Rear Stabilizer Bar?
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
Patiently waiting for the UPS man to deliver my suspension stuff. Been on his truck since 5:00am this morning. Maybe they need to get those guy's 6.0's so they can hurry up and get my stuff here. Just about ready to 
Ups man for drivin so slow. Maybe it's the 88 car driver in there 
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 305
Likes: 20
From: North Padre Island, TX
Just a different point of view, I also do not do super heavy towing, but I do a lot of off road. So I actually removed mine from the truck when I got it to soften the ride off road and to allow the back tires more articulation. I have had no ill affects from removing it. It only takes about 5 minutes to install or remove these with just one ratchet. Hardest part is winding the funny shaped bar through all the suspension and exhaust components. Kinda like one of those horsehoe puzzles where you have to remove the ring. I got an extra stabilizer bar for a lot less if you're interested.
Last edited by Hunter40; Sep 13, 2004 at 10:55 AM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
Yep, off road a sway bar will be a hinderance in the real twisty (up and down) stuff...
What many in the off road community will do is change to detachable links....
so you have the benefits of the bar, but can easily unhook it (but leave it on the vehicle) so it allows the independent articulation needed for the Rough stuff....
but since I am 99.9% on road...
and do many more higher speed corners than crossing an off camber trail ridge like I used to do in my 4 previous Jeeps....
I'll use the sway bar
What many in the off road community will do is change to detachable links....
so you have the benefits of the bar, but can easily unhook it (but leave it on the vehicle) so it allows the independent articulation needed for the Rough stuff....
but since I am 99.9% on road...
and do many more higher speed corners than crossing an off camber trail ridge like I used to do in my 4 previous Jeeps....
I'll use the sway bar
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
I spent about 5 hours putting my rear bar on--I JUST got done about 30 minutes ago. I took the time to chase all the threads on the u-bolts and stabilizer link bolts so everything would go smoothly. I don't have a lift and did mine in the driveway on my back. The hardest thing was putting the driver's side inside frame rail bracket on since the gas tank was in the same vicinity and tightening it up since it's locknutted. All in all if you follow the directions closely and take the time to go through the instructions it's really not that hard. Getting the torque wrench in to torque the nuts correctly was even easy. If you have lift access it wouldn't take you long at all--maybe an hour start to finish, but allow yourself two. Also--I'm old and slow 
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 1
From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
What can be the difference besides the money of the factory rear sway bar or somthing like the Hellwing. I know there really isnt much to the whole design and there isnt really alot to it. So what can be the differenece. just curious...
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Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
There's a ton of difference in the Hellwig bars and the factory bars--it's like the difference in factory exhaust and aftermarket exhaust. Once you see them you'll immediatly know--daylight and dark.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
never having had a stock one...
I understand the Hellwig is thicker, DENSER, stronger.... but other than that
the material used is a more rigid material that someone said was like 190%???
less prone to twisting forces ....
it IS better than stock, but isn't anything aftermarket have to be better than stock ?
because, in order to sell the unit, they have to give you a reason to buy it....
and if you don't have ANY rear bar it's got to be better than nothing
I understand the Hellwig is thicker, DENSER, stronger.... but other than that
the material used is a more rigid material that someone said was like 190%???
less prone to twisting forces ....
it IS better than stock, but isn't anything aftermarket have to be better than stock ?
because, in order to sell the unit, they have to give you a reason to buy it....
and if you don't have ANY rear bar it's got to be better than nothing
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
LMAO--JD--well said--the point is GET ONE, and make sure they're MATCHED. If you have a factory front go with the factory rear. if you go to the Hellwig rear then get the hellwig front also so you don't "overpower" the factory front swaybar and make your handling worse or dangerous rather than making it better. 
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,326
Likes: 18
From: Gilbert
I've been thinking about removing the factory sway bars on my f250 when I go four wheeling for more articulation. I like jdadamsjr's idea of the detachable links to remove 'em real quick (yet keep the bars on the truck). The suspension on my truck (procomp springs) is pretty stiff and the truck will usually come off the ground before I can get any kind of good articulation out of it.
Has anyone done this on their SD's and do any of you see any kind of disadvantage(s) with something like this? I do alot of wheeling in the winter time (which is nice out here in AZ) so it'll be a seasonal thing for me.
ps- didn't mean to hijack the thread but i figured some of you would have some good ideas since we're on the sway bar subject.
Has anyone done this on their SD's and do any of you see any kind of disadvantage(s) with something like this? I do alot of wheeling in the winter time (which is nice out here in AZ) so it'll be a seasonal thing for me.
ps- didn't mean to hijack the thread but i figured some of you would have some good ideas since we're on the sway bar subject.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
Originally Posted by npccpartsman
LMAO--JD--well said--the point is GET ONE, and make sure they're MATCHED. If you have a factory front go with the factory rear. if you go to the Hellwig rear then get the hellwig front also so you don't "overpower" the factory front swaybar and make your handling worse or dangerous rather than making it better.
sure don't want to suggest anything that would make it less safe than it is....
yes, it could be on a sports car where the suspension tuning is such that you want maximum adhesion to get maximum speed around a corner...
but in my 02 X it had the stock front and I just put the hellwig rear and it did WONDERS !!!!
just curious....
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
I'm not sure JD. Most want the swaybars for sway control not highspeed cornering. It was always the norm to be heavier on the front swaybar due to handling issues--IMHO that's why they put swaybars front first and add rears from the factory. I wouldn't even guess about the X--I read lots of that forum about the radius rod thing so I have to wonder if heavier for you wasn't a good thing anyway. Like I say--OLD SCHOOL was heavier front--NEW TECH could have changed all that with unibody--I wish someone else would chime in on this subject--I'm no expert--all I got a degree in is BS