BMWBig6

DISCLAIMER: I do not work for or have any financial interest in Hellwig or their products. I hope I am not in violation of any Terms of Use here, I just like testing new stuff and wanted to share my results and experiences with this product for the benefit of other F-150 enthusiasts.

Hopping into my F-150 after driving my other vehicles has always presented me with mixed emotions. It's not that I regret purchasing an F-150--I don't, it's been a great vehicle and family hauler and I would buy it again in a heartbeat. But it just wasn't as satisfying to drive as its more athletic stablemates. On the one hand, I enjoy the higher perch and commanding position of driving a truck, but the higher center of gravity, longer suspension travel, and soft dampers detracted from my driving pleasure because the truck would pitch and bob and lean at awkward confidence-sapping angles in corners. I mean, it's a truck and I don't expect it to handle like a go-kart, but the noticeable weight transfer, body roll, and wallowing just turning into a parking space was just plain embarrassing. Even worse, the truck just didn't want to turn (inertia wants to keep all of that mass going forward), and it would push and plow and understeer when turning unless you reduced your speed first (or braked to move more weight over the front wheels). Of course nothing else offers the utility of a truck, and I'm a firm believer in having the right tool for the job (vs. a one-size-fits all solution that is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none). But there had to be some relief for this perceived shortcoming and main source of disappointment with my truck. It turns out somebody already makes a solution for people like me: Hellwig anti-sway bars!

• Reduces body roll so you benefit from better vehicle control
• Greatly improved cornering traction for safer driving and cornering capabilities
• Distributes weight evenly
• Every sway bar is developed for your specific application
• Fast, easy bolt on installation with simple hand tools (some kits may require drilling)
• High quality 4140 chromolly steel
• High tech polyurethane bushings

So how do sway bars work? From Hellwig (pronounced "Hel-vihhh" in German, just kidding):



But our trucks already come with a sway bar, right? Yes this is true for the front, but Ford did not install a rear sway bar on our trucks. My 2001 and 2003 SVT Lightnings came from the factory with front and rear bars and they definitely contributed to the overall handling balance of the truck. Even the Dodge Ram comes with a rear bar. This is a major oversight in my opinion (for people like me, offroaders will likely prefer no bars and unhindered articulation).

Short of custom fabrication, Hellwig seems to be the only game in town with applications for the 2009+ Ford F-150. The specific part numbers needed for our trucks are: 7704 (front) and 7705 (rear). The front kit reuses the factory end links, and the rear kit comes with its own end links. The Hellwig front bar measures 1-1/2" in diameter (vs. the 1-3/8" stock front bar), and the rear bar is 1-1/8" thick, which is well... infinitely better than NO BAR AT ALL!

Academically speaking, exactly how much stiffer is a thicker bar? According to Autospeed:

Based on the above formula, the Hellwig front bar is 42% stiffer than the factory front sway bar. And we've already concluded that for the rear bar, something has to be better than nothing.

But I wasn't prepared to pull the trigger based on slick marketing or math alone. I needed to know how the bars performed in real life on actual F-150s. I checked the forum archives, started a thread asking for owner experiences, exchanged PMs with a few folks, and based on the feedback I received, everybody seemed satisfied with their Hellwig bars and many were quite happy with just the rear bar by itself (some calling it the best mod they ever did to their truck). After some deliberation (i.e. more disappointing drives) and obtaining an installation cost estimate from the best tech at my local Ford dealer, I decided that I had waited long enough and ordered a complete set of front and rear bars. The anticipation began...

About a week later, some battered cardboard boxes appeared on my doorstep. I don't know if it's Hellwig's fault (inadequate packaging) or UPS' fault during shipping and handling, but both boxes were crushed, gashed, and torn open in places. The bars were basically sitting inside 2 long flat pizza-style boxes, with mounting hardware sealed inside of another cardboard box that was glued to the inside of the outer box. The bars and hardware were thankfully intact, but after moving the boxes myself, I think the problem is that the bars are very big and heavy but the box is primarily empty space. And unlike a real pizza box where the weight is centered, you can't really pick up the Hellwig boxes from one side or the corners because the bars are curved and bent into a "C" shape, which means one side of the box is going to be much heavier than the other side. The boxes are thus awkward for one person to lift and move, and if you pick it up from the "wrong" side (the open end of the "C"), you're going to be in for a nasty surprise because the far end of the box is going to drop like dead weight and the thin and soft cardboard box easily deforms in your hand. It's easy to see how the boxes might be accidentally dropped or stacked haphazardly. It's a good thing the mounting hardware is secured in another smaller box, and the bars themselves are practically bulletproof. I think Hellwig could improve their packaging by adding another sandwich layer of cardboard (or other stiffer material?) to the bottom of the pizza box to reinforce the base and prevent cardboard deformation. Or maybe they could just ship the mounting hardware in a separate box and just bubble-wrap the bar itself so the shipping people can actually grab and hold that instead of grasping a fragile paper pizza box that feels like it has a bunch of rocks on one side.

