Just because they are pretty expensive, I was wondering, if you could only get and install one at a time, would you get the Helwig front or rear sway bar first? My coach is a 2006 E450 Super Duty / 31ft Jayco Greyhawk. It had the usual handling issues they all have.

Yes you could, one at a time. You have to talk to someone and describe the symptoms . My new 450 was being pushed by bow waves and crosswinds and was wondering. I called Rvupgradesstore and was advised to install a rear track bar to stabilize the chassis to the rear axle which would correct my issue. It worked . They advised in my case, the sway bars would be overkill.

Assuming you never bothered with a proper test drive where the handling issues would have been clearly apparent before you bought into this problem... all is not lost. The place to start is the simplest and happily also the cheapest...Load the coach as you would for a normal trip and get to a CAT scale. Weigh the rig and take those weights to your tire manufacturers Load Inflation table. Inflate your tires for the load they are actually carrying {Ignore any sticker found in the coach and the max psi numbers on the sidewalls} and then take another test drive. Chances are good you will immediately notice a huge improvement in the ride and handling and all it cost was about $10.If you are still having issues being pushed around by trucks and crosswinds find an alignment shop that knows trucks and RV's. You may need some additional caster with the front right needing a tad more than the left. During a proper alignment, any worn parts issues should be disclosed and you can repair or replace as needed. For a couple of hundred bucks at the high end, you have probably solved your handling issues."IF" you still have issues it is now time to explore aftermarket add ons that may or may not work but will undoubtedly be very expensive. Do your homework and shop wisely adding one piece at a time until you are satisfied with the overall result.:C

As noted above tire inflation is one of the components. Like you I thought of aftermarket stuff but went with inflation of tires and REAR AIR BAGS! You do have airbags correct? I run mine around 55-60 PSI and it made a great difference and with the better tire inflation it did help. Give it a try 1st.

My coach did not come with air bags

These E350/E450 Cutaways can come off the assembly line with +3 to +4 degrees of Caster. Those settings are OK for city driving BUT you want to have +5 to +6 degrees of Caster for highway driving, OTHERWISE:POPULAR MECHANICS MAY 1973:START QUOTE:If too little caster exists, the car will wander and weave,thus necessitating constant corrections in steering.END QUOTE:

Where to start | Good Sam Community

Lumpty
Explorer
Mar 12, 2019
I did a front Hellwig bar only. Made a significant difference. Completely agree the OEM bar is barely suitable for florist deliveries in E150's.

Monroe also makes an RV Magnum shock for the front. Cheap, and like them better than Bilsteins, as the digressive valving the Bilsteins have allows too much low speed shaft travel, cupping the front tires badly.
suprz
Explorer
Mar 12, 2019
OFDPOS wrote:
I'll throw in my $.02 in.

By all means do the above first with tire pressure adjustments , alignment.

BUT !

The stock Anti Sway Bars on Fords are pretty much a joke.
They put the same size ones on a E-150 through the E-450. At least through 2013-2014 they did. Don't know about the newer ones ?
Maybe around town in a E-150 deliver van ok , but not with a MH box attached to the chassis.

The stock ASB's are like comparing the diameter size of your pinky finger to your thumb , (unless you have abnormal hands, your thumb will obviously be bigger lol )

Saying that just by replacing both the ASB's will give a much needed improvement, just the mere stepping in and out of the side door you will notice a big difference.

If you are handy with simple hand tools you could do them yourself, the money you would save you could buy both and still come out cheaper then paying to just have one installed.

Are they the original shocks as well ? If so replace them with Bilsteins HD DON"T waste your money on those koni fsd's !

Next up have a Trac Bar installed in the rear.

Saying all this ,,, this would be of coarse if you are planning on keeping the MH for awhile ...

Ok that was more like the $.10 tour... lol

Thanks for the input, I can do both the front and rear sway bars no problem. I know the front shocks can be a pain, but I feel confident, I don't think the rear shocks will be a problem. I didn't know they made a trac bar for the rear
bobndot
Explorer II
Mar 12, 2019
quote wrote:
I didn't know they made a trac bar for the rear

bobndot wrote:
I called Rvupgradesstore and was advised to install a rear track bar to stabilize the chassis to the rear axle which would correct my issue. It worked
ron_dittmer
Explorer II
Mar 13, 2019
I have a Henderson rear trac bar on our rig as well. It came recommended from the truck/ambulance/RV suspension shop. I recall him saying that they overcame a challenge installing the rear trac bar and the heavy duty rear Roadmaster stabilizer bar together. Maybe a Helwig HD bar will avoid whatever that challenge was.

I understand the rear trac bar is especially beneficial when towing a trailer, not so much towing a vehicle. Trailers like to thrash the rear of the motor home side to side, hence the "tail wagging the dog" condition. The pivoting front wheels on a tow vehicle reduces (not eliminates) that condition. I am sure there is some self tail-wagging within the motor home itself, even when not towing.

There is NO application for a front trac bar on any standard class B+/C motor home because they don't have front leaf springs nor an axle connecting the two front steering wheels. They have instead independent front suspensions.

Class A's and Supers C's could benefit from a front trac bar because they have full front axles. That is in-part how they can carry so heavy a load.
suprz
Explorer
Mar 13, 2019
I thought the sway bars were expensive! But the track bars!! :E
bobndot
Explorer II
Mar 13, 2019
suprz wrote:
I thought the sway bars were expensive! But the track bars!! :E

:B But it's still not as bad as owning a boat .

I agree that the OEM front sway bar is marginal. I have swapped out a few f/r sway bars over the years and to be cost effective it's something I would do when the OEM wears out. I found the sway bars to be most helpful with the rocking side to side motion.
I found the rear track bar to be very helpful with stabilizing the frame (chassis) to the rear axle. It eliminated the movement as ron mentioned with the tail wagging the dog, even driving a solo MH with no trailer. That movement transferred to the front end.
Upon installing it , I first noticed the difference while driving on a 2-lane highway. Passing semis in the opposite direction did not push my rig out of my lane as it did prior to installing the track bar.
Don't confuse rv track bars with one's at a Nascar race and having a beer. That's a different type of 'track bar'. :R
S1njin
Explorer
Apr 05, 2019
Anybody know what the torque spec is to replace the front sway bar? Hellwigs states to torque to Ford specs. And when I called that’s all they could tell me.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Apr 05, 2019
":B But it's still not as bad as owning a boat . "

B O A T = Break out another thousand {Don't ask me how I know this}.

:S
S1njin
Explorer
Apr 05, 2019
Somebody posted these for the 7718:

S1njin, here are the numbers for the front Hellwig bar.

Here are the numbers I got at the dealer:
Front bolts 111#
Smaller back bolts 18#
Side links bolts #57

I’m hoping that will work for a 2018 chassis.

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