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Review- TRD Rear Sway Bar- before and after

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by frichco228, Dec 9, 2020.

  1. Dec 9, 2020 at 7:24 AM
    #1
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Crewmax 4WD, TRD Offroad
    Eibach Pro Truck Stage 2 suspension, HD RAS, 285/75-18 Nokian Outpost AT, LoPro bed cover, TRD rear sway bar, DD 10 inch exhaust, and various other goodies
    There is always discussion about the pros/cons of sway bars. I recently added a rear bar and thought I would post a review while the upgrade and my observations were still fresh.

    To start I will give you some background on my truck so you understand use, weights, etc. I have a 2016 4wd SR5 Crewmax. 5.7 with the SR5 upgrade, convenience and TRD Off Road packages. It is currently at 42k miles and has a LoPro tonneau, Aries step bars, 275/70-18 E load AT tires. The suspension is stock as is the motor, intake, etc. I keep a home made bed divider in the back and almost always carry a "stuff box" in the bed with hitches, tools, probably about 50 lbs. There are a few other additions/goodies but nothing that would impact any weight or performance.

    My Tundra is a daily driver. We also use it on trips and it does see some towing and hauling as needed. Towing is either a 5x8 utility trailer or a large pop up camper, about 2500-3000lbs. Off road jaunts have been forest road and occasional farm roads, fields, etc.

    Here is a link to the swaybar. Cost is quite good for an "upgrade" item. They can be had from around $200 to $230 usually. https://www.sparksparts.com/oem-parts/toyota-trd-rear-sway-bar-ptr1134070

    Here is the install video I used for reference. Great video and some good tips shared. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZdVjObkTLs

    The review of installation and how the bar impacts the trucks performance:
    The installation is pretty simple. Anyone that has ever changed a battery themselves should have no issue.

    Use some PB blaster on the top frame bolts and you will need a breaker bar, pipe or impact wrench to remove those stock frame bolts. I will not go into much detail because that install video covers everything well. It is helpful to have another set of hands when mounting the bar- it can be challenging to get the ubolts aligned and installed on the axle alone...but certainly doable. You must use a torque wrench for all bolts on this install- this is not the type of install where you can feel things are tight and right. Tightening up the end link and ubolts took longer than I expected so do yourself a favor and take the guesswork out of the equation- torque wrench! I performed the installation alone with the exception of about 5 minutes, where I had a helper hold the bar so I could get the ubolt connections all lined up. All in all, very straightforward and simple install, probably 30 minutes total.

    Before the sway bar- With the stock Michelin tires the truck felt really soft. The tires "rolled" over a bit in turns and the outer edges of the fronts wore more worn than the rest of the tires. Driving it felt decent, pretty smooth ride overall, but handling especially in turns was lackluster. The truck tracked pretty well for a big heavy vehicle.

    New tires- I installed 33inchers early this year. My truck having the OR tuned shocks and 33inch E load tires needed some "help" on the road. E load tires are overkill on a Tundra. They ride a bit firmer, which is not bad necessarily but seems a bit "darty" at times on the highway at speed. As such there was some jittery feeling at speed, hard to describle. Not unsafe, but there were definitely some concessions having E load tires. Man I wish there were C load tires available in sizes for Tundras...but I digress.
    After installing them I had the truck aligned and that did help with tracking. Tried some different tire pressures and had it feeling close to performance on the stock tires. Close- not identical- just the nature of an E load tire. So I was hoping for some improvement in highway stability and turning performance.

    After the sway bar install- I could tell a difference immediately. The first few drives were pretty short and I would say the improvement was there but discreet. Everyone says adding a rear sway bar makes the truck feel more "planted" and that is true. But what does planted mean?- the truck felt more connected to the road and tracked better going down the road. Turns were more stable at any speed with reduced "Tundra lean".

    More driving impressions- so after several days of driving- from 25mph residential streets to 80mph on the highway the changes have become more noticeable. There is a huge improvement with how the truck tracks on the road, overall stability has improved and steering input feels clean and sharp. The truck feels much more stable. Highway driving actually feels safer and more predictable. The "dartiness" I felt before is gone, it seems like the tires, suspension are working together better vs the tires fighting against the suspension.

    Summary- The rear bar addition may be the best simple "bang for the buck" upgrade on a Tundra. I am not sure what else could be added for $200 that would offer such cost/benefit of actual performance improvement and not just visual appeal. I have not yet done any towing, but considering how the truck performs now, towing improvement will be a certainty. So, if you are a road warrior on the highway often or do much towing the TRD rear sway bar (in my opinion) is one of the cheapest and best performance upgrades that you can make.

    sway.jpg
     
    831mic, willy, taxz and 17 others like this.
  2. Dec 9, 2020 at 7:30 AM
    #2
    Tundra234

    Tundra234 New Member

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    Alot of them
    If you really want to notice it, take it up to about 80 mph on the highway and do a rapid (but safe) lane change. It's definitely planted. The Pedal Commander is another bang for the buck addition as well. :thumbsup:
     
  3. Dec 9, 2020 at 7:38 AM
    #3
    Rex Kramer

    Rex Kramer Vinyl Spinner

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    I wouldn't have near as much fun driving either of my Tundra trucks if there wasn't an anti roll bar installed on the rear axle. I have a Hellwig on my 2002, and I installed a TRD bar on my '07 when I under hung the leaf packs.