I can't comment on how difficult the bars are to install because I paid a professional, but some members on here say it's a DIY job with the right tools and installed the bars in their own driveway. I can tell you that according to the Ford tech, the front bar is suppose to take about an hour of labor to install (by the book), and the rear bars take more than 2 hours. Based on some of the comments I received from other Hellwig owners, the rear bars can be a PITA to install (mainly because there is not factory rear bar so there are no provisions for adding one). Don't forget to build in time for test-driving, adjustment, and re-checking the tightness of all of your fasteners. The one important tip that was highlighted at the top of the instruction sheet was to NOT install the bars with the vehicle lifted by the frame and to instead make sure to install the bars with vehicle's weight loaded on the suspension to preserve the proper geometry when tightening everything down.

BMWBig6

Here are some photos of the new bars installed:

REAR:






FRONT:







So what do I think of the Hellwig bars and my F-150 now? Please read on below for my product ratings and findings.



Design/Appearance: 9 out of 10

As is evident in the photos, the Hellwig bar is a handsome product that visually complements the rest of the truck. The bright silver U-bolts, washers, and zinc-plated fasteners kind of stand out, but they don't necessarily look out of place and are simple and honest (in a no frills, form-follows-function kind of way).

BMWBig6

The dark hammered finish looks nice and purposeful, and is subdued compared to some of the louder paint colors available on other aftermarket bars. Nothing is worse than an add-on that screams "AFTERMARKET!" on an otherwise stock vehicle, and I just don't think my Limited would look right with a bright yellow, red, or blue bar visible in front of the pumpkin under the bed. The new bushings aren't Incredible Hulk Green or Tennessee Orange either. It might be nice for Hellwig to offer custom powdercoating for additional cost, but for 95% of customers, the black-and-silver hammered finish is just fine and perfectly tasteful.



Educated enthusiasts might notice the new rear bar, but the casual observer will never know it's there unless you point it out to them, and yet it still looks nice enough to be proud of when showing off to your car buddies. It's a nice compromise between HEY LOOK AT ME and the dull flat black factory finish on the undercarriage (AKA "Look-at-me-funny-and-I'll-start-to-rust-and-flake-off").



If there is any knock on product appearance, it is that the little Hellwig decals don't look particularly special (compared with say a painted logo, or a real metal plate or three-dimensional badge that might not work well with a bar designed to twist?). I'm not sure how strong the decal adhesive is either. Only one half of the decal was applied to the bar in the box and I don't know if they do that deliberately so customers can easily remove the or if they unpeeled in transit by themselves.



Construction/Craftsmanship: 9 out of 10

There's not much to the products (metal bars with some mounting hardware) but of what is there, it appears that the components are well-fabricated and won't fall apart in a few months. There are no kinks or pinched bends in the bars and the mounting flanges and bushings appear to be appropriately beefy.



The holes drilled for the mounting bolts were reasonably clean too (no sharp metal burrs or barbs around the edges).




If I'm being picky, the rear end links look a little thin (compared with the sway bars) and the welds could be prettier, but I assume they're up to the job.




The hammered finish on the bars appears to be durable too (time will tell), though I'm not sure the metal paint or powdercoat on the end links is as thick or will prove to be as resilient. The bars do have some vise clamp or grinder marks though.




I suppose those marks could be smoothed and the bars polished to a mirror finish for probably twice the expense, but Hellwig understands these are not really show-car pieces of art and are designed to be used on vehicles that are actually driven (not garage- or trailer-queens).

For performance junkies who may be worried about the additional weight (of both the thicker front bar and the addition of a completely new rear bar), I definitely understand the argument that perhaps Hellwig should have used lighter hollow tubing or more exotic materials. But I think for the average F-150 customer, the simpler and cheaper solid steel bar is the right choice for this market. More serious enthusiasts (F-150 racers?!?) would likely have their own custom bars fabricated anyway.



Documentation: 7 out of 10

The Hellwig bars came with an instruction sheet (which can also be downloaded from their website in Acrobat PDF format):

7704 Instructions
7704 Instructions

The guides are specific to our application (so many companies cop out on this and use generic instructions for all applications), and are accompanied with a few black-and-white photos with certain parts labeled. There are lots of warnings and tips included in the instructions, but I can't comment on their accuracy because I didn't have to follow them myself. Full-color photos would be better, as well as a detailed list of required tools and all of the parts included in the kit (so you know you're not missing anything before you take your truck apart).

