FunHuman
Member
Hey people, I ordered the Hellwig rear sway bar from Summit Racing. The sway bar arrived within a week. When the box arrived, it was intact, but you could hear the hardware inside moving around loose. I opened the big box and a smaller box inside had come unglued and was flopping around as the big box was moved. Ok no problem, let's sort out the parts and install it. I had watched multiple YouTube videos, so I knew how to prepare and what to expect.
I did the entire installation on my back in my driveway. Which would have been easy except for a couple of things!
As warned in one of the videos, on the driver's side where the square U-bolt goes over the frame there is a brake line. The line is in a nightmare position. I struggled to get the U-bolt to drop over the frame for an hour trying to figure out what was blocking it? I snaked the U-bolt out and looked at it, seemed OK. So, I tried to put it over the frame from the bottom up. Your kidding me, the U-bolt was slightly tweaked causing it to be to narrow to drop over the frame. So, on a vice it went, and I spread it out, success.
Great I grabbed the hardware and started to move right along until. Remember the hardware box? As I positioned other nuts and bolts into place, the nuts would not thread correctly onto the bolts. Upon closer inspection, since they were banging against each other on their trip to me. The threads were damaged, and the bolts would not accept the nuts. Great the installation stopped.
I called Hellwig the following Monday irate and they sent me a completely new hardware package.
The package arrived and I finished the installation Saturday. My review, the sway bar is amazing! Body roll in non-existent. I set the bar on the middle setting of 3. I took the truck out and took every corner way out of line and the truck just turned like a go cart. My truck has the Bilstein 5160's in the rear and 6112's up front. They were amazing to begin with, this combo is great! I do not off road, so if you are looking for a handling package my setup is S curve ready.
The warning: 65ft lbs on the frame U-bolts pinches the frame. see picture!!!!!
The sway bar links go on the INSIDE of the sway bar, the YouTube videos are of Chevys or slightly older GMC's.
I am sending pictures to Hellwig over the pinched frame issue. There was something else, cannot remember.
I did the entire installation on my back in my driveway. Which would have been easy except for a couple of things!
As warned in one of the videos, on the driver's side where the square U-bolt goes over the frame there is a brake line. The line is in a nightmare position. I struggled to get the U-bolt to drop over the frame for an hour trying to figure out what was blocking it? I snaked the U-bolt out and looked at it, seemed OK. So, I tried to put it over the frame from the bottom up. Your kidding me, the U-bolt was slightly tweaked causing it to be to narrow to drop over the frame. So, on a vice it went, and I spread it out, success.
Great I grabbed the hardware and started to move right along until. Remember the hardware box? As I positioned other nuts and bolts into place, the nuts would not thread correctly onto the bolts. Upon closer inspection, since they were banging against each other on their trip to me. The threads were damaged, and the bolts would not accept the nuts. Great the installation stopped.
I called Hellwig the following Monday irate and they sent me a completely new hardware package.
The package arrived and I finished the installation Saturday. My review, the sway bar is amazing! Body roll in non-existent. I set the bar on the middle setting of 3. I took the truck out and took every corner way out of line and the truck just turned like a go cart. My truck has the Bilstein 5160's in the rear and 6112's up front. They were amazing to begin with, this combo is great! I do not off road, so if you are looking for a handling package my setup is S curve ready.
The warning: 65ft lbs on the frame U-bolts pinches the frame. see picture!!!!!
The sway bar links go on the INSIDE of the sway bar, the YouTube videos are of Chevys or slightly older GMC's.
I am sending pictures to Hellwig over the pinched frame issue. There was something else, cannot remember.
