I know everyone has a different opinion but what does everyone think is the best to go with????

Hotchkis. :drive:

What i was thinking!!!!

Hotchkis is definately best if you have the $$ and plan on staying stock height. I put a tahoe rear sway bar on my truck and it works great. Just had to alter 2 brackets where it mounts to the rear end. Hotchkis will be better than the tahoe one is, but I am building on a budget.

I like the Hotchkis.... buy them from TBYRNE Motorsports(preferred vendor). They have the best price/service around on them.

Some will say that the Hellwig bars are Cheaper, but you get what you pay for. And Hotchkis are like less than 100 bucks more for the pair of bars and they are Top notch Quality.

I like the Hotchkis.... buy them from TBYRNE Motorsports(preferred vendor). They have the best price/service around on them.

Some will say that the Hellwig bars are Cheaper, but you get what you pay for. And Hotchkis are like less than 100 bucks more for the pair of bars and they are Top notch Quality.


:stupid: support our vendors! Without them we would not have this site.

Hotchkis , but I hear Hellwig are alright ..

I'm getting Hellwig, and they are just fine;) Addco is another Company.

Eibach now makes sway bars for trucks, though I don't know how complete their line is right now.

Be aware that Hotchkis, Addco, and Eibach bars are all hollow, while the Hellwigs are solid.

Hotchkis. I love mine :D They're hollow? Wow, they weigh a ton as it is.

Doesn't Belltech make sway bars for our trucks?

Anyone know the weight of Hotchkis swaybars vs other brands?

Hotchkis. I love mine :D .

same here
You can really tell that rear swaybar is back there

Top of the line IMO :judge:

Doesn't Belltech make sway bars for our trucks?


The do, but not the best quality IMO

I bought a set of spindles from belltech once

never again

The only sway bars where I haven't heard of any issues are the Hotchkis bars. The Hellwigs have had some problems with end links fitting on some applications. Addco from what I understand makes a good product, but their diameter is usually no greater than stock, so if you already have sway bars from the factory, there is no improvement in handling. If your truck comes with no rear sway bar at all, then Addco likely makes a decent bar for you. Eibach, though heavily into the car suspension scene (and truck coils as well), are fairly new into truck sway bars. They might be a good choice since most of the stuff they make is high quality; however, you may want to wait for someone else to try them first. (Or not).

Out of all of those choices, Hotchkis has the most experience and the highest ratings from customers at this point in time. If I had a choice I would pick Hotchkis, even though they cost more.

Oh, wait, I did. :jest:

Hasn't Hellwig been in business for like 50 years? and made out of 41-40 chrome molly spring grade steel?

Hasn't Hellwig been in business for like 50 years? and made out of 41-40 chrome molly spring grade steel?
Maybe so, but that didn't stop them from making some mistakes with their sway bars (mostly with the end links) for a few full-size Chevy applications a while back. A search at a few of the other boards (e.g. Full Size Chevy (http://www.fullsizechevy.com/) as well as some others) should turn this up.

I'm not saying they don't make a good product, or that they haven't corrected their mistakes, but at the time I was looking there were some definite issues. The only bad thing I could find people saying about Hotchkis products was that they were expensive.

What about http://www.p-s-t.com/ ?

One of my buddies put on a rear swaybar on his Dakota and made a huge difference.
They are a pretty decent price too. Anyone else use them before?

I thought that I heard that you have to move the gas tank or something for the Hotchkis rear bar, while the Hellwig is a direct bolt in. Didn't realize that the Hotchkis was hollow like the factory bars, thought they were solid like the Hellwig.

I thought that I heard that you have to move the gas tank or something for the Hotchkis rear bar, while the Hellwig is a direct bolt in. Didn't realize that the Hotchkis was hollow like the factory bars, thought they were solid like the Hellwig.


If I remember correctly that was just changing out the leaf springs.
Either way its no problem just loosen the bands andshift it about 1 in
so the bolt will come out on the front of the leaf

like chingon said there hollow but heavy :)

From what little applied physics I learned in my search for the idea sway bar, a hollow bar is stronger than a solid bar. This is because, in order to bend, twisting force must overcome 4 surfaces in order to twist a hollow bar (outside top, inside top, inside bottom, outside bottom...if you look at a cross-section of a bar), whereas with a solid bar, once the center starts to twist, the entire bar then becomes easier to twist even further.

Hollow bars are also more difficult to make, which makes them more expensive.

From what little applied physics I learned in my search for the idea sway bar, a hollow bar is stronger than a solid bar. This is because, in order to bend, twisting force must overcome 4 surfaces in order to twist a hollow bar (outside top, inside top, inside bottom, outside bottom...if you look at a cross-section of a bar), whereas with a solid bar, once the center starts to twist, the entire bar then becomes easier to twist even further.

