No rear sway bar

[ab7fh]

Did Dodge offer a rear anti-sway bar at all in '03?



I couldn't beleive that there wasn't a bar under my new truck. I carry a 3500lb camper and my new dually seems less stable in slow speed turns than my '01 SRW which had an anti-sway bar.



I've already added Rancho 9000s and air bags. The camper still sways like crazy in slow speed turns. Traveling down the road is fine rides like a caddy. That's the trouble though. That caddy like ride doesn't help body roll.

 

[Dean Upson]

No. The rear sway bar went south when we got the hydroformed frame.



Dean

 

[Eric_77]

aftermarket units available?

 

[ab7fh]

Originally posted by Dean Upson

No. The rear sway bar went south when we got the hydroformed frame.



Dean

That's great. A hydroformed frame may prevent twist in the frame which could indeed add to sway, but it does nothing to combat the natural body roll of any vehicle. On a truck which is advertised as Heavy Duty I would think a sway bar wiould be mandatory since the manufacturer knows the intended purpose of the vehicle is to carry heavy loads which often have a high center of gravity.

 

[ntenna]

Originally posted by ab7fh

That's great. A hydroformed frame may prevent twist in the frame which could indeed add to sway, but it does nothing to combat the natural body roll of any vehicle. On a truck which is advertised as Heavy Duty I would think a sway bar wiould be mandatory since the manufacturer knows the intended purpose of the vehicle is to carry heavy loads which often have a high center of gravity.

You didn't get it on the 2nd gen trucks unless you ordered the camper special (or your dealer ordered it that way for stock.



Regardless, no longer having that option is like leaving out parts of the lighting package and then adding them later. I bet they show up as an option in '04



Meanwhile, somebody must make an aftermarket unit... .



Jh

 

[Dean Upson]

FWIW, I had the rear sway bars on my 94 and 98. 5's and this truck handles better than either of them. I cannot tell that there are no sway bars and I don't feel that this truck needs them.



Dean

 

[David Muench]

Dodge claims that with the stiffer frame and 3" longer rear springs the rear sway bar is no longer necessary. I don't know how likely it is that we'd be seeing it back as an option in the future. .

 

[ab7fh]

I'll be video taping our '03 driving with the camper on and I'll post a link to the video here. We'll let people judge for themselves whether the body roll is excessive and then hopefully Dodge will wake up and make the bar available once again.

 

[dkok]

When I had the new camper brackets put on at the RV Dealer, they said that a company in Portland, Oregon has been testing 4 designs under different circumstances. When they choose a design to offer, I will post contact information.

 

[Prairie Dog]

According to Dodge, The new longer leafs are supposed to do away with the need for sway bars.

 

[ntenna]

Can't imagine how the chassis engineers would have thought that. Longer springs = more steel to flex. With a slide-in type of load, that's a formula for lean and well, sway! Look at the folks who have tried to load the 2500's only to see them squat down when their former 2500's had the camper package with sway bar and aux springs.



Just don't understand either of those steps backwards... .



Jh

 

[Bill Stockard]

We just returned from a 4,500 mile trip with our Lance 1121 on our '03 3500 DRW. I had no problems and the '03 does a better job hauling the heavy Lance than our previous '00 3500 DRW with the sway bar, air bags and Rancho shocks. The '03 has air bags, but no Ranchos since they aren't available for the 2 wheel drives yet. I didn't have the Lance cab over struts on the '03 either, but will have them on before we leave on our next trip.



Bill

 

[AKsmoker]

+Bill I'm with you, just hauled three horses with my camper on and 4 people with gear to the show. No problems here, man does that engine perform under load! Almost jumped out in the parking lot and yelled yahoo First dually for me, I'm never going back. My 99 had the rear sway bar. This truck out performs the old one!Oo.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

My 2003 certainly corners better than my swaybar-equipped '01.



Another reason not mentioned yet for not "needing" swaybars is the frame is wider and the springs are located further outward on the axle.



Vaughn

 

[dgardner]

The first week or two I thought I was going to roll it! It handles nothing like my '02 Quad 4X4 Dually. Both with air bags. I love my new '03 Quad 4X4 except for that and the driveline chatter! C7_

I hope they come out on the '04's or some one makes one for it soon.

 

[ab7fh]

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie

My 2003 certainly corners better than my swaybar-equipped '01.

Vaughn

Do you carry a camper?



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=5802&width=1



Putting 3500+ lbs in the bed with a high CG takes a nice handling one ton and makes it a bit tipsy... Adding a rear anti-sway bar to my '01 was the best, most dramatic improvement I made to help the trucks handling with the camper.

 

[dgardner]

no sway bar

Yes, I do carry a camper. But I haven't put it on this p/u yet,(11L caribou side door and 20' Garland w/ 4 700# 4-wheelers) It scares me empty! I have had it on several trailers 32' tandem duals @ 29,080# and 36,320# seems better but I drive alot

easier then. I also DO NOT recomend towing much over 32,000#

GVCW C7_

 

[Jeff Kelderman]

so does anyone know where you can get a rear sway bar for a 03 4x4? we have a customer with a large single slide in camper on his 4x4 short box 4 door with our 4 link air ride on it. the air ride is much softer than the leaf spring suspension so we need a sway bar to compensate for the top heavy camper. any suggestions?

 

[dkok]

Jeff,



I know that my local "Lance Camper" dealer was working with a company in Portland, OR that was testing several designs. I haven't checked in with him for awhile so I don't have a current update. You can contact him directly to see what they decided and how you can get ahold of them, contact: Dwight Hill at Hills Auto & RV in Yakima, Washington (509) 248-3131



Darell

 

[ab7fh]

From what I understand Hellwig is in the development stages right now. A product may be availble in a month or two.