Rear of Ram Pickup Squats

[Slow and Steady]

Hey guys, we have are thinking of using Sumo Springs Systems on our 2017 Dodge Ram pickup. And we are looking for opinions regarding this? We are also considering air shocks too. We are well within the correct tongue weight etc. And the truck pulls ok. Just not happy with about 2" of squatting in the rear, and none in the front.

Thanks for any help.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga

[Les7h]

You don’t say what truck ( 1/2 or 3/4 or 1 ton ) or trailer ( bumper pull or 5th wheel ) do you use a weight distribution hitch? Trailer weight? More info will lead to better answers
I have air bags on my Chevy 2500 HD with the Duramax and the Allison and love them ( it doesn’t pull better but it looks better ) when I’m pulling a 15,000lb GN 48’ trailer Les

[Slow and Steady]

My truck is 2017 Ram 1500 four wheel, and yes Weight Dist Hitch, and I have about 800 lbs of tongue weight right now according Cat Scales. The load cap of my truck is 1450 lbs. Hope this helps.

[bankr63]

Are you already using a properly adjusted WDH? I would go with a WDH before Sumo's or airbags if you are not. And make sure that your WDH is properly adjusted, don't necessarily rely on the dealer. My dealer couldn't get it anywhere near right after two attempts; I just followed the manufacturers simple instructions to set mine up myself and it has worked fine ever since.

Sumos and airbags actually increase the weight on the axle and wheel assemblies in use, and do little to return weight to the front to assist steering. Also, Sumo springs are more like taller bump stop replacements, so they may not engage early enough to get rid of as much squat as you would like.

Just consider the physics of it. With airbags or spring helpers, by pushing the back of the truck up, you are exerting and equal and opposite force downward on the axle increasing your Axle Weight. WDH's work based on leverage to distribute weight off the entire rear axle back to the trailer axle and forward the front tow vehicle axle. This is a much more balanced solution.

If your hitch is properly setup and you are within weight limits, then Sumo's, airbags, or air shocks can all help.

ETA: see you posted while I was typing that up. So yes, many people have had good results with all of these. My TV has classic leaf springs so not sure which would work best with the RAM independent rear suspension.

[Grumpy]

Look at TIMBRENS too!

[TCNashville]

If your front end has returned to it's original height after you engaged the WDH, 2'' of squat in the rear is normal. If not a readjustment of the WDH may help the situation. You actually want a slightly nose down configuration of the TT as it helps alleviate sway.

[Iraqvet05]

Originally Posted by TCNashville

If your front end has returned to it's original height after you engaged the WDH, 2'' of squat in the rear is normal. If not a readjustment of the WDH may help the situation. You actually want a slightly nose down configuration of the TT as it helps alleviate sway.

Agreed. My 1500 Silverado would squat 2-3" when hooked up to the 26BH. The spring rates on the 1500s are a bit soft to give you a nice ride.

[Scott_Trailer_Newbe]

My Trundra swatted some, but not bad. I went with Firestone airbags. Easy install, and I pump up to 35 PSI to level my truck. This does not provide extra towing capacity, just gives the springs some extra support.

[SkyBound]

Even if your WDH is properly adjusted, you will get some rear end squat. 800lb tongue weight is certainly getting up there for a Ram 1500, but can be managed. My advice, set up your hitch properly, verify it on a CAT scale, and then get a set of airbags to bump up your rear end a bit.

[smithmdsmith]

Just a note on air bags: you need to reset your WDH after you figure out the inflation of your air bags. This seemed counter-intuitive to me at first.

I put Firestone air bags on my Titan and on my dad's GMC 1500. They made a world of difference in ride and handling when towing. I ran 20 psi in the Titan when towing and 5 psi when empty. I had about 900 lbs tongue weight. Dad ran 15 psi in his GMC when towing and 5 psi when empty. He was pulling a lighter trailer with about 600 lbs tongue weight.

I just ran the inflation valves for the air bags to the license plate. The valves replaced the license plate screws. We used cordless air compressors to inflate the bags. It wasn't quite as convenient as an on-board compressor, but it was a lot cheaper!

Remember: put air in the bags, then reset the WDH. If you setup the WDH and THEN put air in the bags, you will reduce the effectiveness of the WDH.

