Finally got around to ordering my Hellwig sway bar last week and it arrived yesterday afternoon. I wasted no time ripping the box open and installing it on my truck.

Just a little background on what i already have installed on my truck. Other goodies I have installed on the truck are Bilstein 5100 shocks, Bilstein steering stabilizer, Superspings SSA16 leaf spring. My truck came from the factory with the Snow plow package, towing package, and 5th wheel prep package.

The install was pretty straightforward. As many other people have mentioned, the driver side sway bar link connected to the frame rail was the most tedious part. However, I have a few pics that might help others if they choose to go this route. That said, I could immediately feel the difference when I finished the install and drove away. My 2004 had the camper package with the stock rear bar, but this one is very stout in comparison. I have my bar set to the stiffest setting and it works great with my already stiff setup. The rear end does not drag with steering input as it did before and feels much more stable and controlled. Ford should make the rear bar standard on all Super Duties.

I will be hauling a car to Atlanta this week on my 26' Texas Rollback and see how the setup performs under load. I am sure ti will do it with a breeze compared to my previous 2004.

In the following pics, there are locations of the bolts that need to be removed in order to slide over the DEF tank during install. You do not need to remove the skip plate. Only the rear most bracket for the skid plate needs to be removed in order to expose the upper bolt on the DEF tank. This bolt is the only one I did not totally remove. I loosened it and it allowed the DEF tank to move over just enough to gain access to the nut that attaches to the sway bar link n the driver's side. I fit a standard size 18mm ratcheting wrench in there and used the frame as a stop. I then used the torque wrench on the outside when doing the final torque.

Again, the rear bracket of the skid plate needs to be removed. There are three 12mm nuts on the bottom and two 12mm bolts at the top - easy removal. The DEf tank has four 12mm bolts holding it in. The bolts located on the rear of the tank and the driver's side of the tank will need to be removed. The other 12mm bolt that was hiding behind the skid plate bracket only needs to be loosened. This will give you enough room to work with without messing with the DEF tank or having to support it. This method worked well for me and hopefully will help others if they decide to go this route. The pictures of the bolts and nuts I was referring to are located in the pics below.

 

Nice pictures and thanks for posting!

 

Ditto SavageNFS; nice post and thanks for sharing.

 

Looks great, nice read and pictures...

 

Nice work! Jumping in to hear feedback report.

 

Thanks guys.

I am really loving the upgrade, but it has been unloaded the whole time since. I will be hauling a car on Monday from Mississippi to Georgia and will give more feedback with a load on the tail.

The truck definitely feels more planted than before and does not get disrupted nearly as much over rougher roads. The ride quality seems to actually be better - maybe it has something to do with the snow plow package and the front being stiffer. I think it is just balancing out the setup I got from the factory.

I just mounted up four new Michelins so the ride should be smooth. Of course, my setup may be too stiff for some people on this forum, but I am used to really stiff sports cars.

 

I originally wanted a rear sway bar but after driving a similar truck with one I didn't like it as much but your aftermarket one seems to have helped. Hmmm. this has me thinking about it again

 

Checking back in for some feedback after towing with your new set up, I am interested.

Thanks

Leon

 

I can tell you my experience with rear sway bars...
my 3 excursions all had one added,
on my 2012 f250 I tried without one,
and because of that,
a rear sway bar was negotiated in as part of the deal on my 2013 platinum

makes for a much more enjoyable ride IMHO...
AND saves fuel in that I don't have to slow down as much for corners now!
thus saving the extra acceleration costs

 

This has been my experience too! But now, I am more concerned with buying tires sooner....

 

AND replacing the dash from all the things sliding from side to side now

I can verify you shouldn't put your phone on the dash with the windows down !!!
glad it WAS a company phone !

 

ain't that the truth!.. much more slippery interior than it looks.

I put a rubber case on my phone.. never moves now!
also can't get it out of my pocket without dumping whatever else is in there
(cash, tickets, receipts ....)

 

Installed mine. Was a little difficult during my first attempt. Its pretty dang heavy and awkward. Decided to get backup and completed the job in an hour. Oh huge piece of advice. Don't touch the DEF tank. Drop the spare tire and you'll have easy access to the bolt hole on the passenger side. On and tightened in 5mins.

 

Since you have the camper package..did it not come with the anti sway from the factory? Or did you think it was too weak?

 

I just installed a 7271 on my '15 F-350 6.7. This thread was very helpful. However, due to the wheel well liners, I couldn't torque the driver's side frame bolt. I just cranked on it as hard as I could. I installed Bilstein 5100s at the same time. I haven't had a chance to test drive it yet.