Rear End Support for Weight.

Has anyone used these Sumosprings off road? Do they limit travel?

On longer trips with a bed-load of stuff and a shell, I sag in back enough to make the headlights aim high. These might work well for my needs if they don't adversely affect off-road ability.

 

Some variants of sumos, like airbags, attach both at bottom and top limiting travel.
The SSR 610 40s for the Tacoma attach at the bottom only. Lack of attachment at the frame allows unlimited travel. Therefore the axle drop is unlimited.
With compression, 80% is what they claim. That is possibly greater travel than the OEM bump stops.
Note: For some of the variants of Sumosprings which do attach at both ends, yet another variant has been developed which is two piece. One attaches at the axle, the other at the frame. But being two piece, they separate, and by design auto-realign at compression. Again though, the Tacoma is a single point attachment at the axle.

 

Pics looked the same to me

 

There are dozens of model kits depending on the vehicle. When I researched this, I finally called the company, contacted eTrailer, as well as other suppliers.
Advertising sometimes is less than desirable with MANY things. Anyone thinking about ANY mod, accessories, etc. should be served by doing some research and knowing what is needed as well as what the results MIGHT produce.

 

With the Sumos on, and the truck empty:
1) The rear of the truck was lifted approximately 5/8". (Measured to the inside of the fender well centerline at the axle.)
2) Ride MIGHT me slightly stiffer? Possibly only imagination.

To date, still happy with the decision to install them, especially with the trailer on board.

 

@cctk2 thanks for taking the time to review these for us.

I have a set of these arriving today. Hoping to get them installed over the weekend. Will report back my experience with them.

 

Hey Glacierbird, great info, Was the kit you used part #

$280 SSR-610-40 | SumoSprings Rear for Toyota Tundra, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Titan

SSR-610-40 from Amazon?

 

I hope that's the correct part number! Mine just came in today so I'll report back once they are in.

 

That is the correct part. I think you'll be surprised how easy they install, and will be pleased with the result.

 

I have the timbren SES set up. Works great. I tow a 4900 lb concession trailer. I also use a weight distribution hitch that helps eliminate rear end sag too.

 

OP,

Do you have the tow package? I'm just curious if that fourth leaf spring in the tow package really does any good if a 260lb tongue weight sags it so much.

 

I do have the tow pkg.

 

I have had the EXACT same experience! My trailer is an Aliner Classic, (A-Frame pop-up like yours) with similar GVW & tongue weight. I had a 2014 SR5 with tow package and Firestone air bags. It worked great. No issues except the hassle of adjusting the air per load. I did find that the 5lbs of minimum air did stiffen the ride while empty.

Now I have a 2016 DBCB Sport. I choose this model specificity for the ride on the highway. I'm not a rock crawler so don't need the OR features. I have been reluctant to go back to the air bags for fear of messing with the ride. I have looked at WD hitch options, but with trailers as light as ours, we really don't need them. The Tacos pull them just fine. (I also have the Prodigy 3 controller.)

So thank you! I ordered Sumo Springs this morning from Amazon. Looking forward to the install. One question: do the instructions tell you how much torque is required? You mentioned buying a torque wrench but I did not see the tightening specs.

Next I need to find some nice tow mirrors. I had the A1 Ram flip-up mirrors on my 2014 and loved them. But they don't offer a model that supports the blind spot monitoring....yet.

 

The SSR 610 40 kit includes complete instructions, torque values too. And its high; like 97ftlbs or so. That's probably why they say to put the brackets on, torque them, then drive a couple hundred miles. Then re-torque and final the project. Pretty simple.

I had mirror extenders for my 02 Tacoma towing my Chalet. But find the new width of the '16 ample to see down the sides on the Chalet. Wont miss the hassle of attaching the extenders every trip.

 

The Chalet and Aliner are both 78" wide but I still like a few extra inches on my mirrors. I have CIPA clip-on at the moment, but agree they are a hassle. Also I prefer flat over convex on both sides for backing up. It is easier to judge where by trailer wheels are. My driveway curves uphill so getting my trailer parked just right is a challenge with convex mirrors.

Thank again for the Sumo write up and all the info. Looking forward to getting mine installed.

 

I took your advice and installed the SumoSprings 610-40 on my Tacoma and it has made a big difference when towing or when I load up a lot of mulch from Home Desparate in the bed.

 

I had the Firestone air bags on my 2011 Tacoma and had the onboard compressor with gauges so I could regulate them. I think it is the only way to roll. I could adjust for different loads.

 

Great thread . I am sold and want these also.

 

Just put a set on my Taco. So far they are great! Easy to install, no affect on unloaded ride quality and provide some load handling.

 

Thanks for the picture .