Have fun!

[mkelly]

Air bag it. quick easy and inexpensive. had a Toyota sequoia with them and it's great for hauling.

[DNelson]

When we had a 2009 Ram 1500 we added Firestone Air Bags and loved them. Made a big difference with our trailers 1,000 pound tongue weight. The nice thing is you can have the Ram's nice ride without the trailer by lowering the air pressure to 5 pounds.

[DonaandDon]

X2 Grumpy -

[us71na]

According to the specifications for your 1500 The recommended tongue weight for a conventional hitch is 10 percent of the gross trailer weight. If your trailer weighs 8,000 pounds or more then your tongue weight is appropriate.

Your total payload includes passengers and other gear as well as your tongue weight.

[23mbh]

I have Timbrens on my ram and they work great. My buddy uses firestone coil rite airbags, they work great but you always have to keep a eye on the pressure in the bag. If you let the bag get under inflated it can get caught between the coils of the spring and ruin the bag.

[rgolding]

I used this type of spring assist over the shock to "hold the load", before I put the weight distribution bars on.

My 2009 2500 Chevy would sag sooo much when trying to lift our Arctic Fox 30U off the trailer jack block. The load assist springs around the Shock did the job of not letting it bottom out.

Still use load distribution bars when going down the road, but this type of equipment will not have the headlights pointing for the sky while you hook up.

[kblast523]

Originally Posted by Slow and Steady

Hey guys, we have are thinking of using Sumo Springs Systems on our 2017 Dodge Ram pickup. And we are looking for opinions regarding this? We are also considering air shocks too. We are well within the correct tongue weight etc. And the truck pulls ok. Just not happy with about 2" of squatting in the rear, and none in the front.

Thanks for any help.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga

Just returned from a 2000 mile trip with a sub 6000 lb TT and Sumosprings on a 2015 F150. First, when not towing, these things firm up the ride. The blue ones make the truck ride like a bigger beast. Then you put the trailer on it...
First thing I noticed, without adjusting the WDH, the front end was low...it sank about 2" with the "4 over" link adjustment. So I unhooked...measured top of front and top of rear wheel well openings, as well as hitch height. Results were 36", 38", 24". Going "2 over" on WDH bar adjustment I attained 35.5" front, 36" rear and 22" rear. Tried "3 over" and 34.5 front and 37" rear just didn't seem right. Prior to Sumosprings, ran "4 over" and results were 35.25" front, 35" rear and 21" hitch height.

But the real difference is control. Less effect from cross winds, imperfect road surface and bumps. (There are plenty of those across New Mexico.)
Best $209.00 I've spent yet.

[Justlkn]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Look at TIMBRENS too!

What Grumpy said! I put them on my 3500HD and they made a world of difference!

[Idaho Joe]

Originally Posted by Slow and Steady

Hey guys, we have are thinking of using Sumo Springs Systems on our 2017 Dodge Ram pickup. And we are looking for opinions regarding this? We are also considering air shocks too. We are well within the correct tongue weight etc. And the truck pulls ok. Just not happy with about 2" of squatting in the rear, and none in the front.

Thanks for any help.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga

RAM 1500 trucks are known for weak rear coil springs. I have a 2013 RAM 1500 crew cab 4wd and had a similar problem. I did not want to stiffen the ride when not towing so I added Air Lift (brand) bags to my rear springs and an on board compressor. The compressor kit comes with an in cab switch for inflating and a gauge. I keep the bags at 10 lbs when not towing and 30lbs when towing. I now tow an Eagle HT 24.5 ckts 5th wheel with minimal squat.

[SouthRider]

X2 on the Air lift kit - the one I bought has separate adjustment for each wheel in case you put an unbalanced load in the bed. It also now comes with a bluetooth wireless remote with a visor clip (like a garage door opener).

This eliminates running air lines to the cab, or having to stop and air up at the bumper. It also lets you adjust the pressure in 5 lb increments while driving in case of rough highway, etc.

The leaf springs on my 2500 Chevy had softened over time (finally), and there's a good chance your coil springs have also.

Install air bags, then check adjustment on your hitch, then fiddle with air bag pressure both loaded and unloaded.