With a half assed weather window here in the "Great White North" (Southwestern Ontario) I took a chance between rain and mist action and installed the Hellwig #7883 kit to my 2018 RAM Crew Cab 5.7 4x4 (stock ride height). Some pictures to share for those that care to view and a couple comments.
This kit came with the Hellwig end links as I noted above. There assembly is easy to a degree but here are a tip or two if you should go this route.
a) I dosed all the connective threads liberally with "Never Seize" thread compound. I did this to stave off any corrosion troubles that might present in the future. Having said that I do not expect that I will be raising the truck (I'm more of a lowered truck kinda guy) anytime soon. But still I like the idea that all the parts should be protected from seizing.
b) The poly bushings are a sort of fig 8 shape in cross section and like wise the end link loops are "pinched" in the middle of there loop ends which produces sort of a self-centering action when you get the bushings installed. As per the instruction I lubed up the bushings (axle grease was my choice) and then used a piece of 2x2 board about six inches long to act as my driver to push the poly bushings into the end link loop holes. Set the bushing on the loop, place the 2x2 cross wise on top of the bushing, then simply lean your body weight onto the board and the bushings slips into place. You do meet with resistance that a simply hand palm press action will not (at least not my hand) give up enough force to push the bushings in. This in part might be because I was working in a lower ambient temperature situation of 11C perhaps?
c) Like wise the steel bushing that fit inside the poly bushings: You lube up the steel inserts and then must push them into the poly bushings you just installed to the end links. That fig 8 cross section of the poly bushing works against you here again. A simply palm press of the hand will not cut it..at least not for me. I hit the tool box and pulled out my trusty 6" C-clamp unit. With this and that same bit of 2x2 piece of wood (as a backing plate) I pushed the steel bushings into the poly bushing, no fuss no muss.
d) Stock sway bar removal: I only un-bolted 6 fasteners to remove the stock bar and end links. Upper end link mounts at the chassis x2, and right and left sway bar pivot bushing "U" clamp bolts x2 for each side. The bar stayed in place with all the bolts removed and then a gentle tug released it in controlled fashion with no trouble.
e) Sway Bar install: I assembled the Hellwig bar on the bench, end links and everything, in very loose fashion and then simply placed it under the truck (the Hellwig box when opened up to it's max area presents a nice pad to work off under the truck btw so you can slide the bar around without damage) slid it toward the axle, raised one end at the "U" clamp area aligning one "U" clamp mounting hole, slipped in a bolt, then moved to the opposite side and did the same. With one bolt in each "U" clamp the other two bolts followed and the I took most of the slack out of the threads, but did not torque the down as yet. Then rotate the end links up and install fasteners on both side. The end link hardware provided with the kit has castle-ated nuts which act a thread locking devices. You will need to muscle the nuts on for a fair distance against some resistance before things snug up and align. No big deal but it just takes a bit of time. Ha, one item of note: Ensure you have the end links installed correctly with the locking nut on the top side/end nearest the chassis mount. It may make no real difference but I think it might help keep the adjuster nut out of the weather and road grime and such.
f) Hellwig directions show that they install the end links in a "outside the OEM top bracket" (closer to the wheels and tires) fashion and likewise the lower end of the link goes on the "outside" of the sway bar mounting hole location (of which there are three holes). I test fit everything and then installed the end links exactly as per the stock OEM sway bar install with everything on the "inside" of the mounting points (away from the wheels and tires). Going the "outside route" it looked to me that the upper mounts might sorta get fouled by the inner fenders perhaps. I torqued everything down to my usual "Two grunts and a groan" torque spec and then went for a test ride. Hellwig do not provide a torque spec in their instructions. I'll search the OEM numbers up and then re-torque to those numbers later. Btw, I re-used the OEM "U" clamp mounting bolts rather then go with the Hellwig socket head bolts. I do like the look of a socket head bolt install, but I don't think they work to advantage in winter road salt conditions over time and miles. The OEM bolts work fine with the Hellwig "U" clamps. Hellwig also provide two alum. centering locator clamps that you install on the inside of the "U" clamp locations to ensure the sway bar does not move off center during use. In my non-lift install I'm not so sure they are required. I'm going to put some miles on and let things self-adjust (find it's own center) and then maybe install them later.
Test ride results: I went with the stiffest setting (closes hole to the axle) and I guess I do notice that there is a firmer tighter feel to the suspension to a degree. There is one semi high speed sweeper ramp that I take regularly and the truck tracked through this with fine form. I'm not sure my "seat of the pants" chassis dyno is all that sensitive so my comments are rather subjective. I think there is some improvement and no major discomfort to the ride. When I installed the Hotchkis kit to my 03 SLT, which did not have a factory rear sway bar, the effect was both immediate and monumental in the change in the chassis performance. That may be why I do not notice such a big change in the new RAM as it already had a rear bar.
T.