Is Weight Distribution or Suspension Enhancement Better for Towing?
Question:
I have a 2013 Ram 1500 outdoorsman coil springs and I pull an 8500 lb after loading TT with a hitch weight of 1170, using a Blue Ox hitch with 1500lb bars as per the manufacturers suggestion. When hitched both the truck and trailer are level. It was suggested by Niagara Truck n Stuff that I install a suspension enhancement system when I first bought the truck because of the coil springs if I was going to pull a trailer. The question is this: is this enhancement system necessary? We find that the truck rides very hard going over any bumps in the road and Im wondering if its due to the SES. Any advice would be appreciated!
asked by: Ken W
Helpful Expert Reply:
The suspension enhancement system is not necessary when towing if you are using a weight distribution system. The coil springs on the newer Ram trucks are notorious for sagging when under a load, either from towing or carrying cargo in the bed, which is likely why Niagara Truck'n'Stuff recommended the SES. I would say that their recommendation had merit and wasn't just a sales pitch, but they probably didn't think about the use of a weight distribution system when towing either.
When towing, a weight distribution system and an SES will both reduce sag, but the SES should not be engaged when you are at normal/unloaded ride height. A properly rated and adjusted weight distribution system basically returns your truck back to normal/unloaded ride height making the SES system useless at that point.
A weight distribution system is the better way to go because unlike an SES, it actually takes the weight off of your truck's rear axle and distributes that weight across all axles which not only helps your truck's suspension, but the rear axle and tires too.
The hard ride when going over bumps is due to the SES on your truck. Because your SES isn't constantly engaged, whether you are towing or not, there will be a small gap between your SES and your truck's axle. Everytime you hit a bump, the suspension flexes just enough to make the axle hit the SES which is essentially the same thing as an axle bottoming out on a jounce bump stop and you can feel a strong jolt We have the Timbren SES on our truck and we have the same issue. One time we took a trip through a big campground with rough gravel roads and the jarring ended up re-aggravating my mother-in-laws old back problem.
