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Rear Sway Bar (Hellwig etc)- anyone see the benefits?

SpeyRam

SpeyRam

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Anyone install an aftermarket rear sway bar (Hellwig etc) on a 3500 SRW and can say they helped w/sway while towing? My application is for when I'm carrying a slide-in truck camper which is very top-heavy. I installed one on my 2nd gen 2500 carrying my truck camper and it seemed to help with canceling out some sway but not a great deal that I could feel. I'm carrying a bit more load now with my 2021 3500 and have a long trip ahead of me through some windy moutain passes so trying to get prepared.
 
@SpeyRam - Have you got factory air on your truck?

I'm super curious to see what folks say. I've had upgraded rear sways on my 1500 and 2500 and they've been one of my favorite easy upgrades. I've got a 3500 SRW w/ air on order and I'm curious if it'll be as impactful in the 1-ton as it was on the smaller trucks.
 
I had one on my 2005 3500 SRW for carrying ATV’s above the bed rail and it made a nice improvement.

For the same load my 2018 with factory air didn’t need the added support, but a slide in has a little higher CG than ATV’s so it may be a good idea.

What is your slide-in camper and trailer combo?
 
RockaRhyme said:
@SpeyRam - Have you got factory air on your truck?

I'm super curious to see what folks say. I've had upgraded rear sways on my 1500 and 2500 and they've been one of my favorite easy upgrades. I've got a 3500 SRW w/ air on order and I'm curious if it'll be as impactful in the 1-ton as it was on the smaller trucks.
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No factory air.
 
AH64ID said:
I had one on my 2005 3500 SRW for carrying ATV’s above the bed rail and it made a nice improvement.

For the same load my 2018 with factory air didn’t need the added support, but a slide in has a little higher CG than ATV’s so it may be a good idea.

What is your slide-in camper and trailer combo?
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I've had a few 100-mile trips with the slide-in so far going through central/eastern WA over some mountain passes and ridges and its been pretty stable so far with the stock setup. I also installed some airlift airbags on my old 2nd gen and that helped a ton with leveling out squat and overall stability. But my 2021 is a very different more capable beast than my 2002. The camper is a Lance 825 and I tow a small 4Klb drift boat/trailer behind it.
 
SpeyRam said:
I've had a few 100-mile trips with the slide-in so far going through central/eastern WA over some mountain passes and ridges and its been pretty stable so far with the stock setup. I also installed some airlift airbags on my old 2nd gen and that helped a ton with leveling out squat and overall stability. But my 2021 is a very different more capable beast than my 2002. The camper is a Lance 825 and I tow a small 4Klb drift boat/trailer behind it.
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You will likely see a benefit to the rear anti-sway bar, the question would be the standard bar or the big wig.

The standard bar didn’t have a negative impact on the empty ride of my 2005, but the big wig did have a small negative impact on the empty ride of my dads 2006.

The big wig will provide more lateral stability, so if that’s the main purpose of the truck that’s probably the route I would go.

Airbags can also provide lateral stability and load leveling, so if you’re considering airbags I would start with those and see how it handles.
 
in both the 1/2-ton and 3/4 the improvement in body roll while unloaded was significant enough to make the upgrade worthwhile even though I had air on both trucks. it makes the truck just feel so much more nimble and planted. That stability carries over to towing, I'm sure, but I hadn't towed anything significant with either truck without the Hellwig bar and so can't speak to the difference.
 
Yes, I had the big wig on my 2018 dually with factory air assist. It helped in most situations, but also hurt in others. Going down the highway it was definitely more stable especially with passing semi's. But keep in mind that if you are say crossing drainage going into a driveway on an angle, it'll probably rock the truck back and forth more as the sway bar will make the rear more dominant when the truck twists.

I presume it would help on a SRW, but the biggest factor in sway there will likely be the single rear wheels, that's a big limiting factor.
 
Yeah I think the rear sway bar will be a worthwhile investment. I liked the quality of the Hellwig I bought in the past for my 02. Haven’t been caught yet in some major side winds or on some sketchy uneven roads but I know I will at some point. Adding some air bags is still an unknown with my setup at the moment. Don’t just want to add them without some more data.
 
gprguy said:
Air bags will also help with sway provided that you don't cross connect the sides. Might be obvious to most but I've seen it done.
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That and overinflated airbags are the two most common errors and why airbags can get a bad reputation.
 
And from a quick glance at a set of Airlift 5000 bags for my 21 requires no drilling which is a bonus. The same model I installed on my 2nd Gen was a fiddly install and required a bunch of drilling to attach the brackets to the frame.
 
SpeyRam said:
And from a quick glance at a set of Airlift 5000 bags for my 21 requires no drilling which is a bonus. The same model I installed on my 2nd Gen was a fiddly install and required a bunch of drilling to attach the brackets to the frame.
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Most kits do not require drilling.

I would look at Firestone or Timber Grove kits. They get better reviews.
 
AH64ID said:
Most kits do not require drilling.

I would look at Firestone or Timber Grove kits. They get better reviews.
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Good to know. And very intrigued with Timber Groove. Never heard of them until now. Like the look of their products. Could be a winner.
 
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SpeyRam said:
Good to know. And very intrigued with Timber Groove. Never heard of them until now. Like the look of their products. Could be a winner.
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It’s likely who I would use if I needed bags, even though Firestone has been flawless in 26 years of use over 4 rigs.
 
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