    IMG_7252.jpg
     
    willy, WVI, yoshi82 and 2 others like this.
  4. Dec 9, 2020 at 7:50 AM
    #4
    MotoTundra

    MotoTundra The Ocho

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    -TRS Mini D2S Retrofit on TRD Pro Headlights (Apollo 2.0 Shrouds, 35w XB Ballasts, 5500k Bulbs) -Baja Designs Squadron R Sport Aux lights. -TRD Pro Grill -TRD Rear Sway Bar -BakFlip VP Tonneau w/BakBox -Dipped wheels & bumpers -Iron Cross HD steps -Undercover Swingcase -SunTek Paint Protection film -Tinted glass -Bedmat -OEM Towing Mirrors
    I agree
     
    BravoDeltaRomeo likes this.
  5. Dec 9, 2020 at 8:13 AM
    #5
    Toolaholic

    Toolaholic New Member

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    TRD rear sway bar
    I put mine on 5 days after buying truck. Tundra had 400 miles on it when sway bar installed .

    7CDCCA2E-F2A4-4B13-B197-BD48CAD34FF4.jpg
     
    willy and BravoDeltaRomeo like this.
  6. Dec 9, 2020 at 11:04 AM
    #6
    SShooterZ

    SShooterZ New Member

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    Any advantage and has anyone done it on a Sequoia?
     
    BravoDeltaRomeo likes this.
  7. Dec 15, 2020 at 5:23 PM
    #7
    TundraPJ

    TundraPJ New Member

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    Fox TRD Pro Shocks BFG KO2’s Dirty Deeds 14” BAMF n-fab nerf bars
    Great, thorough review. This is definitely on my list for early next year!
     
    BravoDeltaRomeo likes this.
  8. Dec 15, 2020 at 5:28 PM
    #8
    Tundraofnv

    Tundraofnv New Member

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    I agree
     
    BravoDeltaRomeo likes this.
  9. Dec 15, 2020 at 5:43 PM
    #9
    Professional Hand Model

    Professional Hand Model A.K.A ‘Golden Hands’

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    ‘Somewhere’... a State of Mind
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    2002 Tundra SR5 4WD 4.7L AC Silver Metallica
    Hand Protectors
    Re-connecting the front sway bar broken links back up to the OEM Sway and then months later adding a rear sway bar (Hellwig 7700) made the 2002 Tundra truck alive again. The review is spot on:

    1) Boat like turns eliminated.

    2) Planted and more confident turns and quick precise lane changes at all speeds.

    3) Tow/Haul more stable at all speeds.


    The OEM Front Sway Bar is a pretty thick solid bar at about 1” diameter and the Rear Hellwig is 1 1/8” solid bar that has 3 firmness settings. Do both if you are mostly street daily driving.
     
  10. Dec 15, 2020 at 5:50 PM
    #10
    BravoDeltaRomeo

    BravoDeltaRomeo Old Man Little Blue Finger

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    Great review and timely

    I just had the rear put on and upgraded my front to TRD at the same time (I've heard the front TRD is even heavier than the stock one). It's winter and I had dealer credit, so had them do it while I was getting schedule service done.

    Difference for me is subtle, but we just got hit with snow and ice, so I can't really test out the cornering or rapid lane changes at highway speeds

    Our kid like the way it looks...so that's good enough for me. I'm sure I'll notice it more as I drive and the weather warms up though.

    PXL_20201213_155940589.jpg
     
  11. Dec 19, 2020 at 3:36 PM
    #11
    EZDoes It

    EZDoes It New Member

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    2020 MGM CM SR5 TRD exhaust, TRD wheels
    Tint, tow mirrors, remote start, Razormotor taillights, Genuine trans cooler, tailgate light strip, Extang tonneau, TRD rear sway bar, trans cooler…(thanks TRD)
    TRD rear sway was delivered today...so excited to install.
     
    TundraPJ likes this.
  12. Jan 17, 2021 at 7:52 PM
    #12
    TrexTundra

    TrexTundra Live Free or Die Tryin

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    **Work in progress** 3/1 Procomp Nitro leveling kit 285/70/18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers 18x9 Black Fuel Vapors +1 offset Led Headlight/fog lights Will be removing chrome and Plastidip black
    Thanks for all the info on the sway bar. I’m looking at adding this. I will be towing about 5k lb camp trailer here and there and use my truck for hunting camping mainly forest service roads. Would I still benefit from a sway bar being I off-road but not nothing too crazy ? Also I have a 3x1 Toytec level kit. Thanks in advance!
     
  13. Jan 17, 2021 at 9:54 PM
    #13
    Safar85

    Safar85 New Member

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    More than a few.....
    I agree the sway bar is the best performance mod for the money. I say performance because the driver side grab handle is the most useful all around.

