2019 RAM 1500 hellwig swaybar

[Edwards]

Mine arrived today, ahead of schedule. Just finished the install, and all I can say is wow!!! Handles so much better!!!
From the time I opened the box until I finished torquing the last bolt, it took me 38 minutes. I set it on the stiffest setting.

Everyone should do this...


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Man, what happened to the test drive?

 

[Neurobit]

The only possible way it can be rougher is if you get one rear wheel higher or lower than the other. The stiffer bar will try to level them. Going diagonally across a speed bump would be an example. It will be rougher as the bar doesn't want to let the frame move far when the first rear tire goes up the speed bump and then the reverse when the other is high.

On flat ground and speed bumps straight on will be indistinguishable from what you are driving now.

^^^ This ^^^

 

[Neurobit]

Man, what happened to the test drive?

Just could not wait... Amazon was running low on stock and I didn’t want to miss out

 

[Edwards]

Just could not wait... Amazon was running low on stock and I didn’t want to miss out

Glad you're enjoying it as much as I am!

 

[Neurobit]

Glad you're enjoying it as much as I am!

I did not get much of a chance, just a quick drive around the neighborhood and over the giant speed bumps they recently installed (big storm was headed my way and I did not want to get the truck dirty, so I cut the test drive short so I could get it back in the garage before the rain got here).

I’ll get a better feel tomorrow when I can drive it some more. Can’t wait.

 

[ghostface]

And new bar in place...

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I could be wrong... but if you look at the factory sway bar, the part of the bar that extends out to go around the rear gear box angles down. So whenever I installed the sway back, I made sure to also have the center part angle down. Do you have this sway bar on upside down? Or does it matter which way it is?

ALSO if you look at the very first original post on this thread, you'll see the factory bar angle down as well as the helwig mirroring this setup...

Artistic example: lol

 

[Neurobit]

I could be wrong... but if you look at the factory sway bar, the part of the bar that extends out to go around the rear gear box angles down. So whenever I installed the sway back, I made sure to also have the center part angle down. Do you have this sway bar on upside down? Or does it matter which way it is?

ALSO if you look at the very first original post on this thread, you'll see the factory bar angle down as well as the helwig mirroring this setup...

Artistic example: lol

Thanks for catching that. I’ll take a look in the morning.

 

[Neurobit]

I just checked their website. The bar sits on the photos the same way it came in the box, and that’s how I assumed had to be installed (as you can see, the center is pointing up):

Hopefully Edwards or someone else can chime in on how they did theirs:

I just emailed customer support. They should be able to tell me tomorrow when they get in.

 

[Love2driveRAM19]

Got me wondering about mine also!!! I do note in the original thread that the OP has it in the middle setting and Neurobit has it in the 3rd setting; wondering if it changes the angle/appearance of that up/down in question????

I will check mine in few ours when daylight arrives.

 

[ghostface]

Got me wondering about mine also!!! I do note in the original thread that the OP has it in the middle setting and Neurobit has it in the 3rd setting; wondering if it changes the angle/appearance of that up/down in question????

I will check mine in few ours when daylight arrives.

Well there is also a slight curve in the side bar that extends out to connect to the end link so thats another thing that I would imagine needs to be one way or another because it would then either angle down or up. But keep me posted on what you guys see/hear!

 

[Edwards]

I just checked their website. The bar sits on the photos the same way it came in the box, and that’s how I assumed had to be installed (as you can see, the center is pointing up):

Hopefully Edwards or someone else can chime in on how they did theirs:

I just emailed customer support. They should be able to tell me tomorrow when they get in.

View attachment 32303

I installed mine up trying to match the stock bar. It really doesn't matter as long as it doesn't come into contact with anything during use. I did find it odd that the instructions made no mention of it.

I also did think to eyeball it in the various air suspension modes. It doesn't touch in any of them and appears to be more "out of the way" for road (and off-road) hazards in the up position.

I also noticed with the ORG, it is more level in Aero mode than the others.

 

[Edwards]

I could be wrong... but if you look at the factory sway bar, the part of the bar that extends out to go around the rear gear box angles down. So whenever I installed the sway back, I made sure to also have the center part angle down. Do you have this sway bar on upside down? Or does it matter which way it is?

ALSO if you look at the very first original post on this thread, you'll see the factory bar angle down as well as the helwig mirroring this setup...

Artistic example: lol

As long as it's not touching anything it doesn't matter. It's a spring and when you turn corners one side is being pushed down while the other side is being pushed up with equal force. The spring is simply designed to keep the truck level as opposed to leaning over. The only two ways to accomplish that are super stiff suspension (think deuce and a half) that no normal person ever wants to ride in twice, or a sway bar that is a spring between the two sides of the suspension and frame.

