I noticed this a little while ago and haven't had time to address it. Where the drop links connect to the bar my bushings don't look right. The bottom bushing looks mashed and pushed towards the rear of the truck. I'll be damned but I'm thinking the bar is upside down(possibly due to lack of good directions). Before I go out to flip it (HUGE pain) I wonder if anyone else with this bar has the same problem. I'm also thinking I just may need to back off the nut on the uplink.

 

I think you are right, looks a little tight so its compressing too much, try loosening the bottom bolt. Not sure if that bushing may need to be replaced. Post a pic taken from the rear showing the whole bar, you may get more input about it being upside down, I cant tell from the current pics although it looks a little close in one pic so you may be right. You hit the mark on the instructions!

 

Not sure these will help. I'm really thinking I just have to take it off and flip it. Looking at the very 1st pic above, looks like if it were flipped that the end of the bar would be more parallel to the ground. I'm NOT looking forward to undoing those bolts.

 

after you had this sway bar installed did you notice any improvment in the handling? I am looking to add a rear sway bar but not sure if I can get one for a truck with a 4" drop in the rear.

 

It looks like mine - unless mine is upside down . . .
See my pics - I think the link bushings maybe did not get their tapered section in the sway bar hole as you tightened . . . the two surfaces weren't particularly parallel . .and then poss over tightening allowed them to easily squeeze out ? The instructions were lousy . . . .

Actually, I can't attach or paste my pics here. This is my first try at posting. The insert image button in my post window here does nothing - nor can I paste pics??

I like the sway bar - I suspect some may feel no difference, but it definitely tightened the handling up. As with most sway bars, you quickly get used to the feel and don't appreciate it until you drive the same truck w/o it.

 

Scorpio,
My Hellwig should be here on Monday (ordered from Summit). I hope you get some answers and pics from some people who installed ths swaybar. I think that the angle of the swaybar to the links looks too severe. Good luck.

 

Doc, email sent. I'm going to loosen those nuts and see if I can get them bushings to sit in there better, if that doesn't work then I'll try to flip it.

afdt2, how much did you pay at Summit? Do a search for hellwig, there's a post somewhere with a lower price. Not sure if it's still lower, if it is Summit will match it. Here's a tip on the install, lay out all the nuts when you get them. There's two different styles, some are regular and others are lock threaded. The lockers are a royal pain to put on once, let alone twice.

Huitt24, just like doc said you'll notice improvement right after install then you notice it less over time, but it's still there and tight compared to a truck without one. As far as using one on a dropped truck, I don't see why not. You might be able to use the hellwig bar if you cut the excess off the links. I'd call hellwig or find someone who has done it first though.

 

I paid 200.89 total to my door. Scorpio, can you post Doc's pics when you get them. Thanks.

Ed

 

afdt2, nevermind on that price, I found the link to the other place and looks like they raised their price to 199.

Sent doc directions on how to post pics, I'll post them either way.

 

Your bar is facing the right direction. The problem is whoever installed it overtightened the rod ends. The directions clearly say to tighten them just until the bushing starts to compress. Granted the directions were not great, but there was in separate flyer in there showing how to assemble the rods ends and warning the installer not to overtighten. I will upload a pic to my gallery so you can see how mine look.

 

Here's DocHolidaay's pics. Comparing these to mine, I need to loosen my links.

Superscrewd, I remember reading those directions. I also looked real good at the pic in the directions and it looked like 1/2" of threads or so showing like mine. Doc's looks to be barely on there. In any event, I sprayed mine with some pbblaster and we'll see if the bushings are shot tomorrow.

 

 

his bolts do appear to be flush with the rod end. I slid my bar just a little further up the rod than he did, but not quite as far as you. Your location on the rod end may be just fine, all you really need to do it back the bottom nut off and see if those bushings return to the roundish shape. If not, I would call hellwig and see if they can send you some fresh ones. Here is the link to my gallery

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=4929


sway bar pics are in the last gallery named after lift pics

one last thing, I noticed my rod ends had surface rust right when I took them out of the box, so today I cleaned them up with steel wool and sprayed them both with rubberized undercoating. Also sprayed my diff cover, looks ten times better to me. No pics of that yet. Perhaps in the morning when the sun comes out.

 

first try, just created a gallery - this should link you to pics of my Hellwig on my '06. Definitely worth $ it to me.

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=7297

 

scorp - I see you got my pics up faster than i could figure out the gallery stuff.

I didn't run the bar any farther up the link than necessary - trying to keep the bar arms as parallel to the ground as possible. (and rods as vertical as poss)

You know, a spare set of bushings wouldn't be a bad idea to get from Hellwig - they'll need replacing in a year or two likely.