    I drove the truck up to my mountain cabin the 3rd day after I bought it. Then a week later I got the front and rear trd sways....it was a dramatic difference the next time I drove on those windy roads. I cant imagine anyone regretting this purchase.
     
    TILLY likes this.
  14. Feb 27, 2021 at 9:55 PM
    #14
    Doug2000

    Doug2000 New Member

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    The 2014 to 2019 Tundra 4.6L did not come with a tow package or a hitch.
     
  15. May 13, 2021 at 6:57 AM
    #15
    wsutundra

    wsutundra 2021 Smoked Mesquite 1794

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    Just put my RSB on and major difference. I have to drive 10 miles of windy back roads to get home and the body roll was significant. The RSB really helped. Best mod. B510321F-3BD0-4C6E-9E90-C16160137DDE.jpg
     
  16. Jul 1, 2021 at 2:55 PM
    #16
    PA452

    PA452 New Member

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    So is there a con to the rear sway bar? Typically most things have trade-offs. If I'm almost entirely just driving roads, is there a con to the rear sway bar?
     
    WiscoPete likes this.
  17. Jul 1, 2021 at 3:25 PM
    #17
    TundraMcGov.

    TundraMcGov. Your friend. Your foe. Not yo Ho.

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    Nope. There isn't.
     
    nobodyintexas likes this.
  18. Jul 14, 2021 at 8:27 PM
    #18
    PA452

    PA452 New Member

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    Bought one today. Hopefully get a chance to install it sometime next week.
     
  19. Jul 14, 2021 at 10:45 PM
    #19
    AZTundra

    AZTundra No Longer a New Member

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    Magnuson Supercharger, TRD Goodies (Pro Suspension, Pro Grille, Exhaust, CAI, Rear Sway Bar, Oil Cap). Weather Tech Floormats, BakFlip MX4, Spray In Bedliner, AMP Research Bed Extender and Bed Step, Side Steps, B&W Adjustable Drop Hitch, AJT Designs Battery Hold Down, SDHQ Sliders.
    Made a difference in handling on mine for sure. I'd say it's worth the coin.
     
  20. Jul 15, 2021 at 3:17 AM
    #20
    Burdturger

    Burdturger New Member

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    The sway bar limits articulation which wouldnt be ideal for off road ling conditions that would benefit from having articulation. That said, ive read the hellwig rear sway bar has a quick disconnect which would be ideal if you want to have the benefit of on road handling improvement but the ability to easily remove it for offroading
     
    willy, Sleeper16plat and Sierradevil like this.
  21. Jul 15, 2021 at 5:03 AM
    #21
    Tundra234

    Tundra234 New Member

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    Alot of them
    Just a reduction in articulation while offroading.
     
    willy likes this.
  22. Jul 15, 2021 at 6:22 AM
    #22
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    Agreed about the sway bar, i love mine. A close second mod for me for around the same price range is the driver side grab handle. I use it everytime i get in and out of the truck.
     
    831mic likes this.
  23. Jul 15, 2021 at 8:26 AM
    #23
    Cpl_Punishment

    Cpl_Punishment Young men never die.

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    That seems pretty expensive for a grab handle, doesn't it?
     
  24. Jul 15, 2021 at 8:37 AM
    #24
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    Whatever price Sparks had it for for the whole kit, it was around 150ish shipped i believe. Money is no object on this forum :)
     
    831mic, willy, ATV25 and 3 others like this.
  25. Jul 15, 2021 at 9:44 AM
    #25
    NAIVIAN

    NAIVIAN This is the way....

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    Is there a benefit to mounting the TRD bar the way you did (in the upwards position) vs the normal way of mounting it in the downwards position?
     
    BlancaLaGordita likes this.
  26. Jul 15, 2021 at 11:19 AM
    #26
    SouthWestGA

    SouthWestGA New Member

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    I would like to know as well!
     
  27. Jul 15, 2021 at 11:50 AM
    #27
    Cpl_Punishment

    Cpl_Punishment Young men never die.

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    I was thinking the sway bar was closer to $250.
     
  28. Jul 15, 2021 at 1:14 PM
    #28
    Alexstundra

    Alexstundra Not a new member

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    3-1 level kit with add a leaf. 295/70/18r cooper max. Spider head light tail light and third brake light, tint, badges off, ladder racks, trd pro grill, color matched hood bulge, grab handle,coach builder +2, dv8 front bumper with winch, fender flares, bed cover....
    How does it feel off-roading. Or even just driving on dirt roads. Hitting big holes and bumps on the road? That’s my concern
     
  29. Jul 15, 2021 at 2:02 PM
    #29
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    doing easy to moderate trails with the air down and no crazy rock crawling, it doesnt make me wish i didnt have the sway. Plus, 99% of the time im not offroading so even if it were uncomfortable offroad, i would still have it for the dramatic on pavement difference.
     
    Alexstundra[QUOTED] likes this.
  30. Jul 19, 2021 at 12:06 PM
    #30
    Woodwreck

    Woodwreck New Member

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    I just ordered a TRD rear sway bar. Is there a big difference on adding the front TRD sway bar also?
     

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