Sway bars: special steel?

While restoring my '69, I found the rear sway bars to be worn in the bushing area, to the point of being smaller in diameter. It is a 15mm bar (both are)

I am pondering whether I can make a set of 18mm bars for the car. (cue in Jeremy Clarkson voice: ) How hard can it be?

I have access to bar stock in the correct diameter, heating sources galore, and a mill to make the flats/drill for the cotter pins.

Thus my question: Is there more to a sway bar than steel stock heated and bent? am I missing a specific component or procedure of making them, whose absence would negate the effort?

Sure you'll need spring steel, heat treatment, shot peening...

Hi georg

If you want I got all types on stock ,the rear 18 mm is 200€
It requeirs serious heat and tooling its not that straight forword as it looks

but beside that , if you want to go at it , I forgot the number ID of the steel we use, but its pretty much as you describe it

Marek