HELLIG SWAY BARS

[John Ranis]

I ordered the new Hellwig Sway Bar for my Ram 3500 Dually which is carrying an Arctic Fox 990. It is supposed to ship this week. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!

 

[JB1]

I'm sorry I meant OEM. If the 4x4 comes with a bigger sway bar, I would probably skip getting a new one.

The ability to change hole positions on the end is also a benefit. I almost didn’t buy one but at my lifted height I could use some help cornering.

 

[gto64gto]

I have a 2017 1500 Sport crew cab 4 wheel drive. I was interested in their rear sway bar because of the adjustment holes on rear bar. I miked the front and rear bar and found that stock and the Hellig bars were the same thickness. I ordered the rear bar just to check it out. (I have changed both front and rear bars on so many vehicles since 1975. Some made a lot of difference and some didn't.) I have the bar in the center position and I cut 1 and 1/2 coils at rear the same time. We went on a 5500 mile trip out west after this change. I can not tell any change at all. The truck handeled the same as before the change. The only thing I could see that was different was the stock bar was lighter and the Hellig bushings and bushing mounts seemed to be beefier. Knowing what I know now, I would not spend the money for one. There is nothing to the installation. That's an old country boy's opinion

 

[Oliver_Closov]

Can anyone that uses their Ram off-road speak to whether the sturdiness gained has a negative effect on the articulation and other off-road handling characteristics?
Thanks.

 

[Craw]

I have a 2017 1500 Sport crew cab 4 wheel drive. I was interested in their rear sway bar because of the adjustment holes on rear bar. I miked the front and rear bar and found that stock and the Hellig bars were the same thickness. I ordered the rear bar just to check it out. (I have changed both front and rear bars on so many vehicles since 1975. Some made a lot of difference and some didn't.) I have the bar in the center position and I cut 1 and 1/2 coils at rear the same time. We went on a 5500 mile trip out west after this change. I can not tell any change at all. The truck handeled the same as before the change. The only thing I could see that was different was the stock bar was lighter and the Hellig bushings and bushing mounts seemed to be beefier. Knowing what I know now, I would not spend the money for one. There is nothing to the installation. That's an old country boy's opinion

Thank you, I have a 2013 4x4. I will just stay stock then.

 

[69GWC]

Man I was perfectly happy not knowing if my sway bar was upside down or not.
Now I wont be able to sleep

 

[jljbtm]

is it the front one or rear that needs to be replaced?

 

[utahbill]

Back in my wrenching days I got into sway bars big time, on Dakotas and Mopar F,M, J bodies. Sway bars can be hollow, that is often the factory method, AKA cheaper.
Front sway bars should be thicker/stiffer than rear bars. My 79 Volare wagon chick magnet with 4BBL 318 was redone using solid front bar( HD 1.25") and .75" small rear bar taken from a Diplomat cop car. Later, after some wider tires and leaf spring mods, I went bigger on both. The wagon used to wallow like a pig on turns, handled great with the better bars.

Early Dakotas did not have rear bars, but I found that Ford Explorer/Ranger bars
could be made to work without looking like it was kluged together.

Sway bars help a lot when the truck has to haul a top heavy load, like a camper. If you want to race like Mario Andretti, buy a sports car.

My 4x4 has factory bars, don't think bigger bars will make it better since I don't haul top heavy loads. Pay attention to members who cannot tell the difference before and after, could save you some money.

 

[69GWC]

is it the front one or rear that needs to be replaced?

On the 4wds its the rear bar that you want to replace, the Hellwig bar is noticeable larger in diameter and will keep the truck alot flatter in sweeping corners.

 

[JB1]

Man I was perfectly happy not knowing if my sway bar was upside down or not.
Now I wont be able to sleep

lol

 

[tator2k]

The rear sway bar was the first thing I ordered and installed after I bought my 2017 1500 in August last year.

 

[Retrube]

I just installed a Hellwig rear sway bar 2 weeks ago. It is one of the best mods I've done, as my express didn't have one at all. If you don't have one, I'd rate it up there with a catch can and tuner for cost vs. performance benefits. Had I known it would make this much difference and had the extra funds, I would have purchased it after my catch can (very first mod).

