Springs and sway bar two part question

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.

Myfirstz71

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Posts
71
Reaction score
88
Location
Virginia
I bought my 2011 Z71 in Jan of 21 with 153k on it. Ride was ok but felt tired. Rebuilt struts with 4600 bilstein and replaced tears with same. Ride is better, but still feels a little off.

Part one question. With that many miles and unknown usage, is it reasonable to believe that the springs are worn out and would benefit from replacing.

Part two. I have put a caliper gauge on the front sway bar and it appears to be slightly larger than what was on my old LS 07 tahoe. However it does not appear to be as HD as a Helwig (sp?). Would changing out front and rear sways for Helwig in addition to new springs be too stiff. I do not off road, I do load scuba gear and deal with short trail access roads at times but that’s it.

Any input would be greatly appreciated
 
OP
OP
M

Myfirstz71

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Posts
71
Reaction score
88
Location
Virginia
I have hellwigs on mine I do not think they are too stiff, in fact I wish they were stiffer but I am a very spirited driver also.
I put a front Hellwig on my 07 when the mount broke and was repaired, but I didn’t have the truck long after that. Never had a chance to evaluate it.
 

OR VietVet

Multnomah Falls
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Posts
19,068
Reaction score
31,171
Location
Willamette Valley
Different year vehicle and suspension, BUT, my front and rear Hellwig bars set up are the best seat of the pants upgrade for sure. I have my rear bar set at the medium setting but can go one step softer or one step firmer. Last July I had a 5500 mile trip in 15 days and the handling on all types of roads, except off road, was fantastic.

One thing I also noticed is, if you have too low pressure in the tires, you will not get the full effect. I am not saying to max inflate the tires and wear the center of the tread out. I am saying, find the sweet spot of the air pressure and enjoy the Hellwig bars to the max.
 
Last edited:

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,712
Reaction score
44,433
Location
Li'l Weezyana
I bought my 2011 Z71 in Jan of 21 with 153k on it. Ride was ok but felt tired. Rebuilt struts with 4600 bilstein and replaced tears with same. Ride is better, but still feels a little off.

Part one question. With that many miles and unknown usage, is it reasonable to believe that the springs are worn out and would benefit from replacing.

Part two. I have put a caliper gauge on the front sway bar and it appears to be slightly larger than what was on my old LS 07 tahoe. However it does not appear to be as HD as a Helwig (sp?). Would changing out front and rear sways for Helwig in addition to new springs be too stiff. I do not off road, I do load scuba gear and deal with short trail access roads at times but that’s it.

Any input would be greatly appreciated

Factory bars are hollow. There are aftermarket bars that are hollow but are still a major upgrade. Apparently, the consensus is the solid bars are an upgrade over the upgraded hollow bars. Just really heavy.

I installed Nolathane bars front and rear last December. Basically the same style and effects as Hellwig. Solid bars totally transform these lumbering beasts in the turns and I'd recommend them.
 

Doubeleive

Wes
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Posts
23,408
Reaction score
34,034
Location
Stockton, Ca.
Is it worth it to do both if I drive similar to your preferred style
it's a requirement, I have the rear adjusted to snug as a bug in a rug.
you might have to get used to it depending on how you drive, if you swerve hard it will still sway but it will snap right back there's no floating boat effect going on, like I dare say a ford would do :cool:.
 

Joseph Garcia

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
6,394
Reaction score
8,321
If you have over 150k miles on your truck, I'd recommend changing all 4 springs, as they have had a long life at this point. When I refreshed my suspension, I changed out the 4 springs, in addition to all of the other suspension parts. After the change, my truck sat a bit higher, resulting in my adjusting my headlight settings, which I attribute to the new springs.

After that, I installed the Hellwig sway bars, and the difference is VERY notable, with virtually zero body roll with the Hellwigs. They are pricey, but absolutely worth the price. Both @OR VietVet tested the before and after Hellwig installation performance on our personal test cloverleafs, and our speed and comfort in the seat increased dramatically.
 
OP
OP
M

Myfirstz71

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Posts
71
Reaction score
88
Location
Virginia
If you have over 150k miles on your truck, I'd recommend changing all 4 springs, as they have had a long life at this point. When I refreshed my suspension, I changed out the 4 springs, in addition to all of the other suspension parts. After the change, my truck sat a bit higher, resulting in my adjusting my headlight settings, which I attribute to the new springs.

After that, I installed the Hellwig sway bars, and the difference is VERY notable, with virtually zero body roll with the Hellwigs. They are pricey, but absolutely worth the price. Both @OR VietVet tested the before and after Hellwig installation performance on our personal test cloverleafs, and our speed and comfort in the seat increased dramatically.
Thank you for the feedback. I’m researching now on both items
 

Forum statistics

Threads
128,789
Posts
1,805,483
Members
91,772
Latest member
dvnt
Top