Wandering about the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, we made a quick stop to chat with our friends at Hellwig Suspension Products to get the inside scoop on what’s new and what is in development.
“We’ve released several products throughout the year,” said Melanie Hellwig-White. “The helper springs for the new Ford F-150 have a 2,500 pound load capacity. The Hellwig three-leaf helper spring adds additional support to the Toyota Tacoma by reducing the stiff, factory overload spring and replacing it with three progressive rate springs.
An award-winning product at SEMA, the Pro-Series helper spring makes for a great addition to any truck that needs help in the towing department.
The F150 Pro-Series helper spring is a two-leaf spring that helps to improve towing and hauling performance by leveling out the vehicle. “We have designed 2,600-lb air bag kits and helper springs for the F-150 two- and four-wheel drive,” said White. “They are complete with heavy-duty brackets and a lifetime warranty on anything of ours that is steel.”
Hellwig’s new helper spring are Hammertone powdercoated and can be installed on top of the factory leaf pack with simple hand tools. The interesting characteristic about this new product is that the helper spring can be adjusted left to right if the vehicle is carrying an uneven load.
“We have one through four leaf springs setups to match what you are towing,” said Knaus. “It’s really easy to bolt on, saving you time from tearing up your truck to adjust it since it uses four U-bolts. These are good if you always have weight in the back of your truck.”
As a result, the addition of more springs provides extra support when the truck is loaded, eliminating the jarring ride trucks are prone to when the bed is empty.
Another new product Hellwig showcased was their new line of HD Air Suspension kits, which are designed for light trucks. Hellwig’s goal here is to provide a more comfortable ride in your light truck application by giving users the ability to adjust to any specific rate needed in relation to the load they are carrying.
“The air suspension is good for the weekend warrior,” said Knaus. “Essentially the leaf springs and air suspension serve the same function, just tailored for different uses.”
The options available for Ford, Ram, and GM trucks include a two-inch or four-inch rear lift. The brackets are made of heavy duty steel and are powdercoated as well, making them resistant to even the worst of weather conditions.
The last new product Hellwig had on display were sway bars for the 2015 Ford Mustang, 2015 F-150, and 2016 Toyota Tacoma. Hellwig Director of Engineering Ben Knaus was on hand at the booth, who helped designed the sway bars at their factory in Visalia, California.
“Our new sway bars help to provide better handling for trucks, giving the driver better control at the wheel during towing and daily driving,” said Knaus. “Each of our sway bars for specific applications help to reduce body roll significantly and improve overall steering response.”
Introducing several products throughout the year, Hellwig has been busy at the drawing board to bring the automotive world quality products that they can stand by with their lifetime warranty. For pricing and more, be sure to visit Hellwig Suspension Products website to inquire accordingly.