OK I bought a Big Wig sway bar and am install it on a 2013 Ram DRW 4X4. I ordered a 7272 which from Hellwig which says it is for a 10-13 Dodge with 6.7.So I was installing it today and ran into problems. I have a Torklift Super Hitch that I have installed. Now Torklift has made provisions for the Hellwig sway bar install. They have a mounting hole on part of their install and this is were the links attach to the truck. OK no problem there. I then installed the Big Wig and I have about 1/8" clearance between the shock on the left side and the sway bar which that well work also but on the right side (passenger side) I have about 1/8" between the bar and the bottom to side of the exhaust pipe. The bar is setting almost under the exhaust pipe. I don' see how this is going to work because as the suspension on the truck compresses the sway bar is going to come into contact with the sway bar big time. I can't move it anymore to the left as it well be hitting the shock then. The rear axle can come down closer to the frame be about 6". Where am I going to get the clearance between the exhaust and the sway bar?Anybody have any suggestions.ON EDIT: I know that it can not fit there as I started the truck to see if I hear it hitting. Not with truck just idling there was no noise but when I shut it off I could hear it hit a couple of times. I looked it over again and thought maybe they made a mistake of which way the bump in the center of it should go. They say in the instructions that the bump should go down and that is the way I had it but after looking some more I really seen there is a difference between each side so thought maybe the bump should go up. I tried that and it is a no go that way for sure.So I took it off as I need the truck on Monday morning. I'll have to contact Hellwig on Monday or Tuesday next week.ON DOUBLE EDIT: Never mind I think I have it figured out. Hellwig doesn't make a sway bar for the DRW just the SRW in this year. It would be nice if they would say that on their web site that is does not fit DRW Ram 3500. So I guess it well be going back to Amazon this next week. So I guess my truck doesn't get a sway bar on it at this time.

I have a Road Master Inc. anti-sway bar on my '05 Dodge dually. It works well.Their website suspension search feature doesn't work well, but only entering "Dodge" and then scrolling down they list a 1-3/8" bar for a '10-14 Dodge 3500 dually, part #1129-130 (not all the Dodge 3500 listings are next to each other so keep scrolling further down to get to the '10-14). They have an install guide with pictures for your truck as a pdf so you can see how it installs.They list nine dealers in AR on their dealer/distributor locator page maybe you might get lucky and find one open this weekend.

Other than the near interference with the tail pipe, does the rest of the sway bar install look correct to you? If so, perhaps you can adjust your tail pipe for some more clearance. Mine, (See sig for truck info) hits upon very low/stall rpm speed and shutting off, but not any other time, so I call it good. It's a good excuse for a new exhaust system at the least I would say! Ha!I'm sure just about any muffler shop could re-form/mount the tail pipe and get the clearance you need for about $50 or so. The improvement on my truck has me recommending a way to get yours to work for you. Good luck!

Butch, Big Wig kit 7272 is the correct one for your truck. If you look at their website, they sometimes specify SRW and DRW and sometimes they don't. For 2013 Ram 2500/3500 trucks it doesn't matter, it fits both SRW and DRW. Here's the link: Big Wig CatalogI did this install back in January and found that the fit is tight with only about 1/2 inch on either side. Pics of my install can be found here.

Mello Mike wrote:Butch, Big Wig kit 7272 is the correct one for your truck. If you look at their website, they sometimes specify SRW and DRW and sometimes they don't. For 2013 Ram 2500/3500 trucks it doesn't matter, it fits both SRW and DRW. Here's the link: Big Wig CatalogI did this install back in January and found that the fit is tight with only about 1/2 inch on either side. Pics of my install can be found here.Yea Mike I looked at the install on line and had looked at yours previously, and also the ones sent to me in the kit. I wish I had about 1/2" clearance. Mine has about 1/16 to 1/8" between the shock and then on the exhaust pipe the same amount. The exhaust pipe is sitting above the sway bar on the passenger side so every time the axle would go up it would hit the sway bar. I mean there is very little clearance there. Compression on the suspension would allow the sway bar to hit the exhaust pipe. So when I had my camper loaded the exhaust would be riding on the sway bar all them time

need HELP with a big wig sway bar** (UPDATE) | Good Sam Community

Reddog1
Explorer II
Jul 30, 2014
Butch50 wrote:
... I did a lot of thinking on this (I know did you guys smell the smoke from it, I know my wife did). :h The sway bar is not intended to fix a flexing frame. It is designed for when you enter a corner or any condition that gives you body roll to the outside of the corner without a sway bar it relies on just the suspension to stop the roll. If you get enough body roll it wants to try and lift the inside wheel off the ground. Now the sway bar tries to resist this body roll by using the strength of the bar to try to keep the outside from dropping so much which then keeps the rig leveler than without.

