sumo springs - little review

[silver billet]

Do you feel like the sumo’s helped remove any of the sway?

What type of sway? Unloaded, the springs definitely helped in terms of cornering, going around corners at speed the truck just feels more planted, like it's on rails (exaggerating, but get the idea). The hellwig helped a lot, but the sumo springs did even more in that area.

To be honest, I don't think they do much to prevent truck from swinging left/right in a wind storm or when passing a semi. I almost ditched my truck in my first 3km test, even with sumo springs installed. That's a different type of sway, caused by the trailer pivoting on the hitch. I think dialing in my WDH helped the most with that particular problem. I use the Husky center line with solid bars (not chains) and the bars have to sit perfectly flat, or else they don't rub enough on the bracket holding them up; the friction from the bar on the bracket is what acts as a sway bar.

So if I had to guess; the biggest improvements is cornering (truck stays flat, instead of dipping into the corner), and vertical bounce; truck feels much stiffer. Doesn't do much for horizontal sway caused by trailer being pushed around.

 

[LoNeStAr]

I agree having the wdh dialed in is the key to moving weight throughout the truck and trailer as well as helping with sway but the spring are supposed to help with that as well. I just can’t make up my mind whether I want to go sumo or Timbrens. It’s driving me crazy.

 

[silver billet]

Nothing like a good first world problem, eh?

I found myself getting used to the unloaded ride over the weekend, and the nicest unexpected surprise was the improved cornering; very little body lean around a corner. I suspect the Timbrens would work well too though, it's pretty much the same idea.

 

[mike_ct]

interested in seeing the diagonal cut as well!

 

[Tow dad]

Just installed blue sumos (lightest - 1,000 lb capacity) without spacers (2020 bighorn crew 4wd hemi). There's about 1/2 inch space at most. Unloaded ride is pretty much stock unless go over bumps or dips in road at speed then its a little choppier then stock ride. I tow 7k travel trailer, tried it around town with sumo's and ride and control was improved noticeably, less truck bounce when going over bumps or dips in road at speed. Truck felt more planted. Helped reduce truck rear squat by 1-1.5 inches which is what I wanted. Use 4-pt equalizer hitch. Recommend them for what I needed (reduce rear squat when towing, improve tow ride/stability, keep stock ride quality). Install was easy but tight, didn't raise truck.

 

[stew53]

Just installed blue sumos (lightest - 1,000 lb capacity) without spacers (2020 bighorn crew 4wd hemi). There's about 1/2 inch space at most. Unloaded ride is pretty much stock unless go over bumps or dips in road at speed then its a little choppier then stock ride. I tow 7k travel trailer, tried it around town with sumo's and ride and control was improved noticeably, less truck bounce when going over bumps or dips in road at speed. Truck felt more planted. Helped reduce truck rear squat by 1-1.5 inches which is what I wanted. Use 4-pt equalizer hitch. Recommend them for what I needed (reduce rear squat when towing, improve tow ride/stability, keep stock ride quality). Install was easy but tight, didn't raise truck.

I think the 4-pt equalizer hitch is doing most of the work. I installed the same Sumo Springs in our 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie, work fine for pulling our 4400 lb. boat with a 1700 lb. trailer. But When we loaded up for a 1 week fish camp, it swayed really bad. So bad I had to trade out the 2" drop hitch and put in a 1" lift hitch. So I plan to fix it the right way and loose the Sumo springs and put in an Air Lift 5000. Bring the rear end up, sharing the tow weight with the front end. Done a lot of research and spoke with people that have the air lift system and that looks like the way to go. Any thoughts before I drop the cash?

FYI, I didn't use the Sumo spacer but with a 3" lift to stop the swaying, it would not have made any difference.

 

[silver billet]

I think the 4-pt equalizer hitch is doing most of the work. I installed the same Sumo Springs in our 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie, work fine for pulling our 4400 lb. boat with a 1700 lb. trailer. But When we loaded up for a 1 week fish camp, it swayed really bad. So bad I had to trade out the 2" drop hitch and put in a 1" lift hitch. So I plan to fix it the right way and loose the Sumo springs and put in an Air Lift 5000. Bring the rear end up, sharing the tow weight with the front end. Done a lot of research and spoke with people that have the air lift system and that looks like the way to go. Any thoughts before I drop the cash?
View attachment 70221
FYI, I didn't use the Sumo spacer but with a 3" lift to stop the swaying, it would not have made any difference.

I don't think sumo springs, nor air lift will stop horizontal sway (trailer wagging the truck). It only works vertically (trailer hitch bouncing up and down on hitch).

For horizontal sway, it's all about dialing in the WDH and using proper swaybars.

With a boat that light, you should not be sagging using just stock Ram suspension, if your WDH is dialed in correctly. My travel trailer is heavier, with more tongue weight, and sits level when the WDH is attached.

So my guess is, first try and correct the issue just using WDH.

