Towing a trailer can dramatically change a vehicle's handling, making a suspension upgrade vital for heavy or light-duty truck owners who want a safer and smoother towing experience. Common challenges such as uneven loads, excessive sway, and poor ride quality increase the complexity and potential risk of towing heavy trailers. A robust suspension system is important not only for maintaining control and improving ride quality but also for ensuring safety when your truck is under stress.
As more truck owners recognize these challenges, the popularity of upgrading suspension systems continues to grow. Among these enhancements, Timbren SES stands out as a top choice for effectively reducing roll and sway. This upgrade offers a DIY solution for safely managing heavy loads and enhancing vehicle performance, making it a must-have for those who tow or haul.
Towing Suspension Upgrades Prevent Trailer Sag And Sway
One of the most common issues truck owners face when towing is the dreaded trailer sag and sway. This challenge can arise even with trucks designed to handle heavy loads, leaving drivers puzzled as to why their vehicle rear suspension squats once a trailer is hooked up. The resulting sag affects the truck’s performance, causing the trailer to sway dangerously and compromising the overall towing experience.
Understanding why a truck squats under load and recognizing the safety concerns of driving with a squatted truck are additional important topics for anyone who tows. In the following sections, we will explore why trucks experience this squatting despite being built for towing and discuss the potential safety hazards linked to a squatting truck. Suspension upgrades like Timbren SES prevent these challenges and provide a secure towing experience.
Why Heavy-Duty Trucks Squat When Towing Trailers
Here’s a question we hear all the time: “If my truck was made to tow heavy loads, why does it squat when I hook up my trailer?”
Even though your truck has a certain GVWR rating (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and a maximum payload set by the manufacturer, that does not mean the truck is going to sit level when you add 1,000 lb of tongue weight to your trailer hitch. The springs on a standard suspension – usually leaf springs – have a linear spring rate. In other words, they compress at a constant rate. For example, if the leaf springs compress 1” for every 500 lb. added, they will continue to compress at the same rate until they have completely bottomed out.
An upgraded suspension for towing that uses springs with a variable spring rate (like Timbren’s Aeon hollow rubber springs) compresses at a progressive rate. This self-adjusting spring rate increases as the rubber spring continues to compress.
Why Is A Squatting Truck Unsafe To Drive?
When you’re driving with vehicle sag, you’ll be white-knuckling to keep the vehicle in its lane and overcompensating with corrective steering. It’s unsafe and difficult to gain control of a vehicle when operating under these conditions. Here are three problems you’ll commonly experience due to rear-end sag:- Increased braking distance, inability to stop quickly
- Steering is loose – a feeling of ‘floating’ – because the vehicle’s maneuvering capabilities are unresponsive
- Misaligned steering leads to increased tire wear and uneven tire footprint, which can potentially decrease your fuel mileage
What Should I Do To Prevent Squatting, Sway, And Roll
It’s not uncommon for a pickup truck’s rear end to droop after a load of 200 – 300 pounds has been added. And the sag becomes increasingly obvious as you near the maximum load rating. Here are some of the most common truck upgrade solutions for suspension sag and squat:
Add A Leaf
The add a leaf category of suspension products involves adding an additional rear leaf to your vehicle’s existing leaf spring. This method increases the vehicle's load-bearing capacity and enhances stability by reducing swaying and sagging.
Adding leaf truck suspension products for towing has a few potential drawbacks. They can stiffen the ride when not towing, which may affect comfort during daily driving. If this type of product is not installed correctly, it can increase wear on other suspension components.
Hellwig Helper Springs
Hellwig Helper Springs are designed to provide additional support to your vehicle's existing suspension system, especially for carrying heavier loads. They sit on top of the existing leaf springs at the rear of your truck, keeping the vehicle level under load.
Pros:
- Adjustable: This can be adjusted to allow fine-tuning based on the weight being towed or hauled.
- Capacity: Enhances the vehicle's load-carrying capacity, contributing to increased safety and ride quality.
Cons:
- Professional Installation: Installation can be more complex, often necessitating professional help.
- Maintenance: The system may require periodic adjustments to maintain optimal performance.
Super Springs
Super Springs automatically adjust to load changes, providing consistent support without the need for manual adjustments. Although similar to Hellwig, they take slightly less time to install, offer slightly more spring capacity, and provide better unloaded ride quality.
