Towing with your pickup can be dangerous at the best of times. If your truck has been lifted, you’re faced with a whole new ball game with 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’re planning to tow with a lifted pickup truck.
Why does my lifted pickup sag so much when it's loaded?
A lifted truck 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 any 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.
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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 truck when it's squatting?
The truth is, it’s hard to control any vehicle with a standard suspension. But if you have modified the rear of your pickup by lifting it an extra 2 inches, the front end of the truck is going to sit higher than normal. If that happens, the front tires will lose their traction, making it difficult for the driver to steer.
At the end of the day, a sagging rear suspension not only creates hampered steering and instability, but the added height also compounds the problem. That’s why we say that “a lifted pickup truck isn’t the most ideal setup for towing.”
What are my options to prevent trailer sag with my lifted pickup?
There are three options to try to prevent trailer sag:
- Reduce the tongue weight of the trailer.
- Remove the lift kit and return to standard ride height.
- Install helper springs.
Okay, let’s assume that the first 2 options aren’t feasible. We can still explore the 3rd option: Install helper springs.
To prevent the back end of your truck from sagging under the additional weight of a trailer, it will be necessary to install a suspension helper spring. 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 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 as effective if the vehicle has been lifted. The problem is the extra space between the frame and the axle.
To solve this problem, Timbren designed a spacer kit that will reduce the extra space caused by the modification. So, what is a spacer kit?
Good news! You don’t need to sacrifice towing and hauling performance just because your pickup sits a little higher than stock. A simple-to-install spacer kit will compensate for the extra height.
Here’s how it works:
Each spacer kit comes with two 1” and two 1/2” spacers along with all the necessary hardware, allowing you to mix and match the components to achieve the desired ride height. Whether you need to add 1/2 inch, 1 inch, or 1-1/2 inches, it’s your choice!
Don’t sacrifice function for style. A Timbren SES spacer kit will give your lifted vehicle the maximum suspension performance that you have come to expect.
So, if you’re buying an SES kit for your lifted truck, be sure to pick up a Timbren spacer kit as well so you can use your SES kit exactly the way it was designed to be used.
Why are Timbren SES spacer kits the bullet proof option for your lifted truck?
Timbren SES upgrades have been the bulletproof towing option for over fifty years for over 400 different makes and models. Adding a Timbren spacer kit that accommodates a truck with a 2 inch lift allows an SES upgrade to remain bulletproof.
If you wish to safely tow a trailer with your lifted truck, install a Timbren SES kit along with a Timbren SES spacer kit. Always use an approved Timbren lift kit with your SES suspension kit to ensure that your purchase will remain under warranty.
Every Timbren SES product comes with a Lifetime Warranty and a 100-Day Money-Back Guarantee. For more information on Timbren SES products, visit Timbren.com.
