Oil pan / sway bar problem????????? - Diesel Forum

DOGdiesel316 · 12-11-2004, 05:51 PM

I installed the Hellwig sway bars in my Excursion. The pan has a crease formed into it maybe 2" deep to accomodate it. Are the trucks like this too? You can't even drain all the oil out of the pan probably 1-1.5 quarts never come out. The sway bar is tapping at the oil pan as I see the paint is remove from the crease in the pan. Any idea? I just drive on the highway. Thanks!

FamilyRide · 12-11-2004, 06:05 PM

One of you duplicated posts will ghet deleted, but look at my reply in the other one.

COuld you have installed the bar upside down?

DOGdiesel316 · 12-12-2004, 05:21 AM

The bar turns upward. There is about 2" of room between the bar and the pan when it is parked.

mike650 · 12-12-2004, 10:56 AM

You have something very wrong going on there!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/vulnerable.gif[/img]

Familyride may be right.

How did you attach the bar to the OEM arms?

I have a Hellwig in the front and it works just fine. There is around 6" clearance from the bar to the front of the pan. No dent or crease on my pan. When draining oil the bar does not interfere at all.

One other observation on our X. There is about 2"'s clearance between the front sway bar and the front axle(where the axle and drive shaft meet). I would think the sway bar would hit this first before the oil pan. Zero problems with our swaybar hitting anything and it should be the same with your Excursion. Our X see's a mixture of highway and off-road.

-Mike

DOGdiesel316 · 12-12-2004, 01:03 PM

I think it was the OEM arms but don't really remember until I look at the original parts I removed. Which are in my equipment yard. My oil pan has a recess formed in it for the sway bar from the factory. When I did the original oil change I wondered how you get all the oil out of the pan. You can't unless you suck it out.

DOGdiesel316 · 12-12-2004, 01:57 PM

http://www.angelfire.com/dragon2/gs9...n_oil_pan1.jpg

look here to see picture

FamilyRide · 12-12-2004, 03:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.angelfire.com/dragon2/gs9...n_oil_pan1.jpg

look here to see picture

[/ QUOTE ]

What the??????? Did you look at mine to compare? Yours looks like no other pan I've seen.

You don't have any information (no sig or profile) so I don't know what year etc. I think maybe in one of your other posts you mentioned a 2004 and I assumed 6.0. That pan just looks weird! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

If this is a 2004, why did you replace the OEM bar??

DOGdiesel316 · 12-12-2004, 06:35 PM

It is an 04 Excursion and it has a Hellwig sway bar to help handling. The bar is slightly larger diameter than stock. There is another picture and thread here http://forums.thedieselstop.com/ubbt...=1#Post2142658

Bruce1954 · 12-12-2004, 07:35 PM

???????????

Not sure since I have a 7.3

But I think you put the bar on upside down and smashed your pan [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/depressed.gif[/img]

Bruce

Bruce1954 · 12-12-2004, 07:50 PM

I hate to say it but here Goes

First In my opinion changing the front bar is a waste of $$$$$

The little bit of gain (if any) is not worth it in my opinion.

No one has ever posted the actual diameter of the front hellwig so I am not sure if it is any stiffer

And if you had the OE 24mm rear bar why not replace it for under $50.00 with a ford 30mm??? very close to the Helwig, some have said the same size

(Some had said that the 1.25 rear Helwig is a bit under the stated size)

It would be nice if someone would document with a set of dial calapers what the real size is, I can tell you a Ford 30mm is within a few thousandths of 30mm

I my opinion when it comes to the sway bar issue if you have OE bar change to the 30mm or use the Rear Helwig if you have nothing or all the parts from Ford are about the same $$$ if you want to stay OE.

Leave the front alone

Change the front springs to what ever, (well documented here)

And use your shocks of choice.

But again this is what works for me and my opinions.

Bruce

fordmastertech · 12-12-2004, 08:46 PM

By looking at the picture you can clearly see the bar is installed up side down. You need to flip it over and change the oil pan and possibly the oil pickup tube.
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

FamilyRide · 12-12-2004, 10:06 PM

A couple of tid bits of advise to make the "forum" experience better. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Please don't take this a a "chop busting", it's not. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

First, please don't post URL's as links. Use the UUB code just below the reply box. Pasting in the URL makes the post 2 miles wide and really hard to read. You will loose viewers.

Second, restrict your question to one post in one forum. The mod's will more than likely come along and start deleting threads because the same subject is post several times. Hopefully the thread with the most usful information survives. The mods seem to "clean up" about once a week or so.

I won't bother adding any more to the subject because I'm not sure which one to reply to. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] (although it looks like within these posts you have the answer. The bar is upside down and the crease was cause by the bar. Hopefully you can find a decent priced pan. Even 1st Ford Parts is about $270 plus I think there is 2 gaskets.)

DOGdiesel316 · 12-13-2004, 01:27 PM

Thanks for the tips on posting. Don't really know the UBB code thing. I just started to panic and know in other forums some people only look at one area. I figured the Excursion area is a smaller number of people so I posted it in two places. Bar will be flipped and the mechanic will pull motor, install new pan, pickup and what ever else. Thanks for your help guys. Friend on the Corvette forum suggested the Hellwig and a few did here also. Bilsteins are on and a nice addtion.
Again thanks [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/depressed.gif[/img]