I'm confused....
Author: 73-240Z (207.88.203.---)
Date: May 22, 2002 6:34am

I recently purchased a rear sway bar from MSA for my '73Z (manufacture date 4/73, I think) and the instructions indicated I needed to drill holes through the frame to mount the brackets. I took a quick look and decided i didn't have time to get into it at moment so I haven't installed it yet.

But there were no factory brackets to mount the sway bar to the frame. There were holes in the lower control arms (I think that is what they are called) but nothing on the frame. Also the after market muffler was in the way. (Also from MSA). It needs to be moved forward about 6 inches.

Is my car too early to have the brackets? Do I have any other choice but to drill holes in the frame?

Thanks
Dave




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Re: I'm confused....
Author: alan240zt (---.sd.sd.cox.net)
Date: May 22, 2002 6:45am

My '73 has a mfr. date of 6/73. My MSA swaybar is "kinked" foreward to clear the lower control arm mounts but is not bent up or down to clear the exhaust or diff. I remember I had to drill holes for the mounting points AND I had to grind off factory mounting tabs that were in the way.Otherwise it installed fine and works great.
Alan




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for 73-240Z...
Author: JohnH240 (---.as0.told.oh.voyager.net)
Date: May 22, 2002 7:13am

When you get to installing the bar, make sure you install the end links FIRST (not tight) this will help hold the bar in location to mark for drilling. I then used a small bottle jack to hold it up to the body for marking/drilling. Put the mounts out to the sides as far as possible. They will be almost right at the end of the frame member. You will be drilling almost through the double layer of metal from the frame member and floor pan. (You'll understand when you lay under the car! 8^) )




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Re: rear sway bar problem on '73
Author: luggnut73 (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: May 22, 2002 11:01am

Thanks everyone for the input I think I am on the right track , I have a '73 with a '74 body pan configureation go figure. thanks again , Gary




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Re: for 73-240Z...
Author: luggnut73 (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: May 22, 2002 11:07am

John , thanks for the reply , I have factory mounts on the frame allready . It seems I just need the 260 bar to go on the '73 . Gary I no longer have the geeman e-mail address. g.moisant@attbi.com is the new one . That is if any one cares. Thanks to all . Gary

 

Gee:

I sent those pictures. They are not that great but you should be able to get some idea how the ST bar is installed.



I know this for a fact. I put a ST sway bar on the rear of my car (early '73)and there is no interference, no drilling, no cutting. You remove the old braces that connect the frame to the rear pivot point of the control arm and replace it with the ST brace that accomodates the sway bar.

Chris

 

"aftermarket bar kits such as Suspension Techniques and MSA but still don't know for certain if the factory-installed sway bar brackets will interfere with mounting these aftermarket bars on a '73."

i know for sure as whitey06 mentioned that the Suspension Tech bar will not even come close to factory brackets on the body. as in the pic i posted and as whitey06 again mentioned it comes with two shiny galvanized riser brackets that then make the bar face forward. the end links then go into the same hole in the control arms that a stock bar would.

what brand and type of struts are in the 73? my experience is that nothing will transform a 240Z into a curve burner better than Tokico Illuminas. i upgraded everything possible on the suspension only to be very dissatisfied with the amount of time/money spent. this included urethane bushes, rack rebuild/adjust, joints and bearings replace, lowering springs, airdam/BRE spoiler, and Suspension Tech swaybar kit. my MGB would still outdart my Z. shame! hehe. if i would do it all over again, i would install the Illuminas before anything else.

 

The struts were replaced just before I met the owner. They're probably generic. I doubt he'll want to spend the money on new struts right away after having just spent the big labor $ to have them replaced.
So Kammy, do you think installing the ST sway bar kit alone is not worthwhile?
Thanks Mr. White for the photos. I did receive them and now know how the bar will mount.

Thanks for all the help.

 

it is worthwhile

when i first got this 240Z it had all the familiar quirks of wandering at speed, shimmy, clonk, etc. all the parts had a cumulative affect on the handling. i put the Suspension Tech, lowering springs, and Tokico HPs in after a visit to ArizonaZcar. i thought with about $400 in "performance" parts that i would be able to Rock&Roll. nope, not to my satisfaction. bodyroll, rearend squat, brake dive was all still there although minimized.

surely it was a safer better handling Z but not what i envisioned how a sportscar should handle.

i could always albeit temporarily removed my rear swaybar, set the Illuminas on the softest and explore the handling characteristics. would take me 10 minutes to undo the endlinks, 10 sec to adjust the struts...hehe. should i try it this weekend?

 

Kammy, if you're bored, go for it I'd be all ears to hear the results. I would expect you'd get severe understeer assuming you installed a bigger front sway bar too. Will you soften the front struts too, which might reduce the understeer?

Did you hook up with the Datsun roadster owner on your island?

 

Anyone have the Turn 6 rear sway bar installed on their '70-'73? I would like to get more info on the installation and mounting points. Thx.