Ditching Hellwig sway bars: Take the suspension journey from ancient to modern

Convinced that that the old ways are better? Well, when you’re looking at suspension technology, that’s not always true. Today we’re gonna take a look at Hellwig sway bars that have been around since the 50s. And we’ll compare them to some of the newer suspension helpers. Hopefully, this short article will help you to let go of the old and accept what’s new.

What is a Hellwig sway bar?

Anti-roll/anti-sway bars have been around for a long time. The first patent was awarded to Canadian inventor Stephen Coleman of Fredericton, New Brunswick on April 22, 1919. Sway bars were designed to prevent roll and sway while turning corners.

An anti-roll/anti-sway bar is usually a torsion spring that resists body roll motions, constructed out of tubular steel, and formed into a "U" shape that connects to the vehicle’s body at two points - both the left and right side of the suspension. Each end of the bar is connected to an end link that connects to a spot near the wheel or the axle, transferring forces from a heavily loaded axle to the opposite side thus preventing roll and sway on rough terrain and while cornering.

Sway bars do not improve ride quality by smoothing out road shock. They simply help prevent roll and sway, nothing more.

Is a Hellwig sway bar the best way to stabilize your truck?

Sway bars weren’t used extensively on cars and pickup trucks until the 1950s with the introduction of coil suspensions on cars. Leaf spring suspensions were great for trucks and large, military vehicles but too stiff for car suspensions. Even though coil suspensions provided a smoother ride, cars needed sway bars to prevent body roll and increase stability.

Hellwig has been making sway bars since 1946 for manufacturers and the aftermarket. There’s no doubt Hellwig sway bars will work to help stabilize your truck... if that’s all you need. But if after you’ve installed a sway bar you decide to purchase a helper spring like Timbren SES upgrades to help with ride quality and load leveling, you’re not spending your money wisely.

A product like Timbren SES is able to reduce roll and sway along with a host of other features and benefits.

Does Timbren SES do the same job as a sway bar?  

Timbren SES does not do the same job as a sway bar. It does far more! That’s because it provides a long list of features and benefits. Timbren SES upgrades use Aeon® hollow rubber springs that come with two unique characteristics:

      1. Progressive spring rate

Unlike metal springs that have a linear spring rate, Aeon® rubber springs have a progressive spring rate, a rate that increases as more weight is added to the truck.

      2. Hysteresis (self-damping)

Unlike metal springs that need shocks to absorb the energy created when they compress, Aeon® rubber springs are self-damping, able to absorb the kinetic energy by themselves.

These two characteristics offer some unique advantages:

• Their progressive spring rate means they automatically adjust to the load preventing sag and squat

• Increased stability (reduced roll and sway) when towing or hauling super-heavy applications

• Self-damping means they act like a shock absorber providing the smoothest ride even with the heaviest loads

• A soft, quiet ride empty or loaded

• Prevents damage to your suspension

• Installs quickly and easily

• Reasonably priced

• Comes with a Lifetime Warranty & a 100-Day Money Back Guarantee

As you can see, Timbren SES does way more than a sway bar!

Is it time to ditch the old ways and embrace what's new?

If you’ve ever bought a sway bar to increase stability and later on added a helper spring like air ride to level the load on your truck, you’ve spent more of your hard-earned money than necessary.

Let’s face it, sway bars are ‘old school’! (So are airbags!) It’s time to let go of old ideas and accept what’s new. Just like you need to ditch your old mattress for a new one that’s made with newer technology, it’s time to let go of your old, conventional equipment and upgrade to Timbren SES rubber spring technology. More doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes less is more.

Timbren SES: More bang for your buck?

Still convinced that the old ways are better? Well, when you’re looking at suspension technology, that’s not always true. Today we considered sway bars that have been around since the 1950s. And we compared them to some of the newer suspension helpers like Timbren SES.

Timbren SES upgrades are an alternative to conventional technology. Hopefully, this short article has helped you see (if you haven’t already done so) that you need to let go of the old and look into what’s new. Timbren SES gives you more bang for your buck!

For more information, visit Timbren.com