Ride Quality When Towing

reihart · August 4, 2019

I travel around the Southeast pulling a 21ft bass boat. I recently lifted my truck with the Zone 6" lift and found that the ride quality is terrible when towing the boat. I feel pretty confident it's the shocks that came with the Zone lift kit but I wanted other opinions on it. Any suggestions on how to make it ride better? Helper spring, new shocks, both? It also seems to squat lower now with the lift. When towing, it feels very spongy and bouncy. Thanks in advance

dab86 · August 4, 2019

Is the rear lifted with blocks? If so, look into rear leaf springs to replace the massive block...I have the BDS rear lift springs and love them.

slide187 · August 4, 2019

Take look at a set of these:

Roadmaster Active Suspension. One goes on top of each leaf spring and they’re pretty effective. A ton of info on their site about what they do.

Activesuspension.com

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TXGREEK · August 4, 2019

Adding an add a leaf will help the droop in the rear while towing and swapping out the garbage zone shocks will only add to your ride quality. The front coil overs swapped out for CST, King, Fox will drastically improve your ride quality but pricey. Bilsteins are a great INTRO performance enhancement which will help stiffen your ride quality helping with the seesawing affect with spongy Suspension.

Front and rear shocks with an add a leaf will drastically improve your suspension, good luck!

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Jacoby · August 5, 2019

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Edited August 6, 2019 by Jacoby

reihart · August 5, 2019

Thank you for all of the replies.

On 8/4/2019 at 10:33 AM, TXGREEK said:

Adding an add a leaf will help the droop in the rear while towing and swapping out the garbage zone shocks will only add to your ride quality. The front coil overs swapped out for CST, King, Fox will drastically improve your ride quality but pricey. Bilsteins are a great INTRO performance enhancement which will help stiffen your ride quality helping with the seesawing affect with spongy Suspension.

Front and rear shocks with an add a leaf will drastically improve your suspension, good luck!

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I’m leaning more to doing exactly what you said. Is there any differences in the bilstein shocks? One better than the other for towing?adjustable? Etc..? Thanks

TXGREEK · August 5, 2019

Thank you for all of the replies.
I’m leaning more to doing exactly what you said. Is there any differences in the bilstein shocks? One better than the other for towing?adjustable? Etc..? Thanks

Depending on whether or not you’re lifted/leveled or stock. Beilsteins are great intro performance shocks. Depending on whether you go off-roading or just mostly highway. There are King, CST, Fox that out perform Bilsteins but not necessary especially if you do very moderate off-roading. Bilstein 4600’s are for stock non leveled or lifted trucks. Bilstein 5100’s are for leveled and longer 5100’s for Lifted depending on your lift height.

My truck has a CST 4.5” Lift with CST Coil Overs and rear CST Piggy Back Shocks, added a “add a leaf” for extra carrying ability without squatting but drives fantastic.

You can always add airbags in the rear which is what I did on another truck for towing.

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reihart · August 6, 2019

7 hours ago, TXGREEK said:

Depending on whether or not you’re lifted/leveled or stock. Beilsteins are great intro performance shocks. Depending on whether you go off-roading or just mostly highway. There are King, CST, Fox that out perform Bilsteins but not necessary especially if you do very moderate off-roading. Bilstein 4600’s are for stock non leveled or lifted trucks. Bilstein 5100’s are for leveled and longer 5100’s for Lifted depending on your lift height.

My truck has a CST 4.5” Lift with CST Coil Overs and rear CST Piggy Back Shocks, added a “add a leaf” for extra carrying ability without squatting but drives fantastic.

You can always add airbags in the rear which is what I did on another truck for towing.

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I’m not gonna be doing much off-roading other than slow cruising through huntin land. With that being said. Is there something that will make the truck ride better on the highway and at a lower cost? I’m also not very familiar with airbags. Any info on that?

TXGREEK · August 6, 2019

I’m not gonna be doing much off-roading other than slow cruising through huntin land. With that being said. Is there something that will make the truck ride better on the highway and at a lower cost? I’m also not very familiar with airbags. Any info on that?

Bilsteins 4600 for stock suspension, 5100 for leveled or lifted. Airbags will stop the seesaw effect of towing but adding an “add a leaf” is a much cheaper solution to airbags. The Bilstein shocks will give it a more crisp handling ride too. I’d start with the shocks first and then a cheaper “add a leaf” and I bet you’ll be fine with shocks or with both. Adding an “add a leaf” may raise your rear end a little too depending on the model and manufacturer.

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TXGREEK · August 6, 2019

Btw, if you’re towing with your ball hitch, adding a weight distribution hitch helps tremendously too.

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Almost forgot, tire pressure needs to be much higher when you tow, helps with more stabilization and not so spongy

reihart · August 6, 2019

12 minutes ago, TXGREEK said:

Bilsteins 4600 for stock suspension, 5100 for leveled or lifted. Airbags will stop the seesaw effect of towing but adding an “add a leaf” is a much cheaper solution to airbags. The Bilstein shocks will give it a more crisp handling ride too. I’d start with the shocks first and then a cheaper “add a leaf” and I bet you’ll be fine with shocks or with both. Adding an “add a leaf” may raise your rear end a little too depending on the model and manufacturer.

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So what would a leave spring and air bags combined do for me? Or is that overkill or unheard of?

TXGREEK · August 6, 2019

So what would a leave spring and air bags combined do for me? Or is that overkill or unheard of?

No, start with Bilstein shocks and see if you need an “add a leaf”. Airbags are your last resort and if towing with your ball hitch look into a distribution hitch

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reihart · August 6, 2019

Will the add a leaf replace the block? I have a 4” block in the rear. I see people on here saying they are replacing the block with the add a leaf but I feel like that’s for 2” blocks or something

dab86 · August 6, 2019

51 minutes ago, reihart said:

Will the add a leaf replace the block? I have a 4” block in the rear. I see people on here saying they are replacing the block with the add a leaf but I feel like that’s for 2” blocks or something

A single add a leaf is added to your current stock leaf pack. The block can be removed but your lose the lift it provided. Adding the extra leaf can significantly stiffen the rear when your not towing.

A new leaf pack is all new leafs and will replace the stock leafs and the block depending on how much your lifted. My BDS leaf pack provides 4 inch of lift and the factory block is completely removed because i have a 4 inch lift. Some places can make leaf packs for as much lift as you need.

Edited August 6, 2019 by dab86