2019 RAM 1500 hellwig swaybar

[Neurobit]

Final reply. Sorry guys. Took three tries:

"Hump going down"...

I will flip it when I get home tonight.

Thanks Ghostface for your eagle eye.

Neurobit

 

[ghostface]

Final reply. Sorry guys. Took three tries:

"Hump going down"...

I will flip it when I get home tonight.

Thanks Ghostface for your eagle eye.

Neurobit

No problem lol just wanted to make sure I didn't do it incorrectly

 

[Edwards]

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.

This answer has nothing to do with the question because they are addressing another concern.

1. For function, it does not matter which way the center hump is pointing unless you have the bar at odd angles (see #2). Then it could increase or decrease the amount of "tightness" in the bar. I maintain that unless it's hitting something it doesn't matter. Imagine the center of the bar was straight like there was no differential to work around. The ends of the bar are letting it function as a spring as intended. Putting the bump in the middle is only to allow it to clear the differential except that the bigger the bump, the looser the spring becomes and they adjust for that with tempering and bar diameter. Looking down the main part of the bar axially, it doesn't matter which direction that hump goes because the force is simply transmitted across the hump and to the other end of the bar.

2. Sway bars are designed so that the arms (ends where they attach to the links) coming out need to be parallel to the ground. That's what Hellwig was stating in this response. That has nothing to do with the hump direction. If your links are too short and the arms go up from the bar, flipping the bar will make no difference.

Now the wrinkle here is for those of us with air suspension. There is no way to have the bar arms be parallel in every AS position. When I checked mine, they were darn close to parallel when in Aero mode which is what I want. That's the most balanced, designed, factory position for a sway bar and this is when maneuvers at speed occur. If it's parallel there and then I go to OR mode, the bar arms will be pointing upwards a fair amount. Just something you have to deal with having AS.

 

[Neurobit]

This answer has nothing to do with the question because they are addressing another concern.

1. For function, it does not matter which way the center hump is pointing unless you have the bar at odd angles (see #2). Then it could increase or decrease the amount of "tightness" in the bar. I maintain that unless it's hitting something it doesn't matter. Imagine the center of the bar was straight like there was no differential to work around. The ends of the bar are letting it function as a spring as intended. Putting the bump in the middle is only to allow it to clear the differential except that the bigger the bump, the looser the spring becomes and they adjust for that with tempering and bar diameter. Looking down the main part of the bar axially, it doesn't matter which direction that hump goes because the force is simply transmitted across the hump and to the other end of the bar.

2. Sway bars are designed so that the arms (ends where they attach to the links) coming out need to be parallel to the ground. That's what Hellwig was stating in this response. That has nothing to do with the hump direction. If your links are too short and the arms go up from the bar, flipping the bar will make no difference.

Now the wrinkle here is for those of us with air suspension. There is no way to have the bar arms be parallel in every AS position. When I checked mine, they were darn close to parallel when in Aero mode which is what I want. That's the most balanced, designed, factory position for a sway bar and this is when maneuvers at speed occur. If it's parallel there and then I go to OR mode, the bar arms will be pointing upwards a fair amount. Just something you have to deal with having AS.

You know what, just thought of something. The picture I took was on OR2 (did this to have more clearance working under the truck). I bet it is now much more closer to parallel to the ground.
I will take pics tonight. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Edwards]

You know what, just thought of something. The picture I took was on OR2 (did this to have more clearance working under the truck). I bet it is now much more closer to parallel to the ground.
I will take pics tonight. Thanks for the feedback.

And a sway bar is a sway bar (except for rigidity) so the links we have are what Ram deemed appropriate. I see no reason to fool with the link lengths unless you want to be microscopically anal and figure out how much longer they need to be to compensate for the shorter bar arm length when on the firmest third hole. If I can live with a slack tailgate cable this doesn't rank.

 

[Neurobit]

And a sway bar is a sway bar (except for rigidity) so the links we have are what Ram deemed appropriate. I see no reason to fool with the link lengths unless you want to be microscopically anal and figure out how much longer they need to be to compensate for the shorter bar arm length when on the firmest third hole. If I can live with a slack tailgate cable this doesn't rank.

LOL - Did not know slack in tailgate cable was a thing...

 

[Edwards]

LOL - Did not know slack in tailgate cable was a thing...

Don't look at yours - you can't unsee it.

 

[Rampat]

LOL - Did not know slack in tailgate cable was a thing...

It isn't, they act as safety cables, your tailgate will support the weight regardless.

