I think it stiffer in resistance to body roll … as the bar is same material but effective arm length a hair shorter like a shorter wrench on a tight bolt. If the arms were direct in line with forces (vertical) , only the bars strength would resist bending, there would be no twisting force to resist. It's why you and I square up to a stubborn nut when tightening or loosening that nut, we do it with wrench 90 degrees to our left or right to easier overcome the bolt's resistance. 10-02-2020: Maybe I'm misread you? If you draw a line through the rear pivot centerline under the axle forwards through the lower bolt of the link, the line is near level to be squared up against, the links are very near perpendicular to it too, maybe 10 degrees to the rear at most. Like ~ , only reversed.

In my conversations with the fellow at Hellwig, he said the reason for the 7705 only being listed by them for 2009 up (to 14 I think) was because it was a 2009 they built the first rear 7705 off of and while he didn't know why it would be different from a '07 other than two square holes in shock crossmember where clevis bolts on … well my '07 had those holes so it fit with no drilling and would have fit right side up except for my non standard exhaust (which is why I knew the 7663 was a no fit on my '07) … he said they list the bars by standard vehicles they know they will fit. He also said they recommend the end hole to start to let a owner get used to the bar before stiffening it up by using other holes that effectively shorten the arms.

Anyway, it felt more responsive to steering, like more confidant … but I didn't push it to near point of slide … but in just the feel of it, I could tell a change for the better. Unless I see some reason to the contrary, will leave the rather fat OEM front bar as is.

It's odd, but many years ago when I first got my '77, I found front and rear anti roll bars off a big body Bronco in salvage yard and bought both with all brackets and put them on my '77, didn't like them on her and for over 20 years they were just laying out of my way stored on end of patio behind a AC unit … gave them away a couple+ years ago.



Edit 01-01-2019..... So today, I decided to add those 5/8 spacers I made and I made them to cover U bolt nuts since enough unused U bolt ends were long enough, now there is a set of grade 8 nuts that are hidden in spacers so if I need to drop sway bar, the U bolts will stay tight and not move, I also pivoted the mounts 20 degrees towards front to move sway bar forwards so that zig-zag-zig area can move up without hitting the pipe so squarely. Now, when rear suspension compresses like in a dip, this zig-zag-zig can / should move up just barely ahead of the pipe behind rear insp. cover.


I also flipped the bar right side up, but still not as much room as the way I had it. I then removed it again, flipped upside down, and remounted. Saw the excess length with adjust holes was close to unprotected part of fuel tank, so I removed it a 3rd time & modified the offending part of bar end on that side, reinstall, it's about near perfect for me now.


Note, on 10-01-20 I removed the 5/8" spacers and readjusted the two end links to their shortest length, see post 20 below.

 

Well, I got al my clearance issues sorted out, but I noticed in looking at install closer, that the clevises where the upper end of links fasten were getting a push / pull kind-of off to & from the side due in part to their being mounted to the slanted portion of the shock crossmember and the links slant away slightly from them, their small "footprint" on
that piece of metal, knowing they mounted through a large square hole, and thinking about that flexing of the plate over time … decided to reinforce them with some 2x2x3/16 angle about 3" long to brace the clevis while spreading load over a larger area. The clevices are made from 1/4" thick 1.5" wide bent steel, I just set them in the angle pieces and drilled the holes in the angle to use the same bolts through both. They only come down on the outer side, but re-inforce the clevice that is mounted to the truck's frame crossmember ends, the longer angle iron braces all the wqay across the face of the crossmember.

This is as installed first time a few days ago.



In this picture, I see I didn't have the passenger side link connected, possibly I was fooling with that extension or special spacer I see hanging.

 

I understand what you're saying with the arm being shorter, but its working out of its native angle. you're thinking in a Y axis and it actually works in a Z axis (If Im labeling those correctly)


https://www.doityourself.com/stry/ge...bar-suspension
http://www.fluxauto.com/?p=1890

 

All I did was flip bar upside down which just changed the direction of the "lazy - S" shaped arms, the effective
arm is still an imaginary straight line from bar pivot at axle through bolt center where end link attaches. Had I
installed it "up right", there would be no difference in bars stiffness or angles …. except up side down pointed
that zig-zag-zig portion behind the diff. cover downward enough to better clear a pipe and diff cover on dips
(like when truck drops and front of bar is pushed downward by end links).

Really, I appreciate the intelligent feedback …. and as you can see above post 17, I'm still playing with it as of
yesterday anyway.

01-10-2019 update .Just got back from about 50 miles (Dr. appointment) on mixed roads, my adjusting / playing with it is over for now …. maybe …. I do like it.

01-31-2019 update … After a few more days & 200 - 250 more miles, more roads (many back roads in Floyd Co too) …... YEAH …. this is good!

03-02-2019 update … Never one to leave something alone, I moved links to middle hole yesterday. Seems a hair tighter in rear but not loose like in the shortest hole.

03-30-2019 update … Yep, for sure … middle hole works best for me now, 1st or shortest or stiffest hole position is likely great if a heavier front bar were added ... maybe down the road?

09-22-2020 update … Moved the links to rear most "stiffest" hole. Guess it grew on me, I like this setting better than when I first tried it in early 2019. It seemed too much back then, but feels just right now.