Pros:
- Self-Adjusting: The self-adjusting mechanism delivers reliable performance with minimal intervention.
- Capacity: Significantly boosts the vehicle's capacity to handle heavy loads by limiting sag and sway.
Cons:
- Cost: Higher cost compared to simpler solutions like add a leaf.
- Compatibility: Issues can arise with certain vehicle models, limiting their applicability.
Foam Suspension Upgrades
Foam suspension upgrades offer another approach to improving vehicle suspension systems for towing. These systems utilize advanced foam materials that react to load changes, offering progressive resistance and stability. However, this material has limitations, including less longevity than some other options, and it is not made for extreme cold weather use.
SumoSprings
SumoSprings is a foam suspension upgrade product known for its simplicity. Designed with micro-cellular urethane, SumoSprings provide a fluid-like response to pressure changes. They progressively absorb impacts and adjust to different load conditions, providing a more stable drive.
Pros:
- Ride Comfort: These springs deliver a quieter, smoother ride by minimizing noise and vibrations from road irregularities.
- Load Adaptability: Automatically adapt to different loads, providing consistent support without needing driver intervention.
- Easy Installation: Typically straightforward to install, making them accessible even for those less mechanically inclined.
Cons:
- Cost: They tend to be more expensive than traditional helper spring systems, which might be a barrier for some users.
- Load Limitations: While helpful for moderate loads, more robust solutions might be required for heavier towing needs.
Not All Weather: Foam products harden and lose effectiveness in extreme cold temperatures.
Airbags
Airbags, as a suspension upgrade for trucks, are an adaptable solution designed to handle a wide range of towing needs. These systems use pressurized air to provide adjustable support, allowing drivers to customize their vehicle's suspension.
Airbags were originally designed as an alternative to leaf springs. Products like Air Lift and Ride-Rite have been around for several decades. Designed to sit between the frame and the leaf spring, an airbag suspension serves as a helper spring for those who haul varying load sizes.
Pros:
- Adjustability: Airbags allow for precise air pressure adjustment to adapt to different load weights, maintaining proper vehicle alignment and stability.
- Improved Ride Quality: By customizing the suspension's firmness, airbags can reduce bounce and sway, enhancing comfort and control during towing.
- Load Leveling: These systems help keep the vehicle level, which is crucial for handling and safety, particularly in vehicles experiencing significant sag from heavy loads.
Cons:
- Installation Complexity: Setting up airbags can be more complicated, often requiring professional installation.
- Cost: The system's need for a compressor, air lines, and potentially additional parts can make airbags a more costly option.
- Maintenance Requirements: Airbags require regular checks, maintenance, and inflation adjustments to ensure that they are functioning correctly.
Hollow Rubber Springs
Hollow rubber springs are a straightforward yet highly effective way to upgrade a truck's suspension system for towing. Made from durable, hollowed-out rubber, they provide progressive resistance against loads.
Rubber helper springs work by absorbing road and off-road shocks and supporting additional weight, making them ideal for reducing sag and sway when hauling trailers. Their simplicity, lack of required maintenance, and longevity make hollow rubber springs a popular choice among truck owners seeking reliable performance.
Timbren SES
Timbren is a leading brand in the hollow rubber spring market. It is known for offering top-tier truck suspension enhancement systems for towing. The Timbren SES (Suspension Enhancement System) is designed to seamlessly integrate with a vehicle's existing suspension and deliver superior performance under load.
Pros:
- Unmatched Reliability: Timbren SES efficiently reduces squatting, sway, and roll, offering unparalleled stability and control when towing heavy loads.
- Ease of Installation: The simple design, which replaces your tow vehicle’s factory bump stop, allows for quick and easy DIY installation without the need for complicated adjustments or additional equipment.
- Maintenance-Free: Once installed, Timbren suspension kits require no maintenance, providing consistent and durable support throughout their lifespan.
- Enhanced Safety: Timbren springs enhance overall handling and safety by keeping vehicles level and stable, ensuring a smoother, more controlled towing experience.
- Adaptability: The adjustable spring rate responds automatically to load weight changes.
- All-Weather Performance: Aeon rubber isn’t affected by extreme cold weather temperatures and continues to perform regardless of the weather.
