c3k
Ram Guru
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2020
- Messages
- 1,088
- Reaction score
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I just added the Hellwig rear sway bar. Thanks to everyone who recommended it (and the links to the AAFES store). I used the Hellwig heavy duty end-links.
I set the end-links to the middle hole in the sway bar. I've just driven about 20 minutes...and am amazed at the difference. What a phenomenal, and easy, upgrade.
Nits: The kit is a generic kit. I re-used my upper end-link bolt (had to, since there's a welded nut for it to thread into, metric, different than the SAE threaded hardware), and had to forego the inner washer. I figured the large flat mounting surface would suffice. Otherwise, the OEM mounting bolt was not quite long enough to fully seat in the captured nut. This meant that I had to delete the washer on the lower end-link mount on the side against the sway bar. The washers are about 1/8" thick and the end-link faces need to be aligned to have a flush fit. (I used the washer on the outside.)
Also, the sway-bar bushings need the Hellwig mounts. I'd wanted to re-use the OEM, but they're different sizes. The problem with the Hellwig bracket is the "C" section is too close to the mounting holes. I used the allen-head bolts that came with the kit, but had to delete the washers. There was NO WAY a washer was going to fit. It's a lateral clearance issue: the washer diameter is too great and interferes with the beginning of the curved surface. It binds, hard, while there's still a 1/2" of bolt thread showing. No bueno.
So, I used a washerless allen bolt (in the kit) for each bracket's lower mount, and the OEM 15mm hex bolt for the upper mount (with captured washer still attached). (OEM bushing/bracket combo is too large (!?!?) for the Hellwig bar. Yeah, too large.)
These are minor items, just wanted to share what I had to do to get this generic kit to mount up to my truck.
The improvement is just outstanding.
I set the end-links to the middle hole in the sway bar. I've just driven about 20 minutes...and am amazed at the difference. What a phenomenal, and easy, upgrade.
Nits: The kit is a generic kit. I re-used my upper end-link bolt (had to, since there's a welded nut for it to thread into, metric, different than the SAE threaded hardware), and had to forego the inner washer. I figured the large flat mounting surface would suffice. Otherwise, the OEM mounting bolt was not quite long enough to fully seat in the captured nut. This meant that I had to delete the washer on the lower end-link mount on the side against the sway bar. The washers are about 1/8" thick and the end-link faces need to be aligned to have a flush fit. (I used the washer on the outside.)
Also, the sway-bar bushings need the Hellwig mounts. I'd wanted to re-use the OEM, but they're different sizes. The problem with the Hellwig bracket is the "C" section is too close to the mounting holes. I used the allen-head bolts that came with the kit, but had to delete the washers. There was NO WAY a washer was going to fit. It's a lateral clearance issue: the washer diameter is too great and interferes with the beginning of the curved surface. It binds, hard, while there's still a 1/2" of bolt thread showing. No bueno.
So, I used a washerless allen bolt (in the kit) for each bracket's lower mount, and the OEM 15mm hex bolt for the upper mount (with captured washer still attached). (OEM bushing/bracket combo is too large (!?!?) for the Hellwig bar. Yeah, too large.)
These are minor items, just wanted to share what I had to do to get this generic kit to mount up to my truck.
The improvement is just outstanding.