 

EDITs: 09-22-2020 …. and …. 10-02-2020




I did some detailing and adjustments under my truck. I still have the Hellwig 7705 rear sway bar "upside down", it works. I readjusted the end links to work on the rear most or stiffest position of the 3 holes. There is a "kicked out" section in the "lazy-S" of the sway bar's arm intended to clear the OEM muffler, but my muffler is smaller, that's not needed there but it works really well on the gas tank side to keep distance between the tank & sway bar. The sway bar doesn't care, it's always being twisted anyway.

"Right side up" or "up side down", the effective arm is a line through the pivot under the axle and the mount bolt for the end link. I fine tuned my side to side adjustment too. From center line of sway bar U-bolt to the nearest axle U-bolt center line on the right rear or muffler side is 7 inches ... and it's 6 inches on the left rear or gas tank side. My sway bar is thus 1/2" off center, but it works. At it's lowest point behind the differential it's7.5"off the roadway, a little more than low points in front of the truck like trans crossmember, etc. My sway bar mounts are also tilted towards the front of the truck 20 degrees, this lets the kick out designed to clear the differential cover go up on bumps (as the links go down with truck) and maybe just "kiss" the tail pipe crossing over for the left exit. Even then, it would require near bottoming the truck. My two links to the frame are 11-1/4" center to center of bushings and I measured that "extension" that I made to bolt onto the right side next to the skinny muffler. It does not "extend" the arm, it just duplicates that "kick out" that is now on the left, it has my links near straight up & down too.

Also, over on the right side, I had built and installed a 1-7/8" "extension" (originally 2-1/4", I've cut it back since) that mimics the bar's "kick out" that is now on the left, it could be less but with my bar centering as it is, 1/2" off center to the left, it works near perfect. The extension is also bolted with a second 1/2-20 grade 8 bolt to the sway bar to aid support for the link attachment. You can see it on the far side.

I can tell it's stiffer back there (than middle hole) when crossing bumps at other than straight on. Very pleased I am with the "feel in curvy back road driving" too. As always, I cleaned and painted some.




I think my camera had a tilt. If one draws a straight line through the under axle pivot mounts forward through the lower link bolts, it's the effective arm and very near level, just slightly upwards.. I also had already reinforced the upper mounts for the links at the frame.

I saw my other photos went away. This below might illustrate my clearance issue with the exhaust pipe. If not for the SS aftermarket SI/DO set up, would not be an issue.



Edit: 10-02-2020:

Yesterday (10-01-20), I backed the truck up on ramps again and I removed the 5/8" spacers I had made and placed under the sway bar pivot bushings last year. There is 7" of sway bar behind the pivot centers in that differential clearing kick out. There are the three adjustment holes at 17, 16, & 15" ahead of the pivots at the link end. At the stiffest hole, 22" from link end through pivots to rear of bar behind the pivots. Removing the 5/8" spacers 22/15=1.47x.625=0.92"or very near 1 inch change up at the rear most point. I then shortened the two links by eliminating all adjustment by screwing the threads all the way in and locking it there, that raised the front link end of the sway bar 1" (as I had the links adjusted 1" of threads showing before) Shortening links 1" is like 7/15=0.47x1 or 0.47" drop at the extreme rear of the bar behind the differential. 0.92" up less the 0.47" down = 0.45" net up change at the extreme rear. I measured clearance under the extreme rear of the bar, it's now right at 8" where it was 7.5" a couple days ago. It's now higher than some points at the front of the truck and only about 3/4" lower than the differential bottom.

If the U-bolts and saddles that mount the sway bar under that rear axle look odd, it's because I married some 3/8" (bolt size) type HD exhaust type U-bolts beside them to hold in place if I removed the sway bar for servicing the rear differential, but I don't think that will be needed. Not a lot of welding, I used U-bolts that fit the axle tubes. Look to far left of below picture.


I like this better. I still have room for the bar to move upwards without hitting that pipe.

10-08-2020: I checked the angles of the mount u-bolts and added 5 degrees toward the front, (measured @ 15 degrees with truck backed up on my shorter 6" high DIY ramps, I increased it by the 5 degrees stated ... to 20 degrees. I think I first used 20 degrees, but that day it was backed up on higher Rino Ramps. I thought about it after finding only 15 degrees with these short DIY ramps) AND I put the 5/8" spacers BACK in place, thus shifting the bar forwards a hair more to miss the pipe. Painted again, will look for scrapes later. So total angle measured is 20 degrees forward with rear tires on 6" high ramps.

10-12-2020: Reset links length to show 20 threads, check links to each other using some 7/16" bolts, identical, so I welded 3/16" x 1" steel back strap to fix the length of ...and stiffen ... the links. Measured clearance, is back at 8" behind differential and misses the left side tail pipe now.


I measure the differential housing right at 9" off the ground at it's lowest, and now the sway bar is 8" off the ground at the lowest. From the rear, you no longer see the air gap between the sway bar and axle at center like in the picture starting this post.


This just shows that 1-7/8" side extension (I welded up some pieces of flat steel with 7/16" holes lined up) which uses a longer 7/16" bolt for the lower link bolt attachment and the 1/2" extra bolt to keep the side extension tight to the sway bar and better support the longer 7/16" bolt. It stresses the sway bar NO more than the manufactured offset on the other side. You can also see the back strap added to the link. You can also see the 1-1/8" U-bolts on the sway bar just inside the pivots that limit it's movement right or left.

Confused yet? Go back to Post #1 this thread, read updated first part.