Hellwig Sway Bar Install

[CheckSix]

Ordered the Hellwig 7216 and 7217 kits for front and rear sway bars from SD Truck Springs for $863.00, this included and additional $40.00 off deal. It took 2 hours to do the front bar replacement. The rear bar is in addition to the OE sway bar. The hardest part was the frame brackets and getting clearance with the leaf springs in the way. Ended up using the MH jack system to unload the suspension a bit to gain access. Took us 4 hours to do the rear. Getting the new longer shackles bolts (8 of them) torqued to 300 ft-lbs was entertaining.

Big improvement in stability... no more wobbly box. Easy 2 finger driving down the road. Glad I did it.

[CheckSix]

Today was windy, so I intentionally took it out on the highway to get crosswind gusts and see how it handles this. Previously, I got pushed around and had to do a lot of steering correction, i.e. a lot of work load.

Now, super stable.... very, very little steering input needed. Truly a 2 finger steer down a straight road. Very happy! BTW, I'm leaving the factory Bilstein shocks on... no reason to change those out.

I'll update on this more, on longer trips, as I've only put about 75 miles on it since the new sway bars were installed.

[HookupAndGo]

I have thought about applying one of the changes to the handling but have yet to do so -- not even the CHF. My RV seems to drive and track relatively well but I definitely notice other traffic.

I am going to do the CHF next time I have the RV home just because it is cheap and relatively easy. We will see what happens after that.

Who knows, I may follow in your shoes and go all out like you did.

[CheckSix]

It is definitely a big improvement for the (bad)roads and (windy)conditions, up where I live.

The front sway bar replacement, is fairly easy. Adding the additional rear sway bar is a major job, because of the frame bracket location and access interference with the leaf springs and the 8 nuts that have to be torqued to 300ft-lbs on the 4 U-bolt shackles. I had to use a 4x torque multiplier to get to the torque value. But at least now I know it's done right.

[Vince and Charlette]

I suspect the new front sway bar is the key. I spent almost $2,000 having a rear trac bar and front steering stabilizer installed. Moved the OEM sway bar to the aft position, and it caused a loud "thunk" sound when I turned a corner. Had my wheels aligned at FR's expense. Wheel alignment place said they had already seen 2 or 3 Georgetowns that make the same noise with the bolt in the aft position. He said the only solution is to move the sway bar bolt back to the front position. After all of this, I estimate the improvement at 40%, which is far from what I expected especially in light of your positive results. Base on what you said, I might try a new sway bar. what type/brand did you install? (Feel free to comment on my other remedies, i.e. trac bar and steering stabilizer.)

[CheckSix]

Originally Posted by Vince and Charlette

I suspect the new front sway bar is the key. I spent almost $2,000 having a rear trac bar and front steering stabilizer installed. Moved the OEM sway bar to the aft position, and it caused a loud "thunk" sound when I turned a corner. Had my wheels aligned at FR's expense. Wheel alignment place said they had already seen 2 or 3 Georgetowns that make the same noise with the bolt in the aft position. He said the only solution is to move the sway bar bolt back to the front position. After all of this, I estimate the improvement at 40%, which is far from what I expected especially in light of your positive results. Base on what you said, I might try a new sway bar. what type/brand did you install? (Feel free to comment on my other remedies, i.e. trac bar and steering stabilizer.)

Hellwig front is #7217 and the rear is #7216. You need to be sure your GT F53 chassis has the large Dana Spicer differential with the welded rear cover. Otherwise the rear kit is a different model number.

In my opinion, both sway bars together is what is needed. Like I mentioned earlier, the front one is fairly easy to do. The rear one (the one I think makes most of the difference), is in addition to the factory rear sway bar and is the more difficult to install. For DIY'ers like me, it was a 2 person job and you need the tools, 4x torque multiplier and air impact gun to do it.

The Hellwig sway bar diameters are 1-3/4", OE looks to be 1-5/8". The original Ford brackets and links are mere toys, when compared to the robust Hellwig hardware.

[Vince and Charlette]

Checksix, I'm taking a trip to TX from OH this Saturday and will have a better opportunity to evaluate the need for more work. This will be my first experience with a toad (2010 Jeep Liberty) which I am towing with a 2015 Georgetown. Upon return, I'll dig into it further as needed. Thank you for the info.

[gunn1976]

FYI. I have a 2014 gt 328. I called ford parts(corp), just to see if they had anything in the way of anti-sway bars. Of course they only had original eq. but the person told me that the front and rear sway bars are adjustable. I have added the hellwig anti-sway bar to the rear and adjusted the front bar to the 2nd position. I have only driven a few miles on the highway since the change but it made a big difference.

[CheckSix]

Originally Posted by gunn1976

FYI. I have a 2014 gt 328. I called ford parts(corp), just to see if they had anything in the way of anti-sway bars. Of course they only had original eq. but the person told me that the front and rear sway bars are adjustable. I have added the hellwig anti-sway bar to the rear and adjusted the front bar to the 2nd position. I have only driven a few miles on the highway since the change but it made a big difference.

gunn,
You should put the Hellwig front bar on. It makes the Ford OE front sway bar look like a toy and it's a LOT easier than the rear sway bar to install.

[willingtonpaul]

i used the front and rear roadmaster bars, and they also made a huge difference. i suspect they are very similar to the hell wigs. front is a replacement, rear is a supplement to stock. 1 3/4" vs the stock 1 5/8" in the rear...that extra 1/8" does make a big difference.....

the other thing i did was install jounce replacement sumo springs. posted it in another thread here. they took it up to another level again...very well worth the money....if you want to make it even better, do it....