 

[Rampat]

And a sway bar is a sway bar (except for rigidity) so the links we have are what Ram deemed appropriate. I see no reason to fool with the link lengths unless you want to be microscopically anal and figure out how much longer they need to be to compensate for the shorter bar arm length when on the firmest third hole. If I can live with a slack tailgate cable this doesn't rank.

They said the links looked short because he was on OR2 which is the same as a 2" lift. If you look on their website they have the standard sway bar setup for stock height trucks and they have one that comes with extended links for trucks that are lifted more than 2".

 

[Neurobit]

Ok. My prior assumption was correct. The pics I took yesterday were while on OR2 and totally forgot about it (did this to have better clearance while working under the truck).

Normal height looks much different. Bar actually looks neutral now.

I also moved the adjustment to medium and see if it made any difference, and it did in a good way. Rides better while on a straightaway (little less stiff), yet it still corners and goes over speed bumps like it did in the firmest setting). I will keep it here for now. Ride wasn’t overly harsh, it just felt like it does when you over-air your tires, if that makes any sense.

I believe in the middle setting it’s just right for me now.

 

[Kxlexus]

I installed one of these a couple weeks ago. Makes a big improvement in handling. I prefer to run mine in the firmest setting. I tried the middle hole first then the holes closest to the axle and preferred the holes closest to the axle (firmest setting) much better in that position on winding roads

 

[ghostface]

I put mine in the middle hole first and noticed a huge improvement then the hole closest to the axle(which should be firmest) and maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks but I don’t see much of a different between the middle and closest to the axle. In all honesty I feel like the middle was better in terms of cornering and handling... anyone else experience this?

 

[Rampat]

Just ordered mine on Amazon. Being delivered and installed on Saturday. Cant wait!

 

[RamBamThankYouMaam]

Does anyone have had the driving experience that they can share when positioning the Hellwig rear sway bar from middle hole to the inner hole (most stiff) or vice versa?

I’m riding on the middle hole. It’s 1000% better than stock. Planning to try the most stuff position.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AndreiV]

After reading you guys convinced me to jump on board and get one too. Question: should I spray paint Hellwing sway bar to match truck color? Will it add a cool factor? Or it will come off in short time and look ugly?

 

[Edwards]

After reading you guys convinced me to jump on board and get one too. Question: should I spray paint Hellwing sway bar to match truck color? Will it add a cool factor? Or it will come off in short time and look ugly?

It comes with a hammered powder coat on it so I imagine you would have to strip that (or sand it very well) which will be a bit harder due to the hammered finish on it. It will be covered in road dirt shortly so unless you wash your sway bars regularly, I'd just ignore it. But go for it if you want - and post a picture.

 

[Edwards]

After reading you guys convinced me to jump on board and get one too. Question: should I spray paint Hellwing sway bar to match truck color? Will it add a cool factor? Or it will come off in short time and look ugly?

@Neurobit has a post above and the 1st and 3rd pics really show off the Hellwig finish:

2019 RAM 1500 hellwig swaybar

Final reply. Sorry guys. Took three tries: "Hump going down"... I will flip it when I get home tonight. Thanks Ghostface for your eagle eye. Neurobit

5thgenrams.com

 

[Love2driveRAM19]

Well since we have been talking about this the past few days.....I have ummm well you know...taken a few curves with extra spice. Not breaking the law, just more emphasizes on the curve experience; of course when no other vehicles are around.

I took this curve last night (in the lane where you see the white car turning) legally in a manner that I would not have taken it had I not had my sway bar(and extra inches with wheel spacers). I mentioned before somewhere in a thread about the truck feeling like my BMW when I was Autocrossing. I have not tried the 3rd setting yet as I feel it might be too rigid which can make you skip(hop) when it losses traction around a curve.

What I like the most is I don't feel that centrifugal force (outward force) that that stock truck gave me. Specifically when you go around a curve to the left and you then feel that weight shift outward and up to the right and the top (heavy) leans that most stock trucks give off. Obviously for me, Autocrossing taught me the different ways to enter a curve.

This set up I have allows me to go around a curve kind of like on rails without that tilt/lean outward, just planted tight and following the nose smoothly through the curve!!! Makes me really want to go out one Saturday and get on the Autocross track!!!!

 

[Kxlexus]

While I prefer the innermost or firmest setting by far, everyone may be different. However there is really no excuse to not experiment with the different settings as it is so quick and easy to change from one to the other. If you can’t do it in a couple minutes or less, you aren’t really trying

 

[Kxlexus]

I was hauling my little John Deere 3032e with a 5’ bush hog on my 18’ tandem trailer today and actually wished there was an even stiffer set of holes for the sway bar. Maybe I need to look into some stiffer springs?