A few months ago, I was complaining to Editor Mack about the poor handling of my Toyota Tundra while towing. He mentioned that I should add a sway bar. I have to say; I wasn’t initially sold on the idea as I wasn’t convinced that the sway bar was going to make much of a difference, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. I placed my order directly through Hellwig and in less than a week I had the sway bar in my hands.
I immediately opened the box and started the installation. Like other Hellwig products I have used in the past, the quality is top notch. The powder coating is thick, and all the bolt holes lined up with no issues whatsoever. Installation took about an hour with well detailed instructions from the manufacturer.
First impressions were better than I imagined. There was a noticeable difference in handling even just driving the truck around the block empty. The following weekend I had a real test. I loaded up with roughly 700 kg (1500 lbs) worth of gear, connected a 2700+ kg (6000 lbs) trailer and took off to my favourite camping spot. I was shocked at the difference the sway bar made. The truck tracked straight, and the body roll I had become accustomed to was completely gone. The stability I had gained made the drive far more enjoyable!
If you are a half ton owner who likes to tow and carry a heavy load this is a must have upgrade. Get yours at www.hellwigproducts.com
1 Chalk wheels and slide U-bolts over axle tubes making sure no cables or brake lines are between the U-bolt and axle.
3 Place the spring steel flat plates onto the U-bolts and raise the sway bar with the flat part of the D bushing up against the flat plate. Then install the U plate over the D bushings and install the washers and nuts onto the U-bolts to hold the sway bar into place. Do not tighten.
2 Lubricate the D bushings with the provided grease and install them onto the flat area of the sway bar.
5 Install mounting plate with the threaded hole towards the front of the vehicle. Reinstall the OEM bolts and torque to 70ft-lb.
4 Remove trailer hitch bolts.
10 With the sway bar properly centered, check clearances to make sure nothing is interfering with other components of the vehicle and no cables are being pinched. Tighten U-bolts to 50 lbft. Double nut the axle U-bolts.
7 Insert lubricated sleeves into bushings. Again, using a bench vice makes this process easier.
9 Attach end link to the upper mounting plate and torque to 40 lb-ft. Then attach to the outermost hole of the sway bar. Adjust end link so the center hump is parallel with the ground and the arms angle up towards the end link. Once adjusted torque the bolts to 40 lb-ft.
8 Assemble the end link. Do not tighten. Notice that the threaded portion of the threads are not painted. This allows easy adjustment but once they are adjusted, they should be painted to prevent corrosion.
6 Lubricate hourglass bushings and insert them into the end links. This can be made easier by using a vice to push them in.