I talked to Steeda

They have a 1 7/16 tubular bar for the front and no bar to fit the rear of a 2" lowerd truck.


A question about the Hotchkis kit

Anyone (chris,tim) know if the rear bar clears the JDM read girdle???????

Also anyone have a used set of Hotchkiss sway bars for sale???

 

Don,

Did you get the same 'deer-in-headlights' response as I when talking to them? (no reference to the deer Retics MURDERED)

We received conflicting answers if they say their sway bar won't work on trucks w/ 2" drop.

Did the phone jockey try and sell you the axle relocation kit also?

Bob

 

Ya they tried to sell me the rear axle relocation kit. I asked them if it would fit with my traction bars. The guy told me their kit elliminates axle twist and wheel hop. I said even with 630 rwhp, the guy didn't know what to say.

 

Call JDM to make sure, but I seem to remember that it clears fine (or that JDM makes a version that clears). Do a search. [Correction: I think that was about the Ruslow panhard -- I would ask JDM or Superfords]

If I ever get the $6K for an IRS, I will have a rear bar (and a panhard and QA1's) for sale.

 

I really want to do a 4-link with coil overs, but with all the other crap going on I just could not afford it right now.

 

Here is the reply to the e-mail I sent Hellwig.


Hello Jerry,
First of all, thank you very much for purchasing Hellwig anti-sway bars. I am confident that you will enjoy and appreciate them. Per your suggestion, I have read through the thread on "F150online", although I cannot yet post any replies until I get their confirmation e-mail. I will however try to address some of the issues I saw there.

First, end link length: Most of our bars are developed for stock height vehicles. When a vehicles height is altered (whether lifted or lowered) it is likely that the supplied end links will no longer be the correct length. If we find a particular application where there seems to be a lot of interest in a particular altered height, we may try to develop a kit that is more appropriate. Please keep in mind though that there is often more than one way to alter a vehicles height, and that may affect the suitability of certain parts. (For example, drop spindles vs. shortened coils) When we are made aware of these alterations we try to substitute the appropriate parts in our stock kits so that installation is easier. We also track these special requests, and when we see enough of them we may issue a new part number for that particular application.

Second, if we cannot produce an anti-sway bar that is better than the stock bar, we will not issue a part number for it. If you read through our catalog, you will see several listings with an "N/A" under the part number. In many instances this is because we have determined that a larger bar will not be a benefit to the customer.

Third, yes, our bars are heavy. They are solid steel bars designed to replace narrower and/or hollow bars. The greater surface area of our bars provides greater sway reduction, and in many cases a solid bar is more effective than a tubular bar of the same diameter.

The last topic that I'm going to address tonight is the finish.I will freely admit that our bars are not as pretty as some of our competitors bars. They have a rougher texture that doesn't take paint as well as a smooth bar. This is due to the forming process. The biggest factor that makes Hellwig bars unique in the aftermarket industry is that Hellwig bars are heat formed and tempered, while our competitors bars are bent cold. The heat forming process gives the Hellwig bar uniform strength and a desirable shape retention quality. The downside of heat forming is that it produces a bit of scaling on the exterior, which is difficult to remove. One of our top priorities is to develop a process that provides a more attractive finish that does not compromise the quality of the bar, and that does not add a lot of cost that must be passed on to the consumer.

Finally Jerry, I want to assure you that if you are not pleased with the performance of your Hellwig anti-sway bars, I will personally see to it that you are refunded every dime you paid for them. Your satisfaction is very important to us.

Respectfully,

Jim Mitchell
Director of Operations
Hellwig Products Company, Inc.
(559) 734-7451 ext.16
jmitchell@hellwigproducts.com

ps- I should probably tell you that we prototyped the F150 bars on my company vehicle, and I'm pretty demanding.

 

Now Don, is that playing nice?

As for the email reply, the guy seems like a stand up type of guy willing to help. Just hope it's not smoke and mirrors to make a buck!

 

I just wanted to say the Hellwig bars that I put into my Suburban made a huge imporvement. Hotchkis did the same for my Lightning. Any set of bars will be a improvement over stock.