Suspension Upgarde Suggestions

pete.wilson

Adventurer
Hey,

Has anyone used the Timbren Industries bump-stop system?

I have a 02 F250 diesel 4x4 with a 7' Cabover Pastime 850 camper and thinking of upgrading the rear suspension to help with the side to side sway and increase the offroad capability some. I am also concerned over control in winter snow and ice due to the top heaviness feel. I'm looking at either the Timbren system, or airbags, or a HD sway bar on the rear. Any suggestions is helpful.

Pete Wilson
Billings, MT
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
In cold country? You do NOT want timbrens. They become hard as steel in the cold. Go with air bags.

Do you have factory overloads on the rear springs?
 

BCHauler

Adventurer
I had Timbrens on the back of my 01 f250 v10. Used it to haul an 8' camper. I like Timbrens a lot. There when you need them and invisible when you don't. Don't need to air up, never leak, no prep or thought needed. Can't comment on the cold issue, but i didn't have any crazy cold temps. Have used them in -5c with the camper and were fine. I hauled some stupid heavy loads with that truck and the stability was great.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
Hey,

Has anyone used the Timbren Industries bump-stop system?

I have a 02 F250 diesel 4x4 with a 7' Cabover Pastime 850 camper and thinking of upgrading the rear suspension to help with the side to side sway and increase the offroad capability some. I am also concerned over control in winter snow and ice due to the top heaviness feel. I'm looking at either the Timbren system, or airbags, or a HD sway bar on the rear. Any suggestions is helpful.

Pete Wilson
Billings, MT
The Hellwig 1 5/8" unit will help quite a bit with sway in that it's designed to keep the frame and axle in a common plane.
I use the regular Hellwig model and my friend elected to install the Hellwig 1/5/8" HD unit.
Wider than stock E-rated tires contribute too.
 

duneyeti9

New member
I've used Air bags and recently the Tork Lift Stable Load rubber stops, I perfer the Stable Load's, although they ruin the empty truck ride. It seemed like I was always running around the truck with the air compressor adjusting the air bags.
 

wirenut

Adventurer
Do Timbren's leave you any suspension compression travel? Seems like they're basically a block of rubber on top of the axle. It would be about like riding around on the bumpstops.
I have had airbags on 3 different trucks. With the onboard compressor and gauges adjustment is easy. My rig can be anything from empty to thousands of pounds overloaded. With the airbags I can adjust for any condition. They also help with side to side leveling of a camper that is heavier on one side than the other.
 

UHAULER

Explorer
I just made these spacers for my 02 f350 with factory overloads. I just bought a Northstar tc650. With the camper on the truck it barely hits the overload on the drivers side and there was about 1/2-3/4" gap on the passenger side. Before I do anything else, I thought I would try these by engaging the overloads sooner. I have not tried them yet. The long bolts will be replaced with short ones, I was doing a test fit. The front spacers are shorter in both length and height due to clearance issues when installing them.

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DSCN0284copy.jpg
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
Ive thought about doing that, but have yet to get around to it.

only I was planning on fabricating spacers and bump stops that bolted to the frame mounted brackets, instead of the overload leaf.

Let us know how well they work.
 

UHAULER

Explorer
Ive thought about doing that, but have yet to get around to it.

only I was planning on fabricating spacers and bump stops that bolted to the frame mounted brackets, instead of the overload leaf.

Let us know how well they work.

I was thinking of doing something the other way, with longer bumpers that were easily removable or swing out of the way, but this idea came up and was easy enough to make. I'll report back after I try these out.
 

surlydiesel

Adventurer
I used Hockey Pucks to extend my overload bump stops on my F350. Worked like a charm. Similar material to the original rubber that's there and quite cheap really.

-jorge
 

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
I still like my set up.
1. Two sets, a single thick and a pair of thinner secondaries (overload leaves) above the regular pack. A kind of poor man's tapered action. They resist more as they compress, but offer a near stock ride when unloaded.


2. Stable Loads. Yes, they are expensive and you CAN make your own (as above) but they do the job with no temperature or noise considerations.
3. A good anti-sway bar. Mine is the rather wimpy factory bar that came with the Camper Package when I bought the truck new. I usually disconnect the bar when off-road for the same reason jeepers do, off-road. More flex/less sway/less recoil. I've tried on the road with and without the anti-sway bar and there is very little difference. This could be due to tired bushings, or the overloads and Stable loads take up the anti sway slack. I think the latter.
4. No air bags. (i have a set of Firestones you can have for free) Why? Recoil. If your wheel falls in a hole, there will be an opposite and nearly the same recoil action. Boinga-boinga-boing. Dumb old leaf springs are tried-and-true. "Duh, what happened?", say the leaves.
5. Adjustable HD shocks for the rear axle. I use the Rancho 9K's with some luck. The fronts, which have no change in load, are single action Pro Comp. I'm thinking I need to add another set of adjustable shocks to the rear axle to control the load.
6. They're not for everyone, but my super singles are terrific.

They said i'd be hampered on narrow trails. I've gone everywhere i wanted to go, so far. They are not as wide as duallies, and air down nicely for the dunes. Dunes? don't ask what i'm doing here: This is before,

This is before (and fuzzy):

this is after lowering the pressure to 20 pounds;

backing out of the sand:
 

pete.wilson

Adventurer
Timbren's

Hey,

With my TC installed; my rear suspension does not load down much, trucks sits fairly level and I have not felt the bumps stops yet. I do sag slightly on the left side compared to the right, but truck handles the camper rather well (unloaded factory bump stops have 4.5" of travel, not sure with camper in). I want to handle the side to side swap when off camber or if a quick lane change is needed. I think I will install new shocks this spring (Air shocks?) and I think I might go with the Timbren heavy duty units, as I don't typically keep the camper in all winter, so hard rubber shouldn't be an issue I couldn't live with. Any more suggestions are welcome.

Pete
 

wirenut

Adventurer
You don't want air shocks. Bilstein or KYB Monomax would be the best. Rancho 9000 if you think you need adjust ability. Shock mounts aren't designed to support weight but that is what air shocks make them do.
 

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
I'm going to try some upgrades. Either
1.Top Gun Customz bottom overload replacement leaf set:

http://www.topguncustomz.com/casearch.aspx?SearchTerm=2905408

or
2. adding a 3" lift add-a-leaf spring, one per spring pack.One or the other. I'm waiting to hear back from their engineer about this.

I just ordered new control arms for my Dodge. They are for a 6" lift front end. I only have a 3" lift. What's up with that? It will move my axle farther forward, which will help a lot on tire clearance. For each inch of lift the axle moves 1/4 inch to the rear. A 4:1 ratio.
http://www.topguncustomz.com/casearch.aspx?SearchTerm=TGC+2844024

Another thing I will upgrade is the track bar and track bar relocation bracket. The bracket drops the track bar down commenserate with the lift which pulls the axle back to center and avoids binding and bump steer. With a 3" lift and a stock track bar, the axle moves about 1" to the driver's side.
I also have my eye on the Spyntec 'shorty' free wheeling hub, axle, and unit bearing replacement with servicable parts.
jefe
 

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