Just received my Hellwig swaybar for the rear of my '03 F150 4x4 and had a couple of questions:
1. I crawled under my truck just to see where this thing goes and was wondering how long this will take to install?
2. It says no further drilling or modifications are required to install, just some tools....is this true? No surprises?
3. The instructions talk about torque specifications. Do I need a torque wrench?
4. Will installing this interfere with a dual exhaust installation I'm looking at as the next mod? It will be a single in / dual out muffler.
5. It looks like the brake lines are in the way....????

Thanks!!!!!!!

 

Here's some answers for you:
1. Budget 1 1/2 to 2 hours if this is the first time you've tried to install an aftermarket bar.
2. In MOST cases no drilling is required to install the bar. We try to use existing holes/brackets/crossmembers/etc. as much as possible for mounting our hardware.
3. The use of a torque wrench is recommended, although some folks don't use them. Leaving things loose can cause problems!
4. There may very well be some clearance issues with an aftermarket exhaust. While there were no problems at all with the stock exhaust, we had to slightly modify the Borla system that we added later. We can't anticipate all of the potential aftermarket add-ons, so we build around stock set-ups and TRY to leave as much flexibility as possible.
5. On some applications the brake line(s) may have to be slightly bent to allow for the mounting brackets. This can also sometimes be achieved by loosening one of the brackets that hold the brake line(s) to the frame.

We prototyped the F150 bar on my Company truck, so I can tell you from 1st hand experience that you should like the results.

Should you run into any snags, you can call Robert at the tech-desk, (800) 367-5480 M-F 8:00-4:30 pacific.

J. Mitchell/ Hellwig Products Company

 

Thank you jmitchell

Your first post and an excellent one!!!! Thanks for the answers I was looking for! The bar looks pretty beefy, so I'm looking forward to installing it and reaping the benefits of less sway when cornering. The stock shocks are much better on this 2003 than my 2001 so it's better already, but I look forward to even more enhanced handling!!!

 

MN2001F-150 -

I recently installed a Hellwig rear sway bar on my 2001 SuperCrew. The instructions were very poor, but the hardware itself is fairly straight forward. Special thanks go to Mike ("BigDeal") for sending me some info and pics on how his install went. Made my life a whole lot easier! Thanks again, Mike!!

Anyway, it took about 2 hours to do the install, 45 minutes of which was jacking the truck up and maneuvering the bar over and around the driveshaft / rear end / exhaust / shocks / parking brake cable, etc.

Here are a few tips to help you out:

1. I had to remove the passenger side shock to get the bar in place. Since I was replacing the shocks anyway, it was no big deal. It helps if you get the truck up on jackstands and then jack it up from the frame (towing hitch if so equipped) to make more room between the suspension and the chassis.

2. I have the Gibson SI/DO exhaust. While it does not interfere, it was the reason I had to drop the shock (mentioned above) to get the bar in place.

3. The axle mounts go near the pumpkin, angled upward about 30 degrees or so. See the pics below for a better idea of what I mean.

4. The U-Bolts will slip between the axle and the brake lines with a TINY amount of clearance. I did not have to bend or modify them at all.

5. I did have to grind a corner off the driver side axle mount. It would have hit a brake line distribution block mounted on the axle. It was was easy and only took 5 minutes to "adjust".

6. Put the bar in the bushings and tighten it just enough to make it stay put. Then, get the frame mounting hardware and line it up so you get an idea of where everything lines up. Finger tighten all the hardware and then rotate the axle mounts until the bar is as horizontal as you can make it. Be sure to keep an eye on those brake lines as you do this!!

7. I would then remove the bushing from 1 side, grease it and the bar with a synthetic bearing grease and then re-install it. Do the other side after you semi-tighten the 1st side. I didn't grease mine at first and it sqeaked like a *****!!

8. If your truck is under-coated, bring lots of rags and WD-40. WD-40 cuts it pretty good from your fingers and tools, bolts, etc.

9. The kit comes with 2 bolts that are welded to 2" square plates. This plate goes inside the frame and the stud goes through a pretty large hole in the frame already provided by Ford. The passenger side is easy.

The driver side requires that you pop a line out of a plastic clip and the maneuver the plate/bolt into position behind it, against the frame, again in a Ford-provided hole in the frame. It isn't hard, but you have to be careful to not break the clip. After you get it in place, the line will snap back into the clip with little effort.

10. Finally, there are 2 "J"-Bolts that go through the frame mounting plates and then wrap around the edge of the frame. See picture below for an idea of how they look installed.

After you drive it around for a few days, be sure to go back and re-tighten everything. It seems that things "settle in" after some mileage is put on.

Hope this helps and good luck !!!





