The Ford F-150 is a great pickup. In fact, it’s America’s best-selling truck. But here’s the thing: Regardless of its GVWR and robust towing capacity, the Ford F-150 still needs truck helper springs for its front and rear suspensions. Read on to find out why...
Is the Ford F-150 any different from other pickups?
Here’s the thing about the Ford F-150: It has always been America's best-selling truck because it's no stranger to hard work, living up to the “Built Ford Tough” slogan. More often than not, the F-150 leads the competition with best-in-class towing and payload ratings, putting it ahead of rivals like Ram, Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota, and Nissan.
But just like its competitors, the F-150 has the same independent suspension on the front end and a leaf-spring suspension on the rear:
Front suspension
Like most pickups today, the Ford F150 is designed to ride like a luxury sedan. However, increased ride quality means reduced load-bearing strength. Accordingly, when the front-end squats, the weight of the vehicle shifts forward which reduces the amount of traction on the rear tires. Furthermore, too much weight on the front end can throw the steering out and damage the suspension.
Rear suspension
Over the years, suspensions for pickups have evolved. Even though that may be true, the rear suspension on the Ford F150 continues to favour a leaf spring setup rather than a coil-over. Believe it or not, with enough added weight, the rear end will squat. When this happens, the weight of the vehicle shifts backward reducing the amount of traction on the front tires which will impact steering ability. Not only that, too much weight on the rear suspension can cause instability such as roll and sway.
Regardless of its GVWR and robust towing capacity, the Ford F-150 – just like its competitors – needs suspension spring helpers like the Ford F-150 rubber springs for its front and rear suspensions.
Why rubber springs?
For the longest time, suspensions were either metal leaf springs or air bag systems. Timbren Industries decided to introduce an alternative to metal and air: Aeon® hollow rubber springs.
Metal springs lacked good ride quality. Airbags, on the other hand, offered better ride quality but the cost was too much for the average consumer.
Here’s the reason why rubber springs became so popular: Timbren’s Aeon® hollow rubber springs provide the best of both worlds: more strength and better ride quality. And you get both benefits at an affordable price.
What are Timbren SES truck helper springs?
In 1968, Timbren Industries introduced Aeon® rubber springs to the North American market. These rubber springs became the heart of all SES suspension upgrade kits. Because they’re made of natural rubber, they provide some unique advantages that other springs do not:
Metal springs have a linear spring rate: In other words, a metal spring has the same spring rate as it compresses all the way down until it bottoms out. One of the unique characteristics of a hollow rubber spring is its progressive spring rate, the ability to self-adjust. As the load increases, so does the spring rate.
Aeon® hollow rubber springs possess a unique quality called “hysteresis.” Simply put, they act like a shock absorber.
Because of these 2 unique advantages, Timbren adopted the slogan “Stronger than steel, more reliable than air.”
There are now over 400 Timbren SES suspension upgrades available for virtually every truck, van, and SUV that rolls off the assembly line each year. Ford F-150 helper springs – part # FR1504E – are easy to install and require zero maintenance.
Why is Timbren part # FR1504E the best choice for your F-150?
It should be clear to you by now.
Regardless of its GVWR and robust towing capacity, the Ford F-150 still needs rubber springs for its front and rear suspensions. Technically speaking, a Timbren hollow rubber spring has certain characteristics that you won’t find with other spring helpers. For instance, hollow rubber springs...
- Have a progressive spring rate
These two characteristics offer some unique advantages:
- Their progressive spring rate means they automatically adjust to the load
- Increased stability even with super-heavy applications
- Self-damping means they act like a shock absorber
- A soft, comfortable ride empty or loaded
- Prevents damage to your suspension
- Installs quickly and easily
- Reasonably priced
Is it clear? Now do you know why the Ford F-150 needs FR1504E?
For more information on Timbren SES suspension upgrades, visit Timbren.com.