How does the a sway bar help the frame not flex. It attaches about 18" in front or behind the rear axle (if we are talking a rear sway bar) The frame would still flex in front of or behind the sway bar mounts just the same as always. In fact the frame well flex where the mounts are also. The only way to stop frame flex is to make the frame its self stiffer. ...
That is how I understand it. Simply stated, the anti-sway bar is a torsion bar. Because it is not mounted solid, when one side of the vehicle pushes down on the anti-sway bar the bar pushes that side up. At the same time, the torque of the bar pulls the opposite side of the vehicle down. It has nothing at all to stiffening the frame.

The tire sidewall flex is a swarming action, and often is blamed on the anti-sway bar. Shocks have nothing to do with sway.

A sway bar, is actually an Anti-sway Bar. Its sole function is to deduce sway.

Wayne
Mello_Mike
Explorer
Jul 30, 2014
That's great, Butch. Glad everything turned out ok.
Butch50
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
jimh425 wrote:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question432.htm describes what a sway bar does better than I can. A sway bar connects to the frame which I believe has the net effect of a stronger frame since the frame can't move as much with the bar that ties both sides together.

At the end of the day, people here report bigger stronger sway bars help. How it works is probably secondary.

Jim I would agree that it might stiffen the frame right where it is attached because of the sway bar but in front of the sway bar you have 9 or 10' that has the possibility of flexing also which I don't think the bar is going to help.
jimh406
Explorer III
Jul 29, 2014
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question432.htm describes what a sway bar does better than I can. A sway bar connects to the frame which I believe has the net effect of a stronger frame since the frame can't move as much with the bar that ties both sides together.

At the end of the day, people here report bigger stronger sway bars help. How it works is probably secondary.
Bedlam
Moderator
Jul 29, 2014
You are right on with your thinking. An anti-sway bar may actually induce more frame twist than when using a softer one or none at all.
Butch50
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
wintersun wrote:
The Ram 3500 trucks starting in 2013 got the new and much stronger and more rigid frame. No reason to think that an anti-sway bar is needed for this truck (or a 2011 and later GM truck).

If you are getting sway the first thing to investigate is the air pressure in the tires. Second thing is whether the rear springs are able to support the weight of the camper, and not only when it is on level ground but on side sloping terrain as when making tight turns in hilly areas where more than 50% of the camper is loading one side of the truck and its suspension and tires.

Older trucks' frames flexed a great deal more and what was needed to compensate in terms of aftermarket addons is not necessarily going to be needed with the current trucks from GM and Ram. Still a good idea with the Ford trucks with their frames.

I did a lot of thinking on this (I know did you guys smell the smoke from it, I know my wife did). :h The sway bar is not intended to fix a flexing frame. It is designed for when you enter a corner or any condition that gives you body roll to the outside of the corner without a sway bar it relies on just the suspension to stop the roll. If you get enough body roll it wants to try and lift the inside wheel off the ground. Now the sway bar tries to resist this body roll by using the strength of the bar to try to keep the outside from dropping so much which then keeps the rig leveler than without.

How does the a sway bar help the frame not flex. It attaches about 18" in front or behind the rear axle (if we are talking a rear sway bar) The frame would still flex in front of or behind the sway bar mounts just the same as always. In fact the frame well flex where the mounts are also. The only way to stop frame flex is to make the frame its self stiffer.

This is my thoughts on it and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong because I have been knowing to strip gears when I start thinking to much or to hard. My wife can vouch for this also. :S
Butch50
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
OK, I now have an update.

I received the new sway bar yesterday and the bar its self is identical to the one I have. The down links that attach to the frame are identical and the clamps around the axle are the same. Now what is different is the "D" clamps and the bushings that fit in the "D" clamps. The new "D" clamps are about 1/2" deeper and the bushings are the same 1/2" longer on the side that points to the rear diff. What this does is moves the sway bar towards the back of the truck by that 1/2". It gets it further away from the shock so it can be moved a little closer to the shock tower and thus leaves a little more room on the exhaust side. I installed it and started the truck and then shut it off and no banging the exhaust on the sway bar, so that area has been addressed.