Hollow bars are also more difficult to make, which makes them more expensive.

explain that to a torsion bar ;)

Think im gonna do hotchkis!!!!!! :)

explain that to a torsion bar ;)
Torsion bars are made to give (and take) for ride's sake, which is why a solid design is perfect for them. As for sway bars, I would rather they hold the inside-turn portion of my vehicle tight to the ground, I really don't want them giving very much at all.

Torsion bars are made to give (and take) for ride's sake, which is why a solid design is perfect for them. As for sway bars, I would rather they hold the inside-turn portion of my vehicle tight to the ground, I really don't want them giving very much at all.

hence spring steel duddets!

From what little applied physics I learned in my search for the idea sway bar, a hollow bar is stronger than a solid bar. This is because, in order to bend, twisting force must overcome 4 surfaces in order to twist a hollow bar (outside top, inside top, inside bottom, outside bottom...if you look at a cross-section of a bar), whereas with a solid bar, once the center starts to twist, the entire bar then becomes easier to twist even further.

Hollow bars are also more difficult to make, which makes them more expensive.
:werd: hollow is better

:werd: hollow is better

4 surfaces vs. More Surface Area? hmm, got any proof?

Got the belltech sways for $300.....front hardly made a difference - rear helped out quite a bit. I'm sure hotchkis are better but I just came across a guy selling the belltech's. I'd just get the rear bar and put urethane bushings in the front.

Got the belltech sways for $300.....front hardly made a difference - rear helped out quite a bit. I'm sure hotchkis are better but I just came across a guy selling the belltech's. I'd just get the rear bar and put urethane bushings in the front.

thats what I'm thinking of doing, rear w/front urethanes :drive:

I actually just put a tahoe rear sway bar on my truck, and it works great. Much cheaper too than any other alternative.

I actually just put a tahoe rear sway bar on my truck, and it works great. Much cheaper too than any other alternative.

hmmm :cheers:

same here
You can really tell that rear swaybar is back there

Top of the line IMO :judge:


Just had mine put on love em

So what is the general consensus here? I am not considering them myself.

So what is the general consensus here? I am not considering them myself.

depends on how you look at things;)

depends on how you look at things;)


Well Grippy, I am sure you have done the MOST research on this topic. I will consider you the Source for info!

Well Grippy, I am sure you have done the MOST research on this topic. I will consider you the Source for info!

ah shucks!

ah shucks!
:D :D

DAMMIT! It's barely the first of the year and I've just ordered well over $2k on parts for the truck!

On the way:
Hotchkis front and rear sway bars
TA Girdle
LG G5X4 cam
AFR 225's
Dynojet Wideband Commander
Morel hydraulic roller lifters

I need to get banned in order to save any kind of money. Thanks a lot guys:)

well with any luck it will be a long year :devil: i am the same way though i am already planning on a 6.0 and i swore i wouldnt do it but it will rock i will end up putting my 5.3 heads on there and spraying the crap out of it :drive:

Hollow VS Solid.

One link is from a hollow bar maker and the other is from a solid bar maker. They have different opnions on the matter. Go figure.

Hollow (http://www.hotchkistuning.com/bin/Misc/HollowSwayTech-D.pdf)
Solid (http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bulletins/Hollow%20vs%20Solid%20Swaybar.pdf)

Hollow VS Solid.

One link is from a hollow bar maker and the other is from a solid bar maker. They have different opnions on the matter. Go figure.

Hollow (http://www.hotchkistuning.com/bin/Misc/HollowSwayTech-D.pdf)
Solid (http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bulletins/Hollow%20vs%20Solid%20Swaybar.pdf)

My opinion, is to make your own decision ;)

The above links talk about strength. High strength does not mean high stiffness. Cro-Moly is a very strong metal but it bends and flexes real easy when compared to Al or hard steel.

Hollow VS Solid.

One link is from a hollow bar maker and the other is from a solid bar maker. They have different opnions on the matter. Go figure.

Hollow (http://www.hotchkistuning.com/bin/Misc/HollowSwayTech-D.pdf)
Solid (http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bulletins/Hollow%20vs%20Solid%20Swaybar.pdf)


Actually Whiteline seems to think that hollow bars are good once you get past the fact that they cost more to manufacture, and get past the fact that they are harder and require more precision to manufacture.

I say get what yo ucan afford. The Hotchkis setup is surely not cheap over a comparable Addco or Hellwig sway bar.

I wonder if I would have any clearance problems with a rear bar and my rear diff cover?

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/12/web/648000-648999/648999_28_full.jpg