 

[silver billet]

Just as an update to my own truck, I ended up returning the sumo springs. I just couldn't handle the change in unloaded ride quality, that was one of the huge attractions of this particular truck and I'm not going to give that up. If it ends up riding like a 2500 or worse, then I may as well just buy one and enjoy the more powerful hemi and higher payload as well, rather than getting the worst of both worlds.

 

[stew53]

I don't think sumo springs, nor air lift will stop horizontal sway (trailer wagging the truck). It only works vertically (trailer hitch bouncing up and down on hitch).

For horizontal sway, it's all about dialing in the WDH and using proper swaybars.

With a boat that light, you should not be sagging using just stock Ram suspension, if your WDH is dialed in correctly. My travel trailer is heavier, with more tongue weight, and sits level when the WDH is attached.

So my guess is, first try and correct the issue just using WDH.

Yes, WDH would be the best.
But remember, going from a 2" drop to a 1" lift hitch took care of the swaying problem, it really did, the rest of the drive there and home had ZERO swaying.
Yes, there is a lot of sagging with the stock Ram suspension, I should have taken a picture. Never had this swaying and sagging problems before we loaded the truck for a week long fishing trip.
Also my EZ loader trailer won't work with a WDH without installing a pole-tongue adapter, which means modifying the winch/bow roller stand, not a good option.
Other issues such as taking bars off and on everytime you launch the boat(how will the trailer handle without the weight of the boat putting tongue weight against the WDH lifting power), the bars hanging so low on a low truck would hit on driveways and speed bumps(my 2" drop hitch hits on driveways now).
My neighbor/friend swears by the Air Lift system and says it will fix my problem. Even with his input, I'm still looking for a good solution.
Thanks for your time and thoughts, I appreciate your input.

 

[Clayinfla]

I installed the black sumo springs today. The driver’s side was a snap. The passenger side was a huge PIA. The difference in the frame blocks access to two of the nuts , took three times longer and I ended up taking off the tire to make it easier. I drove it around typical places, I had no difference in ride quality. I did NOT Use the 1” spacer, based on so many folks who stated they ended up removing it. I will tow our travel trailer tomorrow with the springs installed for the first time. I use a Fastway E2 weight distribution hitch. Trailer is 5500 pounds. Hitch weight runs around 600.

 

[silver billet]

I installed the black sumo springs today. The driver’s side was a snap. The passenger side was a huge PIA. The difference in the frame blocks access to two of the nuts , took three times longer and I ended up taking off the tire to make it easier. I drove it around typical places, I had no difference in ride quality. I did NOT Use the 1” spacer, based on so many folks who stated they ended up removing it. I will tow our travel trailer tomorrow with the springs installed for the first time. I use a Fastway E2 weight distribution hitch. Trailer is 5500 pounds. Hitch weight runs around 600.

Interesting, how much clearance do you have between the bottom of spring and top of axle? I had about 1/4" and the change in quality was very noticable, that was without using the spacer.

They are a pain to install/remove though haha, I did it 3 times total

 

[Triple X]

I installed the Timbrens today.
Took MAYBE 10 minutes total.
There is just over a 1" gap.
Unloaded ride quality didn't suffer and loaded is WAY better.
It's so easy to do I figure if the ride quality was too bad I could just install the stock ones and re-install the Timbrens when I was loaded.
But so far I'm very happy with the unloaded ride quality.

 

[Clayinfla]

I finished my first tow this weekend. We camped about 2.5 hours away. I was paying close attention, felt like the sway from big rigs passing me was significantly less. The porpoising when going over the rougher overpasses was cut down to a single bounce each time. I was very happy with the results.

 

[Ayman]

i had an experience with sumo springs where the unloaded ride was very bad and then i added another spacer from sumo spring so the spring actually touching and there is a little load on them and the ride was smooth.
try adding a spacer or lowering the truck so they touch with little weight.

 

[WXman]

I installed the Timbren SES kit on my truck. Since mine is a North Edition, I ended up with 1.5" gap between the bottom of the Timbren spring and the axle perch.

Unloaded ride quality is exactly like stock 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time is when I hit a bridge expansion joint or some other rough area in a road, and then the suspension cycles enough to strike the Timbren which results in a "thud" similar to how a stock 3500 series truck rides. It's very bearable and I've gotten used to it.

When I tow my 8.5x24' enclosed trailer with 6,300 to 8,000 lbs. total load, the truck rides like a DREAM. Dips in the road are soaked up smoothly and with control. Jarring bridge joints or pot holes are handled pretty well. I've been extremely happy with them.

Now I'm about to trade this truck in on the Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel. Same transmission, same engine, nearly identical rear suspension design that even shares control arms with the Ram. BUT...the Jeep is about 3 inches narrower in track width. So I'm trying to decide whether to use the Timbren kit again, OR, should I bump on up to a weight distributing hitch setup. I've avoided WDH setups before due to cost, complexity, and maintenance. Then you have to decide round bar or trunnion? Anti-sway or not? They can be a PITA, and you have to check bolts and hardware constantly to ensure they don't come loose. But, if it's a safer way to go then I might suck it up and try it. Or will the Timbren kit work flawlessly just like it does on the Ram version? I keep going back and forth.

