Increase ride height and ride quality with Ram 2500 spacer kits
Towing with your Ram 2500 can be dangerous at the best of times. If your pickup has been lifted, you’re faced with a whole new ball game and a different set of rules. If you want both flair and function, it will require a suspension upgrade that can accommodate the added space between frame and axle.
This short article has important information that will steer you in the right direction if you’ve decided to tow with a lifted Ram 2500.
Why does my lifted Ram 2500 sag when it's loaded?
A lifted Ram 2500 isn’t the most ideal setup for towing. When you modify the suspension, things like steering, braking, aerodynamics, and stability are suddenly altered. In extreme cases, your personal safety will be compromised. There are basically three reasons why a truck that has been lifted is less than ideal for towing:
- The extra-height (the added space between frame & axle) of a lifted truck will make it difficult to keep the trailer stable. When you change the factory geometry of a standard suspension, you change a lot of things. One of them is the location of the hitch. If the tongue on the trailer doesn’t line up properly with the hitch on the truck, that’s a problem.
- If the rear of your lifted truck squats, the front end is going to sit higher than normal. If that happens, the front tires will lose their traction, creating a serious issue with steering. At the end of the day, a sagging rear suspension creates instability, hampered steering, and reduced traction – an accident just waiting to happen.
- Continuing to tow with a sagging rear end, the suspension components will wear out faster.
Why is it hard to control my lifted Ram 2500 when it's squatting?
The truth is, it’s hard to control any vehicle that is squatting. But if you have modified the rear of your Ram 2500 by lifting it an extra 2 inches, the front end of the squatting truck is going to sit higher than normal. If that happens, the front tires will lose their traction, making it difficult to steer.
The following problems should explain why you will experience lack of control:
- Proper front end steering alignment is thrown off balance, causing the vehicle to have delayed steering response.
- The braking distance is extended due to significantly less weight on the front tires.
- The position of the vehicle’s front end causes its headlights to point upward, creating a nighttime road hazard by blinding oncoming traffic.
- Due to the misalignment of the steering, tire wear is increased, creating the potential for premature tire failure.
What can I do to prevent trailer sag in my lifted Ram 2500?
There are a few options to try to prevent trailer sag with a lifted Ram 2500:
- Reduce the tongue weight of the trailer.
- Remove the lift kit and return to standard ride height.
- Install helper springs.
Okay, I’m going to assume that the first 2 options are unacceptable. So, let’s explore the 3rd option:
Install helper springs
To prevent the back end of your truck from sagging under the additional weight of the trailer, it will be necessary to install suspension helper springs. There are various types of helper springs on the market. The most popular are leaf, air, and rubber. The strongest and most reliable are hollow rubber springs.
Timbren SES suspension upgrades - part # DR2500D - are made of rubber, hollow inside, and designed to replace the factory bump stops. Since Timbren SES upgrades work best on a truck with a standard suspension, they won’t be effective without something to adapt the SES upgrades to the lifted Ram 2500. The problem is the extra space between the frame and the axle.
That’s why Timbren designed a spacer kit for the Ram 2500 that will use up that extra space caused by the modification. So, what is a spacer kit?
Here’s how it works:
Each spacer kit comes with two 1 inch and two 1/2 inch spacers along with all the necessary hardware that allows you to achieve your desired ride height. By mixing and matching, you can add the exact amount of space to the height of your SES upgrade.
Are Timbren spacer kits the preferred option for my lifted Ram 2500?
Timbren SES upgrades have been the preferred towing option for over fifty years. Timbren SES kits work properly on trucks with a factory ride height. But a suspension that has been lifted is a problem. Spacer kits make it possible for Timbren SES kits to work just as effectively on a lifted truck as they do on trucks with a standard ride height.
If you wish to tow with your Ram 2500, you are limited to a modification of two inches. Anything beyond 2 inches creates a dangerous situation for towing. That’s why Timbren spacer kits are designed to add up to 2 inches and no more.
Always use an approved Timbren spacer kit with your SES suspension kit - part # DR2500D - to ensure that your purchase will remain under a Lifetime Warranty.
For more information, visit www.timbren.com.
