rear suspension

[fatwhiteboy]

On 7/20/2020 at 3:52 PM, econometrics said:

Did you install the sway bar yourself? Seems pretty straightforward from the instructions on their website... 

Man O Man, their instruction for the Hellwig Rear Sway Bar look simple but mine was not a simple install.  I could not get the driver’s side U Bolt over the frame without losing up the fuel tank and moving it over just a tiny bit and I was missing some fasteners.  Took me about 3 hours but now that I did one I could do it in half that time.  Did Bilstein Struts and shocks and the Sway Bar Thursday.  I noticed a big difference in the ride but I do not think that sway bar is worth $500.00. 

[fatwhiteboy]

Just now, fatwhiteboy said:

Man O Man, their instruction for the Hellwig Rear Sway Bar look simple but mine was not a simple install.  I could not get the driver’s side U Bolt over the frame without losing up the fuel tank and moving it over just a tiny bit and I was missing some fasteners.  Took me about 3 hours but now that I did one I could do it in half that time.  Did Bilstein Struts and shocks and the Sway Bar Thursday.  I noticed a big difference in the ride but I do not think that sway bar is worth $500.00. 

 

[econometrics]

2 minutes ago, fatwhiteboy said:

Man O Man, their instruction for the Hellwig Rear Sway Bar look simple but mine was not a simple install.  I could not get the driver’s side U Bolt over the frame without losing up the fuel tank and moving it over just a tiny bit and I was missing some fasteners.  Took me about 3 hours but now that I did one I could do it in half that time.  Did Bilstein Struts and shocks and the Sway Bar Thursday.  I noticed a big difference in the ride but I do not think that sway bar is worth $500.00. 

Wow, thanks for the feedback and input! 

[fatwhiteboy]

34 minutes ago, fatwhiteboy said:

Man O Man, their instruction for the Hellwig Rear Sway Bar look simple but mine was not a simple install.  I could not get the driver’s side U Bolt over the frame without losing up the fuel tank and moving it over just a tiny bit and I was missing some fasteners.  Took me about 3 hours but now that I did one I could do it in half that time.  Did Bilstein Struts and shocks and the Sway Bar Thursday.  I noticed a big difference in the ride but I do not think that sway bar is worth $500.00. 

Yes in a friends shop.  It does have a cute picture in the instructions and would probably be a 10 minute job just mounting to rails with the bed off and nothing else in the way.  My fuel tank was smashed up against the inside of the frame rail so I could not get the top U Bolt on without moving the tank over a bit.  I removed the 2 bolts holding the tank straps on so I could move the tank just enough to get the U Bolt Down.  They also do not tell you the sizes of the bolts, the upper sway bar link bolt is a different size then the lower.  So be careful when you press them in so that you get that right or you will be pressing them back out like I did.  To do it again, I would take inventory of the fasteners before starting, I had 2 course thread 1/2 nuts and needed fine thread so that slowed it down.  I also had 4 black spacer washers that are supposed to go in between the links and the top attach and lower attach that were too small to fit any bolt.  I would say the quality of the bar it top notch, the brackets are good but painted not powder coated and the unbolts are not coated at all but your are on your own with the instructions.  They were not written by anyone that every installed this bar on this truck. 

[SilveradoRST]

2 hours ago, fatwhiteboy said:

Man O Man, their instruction for the Hellwig Rear Sway Bar look simple but mine was not a simple install.  I could not get the driver’s side U Bolt over the frame without losing up the fuel tank and moving it over just a tiny bit and I was missing some fasteners.  Took me about 3 hours but now that I did one I could do it in half that time.  Did Bilstein Struts and shocks and the Sway Bar Thursday.  I noticed a big difference in the ride but I do not think that sway bar is worth $500.00. 

Sorry to go off on a tangent.  I notice some surface rust around the rear diff/axle, was this after one winter or no?

[fatwhiteboy]

On 9/13/2020 at 4:49 PM, SilveradoRST said:

Sorry to go off on a tangent.  I notice some surface rust around the rear diff/axle, was this after one winter or no?

Sorry, I though that I answered you.  Yes that is from 1 Michigan winter and 15K miles,  I sprayed it black and sprayed a few frame welds that were already rusting also.  Not happy about that!!!

[Wintersun]

It took me about an hour to add the Big Wig anti-sway bar to the truck and I did it with the truck's wheels on the ground. If you have the tools it is a very easy install, and actually a lot easier than replacing the shocks on the truck.

 

I replaced the factory shocks with Rancho XL adjustable shocks so I could change the shock settings depending on whether the bed is empty or has a very heavy load. Takes me 10 seconds to change the rear shock settings with a twist of the valve dial on the side of the shock. Even with 4,000 lbs in the bed the shocks perform very well and then when the load is off the bed I dial down the settings for the rear shocks. Once I got the front shocks set they are not changed as only 10% of the load in the bed is supported by the front wheels.