BMWBig6

Fitment: 9 out of 10.

The true test of quality in any aftermarket product is: does it bolt on as intended without having to pound and bang it into place because of poor tolerances or production variances. Again, I didn't install the bars myself but the tech said everything went on without drama and it was done by the time promised (book time + test drive + inspection/adjustment time). There are no visible battle scars or collateral damage that would have been caused by trying to force a bad-fitting product into submission. And there seems to be ample room and provisions for all of the brake lines and hoses around the rear axle too. On its maiden voyage (and subsequent drives), I didn't hear any creaks, rattles, or groans either.







I'm personally undecided about the fact that Hellwig doesn't include new front end links. This may be common practice to omit them, but I have to wonder if the kit would benefit from new/better end links, especially if the original ones are tired and worn. Luckily, I only have 25,000 miles on my truck, and the tech said my existing links were fine. Someone with higher mileage may want to consider replacing the front links at the same time for maximum performance.

On the plus side, Hellwig includes 3 stiffness settings on their rear bar (set by using different mounting holes), so the ability to dial in and fine tune the suspension according to one's preference is a nice touch. The instructions recommend starting with the outer-most (softest) hole, but I opted for the firmest (inner-most) position.





Performance: 10 out of 10


I've added adjustable sway bars on other cars before so I was kind of prepared for the change, but then again I've never added a sway bar where one didn't even exist before so I wasn't sure how much of a difference to expect either. What were my initial impressions? Am I allowed to say "****-eating grin" on this message forum?

After approximately 200 miles of extensive driving under a variety of conditions (and roads), I can confidently say that the Hellwig bars perform exactly as designed and live up to the hype and expectations. Turn-in response is RIGHT NOW immediate (you think it, and the tires do it without any delay or half-assed reluctance), and the understeer is thoroughly tamed. The truck used to resist changes in direction, as you'd turn the wheel and wait for a brief pause as the rest of the truck decided to cooperate with the tires once the top half of the body had listed and flopped over on its side. But now it moves in a deliberate manner (almost like it has 4-wheel steering?) and goes exactly where you point it. I'd never been tempted to "squirt" a large truck in or around traffic before, but I believe it's entirely possible now. This will sound weird, but it feels like you're driving from inside of the vehicle (as it should be) instead of riding on top of it--the first time I drove the truck after having the bars installed, I honestly thought the Ford tech might have adjusted my seating position! It's a strange sensation at first, and similar to what happens when you change to lower profile tires (or add more air pressure to them). The steering wheel came alive with more feedback and you feel more of the road in your seat too (which inspires more confidence vs. the previous over-damped vagueness). The increase in tactile feedback from the steering wheel was a welcome surprise, in an age where everything is electric, artificial, and some things are lost in the digital to analog translation.

I have HID retrofits with a super sharp cutoff line, so the relationship between my headlight cutoff line and the horizon is always easy to discern (at night at least). My measured body roll (on turns that I take every day at the same speeds) is visibly reduced, and the truck feels flatter entering, turning, and exiting a corner. I don't find myself hanging on to the steering wheel, leaning or bracing my body to counter body roll as much through a corner. Ironically, as the truck stays flatter, your confidence increases and you maintain and carry more speed through a corner (cornering faster and harder) so you and your passengers may feel more G forces after this upgrade! When taking fast sweepers (65 MPH+), my wife used to instinctively grab the armrest or oh-**** handle and look up from reading her book or smartphone because the truck would abruptly roll to one side and she thought we were going to careen into a ditch. Now she doesn't even notice because the truck is flatter and more composed--there is just less drama overall. With better control, the absolute handling limits may not be any higher, but you're tempted to approach them sooner. The truck now urges you to drive faster and keep your foot planted on the gas instead of easing off and braking when cornering.

The whole truck feels tighter and tauter, like it was forged from one solid piece, and not like a separate cab and bed attached to a wet noodle ladder frame, each with a mind of their own. If you can imagine a long metal pipe and tapping on it like a tuning fork, the stock truck would ring and bow at its far end, but the Hellwig-equipped truck feels much more solid like you've choked up on the pipe and any impact is simply shrugged off with a dull thud. However, impacts that you previously only felt on one side of the vehicle (like a pot hole or manhole cover) are no longer as isolated and are now distributed across both sides of the truck. On average, the impact is less harsh overall but is felt by everyone as the truck now moves and responds as a single unit. What once caused the truck to shake, squirm, twist, and quiver now causes it to merely shudder and move on. Up and down bouncing and rebound undulations from road ripples and dips are also suppressed better, but because there is no free lunch, the corresponding ride quality does summer somewhat. The original creamy ride with Lincoln-like comfort and soft compliance is partly sacrificed (but don't forget my Limited has 22" wheels with lower profile tires compared with most F-150's). I'm not talking about an unpleasant or uncomfortable ride that will knock your fillings loose, but over time it could make long road trips more exhausting. Not because the truck isn't comfortable on smooth highways anymore (it still is), but all that steering feedback picks up more background "noise" and vibrations too. Things like traversing railroad tracks at a diagonal angle probably amplify and best illustrate the worst attributes of this suspension modification. But how often does one drive over railroad tracks? Sure the truck is generally stiffer, but for me it is a fair trade-off for more control, confidence, and safer handling (when making directional changes or especially in abrupt emergency lane change maneuvers).

