UMI Performance 78-88 GM G-Body 1.250in Solid Chrome Moly Front Sway Bar - Red

Bright Red 1.250 Inch Solid Front Sway Bar for the 1978-1988 GM G-Body

Swapping the factory seven eighths inch front bar for this 1.250 inch solid chrome moly bar is the largest single change available to front roll stiffness on a G-Body without touching the springs. UMI rates it at 428 lb/in of deflection and forms the whole bar as one CNC bent piece, then publishes its 44 11/16 inch centre to centre dimension so clearance around headers, the steering box and the idler arm can be checked before the box is opened.

The bright red powder coat is the point of this particular part number rather than the black one: the bar sits in plain view behind the front valance on a lowered car. It arrives with new high quality end links, greaseable split bushings and zinc plated clamshell saddles, and the one thing deliberately left out is mounting bolts, because UMI requires the small diameter GM specific factory bolts to be reused with its clamshells.

Key Features

• 1.250 inch solid 4140 chrome moly bar, more rigid than the factory seven eighths inch front bar.
• Published deflection rate of 428 lb/in, so the change in front roll resistance is a known quantity.
• CNC bent and formed as one piece, with no splices and no welded arms.
• Published centre to centre dimension of 44 11/16 inches for pre-purchase clearance checking.
• Greaseable split bushings supplied in zinc plated clamshell saddles.
• New high quality end links sized to suit standard and tall spindle heights, including tall ball joints.
• Bright red powder coat over the full bar.
• Non-adjustable single-rate design with no multi-hole arms.

Fitment

UMI publishes this eight vehicle list on the 3035 product page as the confirmed application for the part number, so the fitment above is manufacturer-confirmed rather than inferred.

UMI publishes year, make and model only for this part number, with no submodel, trim, engine or drivetrain breakdown, so the fitment tags on this listing stop at model rather than inventing a trim.

The bar bolts to the existing factory mounting holes with no modification. UMI's installation sheet adds that significantly raised or lowered cars, cars with frame sag, or cars running other manufacturers' control arms may need the supplied end links trimmed at the centre sleeve or replaced with a different length, and that end link length is the customer's responsibility in those cases.

Install the bar the right way up. UMI states plainly that installing it upside down will cause tie rod clearance trouble.

Specifications

What's Included

• One 1.250 inch solid front sway bar.
• Two end link assemblies.
• Two sway bar bushings with clamshells.

That list is UMI's own kit contents statement from the 3035 installation sheet, quoted in full. Nothing else is documented, and no piece counts beyond those three lines are published.

Mounting bolts are not in the box. UMI's sheet is explicit that the factory bolts are GM specific with a small diameter and must be reused in conjunction with the UMI clamshells, so keep the original hardware when the old bar comes off.

About UMI Performance

UMI Performance builds chassis and suspension parts at 509 Hemlock Street in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, from North American raw material supplied by leading USA steel suppliers, with machine-guided precision bent DOM tubing, precision laser cut components, Tiger Dry Lac powder coat and welds laid by skilled and robotic welders. The 3035 front bar is one of the parts that made the company's name on the G-Body platform, and the same bar is supplied inside UMI's own front and rear sway bar kit.

Related Parts

• UMI 3034-R 1 inch solid rear sway bar, red, same 1978-1988 G-Body application
• UMI 303534-R front and rear solid sway bar kit, red, which contains this bar
• UMI 3068 front sway bar mount spacer, offered by UMI as an add-on for this bar
• UMI 3008 Super Lube synthetic grease for the greaseable bushings

FAQ

The factory G-Body front bar is seven eighths of an inch. This one is 1.250 inches of solid 4140 chrome moly, and UMI rates it at 428 lb/in of deflection. In practice the front outside corner resists roll far harder, so the car leans less and turns in more sharply, and more of the lateral load transfer happens at the front axle. If you run it without a matching rear bar the balance shifts toward understeer at the limit, which is why UMI also sells the front and rear kit.

You reuse the factory ones. UMI's installation sheet carries a must-read note stating that the factory bolts are GM specific with a small diameter and must be used in conjunction with the UMI clamshells. The box contains the bar, two end links and two bushings with clamshells, and no mounting bolts, so do not discard the original hardware when the old bar comes out.

