Rear Stabilizer Bar?
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
Rear Stabilizer Bar?
I have an 04 F-350 King Ranch SRW CC SB 4x4 and of course it has the front stabilizer bar, but my buddies has a rear bar as well. mine doesnt have the rear. im not sure if its needed or not. i dont do much heavy heavy pulling. actuly light compared to most of you only a boat a couple boats most at 4-5000lbs, thought maybe it would help with swaying and or such. called the dealer and he couldnt give me a straight answer on needing it of course but he did tell me its a $250 part and they want $200 and change to put it in. any ideas on this would be welcome. thanks
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Eielson AFB, AK
My rear sway on my F250 was part of the Camper package. I've driven a rig both with and without the rear sway, and I noticed that the one with the sway, has less tendency to wander all over the road. Plus under a higher wind condition too, the back end of the truck isn't blowing all over the place. I DEFINATELY notice a difference.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,368
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
YES--get the bar, but don't get the factory one--for that price you can get front and rear HELLWIG bars from JCWhitney or Summitracing and have three times the product. Consider aftermarket shocks also--most opinions I've read are that the factory's are marginal to junk. BTW--the bars are really easy to put on if you have any mechanical skill at all.
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
Yeah i thought that it would handle better with the rear sway but now i dont know if its worth the money i mean it looks like somthing i could probably install myself. seeing that its just a few bolts on the axel and 1 or 2 on the actul truck save the 200 on installation but its still 250 for the part. worth it?
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,203
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From: Carlsbad, California
Same for my truck - camper package and has the sway bar.
No body roll as I whip it through the mountains. While loaded with a couple of dirt bikes in the back I had a friend following me in another truck - he commented that my truck was amazingly flat going around the turns. His truck was rolling all over the place.
Very nice addition to have.
No body roll as I whip it through the mountains. While loaded with a couple of dirt bikes in the back I had a friend following me in another truck - he commented that my truck was amazingly flat going around the turns. His truck was rolling all over the place.
Very nice addition to have.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
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on my 02 4x2 X the addition of the rear Hellwig sway bar was an AMAZING difference...
No more leaning into a turn trying to help the rear end from feeling like it was turning over !!!
I called JC Whitney.... asked for best price and got free 3rd day shipping and a 15% discount from their best price by just asking
Well worth the 5 minute call and saved enough to pay someone at a speed shop $40 to install it !
I think in total it was about $165 IIRC.... (it was 2 years ago )
I have a stock rear bar on the 03 X and have been meaning to swap it out for the hellwig, but just haven't yet...
I will say though, that some have gone to Ford and ordered the camper bar for in the $50 range ?????? and that it's better than nothing,!
but others have compared the two and the ford bar is smaller and MUCH lighter than the Hellwig... even compared to the point of comparing the torsional strength of the two and there is a LOT of difference - but I don't recall the science of it...
just get something you will like the difference ! 
No more leaning into a turn trying to help the rear end from feeling like it was turning over !!!
I called JC Whitney.... asked for best price and got free 3rd day shipping and a 15% discount from their best price by just asking
Well worth the 5 minute call and saved enough to pay someone at a speed shop $40 to install it !
I think in total it was about $165 IIRC.... (it was 2 years ago
)I have a stock rear bar on the 03 X and have been meaning to swap it out for the hellwig, but just haven't yet...
I will say though, that some have gone to Ford and ordered the camper bar for in the $50 range ?????? and that it's better than nothing,!
but others have compared the two and the ford bar is smaller and MUCH lighter than the Hellwig... even compared to the point of comparing the torsional strength of the two and there is a LOT of difference - but I don't recall the science of it...
just get something
you will like the difference !
Last edited by jdadamsjr; Sep 10, 2004 at 09:30 AM.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 6
From: Fountain Valley
I ordered the rear stabilizer as part of a suspension package which was different than the camper package...Dealer didn't know it existed. I did not want the camper plug in..Cheaper Too. Works great. no roll. Good Luck
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
Thanks for all your help i will defanantly get one its just a question of which one and when. defanantly not going to go with the $500 for part and install from ford. I went to JCWhitney and didnt see it there for my truck mine is an 04. they have for the 03. is that going to work fine. thanks for the help...
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,368
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
The front bar needs to be stiffer or have more antisway characteristics than the rear for a rear wheel drive vehicle. That's why I'm having to wait til Monday to put mine on--they're coming from two different warehouses. I'm afraid putting the heavier rear bar on will cause over/under steer problems--at least that's what I learned in old school. May be totally different now.