Inexpensive but capable rear sway bar.

Installed an Addco rear sway bar on an '06 TRD Off Road DBL Cab. For the price this is my favorite mod to date.

TLDR - The 1st Gen really needs a rear sway bar and it greatly improves on-road dynamics and confidence.

The factory 1st Gen doesn't have a rear sway bar option that I'm aware of. Most of my driving is windy back roads on asphalt and I wanted to correct the road manners of this truck.

Shopping around it looked like the Hellwig rear bar was the only game in town for 1st gens. The price of the Hellwig piece is high and at 27mm, it is the same diameter as the front bar. I was looking for improved corner stability without lift-off oversteer or snap oversteer, which is what having too large a rear bar can do. Buying the Hellwig front and rear bar would come out close to $700. At that price point it would have moved this mod further down the priority list.

Found the Addco on Summit racing for ~$150 and read around online to see if it would fit. After doing some research I pulled the trigger. This rear bar is 19mm which is a good match to the front bar at 27mm. In theory it should provide better rear body control with understeer at the limits.

Initial impression out of the box is there is a reason the price is half of the Hellwig. The finish on the bar was scuffed just from shipping and managed to scrape off more paint during install. Seems like just a thin coat of Rustoleum. The bushings feel more like hard plastic than quality urethane, may swap these out down the road if they don't hold up. Applied some silicone grease to inside the bushings before installation to prevent squeaks.

Installation only took about 2 hours. Had to remove an ABS wire mount on the passenger side axle as it interfered with the bar, also had to re-route the ABS wiring on the passenger side but no other mounts were removed. Unlike the Hellwig this bar mounts forward and above the pumpkin with the linkages extending in front of the rear axle towards the center of the truck. The rear brake hose needs to be removed in order to place the bar. Hose was reinstalled and brakes bled after. Only other sketchy part was drilling two 5/8" holes in the frame for the linkage. Painted the bare metal before final installation. I'm not a fan of putting holes in the frame.

Initial driving impressions: I was blown away at the change in handling characteristics. This is what the truck was missing. It feels much more secure and can take corners more confidently. Normal comfortable cruising down a local windy road with very sharp curves, and some off camber corners, was usually around 30-40MPH. I was driving through casually around 50. The truck maintains lane and handles changes of direction worlds better and I no longer feel such a pronounced roll from the rear end with the front tires eventually washing out. It gives a feeling of nimbleness to this big heavy truck. There is some additional vibration translated through the chassis on un-even washboard pavement but over-all the truck still feels comfortable, just more capable.

This chassis definitely benefits from the addition of a rear sway bar. Whether you choose Addco or Hellwig, make it a point to get one for your 1st Gen. Now that the suspension and brakes have been addressed I can proceed to increasing power.

 

Welcome, nice write up. My Addco kit is scheduled to arrive tomorrow after being backordered for a couple of months.

 

Nice write up. Only thing the Addco has that I like is that forward mount.

The Hellwig looks much more stout than the Addco. The hammered finish, bushings, and linkage are way more Robust compared to your Addco pics. One other advantage in the Hellwig is it has 3 adjustment settings to customize your ride. They recco starting out at the easiest (farthest back setting) and move forward as you assimilate. No need to move/bleed brake lines.

True the Hellwig has been hovering around $418 for a while since ‘Stemellus’. Stoked I got on it in the $320 range about 2 years ago. Made in USA!

In the end, it sounds like your handling is improved and thats the main goal. The finish? Eh it can be painted again or who cares as its under the truck.

I think @Rex Kramer bought the last forward mount Hellwig Rear Bar available years ago.

 

The kit comes with no real insructions to speak of. But it's not that difficult of an install.

I'm satisfied with the performance after the first couple shake down runs. It matches my typical driving environment. Enjoy your kit, it makes a huge difference.

 

True, the Hellwig does offer adjustability and it's other quality benefits, but I was glad to see another option. I was ok with just having a set it and forget it cheap option to give a noticeable bump in performance.

If I had taken off the tires I probably would have been able to get the bar in without disconnecting the rear brake hose. Didn't want to put it on jack stands to have more room to move.

 

Had mine for little over 6 months now and still love it.

It's a great bang for the buck mod if you drive alot

 

My Jeep TJ has OEM front and rear sway bars, but this 2002 Tundra is new to me as of early December 2020 and I did not know of the advisability of adding a rear bar until encountering that good advice on this board (may airspeed be upon you all). Had my shop install a Hellwig and was astounded at the improvement on Texas hill country roads as I drove home. Man, the big old thing handles so much better! I took one rough, off camber curve at a speed that would have alarmed me before the installation and just tracked the road perfectly, with very little body lean. What a difference.

 

This is what I’ve been Preaching. Top mod for sure regardless of brand. Lots of sway bar haters around here.

 

Nice!

As I have stated here and on other forums, I wouldn't own a vehicle that I couldn't install a rear anti-roll bar on. For me, the benefits outweigh any possible negatives. The Hellwig on my 2002 was installed in 2003.

 

Most people I've heard that are against sway bars are the one's who say they need articulation off road. This may be true but the time I spend on concrete far outweighs time spent on trails. When you're seriously rock crawling, then you don't want sway bars.

 

One more thing to add to my list for this spring...

 

Just in case anyone needs it, installation PDF