Good Day all,

I've been reading this board for the last year and have finally decided to do some work on our 2005 6.0 Eddie Bauer. Truck is 100% stock exept for 18" rims with Nitto Grappler all terrains (325's IIRC). Truck has 38k miles on it.

I just drove the truck again tonite (wife usually drives it around town all day) and am fed up with the crappy hiway handling and constant corrections needed. My 2007 F350 4x4 feels like a BMW compared to the Ex. This truck really isn't safe so I'm going to due the basics (steering gear adjusment, balljoints, upgraded springs, shocks, new tires, alignment, etc) My question is regarding the swaybar upgrades. Both Hellwig and Roadmaster have bars available for our trucks. The major bar difference is the Roadmaster rear bar is 1.375" diameter vs Hellwigs 1.25". The fronts are 1.5" for both manufacturers. I could not verify if both bars are of solid or hollow design.

I've done searches (hundreds of threads out there) but did not find anyone using the Roadmaster swaybars. Does anyone have any experience with the Roadmaster swaybars?? They seem to be popular with the heavy duty RV crowd...just wondering if there is any hands on experience out there.


Thanks in advance,
George

 

Aloha George & welcome! Like your user name.

Honestly, the preferred bar here is the Hellwig. I think mainly due to it being out the earliest and most folks always recommending it.

If the Roadmaster bar isn't hollow (the Hellwig is solid) then I think it could be a better choice for controlling sway simply due to its more burly characteristics. It could be an even better choice if the install directions better! Hellwig has a bit to be desired in the instruction and attention to detail arena.

All-in-all, the Hellwig is a proven upgrade done by hundreds of Excursion owners. You cannot go wrong with it.

Which is cheaper?

 

I ordered both, go with the Roadmaster. It's thicker yes, but the main reason is the instructions and bag of installation parts.

The Hellwig instructions were complete crap and barley legible. The bag of installation parts was incomplete and tech support was horrible. After several attempts of trying to get the missing parts I gave up and sent the Hellwig back. Apparently, I'm not alone since this seems to be a common complaint in most of the Hellwig installation threads.

The Roadmaster came complete with good instructions and when I did have a question their tech support was decent.

 

I like the Hellwig! however my instructions were perfectly fine and all the hardware was included. I did get a couple of extra bushings though! it took me approx. 45minutes to install and is a nite and day difference. you`ll also want to note where the bar mounts on the axle. the factory bar mounts to the diff housing itself and the Hellwig mounts outboard of that to the shock mounts, which I believe is better as it has better leverage in holding the body over the rear axle. I don`t know how the roadmaster mounts though.

Good luck!

 

I also have the Hellwig with no probs to install and all parts were there, for the instructions yes it could have been alittle better but when you get under there its pretty obvious how it goes.

 

I'm also planning on adding rear anti-sway. I've looked at the Hellwig and listened to what everyone had to say. Then I looked at the Roadmaster Active Suspension and I think it will solve the sway issue as well as the soft spring issue. I know that X_Hemi_Guy has both and said the RM Active Suspension made a big difference in the 'loaded' (trailering) performance. But he has never his X with the RM alone (minus the Hellwig), so he couldn't say how the RM Active Suspension would perform by itself.

I'm probably going to try the RM by itself and see what happens (it'll be after the new year before I buy it).

 

I put the Road Master Active Suspension on my previous tow vehicle (2000 GMC Savana high top conversion). It made a huge difference in the normal handling as well as the way it towed. I put over 60000 miles on them without a problem. One of the top A/M products I have bought. I will be ordering this system for my Ex.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I too saw the Roadmaster spring assist and feel it would work well to stiffen up the rear. But, I do think that I'm going to lift the Ex 4" to 6" and will be going to different springs altogether. If I were not changing to aftermarket springs or F-Superduty springs, then the Roadmaster would be at the top of my list. If you've watched the video on their website with the extended Ford van...yikes, those vans make Suzuki Samurai's look rock solid.

I was taking a look at the rear springs today and (not suprised) see a "Made In Mexico" decal on them. Ford must know something is up with the rear end of these Excursions....I don't know of any other vehicle that comes stock with traction bars. Maybe an inexpensive band-aid that Ford added to the Ex to make it liveable??

I think that the Roadmaster swaybars look a little better quality than the Hellwigs..but exterior looks don't mean much. I do remember seeing a swaybar chart where increasing the diameter of the bar makes it stiffer exponentially. I wonder if an 1/8" larger rear bar will make much difference.

I'm putting a list of products together now, hopefully get a bunch of stuff in right after Thanksgiving and get to work on her.

Cheers,
George

 

Mark,

I'm waiting to hear your findings...If they turn out positive...it would be a good thing to share with those on here that there is a one install fix if you will...I really like the added spring capacity the RAS gives...but the OP is going to be swapping springs anyway...so he will get that benefit.

George,

On the OEM traction bar...the only issue with that thing is that it only works under acceleration...when braking or when getting thumped in the rear by the tongue load from the trailer...the OEM traction bar (lowest spring heading forward) does NOTHING...the stiffer springs or RAS work to RESIST that 'wrapping' of the spring pack...

one thing that was mentioned by Monsta...is the Roadmaster SWAY BAR a SOLID bar?...I know the hellwig is...just something to make sure of I guess...

Good luck!
joe.

 

Not to hijack your thread, but I have similar issues with my newly purchased 03 7.3L X. I constantly have to make corrections and it is really irritating. Dealer made some sort of steering box adjustment and LHS Hub replacement. But the steering still feels like crap. Does anyone have any suggestions?

TIA!

 

What tire pressures are you running?

Also does it HAVE a REAR sway bar? Some do, some don't...take a look under there...they make a HUGE improvement if you don't.

That's where I'd start first.

Also doing a search on 'sway' 'wander' 'handling' 'springs' on here would provide many many hours of reading...

joe.

 

I will look into it when I get home today and will let ya know. I never checked the tire pressures. I know that they're oversized a tad. 285 Nittos. What should they be?

 

PM sent...

 

Well, the Ex is going into the dealer Monday morning for a full checkup on the balljoints, steering stabilizer, steering gear and other front end components. My service tech says the earliest he remembers balljoints being bad was around 45k miles (mine has 38k hiway and light duty miles, not off road, etc)

I'll report what they find. Then its onto replacement swaybars, shocks, etc. I may see if they have any superduty rear springs that are takeoffs from the lift kits they do. May just try that also to keep the rear from sagging the the smallest amount of weight.

I disagree that the traction bars being their just for wheelhop. The rear end is nowhere near as refined as the 1999 3/4 Suburban the Ex replaced. With the same weight in the Sub, it handled better, rode better and I wasn't getting flashed at nite by oncoming drivers because my Ex's headlights are now facing skyward when lightly loaded. I feel the springs are not correctly designed for the application and hence the traction bars. The superdutys don't have traction bars and like I've stated earlier, there is not one other vehicle I can think of that has them from the factory in the last 30 years. Ford knows there is a problem and this was a cheap fix band-aid thats not helping (maybe if you like spinning the tires off road??)

My goal is to be able to tow my 30' travel trailer with the same stability as my bone stock 07 Superduty...I know it can be done, others on this forum have worked thru it. I'm not giving up on my Ex...too cool of a truck and every Ford Dealer that sees it offers to purchase it. Apparently, our local dealer has a waiting list for diesel Excursions...tell me theres not a market for a Duramax Suburban or diesel powered Expedition??

Cheers,
George
05 Eddie Bauer 6.0 4x4

Cheers,
George