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I had the same issue with the driver side bolt breaking. It was Friday night when I caught it. I took the other one off and went to Ace Hardware the next day and they confirmed that it was a heavy grade bolt and was able to get two more exactly like it but were a half inch longer. Also got two lock nuts. They said that they had seen some cheaper versions of the bolt fail. He told me they had USA made versions and have never gotten a return. Put them back on and haven’t had any issues since. Surprisingly they were only three bucks each. Called Hellwig Monday morning to let them know and they said they haven’t seen any break and offered to mail me two more so I have two more new ones. They weren’t over tightened or under tightened. Weird!
I had the same issue with the driver side bolt breaking. It was Friday night when I caught it. I took the other one off and went to Ace Hardware the next day and they confirmed that it was a heavy grade bolt and was able to get two more exactly like it but were a half inch longer. Also got two lock nuts. They said that they had seen some cheaper versions of the bolt fail. He told me they had USA made versions and have never gotten a return. Put them back on and haven’t had any issues since. Surprisingly they were only three bucks each. Called Hellwig Monday morning to let them know and they said they haven’t seen any break and offered to mail me two more so I have two more new ones. They weren’t over tightened or under tightened. Weird!
When I called Hellwig they attributed the break to my placing a washer in between the strut and the sway bar possibly.
They offered to sent me 1/2" bolts if they can wiggle thru the bar, and new bushings in the strut to accommodate it.
Good customer service I guess. Would have been nicer to drop the communist chinese fake grade 5 bolts and instead send grade 8 made in the good ol USA by lazy overpaid post-covid never done this before idiots. At least the American idiots would be too lazy to paint the bolts yellow and you have a reasonable expectation that they might hold together
Curious if your end links were preloaded like mine were when I first attempted installation of a Hellwig Big Wig rear sway bar on my 2017 F250. I discovered the bar was 1 1/2” too wide at the end link mounting points causing the end links to be awkwardly angled outward at the bottom. I contacted Hellwig customer service and sent them pictures. They told me they had sold hundreds of these bars and I was the first to call about this issue. Hellwig verified I had the correct bar for my truck and the bar was built to their specs. but agreed something wasn’t right. They built a custom replacement bar for me and shipped it no cost. It fit perfectly and allowed the end links to hang straight down without any need to force them outward to attach them to the bar.
Curious if your end links were preloaded like mine were when I first attempted installation of a Hellwig Big Wig rear sway bar on my 2017 F250. I discovered the bar was 1 1/2” too wide at the end link mounting points causing the end links to be awkwardly angled outward at the bottom. I contacted Hellwig customer service and sent them pictures. They told me they had sold hundreds of these bars and I was the first to call about this issue. Hellwig verified I had the correct bar for my truck and the bar was built to their specs. but agreed something wasn’t right. They built a custom replacement bar for me and shipped it no cost. It fit perfectly and allowed the end links to hang straight down without any need to force them outward to attach them to the bar.
Interesting you said this.
I had the same issue.
I mentioned it to the Hellwig rep and he immediately told me that they get MANY calls on this SAME issue.
However he attributed it to Ford making trucks that were for whatever reason out of specification in so many ways, with stacking tolerances being such, that SOMETIMES the sway bar will bolt to BOTH links on the INSIDE of the sway bar, sometimes OUTSIDE, and sometimes as is the case with me, ONE IN and ONE OUT.
My first reaction was to nod and think, YEAH, ALWAYS BLAME SOMEONE ELSE......
Then I remembered how my tailgate hangs open, with one tailgate cable strap tight, and the other, inexplicably flaccid, indicating that something on the bed is not square and plumb. Or how my 2016 KR had some sort of wheel rub and service said "some of them do that". Perhaps Hellwig is right.
I had the same problem. When I spoke to them about it they said most bolt up no problem and some have my issue. They said mine was the correct sway bar and made to specifications and was told to bolt it up just like you described. I bolted it up like that. My truck has many different problems that Ford calls within tolerances it’s pathetic. The sway bar does work fine bolted up like that but it is something I’m not comfortable with.
Put a Big Wig on my Excursion a long time ago. Broke or lost a bolt. They sent me another one that also lost/broke. Except this time I found it at the beginning of my driveway.... broken. I went to Copperstate Nut and Bolt and bought their recommended grade 8's for both sides. Never had the problem again, even after about another 15 years.
I had the same problem. When I spoke to them about it they said most bolt up no problem and some have my issue. They said mine was the correct sway bar and made to specifications and was told to bolt it up just like you described. I bolted it up like that. My truck has many different problems that Ford calls within tolerances it’s pathetic. The sway bar does work fine bolted up like that but it is something I’m not comfortable with.
Yes that is exactly how mine is, and I also talked to "Kevin"....
Not sure I buy that our frames have that much variation. What I did find interesting back in Nov. 2017 when I went through this was that the passenger side end link is completely missing from the top picture on Hellwig’s own Installation Instructions.
I agree I don’t see the frames having that much variation either. I’ve been using their products since 1980 and it’s the last one I’ll ever buy. I wasn’t pleased with their customer service and their fix for the problem. Do it right or don’t do it at all. I feel like it’s half assed.
I agree I don’t see the frames having that much variation either. I’ve been using their products since 1980 and it’s the last one I’ll ever buy. I wasn’t pleased with their customer service and their fix for the problem. Do it right or don’t do it at all. I feel like it’s half assed.
I can apply your LAST sentence to BASICALLY EVERYTHING and/or EVERY SERVICE I have paid for since....oh....about 1998 from my best recollection..
my end link bolts at the end link / anti sway used to pop off and the end links would just be dangling. it did this twice. I replace the stock bolts with longer ones , added a washer between assiciated parts, and use locktite and double nuts on them and they havent pop off since. had that not worked I was going to spot weld the nuts to the bolt.
my end link bolts at the end link / anti sway used to pop off and the end links would just be dangling. it did this twice. I replace the stock bolts with longer ones , added a washer between assiciated parts, and use locktite and double nuts on them and they havent pop off since. had that not worked I was going to spot weld the nuts to the bolt.
Good grief!!!!!
So this is a common problem....
And Hellwig said if I put a washer between the end link and the sway bar holes that THAT would cause the bolt to fail........... Head slap.........
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