[CheckSix]

Originally Posted by willingtonpaul

i used the front and rear roadmaster bars, and they also made a huge difference. i suspect they are very similar to the hell wigs. front is a replacement, rear is a supplement to stock. 1 3/4" vs the stock 1 5/8" in the rear...that extra 1/8" does make a big difference.....

the other thing i did was install jounce replacement sumo springs. posted it in another thread here. they took it up to another level again...very well worth the money....if you want to make it even better, do it....

not only larger in diameter but shorter in length compared to OE... and for anyone that knows mechanical engineering, that is a MUCH stiffer beam.

I'll ask my buddy George at Champion Frame in Elgin and see what he thinks about adding the Sumo springs. I know he likes the rear end track bar and a steering damper stabilizer.

[gunn1976]

I am waiting to take a trip in my mh before i make any more changes.
Yes the front sway bar is much easier to replace than the rear. The front bar will be the next change if this is not enough.

[willingtonpaul]

Originally Posted by CheckSix

not only larger in diameter but shorter in length compared to OE... and for anyone that knows mechanical engineering, that is a MUCH stiffer beam.

I'll ask my buddy George at Champion Frame in Elgin and see what he thinks about adding the Sumo springs. I know he likes the rear end track bar and a steering damper stabilizer.

interested to hear what he says....

i've never had a problem with my steering...it has always felt good to me; not sure what the steering dampener/stabilizer would add....

and with the sway bar improvement does the rear end track bar really add anything ?

[CheckSix]

Originally Posted by willingtonpaul

interested to hear what he says....

i've never had a problem with my steering...it has always felt good to me; not sure what the steering dampener/stabilizer would add....

and with the sway bar improvement does the rear end track bar really add anything ?

The rear end track bar keeps the rear end from moving laterally.

He says the steering damper helps in case of a sudden blow out.

My inclination is to put the tire pressure monitor system on and forego the damper.

[WDK]

Originally Posted by CheckSix

The rear end track bar keeps the rear end from moving laterally.

He says the steering damper helps in case of a sudden blow out.

My inclination is to put the tire pressure monitor system on and forego the damper.

I agree, nothing is perfect but with the TPMS, the idea is to see that blow out long before it happens.

WDK

[gunn1976]

You can't see a blowout(by deffination is sudden/rapid) before it happens. If the blowout is on the front tires you could lose control of the vehicle. The TPMS is to catch slow leeks. Here is what I think the damper/stabilizer, track bar and sway bar are for.

Stabilizer attaches to the steering arm and the frame.Works like a shock to prevent sudden & quick movement of the steering likeyou would have with a blowout on the front of the vehicle, hitting a chuckholeor ruts in the pavement. It is a safety device.

TRACK BAR attaches to the frame and the axel to keepthe body and the wheels tracking together but still allows up & downmovement. With only the shocks and springs attaching the frame to the wheelsthere is lateral movement between the two.

SWAY BAR(ANTI-SWAYBAR) attaches to axel & frame to keep the body from leaning too far offthe wheels . Stops the feeling that you are going to roll over.

[gunn1976]

The cheap fix on the sway bars(front and rear) effectly makes the sway bars shorter.

[WDK]

To me the point being is that no matter what you have installed and what it is suppose to do.....grant it everything you do to protect yourself might help if you can justify spending the money but in reality on any given situation ie speed, you taking a sip of of coffee or taking a quick glance over your shoulder to say something to your wife or one of the grand kids, you don't know how your vehicle will react in a blow out but in all cases an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of flesh or how ever that saying goes....be safe out there.

WDK

[willingtonpaul]

Originally Posted by gunn1976

You can't see a blowout(by deffination is sudden/rapid) before it happens. If the blowout is on the front tires you could lose control of the vehicle. The TPMS is to catch slow leeks. Here is what I think the damper/stabilizer, track bar and sway bar are for.

Stabilizer attaches to the steering arm and the frame.Works like a shock to prevent sudden & quick movement of the steering likeyou would have with a blowout on the front of the vehicle, hitting a chuckholeor ruts in the pavement. It is a safety device.

TRACK BAR attaches to the frame and the axel to keepthe body and the wheels tracking together but still allows up & downmovement. With only the shocks and springs attaching the frame to the wheelsthere is lateral movement between the two.

SWAY BAR(ANTI-SWAYBAR) attaches to axel & frame to keep the body from leaning too far offthe wheels . Stops the feeling that you are going to roll over.

TST systems monitors show temperature and pressure. you set alerts for low and high pressure and low and high temp. unless a tire is clearly defective, or unless you hit a substantial object in the road, a tire will not just blow. it will get hot first. very hot compared to where it should be. all the studies on tire failure point to this. so the monitors, to me, IMHO, are a much better device dollar for dollar than a steering stabilizer. but i may still add a steering stabilizer anyway, just to see what it does. i am lucky, i can afford it. but if i could only do one, it would be the TST monitors.

the sumo springs are designed to work in conjunction with the sway bar, to lessen side roll. i have thought about putting a track bar on. there is only so much, though, that you can dampen the movement of the coach, before the energy that is absorbed by the coach (the energy has to go somewhere, so it goes into the materials) will start to beat the coach up. and we know that some parts of these coaches are not always the highest quality material or the best quality workmanship. so i don't want to slap on too much stuff to dampen movement, only to make things so stiff that the coach starts to shake itself apart....

[gunn1976]

I plan on putting on a tire monitor.
It's great that we have the forum to pass on ideas and experinces.
the quality of my georgetown is not what I had hoped for but maybe it's the best they can do for the money but there are a lot of small things that you would think that they could get right.