Rudy Hellwig first came up with his idea for the Hellwig Helper Spring after seeing cars and trucks with heavy loads sagging under the extra weight. This led to unsafe changes in the handling and likely caused a lot of accidents. Rudy manufactured his Helper Springs at night in his shop and would sell and install them in a customer’s driveway with the help of his son Don. Hellwig Products has remained a family business ever since its founding in 1946.
Don’s son Mark joined the company in the 1960s and currently serves as CEO. Melanie Hellwig White came to the business after gaining experience in other industries and now holds the title of president. Melanie is proud to be the fourth generation Hellwig working in the family business.
HELLWIG STORY
A family owned business for over 65 years, Hellwig Products specializes in 100% American Made, precision engineered products at the ISO9001 certified facility in Visalia, CA.. Company makes products that give you a better driving experience, whether its a truck, RV or muscle car! Hellwig Products was founded in 1946 after World War II and has remained family owned and operated to this day, manufacturing all of its steel products in California’s Central Valley.
In an era when many companies have moved production of their products overseas, Hellwig has remained steadfast in its commitment to produce its products in America. Thanks to Hellwig’s commitment to quality manufacturing and research and development it also produces sway bars and other suspension components for companies that are looking for the very best. Hellwig has also helped to grow and develop the automotive aftermarket as a founding member of SEMA, having attended the first ever SEMA show in Los Angeles in the basement of Dodger Stadium.
After a 1963 Hot Rod Magazine feature showed how effectively Hellwig adjustable stabilizers eliminated handling problems inherent in stock Chevrolet Corvair suspensions, word of the company’s products spread. In the late 1960s, Hellwig expanded and relocated to their current headquarters in Visalia, California. Hellwig remains a family-owned business with a 4th generation actively and passionately involved today, and looks to the future with excitement of developing and refining products for an ever changing market.
OE SUPPLIER
For the last 74 years, Hellwig Products has been making precision-engineered suspension products from American sourced steel at their facility in California. A family-owned company from the start, Hellwig is dedicated to helping enthusiasts with all their suspension needs. Transforming from a father and son door-to-door sales operation to a manufacturing powerhouse distributing worldwide, its dedication towards constantly improving its products to develop the best performance suspension parts remains unchanged. American manufacturing is in their DNA.
Throughout the years, Hellwig Products has developed innovative suspension systems that help vehicles handle loads and control sway. The product portfolio primarily includes anti-sway bars for aftermarket and OEM applications. Offering private label manufacturing, proprietary manufacturing, and specialty engineering services, Hellwig consistently develops unique and innovative products and services for its customers. Over the years, Hellwig has designed the most popular (and imitated) load assist products ever introduced in the light truck aftermarket, including the Load Pro 25 Series.
Hellwig’s development team helps their clients refine their sway bar designs, ensures their products will fit properly into their suspension assemblies and verifies their products’ performance will live up to the rigors of the real world.
Design & Simulation Capabilities: The Hellwig team uses Solid Works and AutoCAD software to model parts, ensuring the best possible fit and operation of the sway bars. In addition to the modeling program, they have a FaroArm coordinate measuring machine which allows them to accurately measure, model and reproduce physical samples.
Prototyping Capabilities: Before going into larger volume production runs, Hellwig has the ability to create prototypes for their customers testing and approval. With their CNC Tube Bender, CNC Press brake and CNC plasma table and expanded CNC machine shop they have the ability to quickly make small quantities without having to pay large tooling fees. Additionally, for parts that don’t match the machine’s capabilities, they have full-time staff to fabricate custom prototypes.
Manufacturing Capabilities: Depending on the production run quantity and the materials, they can continue to use the CNC equipment or create dies to run parts. These dies are used to hot form sway bars and leaf springs using their custom made hydraulic presses and in-house tooling. With their 2000°F slot furnaces and 250-ton coining presses, they can forge a wide variety of ends on the sway bars. Hellwig stocks and uses a range of materials including 4140, 1018, 1025 DOM, 5160 and A36 steels. Both the 5160 and 4140 can be heat treated on site to RC 35-40 using their furnaces, oil tanks and tempering oven. They also have the capability to create brackets and source polyurethane bushings, hardware, U-bolts, etc. Their finished goods are powder coated at their facility for a durable, rust-free finish.
ISO CERTIFICATION
They are proud to announce that Hellwig Products has received ISO 14001:2015 certification for environmental management systems. This recent certification joins their ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management systems.
The ISO 14001 certification is a family of standards related to environmental management that exists to help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment; comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements; and continually improve in the above.
They are proud of this accomplishment and are committed to providing quality products as they have for the past 74 years.