Sway bar info needed

[Lektrikman]

Any of you third gen owners installed a rear sway bar on your truck? If so, regale me with the manufacturer and how well you like the sway bar. I've got an 05 CTD that I think could benefit from the addition of a rear sway bar, but the only one I've been able to find info on is the Helwig unit. I'd appreciate any info or comments and opinions. Thanks... ..... Lektrikman

 

[Hoefler]

I drive a lot of hills and curves in the Ozark Mountains and hadn't felt like I need one yet. I tow between 6,000 and 8,000 all the time and occasionally a 15,000 fifth wheel. I have used a Helwig bar on 2 Suburbans. Made a world of difference over the factory bars. Good product and easy to install. If I were tho buy one again, I would go straight to Helwig!

 

[DaveHess]

I installed the Helwig on my '03. Not a bad installation. If you have a buddy help it goes easier as this unit is heavy. I did it by myself with a hydraulic jack and it would have been easier to have the extra set of hands. I couldn't tell you if it made a bit of difference. I don't hot rod or slalom my truck. I was hoping for greater stability in towing. It was six months from time of installation to tow time so I got used to any changes it made before I ever hooked anything to her. Just my . 02

 

[Bill Stockard]

I haul a heavy slide-in truck camper on my truck about 80% of its running time. I have the Hellwig anti-sway bar on it and it does help with the body "roll" while hauling a heavy high center of gravity load such as a slide-in truck camper. Along with the other additions to my suspension system, our truck handles the big camper very well. My wife doesn't mind driving when we travel with the camper.



The Hellwig on a 3rd gen truck is a no-drill bolt on job that one can do using a floor and a bottle jack. It took me about three hours to install it having never installed one before. Be careful to read the instructions completely and use a torque wrench to tighten the fasteners as directed. If the clamps around the axle come loose, you could have a mess.



Bill

 

[Grizzly]

I have an 11'-3" Lance camper on my 05 DRW and I do not feel that I need sway bars on it. In fact it handles the camper better then my previous 95 DRW did with sway bars.

 

[ElkFarmer]

The Hellwig works real nice on my 05 one ton single rear wheel. I farm and noticed the body roll immidiatlly with alot of weight in the back sliding around gravel roads and jumping through fields. I also installed the super springs to keep it more rigid. I had a few problems with the install because of the straight duall pipes. They were right in the way so I had to modify the hangers and mounting brackets. Otherwise it is simple to install and makes a huge difference in certain applications. The truck now seems to be able to haul the same loads as my other dodges did without alot of sway.

 

[mpaulson]

What brand of dual tail pipes do you have? I have the Silverline and I've assumed by loking at the install pictures on helwig's web site that the connectors would be right where the pipes are. How much modifiying did you have to do? Just move them back or forward a little?

 

[ElkFarmer]

The pipes are from a local mufler shop. Dual 3" with 24"x5" chambers on the end. I modified it by heating and bending the support handers around the pipes with an addition of a different support brace I made. If I had installed the Hellwig first I could have had the pipes bent around everything. Ofcourse at the time I didn't think I would need the rear stabilizer so i didn't plan for it.

 

[EDankievitch]

I've got the Helwig unit on my 05 4x4 also made a huge diff on how much the truck was being pushed around by the trailers I tow. I have the Bank's monster dual exaust, only thing I had to do was rotate the axel brackets down to allow more clearace. One note when you insall the kit watch your braek lines I some how pinched the pass side one.

 

[mpaulson]

I contacted Road Master today and talked to the r&d guy and he said that their kit will clear most known dual exaust systems incuding the Silverline one, and it will clear most aftermarket diff covers, the Mag Hytec one for sure. I ordered one from Supersteer today as they seemed to be the only one in the US and Canada that had one in stock. I'm going with the 1 3/8" diameter one. I should have it in a week and will confirm if everything fits without modifications.

 

[navyjoe]

I have an 06 Dually. I also have an 11 1/2 foot 4000# Lance camper. I put on a Helwig kit and have been very pleased with it. Don't know if I really needed it or not, but I've made several trips through the Rockys and it handles like a dream

 

[BILLVO]

Those like me who pull heavy ball type trailers will have the best improvements with a sway bar over those who pull goose neck and fifth wheel trailers.



I bought Dave hess old Hellwig sway bar and while normal daily driving I noticed no difference but with a trailer on back it made a huge difference which is where I had the booty dance feeling. :-laf

 

[DaveHess]

As an update corresponding with BILLVO. I sold Bill my Hellwig because I wasn't sure it was doing anything while towing. After selling it to Bill I realized It did make a subtle difference. I now have a Roadmaster Sway Bar under mine. A little more compact than the Hellwig and instead of clamping to the axle tube, it bolts under the lower shock mounts.



As a side note, I could not get a straight answer about the use of MagHytec covers and the Roadmaster sway bar. I opted for the PML covers instead and the rear fit well inside the loop of the sway bar. This sway bar cost me a little over $400.

 

[mpaulson]

The Road master one that I put on works great. with the two level atv deck, and two canoes and a kyak above the quads, it handles very well for that much weight at that height, 11'8 at the top of the canoes.

 

[wcjp]

I'm running an IPD. I think it's now known as Roadmaster. Works awesome. No drill application. Using this with my Arctic Fox truck camper.