So I took the long weekend to get around to installing the Hellwig that's been kicking around in the cargo area since... Well, the shipping label said the 30th of October 2014.

Anyhow... I figured it'd be a quick afternoon job and I'd be driving to work tomorrow to test it. But like many projects, something just didnt work out quite right and I spent the majority of the day taking it all back apart again to figure out what the heck went wrong
I will be driving to work with it not connected to the end links.

I have some pictures...

So following the instructions, I bolted the 3 hole adapter plates up using the new U-Bolts.
I found that one is about a quarter inch larger than the other... But the adjustment holes would allow for enough wiggle room that I didn't think it mattered. Plus the insturctions didn't mention that one was different from the other.




I found that when I pulled the old U-Bolts, the shocks would spring down and mess up the alignment of the shock mounting brackets. I had to put the floor jack under the bracket to get it up to the axle... I thought I would have to go by the scratch markings on the axle housing where the bracket used to be. Luckily, there's a hole in the bracket and a welded nub about 5/8 inch round and 1/2 inch high... Fits right in the hole on the bracket. I'm pretty sure the shock brackets are lined up properly.

Here's my main problem. The bar seems really uneven. I get about a 1 inch gap between it and the frame on the right (Passenger's) side. But it's got a 3 inches of a gap on the left (Driver's) side.




On top of that, it hits the exhaust.




And if I push it upwards past the point of interference with the exhaust, it gets questionably close to the ABS sensor on the diferential housing.



I dunno.. It just doesn't seem right.

What am I doing wrong here?

 

Where are your down links. Sway bar to frame? You should not be running into the exhaust at all. The only thing I see would possibly be your left shock mount. It seems to be rotated down too much. It is a bear to get those lined up and Tightened. That would make your left side lower that the right

 

I've got the end links in the cargo area, just hanging out. I'm not gonna connect them until I get the sway bar sorted out.

 

 

Yeah, I took a look at that.

How do I know how far up or down I need the shock brackets canted on the axle?

What'd you do to stop your shocks from pressing the bracket down when you took the old U-Bolts out?

 

Yeah. For sure. Look at Apoc's video. See how much further down your left mounting is than his. It is really really tricky get the shock mounts to seat just right over that stupid tab. Anyway looks like you are rotated forward and down. If you correct that position, you will be able to put the bar up and back and not hit the sensor although it can be a little close for comfort for, the faint of heart. When the shock mounts are seated on the tabs and your end links in place , the bar is not going to move.

 

Down... As in it's too close to horizontal?

I'm gonna loosen up the U-Bolts again this week and try again.

 

[QUOTE=Pele;16324696]Yeah, I took a look at that.

How do I know how far up or down I need the shock brackets canted on the axle?

What'd you do to stop your shocks from pressing the bracket down when you took the old U-Bolts /]

One side at a time,put a jack under the shock to hold them as you take them loose from the bracket. Pull the shocks out of the brackets and let the jack hold them. Connect your hardware and reseat the bracket on the axle tube. There is a round tab the bracket slips over to position the shock bracket. Look at it when you pull the bracket loose. Put your hardware on for the bar, reposition the bracket over the tab and tighten your hardware enough to keep the bracket snug over the tab. Put the shocks back in the bracket using the jack to help yo push the shock up.Jack them up higher than the mounting area and let out the jack while holding the shock up and you should be able to swing the shock into the mount before it pushes down to hard to hold it....then finish the install. Good luck!

 

I have readjusted the shock brackets.

I've gotten the difference between sides to about a 1 inch difference.



Passenger's side will touch the frame and the Driver's side will be about an inch lower than the frame... So it's a bit closer than it was before.

However, to get it there, I have to really push it against the exhaust... So with the right side touching the frame, the hoop that goes over the differential hits the exhaust such that the exhaust is pressed against the bottom of the body and the right shock absorber.




At least it won't ever hit the ABS sensor. There are two cast tabs on either side of the ABS sensor. If the bar were to ever rotate that high (It won't), it'd hit those two tabs.

On top of that, I can no longer drive around like this. If I pull the bar down like it was before, the hoop that goes above the differential no longer rests on the snout of the differential housing, it rests on the rear U-Joint where it connects to the pinion.

The only thing I can think of that's wrong is that I have a Magnaflow Exhaust that I'm not sure is designed for this truck. It's a universal catalytic converter and muffler.

 

Anybody? Bueller?

 

When I get home from work I'll crawl under min and get some photos and maybe measurements. I didn't have any of the issues you are dealing with.

 

If you can, get a pic of where the bar wraps over the differential on the passenger side. (Both up from the ground and looking over top of the differential from the driver's side.)

There's an exhaust hanger in that general neighborhood. It looks like the original exhaust hung on two rubber hangers... One is more inboard, towards the driveshaft. The other is directly outboard towards the frame...

Is your exhaust centered between those two hangers? Mine uses only the inner hanger and has no provisions for the outer hanger. I think that my exhaust sits too far inboard.

 

From looking at the Hellwig site pics it looks like it may be an exhaust issue but perspective between photos may be misleading me. Apparently Hellwig's "instruction" site is not fully operational. I scanned copies of the official Hellwig installation pics I have

. I outlined the bar and exhaust in one of them as they are black and white and the contrast on their pictures is a little muddled. Hope this helps!

 

Problem Solved!

 

Well that is one way to fix it!

But that thing is going to be load getting to the grocery store!