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OR VietVet Is Still Throwing $$$ at 2005 Z71
- Thread starter OR VietVet
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Sparksalot
Supporting Member
Looks good!
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Dantheman1540
Full Access Member
Nice work and awesome pics! That truck is super clean underneath.
It's funny looking at the pic you have of the bars lined up next to each other the Hellwig bars don't appear drastically different. However, since they are solid the weight and stiffness is definitely there, and it seriously shows with the seat of the pants feel!
It's funny looking at the pic you have of the bars lined up next to each other the Hellwig bars don't appear drastically different. However, since they are solid the weight and stiffness is definitely there, and it seriously shows with the seat of the pants feel!
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When you pick up the old and new bars you feel the difference in weight. The truck lives in Oregon where we don't have rust from salt. None of the bolts/nuts gave us problems. There is more work to be done now. Steering wheel position sensor and all components for the knock sensors are here and will be installed likely within a couple of months. New Flowmaster exhaust is coming. New tires in summer. But before the new tires I am going to be doing all new control arms and ball joints, tie rods, idler arm and pitman arm. When we did the sway bars I did a complete front suspension/steering inspection. Has very slight play at the idler and pitman. Greased up and it got tight again but I know for a fact that grease is not a fix. Not even close to dangerous play at this time. The hub bearings were tight but they will be done while apart. My two shop owner friends had told me that over all the years they had worked on rigs and the 2000-2006 GM Tahoes, Suburbans and pickups, that my rig was by far the best condition they had ever seen and just gets better. The lead tech of the two said that if I did all this work and ever wanted to sell it, including all the work I just listed to still be done, he would give me $20k for it. He was also the one that rode with me during the new sway bar kits test drive. It will not be for sale but he said if I ever changed my mind, he wanted it.
This is costing me well spent money, IMO, but it is fun to do and I still get to break out my shop coveralls sometimes to get dirty again. Each day that goes by and I get older means me less and less getting down on the ground. I have them for that or any major work. The rig was already at the shop for the rear main seal, oil pan gasket, oil pump pickup tube and o-ring, torque converter seal, transfer case adapter gasket and new trans mount. That was work they did because there was no way I was going to crawl around on the ground to do all that.
The dash cluster and install of the OE radio/cd player was a piece of cake. Plug and play and all works as it should. I also did those door seals, hatch seal and sun roof seal lubes and blew out the sunroof drains.
I love knowing this is not going to end real soon.
This is costing me well spent money, IMO, but it is fun to do and I still get to break out my shop coveralls sometimes to get dirty again. Each day that goes by and I get older means me less and less getting down on the ground. I have them for that or any major work. The rig was already at the shop for the rear main seal, oil pan gasket, oil pump pickup tube and o-ring, torque converter seal, transfer case adapter gasket and new trans mount. That was work they did because there was no way I was going to crawl around on the ground to do all that.
The dash cluster and install of the OE radio/cd player was a piece of cake. Plug and play and all works as it should. I also did those door seals, hatch seal and sun roof seal lubes and blew out the sunroof drains.
I love knowing this is not going to end real soon.
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Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
Nice work! I wish I had the $$ to get sway bars myself.
I know this is for adjustments, but does it make a difference if you adjust it longer or shorter--with the handling or anything else?
I know this is for adjustments, but does it make a difference if you adjust it longer or shorter--with the handling or anything else?
Dantheman1540
Full Access Member
Keep the good quality pics coming! 
Sparksalot
Supporting Member
The rod length shouldn’t. Only the position of the lower end, closer or further from the centerline of the sway bar.
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