 

[silver billet]

The only possible way it can be rougher is if you get one rear wheel higher or lower than the other. The stiffer bar will try to level them. Going diagonally across a speed bump would be an example. It will be rougher as the bar doesn't want to let the frame move far when the first rear tire goes up the speed bump and then the reverse when the other is high.

On flat ground and speed bumps straight on will be indistinguishable from what you are driving now.

So let's say I'm doing 50 mph in a tight bend in the road; right in the middle of the curve, there is rough line/break in the road that extends from left side to right side and is quite pronounced (like a really small but powerful speed bump); in my previous cars, hitting that bump would cause the rear end to skip and hop sideways quite noticeably, my last car (Jeep GC) it didn't, and neither does my truck.

Just curious if adding this swaybar would have any effect on a bump like that; right now the bump is controlled extremely well, but would this stiffer swaybar make the bump worse or would it have the opposite effect and maybe control the skip even more?

 

[Billy James]

All these comments almost have me convinced. There goes more money.

 

[Neurobit]

As long as it's not touching anything it doesn't matter. It's a spring and when you turn corners one side is being pushed down while the other side is being pushed up with equal force. The spring is simply designed to keep the truck level as opposed to leaning over. The only two ways to accomplish that are super stiff suspension (think deuce and a half) that no normal person ever wants to ride in twice, or a sway bar that is a spring between the two sides of the suspension and frame.

I was thinking the same this morning. It's a spring, and it really doesn't matter since it's equalizing the forces across the two sides of the truck (could be the reason instructions don't mention this, but they should).
I will confirm once I hear back from Hellwig customer support, but for the time being I am enjoying the better ride.

 

[Edwards]

So let's say I'm doing 50 mph in a tight bend in the road; right in the middle of the curve, there is rough line/break in the road that extends from left side to right side and is quite pronounced (like a really small but powerful speed bump); in my previous cars, hitting that bump would cause the rear end to skip and hop sideways quite noticeably, my last car (Jeep GC) it didn't, and neither does my truck.

Just curious if adding this swaybar would have any effect on a bump like that; right now the bump is controlled extremely well, but would this stiffer swaybar make the bump worse or would it have the opposite effect and maybe control the skip even more?

It could, especially the tighter you set up the Hellwig. Aside from being a solid, stiffer bar, the three adjustment holes are awesome so you can tailor it to your driving style.

The "tighter" your suspension (all components) the more extreme it's reaction to irregularities in the road. That, along with the power, is why so many brand new sports cars wind up in single vehicle accidents. People are not used to the reactions the suspension will throw at them.

The opposite would be a "loose" suspension which soaks up all the road issues and let's you drive stupid and happy. Think cars from the '40's you've seen driving. The downside is that they did not go fast or dodge much traffic and so no one would buy a vehicle with that much play in it today. That leaves us somewhere in the middle of balancing performance with real world road handling. Most stock trucks are on one end of the middle and affordable sports cars are on the other middle end. Adding this sway bar, especially on the tighter setting, lets us move the truck handling a little more towards the middle.

This is the liability reason why Hellwig advises you to start in the loosest position - so that you can get used to it. Once you know how the suspension change drives, you're far less likely to wind up on the news.

 

[ghostface]

I have been doing mixture of city and highway driving since my install and I will admit that this is a fantastic, fairly inexpensive, modification. I did not really notice it THAT much( noticed a little pulling of the driveway) until I was going around a sharp bend that usually I slowed down because of the body roll but I took it slow and notice a huge improvement. So the next time I went on this bend I went faster and it was incredible haha. Feels like a damn sports car compared to stock and I am only on the middle setting.

 

[Neurobit]

I have been doing mixture of city and highway driving since my install and I will admit that this is a fantastic, fairly inexpensive, modification. I did not really notice it THAT much( noticed a little pulling of the driveway) until I was going around a sharp bend that usually I slowed down because of the body roll but I took it slow and notice a huge improvement. So the next time I went on this bend I went faster and it was incredible haha. Feels like a damn sports car compared to stock and I am only on the middle setting.

I know the feeling. It's what I was missing the most from my GL550 (ability to put it in sport mode and tighten the air suspension by pushing a button). Made a huge difference around corners, albeit a little stiffer than 'comfort' mode.

My truck now feels like the MB did in sport mode. It's that good.

 

[Neurobit]

Support replied to me, although they don't seem to have the best communication skills.

This is what they replied back from my inquiry with photos attached: "It looks right the links look like they need to be about 2 inches longer".

So... Assuming it does NOT look right, and it has to be flipped so the links sit lower. I replied to them to confirm. Hopefully that's what they've meant.

 

[Neurobit]

Second reply to my question... Sheesh:

"It’s hard to tell if the links where longer would the hump in the middle be going down let me know"...