Rear Sway Bar Installed On An 02 Silverado 1500 Ecsb 2wd

Tucson_02Silverado · January 31, 2009

At 100K miles, I finally put on a rear sway bar on my 02 Silverado 1500 ECSB 2WD. After driving with it for about 2 weeks, I would say I should have put one on back in 02. Before even I had gotten a custom engine tune. It makes that much of difference in ride quality and handling of an empty truck.

I was going to buy a Hellwig, but any time I had called to check availability from the various companies that sell them, they would call 2 days later to say they made a mistake and they didn't have it available to ship. Back in November/December, Microsoft's Live.com was giving 25% cash back for buying on eBay with Paypal. I found a seller with an Addco 631 and after cashback, with shipping, cost me $145 total.

The Addco is a solid bar like the Hellwig. Nicely finished powered coated like the Hellwig. And is just slightly smaller in diameter of the Hellwig. The kit contains 2 sizes of end links, I used the short ones.

It took longer to get the jack tools out, remove the spare tire and put the spare and jack tools back then it took to install the sway bar.

BTW, if you have a spare tire, make sure you check the air in the tire on a regular basis. I never checked it in the past 6+ years since new and it only had 10PSI.

Tools I used was a floor jack (a friend could help you out) to lift the bar up to the axle to help mount, 9/16" combo wrench, 9/16" socket wrench with 3" extension. Dielectric grease for the sway bar bushings.

I have stock exhaust, so there was I had no clearance issues.

Note: The kit I was shipped (pictured) had 5" long U-Bolts. They seemed to be a bit short just to loosely mount the sway bar. A call to Addco and they quickly shipped me out 6" long U-Bolts.

TOTALRECALL · January 31, 2009

Hi, I have an 02 also, looks like I should really think about adding the rear sway bar. By the way, the most interesting thing about your pictures isn't the sway bar, it's how clean the underside of your truck is. Here is MD, not many rust issues, but my 02 came from Maine when I bought it in 04, it sure doesn't look like your truck.

Thanks for the good pictures

Mike

Tucson_02Silverado · January 31, 2009

I ran it through a touchless car wash with an under-carriage wash before I worked on it.

But, living in the desert does help a lot against rust.

Air Force Boneyard - Tucson, AZ

Tucson_02Silverado · August 3, 2011

I thought I would post a long term update.

After 44K miles, the swaybar and end links are holding just fine and with no rattles or play in the bushings.

Still keeps the truck flat around curves and more managable over expansion joints.

I'll reiterate that this should definitely be the very first mod anyone does to their truck.

Paradigm49 · August 3, 2011

Totally agree with you on the first modification thing...i had a rear axle snap on my 2007 sierra, and the rear hellwig sway bar was about the only thing that kept the truck from flipping. GM was wise enough to give me a new truck after the accident when they realized after their 3 weeks of testing and bickering that it would be smarter for them to do so. First thing that went on the 2010 silverado?....front and rear hellwig sway bars. The rear links with the addeco's though...i haven't seen them like that before. On the hellwig's i have on mine, it's solid steel, basically a looped piece with a bushing in it, bolted to the saddle brackets, threaded link down (mind you it's a good 1/2 inch thick on the threaded part...and then the same on the bottom as on the top...REALLY stiff once you torque everything down. Now the only problem i'm dealing with is the crappy bridgestone 4 ply tires that are on the truck...didn't see a reason to get cooper discoverer at3's at the time...but now...i'm defintely regretting it...14,000 miles and the tread is already half gone...I miss my LT tires...

Hope you enjoy the sway bars, they are alot of fun, and i have the front solid hellwig bar on the truck too....didn't think it would make THAT much of a difference, but it really does, i have virtually NO body roll on turns.

Enjoy!

I thought I would post a long term update.

After 44K miles, the swaybar and end links are holding just fine and with no rattles or play in the bushings.

Still keeps the truck flat around curves and more managable over expansion joints.

I'll reiterate that this should definitely be the very first mod anyone does to their truck.

jojo2667 · May 24, 2013

hi i know this is an older post but i just want to thank you for yhe info and the pics ! put mine on today and wow what a differance ! everybody should do this and they should come from the factory or al least an option !

george

white1500 · May 24, 2013

If it was an option from the factory it would cost $1000 or more haha.

And this seems like a great idea, I've seen it on other trucks but I never expected it to have such a profound impact on the ride and handling.

Thank you for the inspiration!

jojo2667 · May 25, 2013

yea your probably right ! hahahaha LOL !

Wires · May 27, 2013

That is the best money spent. I did front/rear Hellwigs on my '00, and that thing corned as good as my Acura CL did. I put Hotchkis on my '08, and basically just as good.

I know Dodge comes with it OEM. Does the other full size trucks have it? (I'll have to look now!)