Hellwig 7696 is installed on 2024 Expedition
- Thread starter Hellwig
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
zak99b5
Full Access Members
Just ordered a Hellwig rear bar for my Max, as we experience the wobble and want it gone. I won’t do a front bar, because stiffening up the front will increase under steer.
Are upgraded links for the rear bar a necessity? If so, are there any links with heim joints? Wouldn’t be terribly hard to assemble one's own.
Are upgraded links for the rear bar a necessity? If so, are there any links with heim joints? Wouldn’t be terribly hard to assemble one's own.
Hellwig
Full Access Members
My factory links on the rear still work fine for three thousand miles after replacement. Front hellwig bar makes the vehicle flat when I make sharp turns, and it may reduce the wobble feeling, to some extent. You may feel the difference with it, but perhaps you wouldn't care much about it.
5280tunage
Full Access Members
Hey all. Wanted to quickly post some feedback on this topic. I finally found the perfect combination of energy suspension parts for the hellwig front sway bar on these. This is my third attempt at this, but I finally got it. So for anyone out there that knows what this is like, the Hellwig sway bars are massive upgrades, but they are so much more rigid that the stock bars that on mine, I had two factory end links popping in just a few weeks after install. I tried different end links from multiple brands, including Moog, and many others. The moogs failed in a week. I've been using some universal energy suspension ones for a couple years but the bushings tend to wear out pretty fast. So I cobbled together a few different parts and wanted to post this so others don't have to do the trial and error thing I've had to.
The parts I bought were the following:
Energy suspension bushings (these are larger and a little beefier than the ones that come in the kit) - 9.8103G x2
Energy suspension universal end link kit - 9.8149G
I cut the spacers in the kit to 3.5" exactly. the bolts are long enough that I was able to easily get both sides on loosely before I cranked them down. this was a challenge with previous kits as the bolts weren't long enough to get through all of the bushings etc. Feels and looks much better now.
The parts I bought were the following:
Energy suspension bushings (these are larger and a little beefier than the ones that come in the kit) - 9.8103G x2
Energy suspension universal end link kit - 9.8149G
I cut the spacers in the kit to 3.5" exactly. the bolts are long enough that I was able to easily get both sides on loosely before I cranked them down. this was a challenge with previous kits as the bolts weren't long enough to get through all of the bushings etc. Feels and looks much better now.
Attachments
JimmyM
Full Access Members
Thanks for the info and part numbers.
Have you replaced the front and rear roll bars?
Do the rear links need any special attention when using the Hellwig 7688 bar?
Have you replaced the front and rear roll bars?
Do the rear links need any special attention when using the Hellwig 7688 bar?
Last edited:
JimmyM
Full Access Members
The full parts list...
Front:
Hellwig 7696 bar
Energy Suspension end links 9.8149G (Cut down to 3.5")
Energy Suspension end link bushing 9.8103G
Energy Suspension bar mount bushings 9.5175G
Rear:
Hellwig 7688 bar (22mm)
Energy suspension bar mounts 9.5158G
Looks like the stock end links are sufficient. Correct?
Front:
Hellwig 7696 bar
Energy Suspension end links 9.8149G (Cut down to 3.5")
Energy Suspension end link bushing 9.8103G
Energy Suspension bar mount bushings 9.5175G
Rear:
Hellwig 7688 bar (22mm)
Energy suspension bar mounts 9.5158G
Looks like the stock end links are sufficient. Correct?
JimmyM
Full Access Members
It looks like stiffening only the front bar can lead to understeer, but I'm hoping stiffening both will keep the over/under steer balance in check. I'd love to flatten this thing out in the corners
ROBERT BONNER
Full Access Members
Nice work, you should send the recipe to Hellwig. Maybe they can supply with the bar?!
Deadman
Full Access Members
My Hellwig SWAYBAR'S have 55,000 miles on them and the factory end links are still working fine and they are quiet. I'm not sure why you guys are going thru them so quickly. I actually bought a spare set of 4 and took them on my cross country trips just in case, but now I threw them in the garage. I HAVE replaced the front sway bar bushings, because the Hellwig ones wear out quickly and get sloppy. The end links need to be installed with the weight on the vehicle and so they aren't over extended at big angles.
LegalBrief
Full Access Members
Dude…. Your brackets (end links) are snapping because you installed the sway bar upside down. Easy to do (I did it) and directions are weak. If your end links are snapping I guarantee it’s the Helwig installed upside down.