There is a correct orientation and UMI flags it directly: do not install the bar upside down, because tie rod clearance trouble will occur. Fit it the way UMI's sheet shows, then before you lower the car turn the wheels lock to lock and check clearance around the brake lines, tie rods and control arms through the full sweep.

UMI publishes no ft-lb torque figure for this part, so no number is quoted here. What UMI does publish is a method: put the vehicle's weight on the sway bar before tightening the end links so the bushings do not bind, make sure the washers cup toward the bushings, then use a 9/16 inch wrench and a ratchet to tighten the assembly until the bushings start to bulge slightly. UMI says not to grease the end links and not to over tighten them. For the clamshell bolts, use the factory service specification for your year and model.

Probably not. UMI addresses this specifically and says sway bar end links look incorrect when the suspension is at full droop, and that the assembly should be evaluated with the car back on all four tyres at ride height. Judge it there, not on the lift.

Yes. UMI states the supplied end links suit the majority of cars at reasonable ride heights and cover both standard and tall spindle heights, including cars running tall ball joints or tall spindles. The exception is a car that has been raised or lowered significantly, has frame sag, or uses another manufacturer's control arms, where a different end link length may be needed.

Possibly. UMI states the supplied links are longer than factory and have proven to work in most cases, that longer links are the customer's responsibility if frame sag, frame damage or aftermarket control arms demand them, and that if the links are too long the centre sleeve can be trimmed shorter. Fit the car at ride height first and judge from there.

It is published so you can check. Measure across your own frame mounting holes and compare, and on a car with long tube headers, a modified steering box location or a rebuilt idler arm bracket do the check before installation. UMI also offers a 0.600 inch mount spacer for cases where the bar needs to sit further from the frame.

A front bar alone is a real improvement on a stock car and many owners stop there. If you want matched front and rear roll stiffness rather than a front-biased setup, UMI packages this exact bar with its 1 inch solid rear bar as part number 303534, which is the same two parts under one part number. Note the rear bar is designed for factory rear end housings, so a car with a swapped aftermarket housing needs a chassis mounted rear bar instead.

Because the poly end link bushings take a set at whatever position they are clamped in. UMI states the vehicle's weight must be on the sway bar before tightening the end links to prevent bushing bind. Tightening at full droop preloads the bar against the suspension at ride height, which shortens bushing life and can make the car feel harsh over one-wheel bumps.

They are greaseable, which is the point of the design, and UMI offers its own Super Lube synthetic grease for them. Re-greasing at service intervals keeps the bar from squeaking in the clamshells. Worth knowing before you buy: polyurethane bushings are named in UMI's policy as normal wear items that are excluded from the warranty, so they are a consumable rather than a lifetime part.

UMI publishes a two year warranty from the original date of purchase against defects in materials and workmanship, to the original purchaser only, and it is not transferable. The same policy excludes misuse, use beyond the design limits of the part, improper installation, acts of God, shipping damage, any product that has been altered, adjusted or tampered with, components not made by UMI, incidental costs such as towing and labour, and normal wear items including bearings and bushings. UMI also states it cannot guarantee compatibility with other manufacturers' components. The printed sheet in the box still carries an older disclaimer that predates the current two year term, and the live policy page is the document that governs. Neither is a Black Ops Auto Works warranty.

Installation Instructions

1. Gather a 13mm and a 15mm wrench and socket, a three ton floor jack and two jack stands. UMI recommends a second person for this job.
2. Jack the car under the front crossmember and place the stands behind the front tyres on the frame so the front control arms unload.
3. Remove the old end links first. UMI notes this may require an impact wrench, and that cutting them off may be necessary on a rusted car.
4. Install the new end links finger tight, one side at a time.
5. Attach the bar to both end links finger tight, then mount the clamshells to the existing factory holes using the factory hardware.
6. Centre the bar so clearance is equal side to side.
7. Lower the car so its weight is on the sway bar before any final tightening, which is what stops the bushings binding.
8. Tighten the end links with a 9/16 inch wrench and ratchet until the bushings start to bulge slightly, with the washers cupping toward the bushings. Do not grease the links and do not over tighten them.
9. Tighten the clamshell bolts to the factory service specification for your year and model.
10. Turn the wheels through a full sweep from left to right and check all clearances around the brake lines, tie rods and control arms.

UMI publishes no ft-lb torque value for this part number, so none is printed here. Where a number is needed, use the factory service information for your specific year and model with the suspension loaded at ride height.