 

[silver billet]

I wasn't going to put up with the timbren or sumo spring style stuff. Tried sumos and didn't like it. I know they are more robust (maintenance free), but I want a cushy ride while empty and an adjustable suspension when towing different trailers. So I just bought and installed airlift 1000 hd, they are much nicer all around in terms of ride and flexibility.

Test pulled my trailer and the difference was significantly better. Still had some bobbing but I was running with an empty truck and empty trailer and I think the tongue was too light. Need to fill up with freshwater and rerun the test. But already with that test I could tell it was the best the combo has been; I tried with just WDH, then WDH + sumos, then WDH + airlift and the last was definitely best. Truck still had rake left when everything was hooked up, empty trailer is about 5000 pounds, dual axle.

@WXman, I would definitely get a WDH for the Jeep. You can't tow more than 3000 pounds without one. I'm using the Husky Centerline, it is a WDH that has sway bars built in, and you don't have to get out and disconnect anything before backing up. You just have to make sure you get two things right: 1) buy the correct bars for your load (don't get the 10,000 pound rated bars when pulling a 2000 pound trailer etc, the shank stays the same but you get different bars for the weight of your trailer), and 2) make sure the bars are sitting level/flat because the bars need to rub on the bracket to provide friction (which is where part of the sway control comes from). If the bars aren't sitting flat then you only get an 1/8'th inch of rubbing friction instead of 2 inches or whatever.

 

[WXman]

I wasn't going to put up with the timbren or sumo spring style stuff. Tried sumos and didn't like it. I know they are more robust (maintenance free), but I want a cushy ride while empty and an adjustable suspension when towing different trailers. So I just bought and installed airlift 1000 hd, they are much nicer all around in terms of ride and flexibility.

Test pulled my trailer and the difference was significantly better. Still had some bobbing but I was running with an empty truck and empty trailer and I think the tongue was too light. Need to fill up with freshwater and rerun the test. But already with that test I could tell it was the best the combo has been; I tried with just WDH, then WDH + sumos, then WDH + airlift and the last was definitely best. Truck still had rake left when everything was hooked up, empty trailer is about 5000 pounds, dual axle.

@WXman, I would definitely get a WDH for the Jeep. You can't tow more than 3000 pounds without one. I'm using the Husky Centerline, it is a WDH that has sway bars built in, and you don't have to get out and disconnect anything before backing up. You just have to make sure you get two things right: 1) buy the correct bars for your load (don't get the 10,000 pound rated bars when pulling a 2000 pound trailer etc, the shank stays the same but you get different bars for the weight of your trailer), and 2) make sure the bars are sitting level/flat because the bars need to rub on the bracket to provide friction (which is where part of the sway control comes from). If the bars aren't sitting flat then you only get an 1/8'th inch of rubbing friction instead of 2 inches or whatever.

Husky Centerline. Hmmm... I'll give it a look.

 

[IvoryHemi]

When I tow my 8.5x24' enclosed trailer with 6,300 to 8,000 lbs. total load

Now I'm about to trade this truck in on the Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel. Same transmission, same engine, nearly identical rear suspension design that even shares control arms with the Ram. BUT...the Jeep is about 3 inches narrower in track width.

Similar but not the same. The 3.0 has cooling packaging issues on the Gladiator which is why the diesel towing is limited to only 6,500 lbs.

Ram EcoDiesel has significantly higher weight limits than Gladiator EcoDiesel:

GCWR: 11,800 lbs vs 15,600 lbs
Towing: 6,500 lbs vs 9,700 lbs

JT F/R GAWR: 3100/3750 lbs
DT F/R GAWR: 3900/4100 lbs

 

[WXman]

Similar but not the same. The 3.0 has cooling packaging issues on the Gladiator which is why the diesel towing is limited to only 6,500 lbs.

Ram EcoDiesel has significantly higher weight limits than Gladiator EcoDiesel:

GCWR: 11,800 lbs vs 15,600 lbs
Towing: 6,500 lbs vs 9,700 lbs

JT F/R GAWR: 3100/3750 lbs
DT F/R GAWR: 3900/4100 lbs

Well of course, which is the same reason engineering decided not to use the 2.0L "Hurricane" engine in the JT and restricts it to the JL.

Maximum ratings being what they are, I've always been of the opinion that individual payload rating is the number that matters the most because that's the one a guy will run out of the soonest. And, obviously, the payload rating directly translates into how much trailer you can really pull. In a LOT of cases, what we typically see is that the Ram 1500 door jamb placards will show a similar or lower rating than the Gladiator. Sometimes the Ram can be significantly lower when optioned similarly. If you're looking at a Ram with a 1,245 lb. payload rating, and a Gladiator with a 1,310 lb. payload rating, then all of those generalized maximum GCWR and towing ratings go out the window.

 

[mike_ct]

I’d get a gladiator today if they had them with a hemi.