Ford E450 sway bar?,s

j-d wrote:

IAMICHABOD wrote:
Yes the newer 4500 chassis comes with a Rear Stabilizing Bar

From what I can tell from the video, that rear sway bar looks like a worthwhile one. My guess is at least 1-1/4 inch maybe bigger, a lot more than Ford installs. The Hellwig rear bars for Class C are 1-1/2, and the Chevy bar could be that or close.

Yes the 4500 rear bar is 1 1/2 inches, same as mine on a Workhorse Chevy Chassis Chassis. The Helwig after market ones are also 1 1/2 inches.

Thanks j-d and IAMICHABOD.

IAMICHABOD wrote:
Yes the newer 4500 chassis comes with a Rear Stabilizing Bar

From what I can tell from the video, that rear sway bar looks like a worthwhile one. My guess is at least 1-1/4 inch maybe bigger, a lot more than Ford installs. The Hellwig rear bars for Class C are 1-1/2, and the Chevy bar could be that or close.

Newbiecampers wrote:
Does anybody know if a Chevy 4500 chassis would benefit from a hellwig-type (or any other company) sway bar upgrade?

I did a quick search here and could not come up with anything. I also searched online and did not find any hellwig product for a chevy 4500 after the 2009 model year, unless my search-foo failed.

Do the chevy 4500 chassis come with better swaybars from the factory?

We may be getting a class C on a chevy 4500 chassis that is a 2012 or 2013 model year.

Thanks

Yes the newer 4500 chassis comes with a Rear Stabilizing Bar You should not have to replace it or up grade. The 4500 Chassis is built for the heavier loads.

My 2006 Tioga on a Chevy Chassis has the same rear suspension as the 4500 and it rides, and handles very well with no upgrades needed.

I think people who don't have heavy duty front and rear stabilizer bars on their E350/E450 rig, don't realize what they are missing out on. It is also possible that they have heavy duty front and rear stabilizer bars, but they don't realize it. Maybe the previous owner or RV manufacture added them.

I think people driving shorter rigs with large rear overhangs notice a bigger improvement with HD bars due to the poor ratio of "wheel base to length" but all rigs benefit.

blownstang01 wrote:
...I just drove through a pretty major thunderstorm on our way to Nashville last week (no real easy place to pull over), between these sway bars and a proper alignment with 6+ degrees caster the difference in handling in the wind is truly huge. At least for me, worth every penny...

OP's like myself and Dittmer aren't compensated to promote suspension improvements. We testify to it because it WORKS!

Same with Harvard and increased CASTER. We're survivors of major RV diseases, and went to shout from the rooftops that You Can Do It Too!

Newbiecampers wrote:
Does anybody know if a Chevy 4500 chassis would benefit from a hellwig-type (or any other company) sway bar upgrade?

Let me tell you what I don't know, and what I DO know.

I don't know if a 4500 comes with sway bars, and
If 4500 DOES come with sway bars, I don't know if they're big enough th help with the handling of a Class C.

I DO know that Fords DO come with Front and sometimes Rear sway bars and those OEM bars are inadequate.

I also DO know that a 1-1/2 inch Hellwig rear sway bar makes a big improvement in a 3500 that didn't start out with one. I know this because I helped install it, then rode in it, then got the most important endorsement of all: Our OP's DW approved! A lot of what they were looking for was less rocking when parked on a campsite. It provided that, as well as improved driving.

We like Hellwig bars around here because thy have the same specs as Roadmaster at a much lower price. You can buy Front and Rear in Hellwig for not much more than the price of a Roadmaster for just one end. You can certainly install Hellwig on both ends for less than having a shop furnish and install one Roadmaster bar.

Just a quick update on this subject. I know many people say the sway bars are a waste of money and the E350's and 450's drive just fine.... Well, I just drove through a pretty major thunderstorm on our way to Nashville last week (no real easy place to pull over), between these sway bars and a proper alignment with 6+ degrees caster the difference in handling in the wind is truly huge. At least for me, worth every penny.

Does anybody know if a Chevy 4500 chassis would benefit from a hellwig-type (or any other company) sway bar upgrade?

I did a quick search here and could not come up with anything. I also searched online and did not find any hellwig product for a chevy 4500 after the 2009 model year, unless my search-foo failed.

Do the chevy 4500 chassis come with better swaybars from the factory?

We may be getting a class C on a chevy 4500 chassis that is a 2012 or 2013 model year.

Thanks

I replaced front and rear sway bars with Hellwigs. The rear came with new end links however the front uses Ford's stock mushy end links. Are there any aftermarket stiffer end links available that are recommended?