Another weird side-effect that I did not expect is that the front nose dive when braking seems slightly reduced. I'm not a suspension expert, so I can't explain why this happens because I thought sway bars only really affected side loads (not front-back). But the front tires and suspension definitely load up a little differently when braking with the new bars and transferring that weight forward.

UPDATE: I went on a short trip to the Tennessee mountains last weekend, and briefly considered taking a different vehicle but thought "Nah, what better opportunity to put these bars to the test?" The truck was fabulous on Scenic Hwy around Lookout Mountain, and none of my passengers got ill either, LOL. One other caveat I probably should have mentioned in my original review: my 6.2 has hydraulic power steering, so I don't know if all F-150's will feel the same before/after installing sway bars, since most have electrically assisted steering. It may not make a difference in how the tires "talk" or in terms of what one feels through the steering wheel, but I figure I should mention it nonetheless.


Value: 8 out of 10

The Hellwig front and rear bar kits retail for a total cost of around $500 but aggressive shoppers can find them on sale from time to time for under $400 with free shipping (which is not the same as "careful, delicate shipping" as I discovered). Factor in another $300-$450 in labor (depending on your local hourly rates) and the total upgrade will likely run you $700-$850 unless you install everything yourself. Since this is the only aftermarket sway bar solution for our application, there are no competitors to directly compare it with (unless you want to compare it with other handling upgrades like spring and strut replacements). Considering Hellwig has the market cornered, I think this is a decent value (and a much better value if you can install the parts yourself). Throw in the lifetime warranty and the "100% Made in the USA" perk and it seems like an even better deal.

I'd give this product a 10 for value if everyone could install it themselves in the comfort of their own garage, but it's not as simple as the USB2 mod so I'm knocking it down a little. It doesn't have quite the same bang for buck as say a $300 programmer with software tunes either.

BMWBig6

Conclusion:

For those that skimmed this review and are jumping straight to the conclusion at the end, these images probably best summarize my before-and-after experience:

BEFORE:



AFTER



Despite the mild changes to the truck's ride quality and ability to isolate impacts to only one corner of the vehicle (because impacts are now shared and absorbed more by the whole vehicle), I fully endorse and recommend the Hellwig anti-sway cars for anyone looking for a reasonably priced way to improve some of the F-150's main deficiencies: sloppy handling, vague steering, and (lack of) body control. The Hellwigs completely transformed the attitude and posture of my truck (in motion at least, not at rest LOL). Before, I fought inertia to initiate turns or negotiate corners, and had to back off the throttle to avoid upsetting the vehicle. I would grimace and pucker on exit ramps, as the truck just didn't feel securely planted. But now that the truck actually rotates, I can truly attack corners like I do in my other cars. And I no longer have to concede driving excitement when I choose to pilot my F-150. My only regret is that I didn't install these sooner!

I tried to be fair and objective while evaluating this product, and I hope others find this review beneficial. Please let me know if I can help answer any questions. I hope you enjoyed reading this review as much I enjoyed writing it.

mrgooden

For not being an advertiser or part of the company, that is one heck of a write up and review. Well done.

Richard

BoostEd6

Bravo! That was an enjoyable read. A quick detach option would be great for the rear bar. I will be looking into this product. Thank you for producing a technical review.

Total Automotive Performance

iTrader: (3)

Shocks are always a great start but SWAY BARS are often overlooked when people want more handling. It's a GREAT and EASY MOD. Towing and Sport truck handling this is the BEST way to enjoy your truck. But for the fellas who off-road alot sway bars might limit your travel.

Nonetheless, GREAT WRITE UP!! This is WHY we come to the forums and share this USEFUL knowledge.

btw, TAP Auto Parts has access to this part so if you are interested please let us know so we can add it to our Vendor list.

hodown

Awesome awesome write up. This made me finalize my decision of getting this.

Fissues

Thanks for that Big6, I'm gonna get me some.
Make it handle like our Audis? (read sig)