Driver's side view:





Passenger's side view:

 

The rest of the pics...



Frame mounting plate, driver's side:





Frame mounting plate, passenger's side ("J"-Bolt is the bottom bolt):





Axle mounting plate, driver's side rear view:

 

Ladies and gentlemen...it doesn't get any better !!!! That's why I love this place....

B-Man.........thanks for the tips and pics, it will help immensely!! It's too bad I have to work this weekend, because I'm now pumped and feel confident I can get this installed with little apprehension.

I should be able to get this installed next weekend, unless I take a day off next week.... I'll let everyone know the outcome.

MN2001F-150 (it's now a 2003)

 

Got a couple questions...

What options are available for someone who has 2" lowering shackles?
Where can you get the Hellwig bar?
How much is the Hellwig bar?

thanks...

 

With 2in lowering shackles the frame mount bolts/spacers will be too long making the bar angle down. I went to Autozone and got new (better) ones for a few bucks. Get the set that is 2 to 3 in shorter.
My swaybar came from JC Whitney.
Price depends on wether there is a sale or not. Between U$120 to U$200.
Note that the swaybar comes with U bolts that fit the bigger Superduty axle. You will need to get the smaller ones for a std F150. Hellwig will send them to you for free if you call them.

Fritz

 

MN2001F-150 -

Glad to help. Be sure to let us know how it goes. If you need anything else, feel free to e-mail or post.




closer9 -

I got my Hellwig from Summit Racing for $140 US. They will usually ship it for free (UPS ground, takes 3-5 days).

The guy I mentioned earlier (BigDeal) has the 2" rear drop on his truck. He mentioned to me that he modified the end links and used shorter bolts. The spacer between the bushings on the end links could be cut with a hacksaw I suppose. A hardware store that carries higher grade steel bolts should be able to help (be careful about the lower quality stuff you sometimes find at Home Depot or Lowes).

The kit I received from Summit had both sets of U-Bolts in it and was complete down to every last part.

Good luck !!

 

closer9

1. Hellwig makes a swaybar specifically for lowered applications.

2. I got mine, which was for a stock 4x4, from JCWhitney http://www.jcwhitney.com/catsubpic.j...ID=39234&BQ=tt

3. I actually paid $112 for the bar after a 10% off coupon and then $17 for shipping ($130 total). Not sure if this is possible, but you can certainly try to use the 10% off coupon code(for orders between $80 and $199) that expires 6/30, it's ATTT428 and it's off of catalog #428T-02. The bar was cheaper in the catalog ($124.95) than what was on their website($139 I think). There is also a program code on the catalog....VBNR7. I called 1-800-865-4227 to place my order and they asked me details about the truck and did ask if it was lowered or not.

 

I got my bar yesterday and was putting all the pieces together to get an idea of the fit. I am going to do the install next weekend.The one thing I noticed was that nuts that go on the j-bolts only thread on about half way through the threads and then you can not tighten them by hand anymore. I did not want to try a wrench as I did not want to mess anything up. Has anyone else encountered this with the j-bolts? Anyone have an idea of the torque specs for the u-bolts?

 

UH O -

I noticed that almost all of the nuts / bolts in my set were somewhat hard to thread on. I sat with a wrench and a can of oil and worked them all until they went on easy.

There's a reason the Hellwig bar is so cheap. Lower quality nuts and bolts are probably part of the cost equation.

Are your bar and spacers kinda spotty looking? Mine are. You can plainly see it on the pics I posted. Probably also related to the cost factor.

I know the Hellwig guys say the bar looks that way because of the forming process, but I don't think it would apply to the end link spacers, poorly threaded nuts, etc.

Oh well, if you do the oil and wrench thing 1st, it'll be a lot easier to install.

 

Thanks B-man

I will do that. This bar looks a lot better than one a buddy installed on his truck about a year ago. The j-bolts were the only ones that were like what I had described. Again I appreciate the response from ya'.

 

FYI-
I (and others) monitor forums such as this one for input on our quality issues. (And I will have to say that this is one of the best forums I have been to.) The issues that seem to keep surfacing are 1) Finish quality, 2) Instruction sheets, 3) and to a lesser degree, fastener quality.

All three of these issues are part of our continuous improvement program, with improved instruction sheets being our first goal. Our intention is to offer even more satisfactory products without asking our customers to pay a lot more.

In the meantime, please feel free to contact us at (800) 367-5480 with any immediate needs.

I could go on, but this isn't the place for commercials.

Bottom line- We're paying attention.

J. Mitchell/Hellwig Products Company.

 

Thanks jmitchell - I will keep the number handy should any problems arise this weekend when I do the install.