Cons:
- Height Limitations: While Timbren SES is designed for trucks at factory height, spacer kits are available to perfectly fit lifted vehicles.
Timbren is one of the best suspension upgrades for towing. Its superior design and performance make it the clear winner for those seeking reliable, maintenance-free, DIY, and highly effective towing solutions.
What Makes Timbren SES The Bulletproof Suspension Upgrade?
“I choose the Timbren SES system because I do not have 100% confidence in airbags. The Timbren system is bulletproof. I have been using them for 10 years of towing a 14,000 lb fifth wheel. My new truck will wear these Timbrens forever!!” Larry S.
Here are some of the reasons why people who use Timbren SES think they are bulletproof:
Stronger than steel: One unique characteristic of Aeon® hollow rubber springs is their progressive spring rate. As the load increases, the more they resist the load.
Leaf springs, on the other hand, deflect under load in a linear fashion, which causes sag and bottoming out. Aeon® springs deflect progressively, keeping the vehicle level at all times. If you add Aeon® hollow rubber springs to the suspension mix, you will lengthen the life of the leaf springs. Keeping the vehicle level reduces the stress on the suspension and prevents the leaf springs from breaking.
More reliable than air: Another unique characteristic of Aeon® hollow rubber springs is something called “hysteresis.” In other words, Aeon® springs have the self-damping ability to absorb road shock.
Unlike air suspensions, Aeon® rubber springs do not need pipes, hoses, compressors, or shock absorbers to help maintain stability. In fact, they’re used to help stabilize and protect an air ride suspension.
Air ride suspensions can’t adjust quickly enough to roll and sway on large, heavy trucks. Timbren’s Aeon® natural rubber springs significantly reduce roll and sway and help to stabilize the entire vehicle, making it one of the best truck suspension upgrades for towing.
What Version of Timbren SES Do I Need for My Truck and Trailer?
Choosing the right Timbren suspension system for your truck is important for optimal performance and safety when towing. Timbren offers two primary versions of its Suspension Enhancement System: Standard Service Rubber Springs and Severe Service Rubber Springs. Each version is tailored to different towing needs and vehicle requirements, ensuring that you have the optimal system for your specific setup.
Standard Service Rubber Springs
Standard Service Rubber Springs are designed for trucks used for regular towing or hauling activities. They provide excellent support and stability, effectively reducing squat, sway, and roll without sacrificing ride comfort when the truck is not loaded. The Aeon® rubber springs used in Standard Service SES kits are double-convoluted, providing a perfect blend of capacity and ride quality.
Ideal For:
- Daily driving with occasional towing or moderate loads.
- Truck owners who require enhanced performance without the need to manage extremely heavy or frequent heavy-duty applications.
- Ensuring a smoother, more controlled ride for standard-weight trailers.
Severe Service Rubber Springs
Severe Service Rubber Springs offers a more robust solution for trucks that regularly deal with extremely heavy loads or operate under severe conditions. This version is built to handle significant stress, providing maximum support and enhanced durability.
The severe service rubber springs are single-convoluted, designed to resist weight more aggressively. The result is a slightly stiffer ride quality in exchange for more muscle and stability. Severe service springs are typically made from harder durometer rubber, which resists weight more efficiently than softer rubber.
Ideal For:
- Commercial vehicles or trucks that frequently tow or haul extremely heavy loads.
- Situations where additional stability is needed, such as challenging road conditions that demand the utmost in performance.
- High center of gravity towing applications such as truck campers.
Understanding the difference between these two products is essential for selecting the optimal Timbren SES for your truck. If your primary usage involves high center of gravity towing, such as a truck camper, or commercial-grade applications, such as a salt spreader, the Severe Service Rubber Springs are recommended to ensure you meet the demands of your towing needs. Otherwise, the Standard Service Rubber Springs will provide more than adequate support for regular, everyday towing tasks.
Make the Right Choice for Your Truck Suspension
There’s nothing more dangerous than a squatting truck trying to tow a trailer. Even though there are many helper-spring alternatives to choose from, wouldn’t you want to go with a product that’s made to last a lifetime?
Timbren designed and developed a durable suspension solution for towing trailers and hauling large loads. End roll and sway caused by heavy loads added to your truck’s suspension, while making squatting a thing of the past.
Increase safety and stability with Timbren SES upgrades—designed to deliver unmatched towing performance and confidence on the road.
