bigsticksupra

iTrader: (3)

So Hellwig gave me a set of these to try out so i decided to do a little mini review on them. The bars are very high quality and come with nice beefy hardware. The finish is only available in hammertone, which wouldn't be my first color choice (black), but due to it's texture, it is a great finish for retaining grease within the bushings. It is also quite a durable finish. The front sway bar is 1-3/8" (35mm) and the rear sway bar is 7/8" (22mm) and has 3 different settings. My car previously had the stock SS sway bar in the front and a 1" sway bar in the rear with an airbag in the right rear to help combat twisted launches while drag racing. The sway bars are also VERY lightweight, almost as light as the stock front SS bar while being larger in size and the rear was MUCH MUCH lighter than my solid 1" rear bar. After taking those off and installing the new Hellwig sway bars, the car definitely handles better with increased stability when cornering hard and hitting bumps. The steering is also much more responsive and precise. Although the rear sway bar is not as thick as my previous 1" (25mm), in the middle setting, this bar is already significantly stiffer due to the leverage it has. I also like the fact that the end links are polyurethane instead of solid heim joints because it keeps the suspension quiet. The endlinks are also adjustable which is a major plus for me due to the fact that i can preload one side or the other to counter the twisted launches which at the strip with my slicks. I feel that this is the rear sway bar for me because i did not want a huge drag sway bar because this is a street car and i enjoy a good handling vehicle on the streets. Anyways, if you guys have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Here are some crappy cellphone pictures of the installed product.

Hellwig 55701 - front sway bar
Hellwig 55817 - rear sway bar

Front sway bar.

Rear sway bar and hardware.


Installed rear endlinks. Notice that the endlink is adjustable in preload along with 3 different stiffness settings.

Sway bar endlinks clear the fat shock bodies no problem.

Sway bar installed and clears everything. Notice the nice thick shackles the bar mounts to which are included in the kit. The U-bolts were also large enough to fit over the 3" diameter Moser 9" axle tubes.

squee

iTrader: (16)

I'd really like to know how these compare to the Strano bars. A definite plus is the rear adjustable bar.

Foxxtron

iTrader: (1)

Strano mentioned at one point he eventually switched manufacturers to Hellwig, so Sam's bars are made by Hellwig, but to his requested specifications.

99FormulaM6r

iTrader: (2)

Strano does have an adjustable rear bar, Just so you know

squee

iTrader: (16)

Oh, well thats new.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Unlike some places, I don't hide the fact that I don't make my bars in house. And about a year ago I had the manufacturing done by Hellwig. My bars differ in a number of ways.

1. Mine are black (not that gray hammertone type paint).
2. My version of the adjustable rear bar uses different/taller D-bushings to clear the intallation of a Fays2 Watts link should you end up putting one on.
3. I have a standard 22mm non-adjustable hollow rear bar that's less costly and quicker/easier to install for those not wanting adjustment. The different brackets and plates does add some weight back on the adjustable rear vs. a standard hollow.

Edited to add: I've had the adjustable rear bar for well over a year now, it's not anything new.

Dave at Hellwig

These sway bars have been a great product for us in the marketplace and we are glad that Sam brought us on board as his manufacturer. I do want to emphasize the fact that there are some dimensional and hardware differences that Sam had us incorporate into his sway bars to optimize them for his components. Either way you are getting a great set of sway bars, but, if you are using Sam's components there are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences that match his sway bars to his components.

tillery

iTrader: (4)

On the rear bar-the adjustability goes how? As from front to rear. And at what legnth on the end link? Example-Its measured with the end link at xx inches to achieve the LBS at each setting.

Dave at Hellwig

The longer the arm of the sway bar, the softer the rate. So when the end link is attached to the forwardmost hole,as installed on the vehicle, it is on the softest setting. When the end link is attached to the rearmost hole, it is on the firmest setting.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The link length does not change the rate of the bar itself. But it can add pre-load (twist) to the bar making it act somewhat quicker on reaction.

Essentially the shorter your make the lever arm, the stiffer the bar is. Nominally the adjustable bar is a touch softer than a solid 22 @ full soft, about the same as a solid 23 in the middle and a touch softer than a solid 25mm bar when run @ full stiff.

Is that what you wanted to know?

Striker

iTrader: (1)

I'm a bit of a ricer and always wanted to run red suspension. It's too bad Strano bars dont come in red.

Danny2tek

iTrader: (1)

Im painting Sams springs red when I put them in

tillery

iTrader: (4)

Yes-Thanks for the explanation on the settings. Massive brain blockage. I like the design of the front bar over the previous Front 35mm solid Bar I had-not yours-. A little more room to work down there-and the Hardware/end links are massive compared to the ES links from the other bar.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

Those end links look better then the end-links that came with my Hotchkis Adjustable rear bar, I've already replaced the lower section on my Hotchkis end-links with rod-ends(female) since the rubber dried and cracked with-in a couple of months, and the replacement end they sent me are the same

bigsticksupra

iTrader: (3)

Yep, they sure are nice! The car is so much more enjoyable to drive fast in the turns with these swaybars. The polyurethane bushings are also easily replaceable on the ends of the endlinks as well. The hardware that comes with both front and rear bars are all grade 8. The long endlink bolts that energy suspension uses is grade 5, whereas all the Hellwig stuff is grade 8.

I will be removing the front swaybar temporarily when i head to the drag strip in a few weeks and i'll report back with how the rear sway bar does. I do plan to make some adjustments to the preload before i go. The car will 1.6 in the sixty as it sits but has a nasty lean on the launch and will only pull the left front tire off the ground. My previous 1" swaybar did not allow me to preload the bar to correct the twist.