Hellwig rear anti-sway bar

[Mikesimp70]

I bought one of these for street driving.

I have attached it to the axle tubes per the instructions on WH website and went to attach the link ends to the frame when I noticed the picture in the instructions has a large lift block under the springs.

Since I don't have this lift block, the end of the sway bar ends up in the middle or slightly above the spring. If I set the link to place it above the spring, the arms wont be level and there wont be much articulation before they will meet.

Anyone have any guidance on this??

Thanks,
Mike

 

[AZ73]

The rear arms don't move. Where you set them is where they stay. The axle tube (and spring) moves. The articulation is measured at the tube, and that's limited by your bump stop. And you can adjust the arm link to make them longer or shorter to make the arms more level. The Front sway bar is the reverse. The frame stays and the Sway arms/radius arms move.

 

[DirtDonk]

Strange that this has not come up before. While the lift block is aftermarket and used to be somewhat common, most EB's are not lifted that way anymore. And besides, what about if it was just stock? No block would be present, even with the thinner spring pack.
But even in the pic you can see how the bolt might contact the spring during articulation.

So have you rotated the axle tube saddle mounts downward so that the bar ends are parallel to the ground, and will clear the underside of the springs when the end link is mounted?
The end link is adjustable in length (correct?) to allow multiple positions. Is there a position where you can clear the spring, and still have enough length for the link to reach the frame?

And if so, I wonder how the bolt will clear the spring when twisted up?
Maybe 904Bronco will see this and chime in. I'll PM him to see if he can take some pics of the one on his '67.
My friend installed that one a few years ago and did not comment on any trouble getting it to fit.

By the way, got any pics you can post up? If you don't use an online image hosting site you can link us to, you can either put them in your "Garage" in your personal section, or you can e-mail them to me and I'll post them up.
Or you can post directly if you become a contributor for 13 bucks. Well worth it if you think you'll post more pics down the road.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

The rear arms don't move. Where you set them is where they stay. The axle tube moves. The articulation is measured at the tube, and that's limited by your bump stop. And you can adjust the arm mounts to make them longer or shorter to make the arms more level. The Front sway bar is the reverse. The frame stays and the Sway arms/radius arms move.

That makes sense, and what I was originally thinking too. But in my mind's eye, I can see the spring moving up and down in relation to the frame, where the end link is mounted.
Guess my mind's eye has had a few too many for lunch and not enough sleep.;D

Paul

 

[Mikesimp70]

The rear arms don't move. Where you set them is where they stay. The axle tube (and spring) moves. The articulation is measured at the tube, and that's limited by your bump stop. And you can adjust the arm link to make them longer or shorter to make the arms more level. The Front sway bar is the reverse. The frame stays and the Sway arms/radius arms move.

Agree...however, when the endlink is fully extended, the connection point would be in the middle of the leaf spring. If I collapse the link, the connection point ends up above the spring pack. I am concerned the spring travel will hit. In the instrucrions, the connection point is below the spring pack and out of harms way. In the absence of the lift blocks, the links would need to be 3" longer

It dawns on me that I have 2.5SL so I bought 1047W. I wonder if I got the wrong links?

 

[Mikesimp70]

Strange that this has not come up before. While the lift block is aftermarket and used to be somewhat common, most EB's are not lifted that way anymore. And besides, what about if it was just stock? No block would be present, even with the thinner spring pack.
But even in the pic you can see how the bolt might contact the spring during articulation.

So have you rotated the axle tube saddle mounts downward so that the bar ends are parallel to the ground, and will clear the underside of the springs when the end link is mounted?
The end link is adjustable in length (correct?) to allow multiple positions. Is there a position where you can clear the spring, and still have enough length for the link to reach the frame?

And if so, I wonder how the bolt will clear the spring when twisted up?
Maybe 904Bronco will see this and chime in. I'll PM him to see if he can take some pics of the one on his '67.
My friend installed that one a few years ago and did not comment on any trouble getting it to fit.

By the way, got any pics you can post up? If you don't use an online image hosting site you can link us to, you can either put them in your "Garage" in your personal section, or you can e-mail them to me and I'll post them up.
Or you can post directly if you become a contributor for 13 bucks. Well worth it if you think you'll post more pics down the road.

Good luck.

Paul

Yes I have, thanks. The links dont have enough adjustment to get the connecting point below the spring pack where I believe it should be.

I do need to become a contributor soon. Im starting assembly and will have lots of questions.

 

[charlie6976]

I bought one of these for street driving.

I have attached it to the axle tubes per the instructions on WH website and went to attach the link ends to the frame when I noticed the picture in the instructions has a large lift block under the springs.

Since I don't have this lift block, the end of the sway bar ends up in the middle or slightly above the spring. If I set the link to place it above the spring, the arms wont be level and there wont be much articulation before they will meet.

Anyone have any guidance on this??

Thanks,
Mike

I had the same problem front and rear. The links are to short! Called Hellwig, they had me install the bar and take a picture of the link being to short and e-mail the picture to them as proof of being to short. I measured and indicated the correct length needed front and rear. They sent me longer links at no charge (thumbs up). This might only affect the 'street bars'. I have 2 1/2'' sl. I think they had a problem with some of the links being to short on the kits for 0" to 2 1/2" lift.

 

[Mikesimp70]

I had the same problem front and rear. The links are to short! Called Hellwig, they had me install the bar and take a picture of the link being to short and e-mail the picture to them as proof of being to short. I measured and indicated the correct length needed front and rear. They sent me longer links at no charge (thumbs up). This might only affect the 'street bars'. I have 2 1/2'' sl. I think they had a problem with some of the links being to short on the kits for 0" to 2 1/2" lift.

Thanks Charlie. I have an email into Hellwig tech.

 

[bronco loco]

Thanks Charlie. I have an email into Hellwig tech.

Any pictures, I will be installing my rear set this spring.

 

[Mikesimp70]

Any pictures, I will be installing my rear set this spring.

The links I have range 7”-11” center to center.

Hellwig is shipping me longer links.

 

[DirtDonk]

I see in your other thread that the chassis is fully unloaded at this point.
This is another one of those "you can't set it up until you're sitting at ride height" things mentioned over there.

Glad they're sending you new links, but before you change you should compress the suspension to 8.5" or thereabouts and try the setup again.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

By the way, that would be very important information to know when we're trying to diagnose issues out here in the ether. Lots of things can be greatly changed when you're working on just a rolling chassis with no body or engine or gas tanks or bumpers.
I know I have a hard time remembering who's Bronco is in what shape anymore. Even if I just talked about it in another thread the same day sometimes!
Sad, but true to life.

Even if you don't think it should make much of a difference, mention it anyway.

Thanks

Paul

 

[Mikesimp70]

By the way, that would be very important information to know when we're trying to diagnose issues out here in the ether. Lots of things can be greatly changed when you're working on just a rolling chassis with no body or engine or gas tanks or bumpers.
I know I have a hard time remembering who's Bronco is in what shape anymore. Even if I just talked about it in another thread the same day sometimes!
Sad, but true to life.

Even if you don't think it should make much of a difference, mention it anyway.

Thanks

Paul

Yeah sorry! I didnt understand the relevance or relationship until I put the tape measure to it.

Back at the shop Monday. Axles showed up today so could be an oh crap day!