Do you use your truck to haul heavy stuff or tow a large trailer? If so, it’s important that your truck sits level at all times – particularly when you’re towing a trailer. If your truck sags or squats while towing, it would be wise to look into getting a set of truck helper springs.
Today we’ll explore various suspension helper springs – some that work and some that don’t. We’ll also include a Timbren helper springs review for those of you who aren’t sure which suspension helper springs are best for your truck.
What are helper springs?
There are several truck helper springs that are available online. Some of them are made of metal, some foam, and even rubber. If you have done a Google search, no doubt you’ve seen the following:
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Add-a-leaf
Hellwig leaf spring helpers and SuperSprings are designed to bolt to the top of your leaf springs to prevent sag, helping to eliminate bottoming out.
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Air bags
Airbag suspension helpers like Firestone Air Bags and Air Lift Air Bags allow you to adjust the pressure to compensate for different payload conditions. You can tweak the amount of air to get the ride you want. -
Rubber
Timbren helper springs are made from natural rubber, designed to replace the original bumpstops. Timbren SES is an easy-to-install DIY system. Sometimes called shock helper springs, these hollow rubber springs can absorb road shock just like shock absorbers.
What are Timbren helper springs?
Timbren SES truck springs were first developed for the North American market in 1968. The sale of SES kits has expanded since then to include well over 400 kits for everything from small pickups to big rigs like Peterbilt.
Timbren SES rubber helper springs, aka Aeon® hollow rubber springs, are at the heart of every Timbren SES product. They are the alternative to metal and air. Why? Because Aeon® springs are stronger than steel and more reliable than air. (More on that later.)
Aeon® springs come in various sizes and shapes: single, double, and even triple convolutions, some round, some square. A set of Aeon® springs provide extra weight capacity for your suspension, starting at 1,000 lbs up to 50,000 lbs. Every SES kit is a combination of carefully selected Aeon® springs and components that can be installed on virtually every truck, van and SUV that rolls off the assembly line.
Designed as a helper spring to assist with heavy loads, Timbren SES upgrades do not replace or override the existing suspension. Most SES helper springs for trucks are rated between 6000 - 8600 lbs of additional capacity while severe service suspension upgrades are rated for up to an additional 12,000 lbs.
The average SES kit for a half ton pickup lists for about $300.00.
The following outlines five simple steps to install an SES kit for a 2023 Chevy Silverado:
- Raise vehicle
- Remove OEM bump stops
- Assemble Steel disc, rubber spacer and Aeon rubber spring (as shown in diagram).
- Mount to vehicle frame using Timbren supplied fasteners.
- Lower vehicle
This easy installation takes less than 30 minutes.
How do Timbren helper springs stand up to the competition?
Add-a-leaf
- Price: $500
- Progressive spring rate: NO
- DIY installation: NO
- Improved ride quality: NO
- Durability: NO
- Lifetime Warranty: NO
- 100-day money back guarantee: NO
Airbags
- Price: $2500
- Progressive spring rate: NO
- DIY installation: NO
- Improved ride quality: YES
- Durability: NO
- Lifetime Warranty: NO
- 100-day money back guarantee: NO
Timbren SES
- Price: $297
- Progressive spring rate: YES
- DIY installation: YES
- Improved ride quality: YES
- Durability: YES
- Lifetime Warranty: YES
- 100-day money back guarantee: YES
Why are Timbren helper springs the best truck helper springs?
Timbren helper springs review:
Timbren SES is a helper spring that’s been around since 1968. Timbren SES suspension helper springs are a radical departure from older, more conventional methods of adding additional weight capacity. As you may have guessed, Timbren SES suspension upgrades don’t depend on compressed air. Neither are they made of metal.
Here’s the thing:
Because they’re made of natural rubber, Timbren SES upgrades offer you several features and benefits that the others can’t provide. Two innate characteristics of Timbren hollow rubber springs that the competition can’t provide are:
- Progressive spring rate
Unlike a linear spring rate, a progressive spring rate continually increases as the load increases.* For this reason, Timbren SES upgrades guarantee that your truck remains level and stable at all times - even under the heaviest loads.
*Note: Even though the spring capacity is increased, the GVWR remains the same as set by the manufacturer.
Unlike airbags and leaf springs, Timbren’s Aeon® hollow rubber springs are able to absorb the rebound energy just like a shock absorber! That’s why they can deliver smooth ride quality even under the heaviest loads.
At the end of the day, Timbren SES suspension upgrades give you the biggest bang for your buck. Check out the benefits you receive when you install an SES upgrade:
- Affordable - most Timbren kits are less than $300.00
- Easy to install - most Timbren kits take less than 30 minutes to install
- Absorbs road shock - Timbren SES kits improve the ride quality while loaded
- Levels out the trailer - Timbren SES kits keep the tow vehicle from squat
- Zero maintenance - just set it and forget it
- Prevents roll and sway - Timbren SES kits help to stabilize the load
- Helps maintain control - improves steering and braking
For more information on how to get your hands on a set of Timbren SES upgrades, visit Timbren.com or contact Customer Service: Sales@timbren.com