My truck feels more planted, better ride and the rear doesn't hop over bumps like it used to. It flattened out the cornering and makes the truck feel more stable overall.

I used Moog problem solver end links with grease fittings. Pretty easy install, but my u-bracket holes were never used, so I cleaned the threads and was careful with installing the bolts. Seems you could cross thread the new bolts pretty easy. Mine is on the furthest hole/softest setting and that's probably where it will stay.

 

[TXCOMT]

I just installed a Hellwig rear sway bar 2 weeks ago. It is one of the best mods I've done, as my express didn't have one at all. If you don't have one, I'd rate it up there with a catch can and tuner for cost vs. performance benefits. Had I known it would make this much difference and had the extra funds, I would have purchased it after my catch can (very first mod).

My truck feels more planted, better ride and the rear doesn't hop over bumps like it used to. It flattened out the cornering and makes the truck feel more stable overall.

I used Moog problem solver end links with grease fittings. Pretty easy install, but my u-bracket holes were never used, so I cleaned the threads and was careful with installing the bolts. Seems you could cross thread the new bolts pretty easy. Mine is on the furthest hole/softest setting and that's probably where it will stay.

Yep, that's why I bought one in the first place...my previous Ram, a sweet RCSB in Tequlia Sunrise, was an Express and didn't have a rear bar. I bought one and noticed a nice difference. When I traded it for the '16 Reb, I moved both it and the catch can over to the new truck. Yep, the Reb comes with one, but it's a lightweight thing and the Hellwig is solid. Besides the noise my Hellwig links seemed to make (I just swapped 'em with the stockers...no clunks or thunks now), I have no beefs with the product and recommend it to most any Ram owner.

TXCOMT

 

[JB1]

Here’s a stock bar pic

 

[Retrube]

Knock on wood, my bar has been noise free so far. I probably used more grease than needed on the bushings, but didn't want any squeaking noises. I also added a few more washers than they included.

 

[customcarz973]

never mind

 

[JB1]

Okay guys I got mine back from the powder coaters, as you can see in the pics there is a difference in how your mount it.

Looks to me if your endlinks are long enough to make the ends flat, then go with option 2. If the endlinks length will not make the ends flat, use option 1.


Option 1: Bar is flat in center but ends are angled upwards







Option 2: Bar is angled up in center but ends are flat

 

[Jwithing]

Okay guys I got mine back from the powder coaters, as you can see in the pics there is a difference in how your mount it.

Looks to me if your endlinks are long enough to make the ends flat, then go with option 2. If the endlinks length will not make the ends flat, use option 1.


Option 1: Bar is flat in center but ends are angled upwards

View attachment 133274





Option 2: Bar is angled up in center but ends are flat

View attachment 133275

If your endlinks are too short. Hitup hellwig directly. I bought my bar through Moe's and hellwig sent me longer endlinks for free

 

[Retrube]

Bit late to post, work always getting in the way. You probably already installed the bar.

I did mine like your second pic, so it sat up higher on the pumpkin. Hellwig didn't specify and I had no existing rear bar to judge from. May depend on your links if stock, as mine are Moog Problem Solvers.

It's been a few weeks now and the bar is performing great.

Nice looking bar btw.

 

[JB1]

Bit late to post, work always getting in the way. You probably already installed the bar.

I did mine like your second pic, so it sat up higher on the pumpkin. Hellwig didn't specify and I had no existing rear bar to judge from. May depend on your links if stock, as mine are Moog Problem Solvers.

It's been a few weeks now and the bar is performing great.

Nice looking bar btw.

Thanks, last weekend, I installed it both ways actually and then removed it (want to paint diff first) for a mock up, so I could see what length end links I need.

From my observation:

Option 1 (shown above) is good if your end links are short and don't allow the bar to be parallel to the ground at the ends.

Option 2 (shown above) is good if your end links are longer and DO allow the bar to be parallel to the ground at the ends.

Now, does any of this matter?...hell I if I know.

I will say this, the Hellwig bar is solid metal, very heavy compared to the hollow tubing of the stock swaybar.