Helwig Rear Sway Bar install on Ford E450

[Sagecoachdriver]

Had the front installed last year and they stripped the bolts. Now I'm going to install the rear myself with the help of a friend, I hope! Received it this afternoon from Amazon. Yep, it's real heavy! Watched a YouTube video a few times and it doesn't look difficult. I installed air bags in my old Winnebago along with Bilstein shocks, so I kinda know what I'm doing. Just wearing an older man's clothes now. I have a wide wood ramps I use in my driveway to level the MH and can really bring the rear end up with loads of room to work safely. Any hints on the actual install?

[newRVer]

Originally Posted by Sagecoachdriver

Had the front installed last year and they stripped the bolts. Now I'm going to install the rear myself with the help of a friend, I hope! Received it this afternoon from Amazon. Yep, it's real heavy! Watched a YouTube video a few times and it doesn't look difficult. I installed air bags in my old Winnebago along with Bilstein shocks, so I kinda know what I'm doing. Just wearing an older man's clothes now. I have a wide wood ramps I use in my driveway to level the MH and can really bring the rear end up with loads of room to work safely. Any hints on the actual install?

If you have any thoughts of ever installing a trac bar, now would be the time to do it!

[Sagecoachdriver]

Got the rear sway bar installed this afternoon by myself. No one around to help on a week day. I rolled the back end up on 6" levelers I made years ago. I easily removed the bar and followed the instructions to the letter. I used a jack stand to prop up the new bar in the center where it goes around the differential and a floor jack to adjust the ends for ease of mounting to the axle. Used an 3/8" air ratchet that made the job go faster and easier. Would have gone quicker with a helper as I had to keep rolling out to get parts and sockets.
Will test drive it tomorrow, time for a nap. Retirement is hard work!

[benagi]

Sage, glad you got it done. Sure made a difference on our unit. I was lucky when we installed mine last year. I had my brother in law and son do all the heavy lifting while I manned the jack and had a beer.

[Sagecoachdriver]

Thanks Benagi, we took a trip to Death Valley a week ago and I felt like I was fighting it all the way up and back. It has a pull to the left most of the time, but sometimes it was straight. Thought the wheel wasn't centered, but it is.
May remove the Bilstein steering stabilizer and reinstall the Roadmaster Reflex. That means removing the front bumper and removing the nuts holding it on to the frame. Then I can adjust any slight pull with the Reflex.
I looked under the front at the caster cam and the alignment shop had changed the cam from 2 3/4˚ to a 3/4˚on one side. I think they were trying to remove the pull. Not sure if I am going back there again, but if I go some where else, I will have to pay for a new cam.

[gtrask]

Why did you want to install front and rear bars?

Grorge

[Sagecoachdriver]

Originally Posted by gtrask

Why did you want to install front and rear bars?

Grorge

Lots of sway from wind and passing vehicles. Mine is from time to time all over the road and needs constant correction which is more of an alignment issue.

[jimmiejim]

Have a alignment shop set the CASTER to +5 or better it will drive a lot better.

Did this to mine

Jim 2016 coachman freelander 450 Ford

[Sagecoachdriver]

Originally Posted by jimmiejim

Have a alignment shop set the CASTER to +5 or better it will drive a lot better.

Did this to mine

Jim 2016 coachman freelander 450 Ford

Had two alignments, second one set the caster high, so they said. But the cam bushings were 2 3/4˚ and 2 1/2˚. Higher than the 1/2˚ on both that the free alignment did. Think I may look for another shop.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by Sagecoachdriver

Got the rear sway bar installed this afternoon by myself. No one around to help on a week day. I rolled the back end up on 6" levelers I made years ago. I easily removed the bar and followed the instructions to the letter. I used a jack stand to prop up the new bar in the center where it goes around the differential and a floor jack to adjust the ends for ease of mounting to the axle. Used an 3/8" air ratchet that made the job go faster and easier. Would have gone quicker with a helper as I had to keep rolling out to get parts and sockets.
Will test drive it tomorrow, time for a nap. Retirement is hard work!

I'm hopping to install mine next week. It was planned for tomorrow when wife can be around to hand me tools and iced tea. [emoji6] But stormy weather predicted all day.
Let us know how yours does. I was fine with steering but did have a time with high crosswinds. Not fun.

[jtortho]

Just finished putting in the rear sway bar on Sunseeker 2860DS.

The instructions are good. one of the pictures shows a washer on the D busing i think.
If you use the fender washer it pushes the mount to far for the other bolt.
If you don't e use a washer the socket wont fit for the final torque. (It hits the Dbushing)
I started to strip the bolt. Bought a longer , grade 8 M10 ( they are metric)
put in 2 washers. Worked fine.
The supplied bolts would likely work, lilkely one washer would be enough.