Hellwig 7254 Rear Sway Bar

[mckirby50]

Just installed my sway bar , very noticeable difference. Took about 1-1/2 hours but 30 minutes was spent looking for the last nut that a gremlin hid from me!
Another 15 minutes cleaning and rearranging the storage unit!

All the right tools ,no running around looking for right sockets and wrenches. Thanks to this forum!!!

No looking forward to our trip to Ouray Colorado next month to a Jeep Jamboree!!

[mckirby50]

Now looking forward to our trip, instead of no looking!!!

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by mckirby50

Just installed my sway bar , very noticeable difference. Took about 1-1/2 hours but 30 minutes was spent looking for the last nut that a gremlin hid from me!
Another 15 minutes cleaning and rearranging the storage unit!

All the right tools ,no running around looking for right sockets and wrenches. Thanks to this forum!!!

No looking forward to our trip to Ouray Colorado next month to a Jeep Jamboree!!

Amazing difference, isn't it? Like you - if not for this forum I would not have known about this.

[hkreck]

AMEN to that Ed.

[DebbieMH]

Agreed, this is a great place to get ideas for spending $$$. But, it's all good :-)

[papap]

Put my old one by the road and some one picked it up.

[2012WhiteSolera]

Ebay, craigslist. Somebody might be interested

[Marionap]

Sorry for what may seem a dumb question. I need one of these for my 2013 S....but does it matter what year the chassis actually is? I went to Amazon to order the Hellwig 7254, and was asked about the chassis it would go on, and, after entering 2013 MB 3500 I was told the 7254 wouldn't work. Insights??? Where do I find the actual year of my chassis? I sure want one of these, but want to be sure I get the right one first time around.

[Taylorgso]

Marionap:
My 2013 Solera is on a 2012 Sprinter chassis, hence Amazon shows that the 7254 will fit that chassis. I suspect your 2013 Solera is also on the 2012 MB Chassis. The Hellwig site doesn't even list the 2013 chassis, but they do give the measurements that it fits, so you can check that against measurements on your Solera. If yours is a 2012 MB Chassis, no problem - that's what I put on mine (from Amazon). You may want to give Hellwig sales/customer service a call. My own best guess is that the 7254 WILL fit, but of course an ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure!

[Marionap]

Figured out my chassis year (duh), went back to Amazon and found they were out of stock, so ordered from another of the vendors listed at Frugal Mechanic, and it will ship right away. Thank you all!

[Winger]

Just installed mine this morning. Took about 2 hours start to finish. I used my floor jack to raise the Hellwig bar into position then it was a simple bolt on. My parts kit was dated 7-30-13 and the correct bolts were supplied. The problem of the wrong bolts being sent with the sway bars looks to have been corrected.
Took a quick 20 mile drive down some back roads and my first impression is that the chassis feels firmer and more controlled.
We are leaving tomorrow for a trip around Lake Superior so I am looking forward to seeing how it handles fully loaded.
Thanks to all the Forum members who gave us the benefit of their experience and advice about the Hellwig sway bar upgrade.

[Chris Weller]

OK,folks, I'm convinced and am arranging to have a Hellwig sway bar ordered and installed on our 2013 Solera. However, there is one thing i'm not sure about. Most of the comments on this thread appear to refer to a sway bar that would be mounted at the rear axle - the 7524, I believe. Though early on in the thread, a couple people mentioned installation of sway bars (plural). Also, the two videos attached to one comment, addressed installation of rear and front sway bars (though the videos applied to a Ford class C). So, is there also a Hellwig sway bar for the front end of the Solera and if so, has anyone tried one and have an opinion about it?

[Chris Weller]

Oops. Sorry, I meant "7254" not "7524".

[DebbieMH]

I just installed the one ... in the back. I don't know about a front one. The one in the back is all that is needed in my opinion.

[Chris Weller]

Thanks, Debbie. Just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed part of the picture. We're about to start a long trek and i'm hoping to avoid a repeat of the "white knuckled" driving experience we had across the desert and through strong gusty winds for a couple days in southern Utah & northern Arizona last spring, Sure sounds like the 7254 sway bar will help. I'm having it installed next week, I much appreciate the information and encouragement you and others have provided on this thread.

[DebbieMH]

Originally Posted by Chris Weller

Thanks, Debbie. Just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed part of the picture. We're about to start a long trek and i'm hoping to avoid a repeat of the "white knuckled" driving experience we had across the desert and through strong gusty winds for a couple days in southern Utah & northern Arizona last spring, Sure sounds like the 7254 sway bar will help. I'm having it installed next week, I much appreciate the information and encouragement you and others have provided on this thread.

Chris - you will find that it is a tremendous help with the wind - you can still get pushed around some, but it takes a much stronger wind to do it. I now drive one handed most of the time .... just like a car. Have fun on your "trek" and let us know what you think!

[Toolman Taylor]

For those that want even more sway prevention......
an Auxiliary Rear Sway Bar Kit for the rear or in afterwords a second sway bar in front of the rear axle

Sway Bar

[hkreck]

Man that looks like it get pretty close to that drive shaft? I'm afraid the $600 plus price range is a little more than I'd want to go considering the one I put on is doing a great job as it is.

[Luvnlife]

Sitting in Petoskey Campgounds on Lake Michigan. We finished a nice trip from San Diego to Michigan. A huge difference from the last trip to South Carolina. There is a noticeable difference with Hellwig sway bar installed. Handles better when passed by big trucks or in cross winds. The final test will be the return trip when we are bound to hit some headwinds. I think this was a great purchase.

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by Luvnlife

Sitting in Petoskey Campgounds on Lake Michigan. We finished a nice trip from San Diego to Michigan. A huge difference from the last trip to South Carolina. There is a noticeable difference with Hellwig sway bar installed. Handles better when passed by big trucks or in cross winds. The final test will be the return trip when we are bound to hit some headwinds. I think this was a great purchase.

Larry/Mary:
It does make a huge difference. I installed mine a couple months ago, but only have about 500 miles since the install. Big test next month when we leave NC for PA and then to SD. Mountains, Plains, rolling hills, etc. and probably a fair share of cross winds. I'm guessing a comfortable trip with the Hellwig, though I admit we never took it on an extended trip before the installation.

Someone has proposed a second rear sway bar for the Solera. Interesting read, and I'm waiting for someone else to bite the bullet first. At $675 I'm not sure I'd make that purchase without knowing more. Looks like a fairly complicated install, and I'm not sure drilling into the frame wouldn't affect the MB warranty. Also, it it flattens out the ride too much, it may take too much of the road feel out of the ride. With a high center of gravity as in these rigs, I'd want to feel some sway on curves/off ramps, etc... Heaven forbid rolling it over because I didn't sense the sway at all - although my driving style would put me at low risk for that!!!