Then took it for a drive and even without the camper what a difference. On the road that I drive sometimes there is a couple of "S" curves with a 35MPH suggested speed on them. When I used I use to go around them the truck had some lean even empty at 45MPH. I took this same corner at 55MPH yesterday and there was no lean. It held the corner like a sport car with no body roll.

So I'm happy now even though I had to do 2 installs in a place that is not all the comfortable to work in. I don't know why Hellwig didn't just send me the 2 new "D" brackets and the new bushings instead of paying shipping on a whole new sway bar and the return shipping on the old one? With just the new "D" brackets and bushing I could have finished the install and been done with it.

OH will such is life and mine is not to question but to (you guys know the rest).
billtex
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2014
wintersun wrote:
The Ram 3500 trucks starting in 2013 got the new and much stronger and more rigid frame. No reason to think that an anti-sway bar is needed for this truck (or a 2011 and later GM truck).

If you are getting sway the first thing to investigate is the air pressure in the tires. Second thing is whether the rear springs are able to support the weight of the camper, and not only when it is on level ground but on side sloping terrain as when making tight turns in hilly areas where more than 50% of the camper is loading one side of the truck and its suspension and tires.

Older trucks' frames flexed a great deal more and what was needed to compensate in terms of aftermarket addons is not necessarily going to be needed with the current trucks from GM and Ram. Still a good idea with the Ford trucks with their frames.

yeah...wintersun/elkhornsun/redsky...whatever name he/she is using today makes some pretty "interesting" claims.
Anyone EVER meet this person or see a picture of their rig posted here or any forum?
Anyone?

Somewhat of a mystery...

Post up...let's see the rig!
Mello_Mike
Explorer
Jul 25, 2014
wintersun wrote:
The Ram 3500 trucks starting in 2013 got the new and much stronger and more rigid frame. No reason to think that an anti-sway bar is needed for this truck (or a 2011 and later GM truck).

If you are getting sway the first thing to investigate is the air pressure in the tires. Second thing is whether the rear springs are able to support the weight of the camper, and not only when it is on level ground but on side sloping terrain as when making tight turns in hilly areas where more than 50% of the camper is loading one side of the truck and its suspension and tires.

Not true. The frame is stronger, but I still have noticed a big improvement in sway with the camper mounted. Before I really had to watch my speed on turns especially going down twisting mountain passes. That is no longer the case. Not only that, but I get very little "pull" from the big 18 wheelers when they pass me on the interstates. I'm running 80 psi on the rears and 60 in the fronts. My camper is only 3,000 lbs which puts me a good 600 lbs under the max payload. My Big Wig was money well spent.
Butch50
Explorer
Jul 25, 2014
Mello Mike wrote:
Okay, I just got off the phone with Kevin at Hellwig. Apparently, the differences between the 7272 and 7293 kits are pretty minor. Each kit uses the same sway bar. The only difference between the two appears to be with the mounting hardware for the clevis plates, so I'm not going to bother making any changes.

Mike,

I hope it is more as it is the sway bar that I having trouble with. If it comes and the sway bar is the same it well probably going to have to go back but I'll wait till it gets here and I try to install it. Then I'll update this.

Quote wintersun,

"The Ram 3500 trucks starting in 2013 got the new and much stronger and more rigid frame. No reason to think that an anti-sway bar is needed for this truck (or a 2011 and later GM truck).

If you are getting sway the first thing to investigate is the air pressure in the tires. Second thing is whether the rear springs are able to support the weight of the camper, and not only when it is on level ground but on side sloping terrain as when making tight turns in hilly areas where more than 50% of the camper is loading one side of the truck and its suspension and tires.

Older trucks' frames flexed a great deal more and what was needed to compensate in terms of aftermarket addons is not necessarily going to be needed with the current trucks from GM and Ram. Still a good idea with the Ford trucks with their frames"

I'm not having any sway problems with sway on my present camper. I'm not overloaded and my tire pressure at 65 PSI is rated for 97500# on my rear axle. My rear axle with my camper on it only 7000#. I have 2750# before I get to the rear axle rating with 65# and the tires are E rated so I can go to 80PSI if needed. At 80PSI the rear axle tires would be rated for 11320#.

I'm thinking of getting a bigger camper so I just like to be prepared (you know the old boy scout motto).

I like to have as firm as base as possible maybe this comes from all my days of driving sports cars and expecting the truck to drive like them. I know it won't but trying to get as close as possible.

Forum Discussion

need HELP with a big wig sway bar** (UPDATE)

About Travel Trailer Group

Related Content

Tow Bars

Hellwig Anti-sway Bar Update

Hellwig sway bar

sway bars

Tow bar