When installing the hellwig on a stock height truck you have to pull the driveshaft off?

 

No need to do so.

 

From: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post11986504

Installation: Hellwig rear antiswaybar

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...nion-seal.html

Well, it started as a rear pinion seal R&R, morphed into a slip yoke lube job and finally (as Neil so aptly stated, 'that anti sway bar isn't needed for that pinion seal fix') the hellwig install slipped in there under wife's radar.

 

Hmmm...Interesting. Somehow I gotta get the headers and Y-pipe under the wife's radar when performing an oil change. Also, a 6.0 trans cooler when I do the tranny flush. LOL.

Somehow the mechanics at the auto repair shops are able to up sale all those other non essential services and the wife just says ok and we husbands have to resort to these covert operations.

 

No wife here, I can do whatever I want to the truck and the girlfriend loves it.

 

I got the diesel and mine do not have the plate on the pass. side. The bracket is exactly the same as the driver side. My installation is exactly like "bfediuk" his istallation below. He took a lot of pictures for is V/B code springs and Hellwig rear sway bar installation.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-hauler-3.html

 

Bumping to see if anyone had another theory on the rear shock skid plate?

 

My theory is it comes right off with a grinder!!

 

Lol, I bet you removed those harmonic weight nutz too.

 

I don't recall that plate being on my 2005 V10. Over the 2015-16 winter, i cleaned up and painted under the Ex, I don't remember that plate being there. I ordered/bought my Ex new. Maybe it's a year specific thing?

 

It protects the shock body from rocks. I'm guessing somewhere in the history of testing this vehicle that it suffered a "rock throw" that punctured the shock. The shield gets added then later gets deleted for a cost savings...just a guess though. The other shock doesn't need it because it's behind the axle (mostly).

 

Makes sense Rob, explains why mine had a dent.

 

It was added in 2001, it is a heat shield from exhaust system on the right rear shock, it can be removed, but not necessary with the Hellwig sway bar install. Not sure why added it, must have had some issue with the early production vehicles and came up with this fix.

 

If you're talking about the low mounted shield, I still say it's to protect the shock from debris (rocks etc). I've never seen a heat shield mounted low and in the air stream. There are other parts of that shock that are closer to the exhaust than where that shield is.

In a past life I ran full vehicle durability for the South American Dakota, we ran here in the US and in Brazil and had damaged shocks in the same location as we're talking about.