Air bags, helper springs, or something else a good idea?

banerjek

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Most of the time, I carry a 1200 lb cabover which puts me right at payload capacity by the time I add two people and stuff.

When I originally picked up my truck, the guys at Ford suggested I ride with the stock suspension for awhile. I've done this for 9 months and while it's workable, my truck's enough of a handful I wouldn't trust anyone behind the wheel who's not pretty mellow -- I get a lot of roll in corners and on roads with deep holes. I spend a lot of time on rough roads.

From what I can tell, helper springs might be a good choice for me, but I don't know what I'm doing so I'm looking for a reality check to make sure I'm thinking of both my problem and the options in the best way.
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kieefer

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If you’re always going to have the cab over on I think the helper springs would be a good choice. It’s a more permanent fix.

I pulled a landscape trailer for a few years and added air bags. This was great for me because I didn’t always carry that load.
Over the years I’ve used both and like the airbags better. Both would serve your purpose imo.
 

Rviator

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It sounds as if you might want to look into adding a rear stabilizer bar. There's a thread somewhere where Hellwig was looking into making one. My F-350 had one as part of the camper pkg. Hauled a cab over camper with no issues.
100_0731.jpeg
 
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banerjek

banerjek

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After hemming and hawing, I wound up installing some Timbrens.

Looks like a good call -- easy on the wallet, handling and ride are way better, and install was a breeze.
 


Jake596

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After hemming and hawing, I wound up installing some Timbrens.

Looks like a good call -- easy on the wallet, handling and ride are way better, and install was a breeze.
Can you shoot some pics for us, got me thinking about these..
 
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banerjek

banerjek

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I won't get home until late tonight, but here's a shot of the Timbrens next to the stock jounce bumper (inverted). Not shown is the Timbrens steel plate that contacts the frame -- basically a sturdy round metal disk.

In addition to visible differences, the Timbrens are far beefier and the rubber is better than the stock jounce bumper -- the support difference is massive. Aside from making the truck drive much better, it barely moves at all when I hop onto the trailer hitch step.

I'm very happy with this purchase and think this is an excellent option for those who regularly carry heavy loads.

Timbrens_and_Jounce.jpg
 

HenryMac

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Timbrens.... I learned something today :like:

"HOW THEY WORK: The SES kits are designed to mount between your axle and frame leaving approximately an inch or less between the SES kit and the axle. When your suspension compresses the Timbren kit will kick in and help to support your stock suspension.

CONSTRUCTION: Timbren kits consist of Aeon hollow rubber springs and any hardware or brackets required for installation. The Aeon springs are the heart of the kits. These extremely durable springs are constructed of a high grade rubber that are backed by a lifetime warranty. "


https://www.suspensionconnection.com/frrgr-ranger-load-support.html
 

djrobb

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I occasionally haul a 5000lb boat and 6,000lb cargo trailer. Maybe once a month. Do the Timbrens negatively impact ride quality when not towing? I have the Eibach springs and struts and I don’t want to mess up the unloaded ride. Thanks!
 

Jake596

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Hey Banerjek how was removing the old bump stops ?
 
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banerjek

banerjek

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Hey Banerjek how was removing the old bump stops ?
This was pretty easy -- nominally, all you do is remove and reinsert two bolts that are not that hard to get at. I didn't even remove the camper nor the wheel.

The only tools you need are 13mm and 17mm sockets and a 6" (I think) extension. Shorter won't allow you to reach the bolt. Longer and you won't have enough clearance to work.

To remove the bump stop, raise the truck high enough to completely unload the suspension. The old floor jack I used for my car (I didn't previously have a truck) could only lift 15" which was not sufficient so I bought an all in one jack stand and bottle jack on Amazon. Clever device -- not sure how I went so long without knowing about it.

13mm socket removes the existing bolt. Curiously, it had already corroded and took an impressive amount of force to remove considering it had only been in place for a year. Timbrens supplies a longer bolt with a 17mm head. I greased it up before inserting it through a large washer inside the rubber spring, metal base plate, and tightening it down in the hole used by the original bump stop.

Difficulty wise, this job is on a par with changing oil -- no particular skills or knowledge needed.
 

Jake596

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This was pretty easy -- nominally, all you do is remove and reinsert two bolts that are not that hard to get at. I didn't even remove the camper nor the wheel.

The only tools you need are 13mm and 17mm sockets and a 6" (I think) extension. Shorter won't allow you to reach the bolt. Longer and you won't have enough clearance to work.

To remove the bump stop, raise the truck high enough to completely unload the suspension. The old floor jack I used for my car (I didn't previously have a truck) could only lift 15" which was not sufficient so I bought an all in one jack stand and bottle jack on Amazon. Clever device -- not sure how I went so long without knowing about it.

13mm socket removes the existing bolt. Curiously, it had already corroded and took an impressive amount of force to remove considering it had only been in place for a year. Timbrens supplies a longer bolt with a 17mm head. I greased it up before inserting it through a large washer inside the rubber spring, metal base plate, and tightening it down in the hole used by the original bump stop.

Difficulty wise, this job is on a par with changing oil -- no particular skills or knowledge needed.
Awesome, these are officially on my to do list, thanks for the detailed response. I was considering ADD-A leaf and or the BDS shackles, but this appears to be a happy medium between them both.
 
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banerjek

banerjek

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I occasionally haul a 5000lb boat and 6,000lb cargo trailer. Maybe once a month. Do the Timbrens negatively impact ride quality when not towing? I have the Eibach springs and struts and I don’t want to mess up the unloaded ride. Thanks!
These don't engage when you're unloaded, so ride should be good if you're on normal pavement or smooth gravel.

However, if you ride on surfaces rough enough to engage the suspension much or with enough load to engage them, the rear is going to feel stiff.
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