I tow my 2203T to various places to ride offroad motorcycles and with a loaded trailer plus my bike, gear, and fuel in the back of the truck, my 2006 tundra sagged more than I liked. I didn't want to deal with airbags and these timbrens looked like a much more hands off approach while still giving me the load handling I wanted.

Installation was about 45 minutes and fairly easy. A good selection of sockets and extensions is needed to bolt the spring onto the spring bracket but since I had the needed equipment, installation was easy. They just take the place of the factory bump stops in this application.

These are designed to only come into play when weight is added so you'll notice that there is a gap between the top of the rubber spring and the truck frame. As weight is added, the trucks sags till the rubber spring contacts the frame, providing extra support. Unloaded, the ride is the same with an extra firmness being felt when you go over larger bumps and driveway transitions. The extra firmness is cushy, not harsh and doesn't detract from the ride of the truck.

I will be towing to glamis next weekend and will update this thread on how the truck rides loaded.

I'm sure this is a good idea to prevent "bottoming out" on extremely rough roads, but I can't help but think you need to correct the 'sag" with a good Weight Distributing hitch. As it is, I suspect your rear axle is overloaded and that overload spring is not really compensating for that condition.

The axle rating on your truck is determined by the axle, springs, rims and tires. I'd sure get the axles weighed to make sure the back end is safe.

This is just my 2 cents worth. Please don't hear me putting you down. I like the concept of the overload springs and the way yours are designed.

- Jack

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Hi-Lo 1707T
2005 F150 4x4 KR SCrew

Not at all Jack, I welcome the critique. I have been in a discussion on the merits of a WD hitch before. They work great and I have nothing against them. I wanted to eliminate that step if possible though as I hitch and unhitch several times more than the average camper. Todays trucks trend toward riding comfortable and that takes soft springs. A truck that can haul it's rated capacity without sagging badly would ride like a rock unloaded.

There are several options to prevent this, from airshocks/bags to helper springs to these timbrens. A WD hitch would work also though it would lower ride highth in the front slightly. I chose the timbrens due to their simplicity, likeing the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Fireball, The three things you mention, airshock/bags, helper springs and timbrens in no way take the place of a WD hitch. They can help prevent bottoming out and airbags can help prevent sagging of the rearend but they do not redistribute any of a possible overload on the rear axle to the front axle. A WD hitch will do this and if set up correctly the TV and trailer should be level. This This level condition returns the TV to best steering and breaking condition. On a dual axle trailer running level also puts equal load on each axle and tires as well as equal breaking on the four tires. Running overloaded on your axle can cause failure of your bearings and at worst failure of the axle itself. These RVs can easily be overloaded when running with full tanks and loaded for a trip an if the tongue is sagging it transfers a lot of weight to the front axle and tires of the RV. With lower load rated original equipment tires you can easily overload these tires and they will overheat causing blow outs. Always buy the highest load rated tires when replacing. We cannot overstress the safety value of WD hitches. Tow safely.

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Jim L & Faye
2805C
2003 Silvarado diesel crew cab
central Virginia

Welp, here goes. This was a terrible modification to my truck. I feel the extra firmness while driving empty but it really isn't an issue except for large bumps like speedbumps or sharp transitions. It's the ride while loaded that is the deal breaker. The terrible freeways here in southern callifornia are really in bad shape. Towing my hi-lo with the standard suspension wasn't bad but there was room for improvement. Towing with these timbrens actually made the ride noticable worse. The ride is buckboard stiff and bounces me around when hitting the cracked sections of pavement on our freeways.

Steering, as expected, wasn't any better while using the timbrens without a WD hitch. It wasn't any worse either however I bought these to improve the load carrying, not improve steering. I just wanted to mention they don't improve steering.

The only thing these did well was to keep the back end of the truck from squatting and dragging the hitch on driveway transitions. . This was at the expense of ride quality though and I will be removing the timbrens in the near future.

Fireball,

Sorry the timbrens didn't work out as you had hoped.

I know you took some flack here on the HTF for wanting to use them, and I want to tell you how much I respect your honesty in reporting they came up short of your expectations.

Well done!
Jim

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1967 17' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1967-1969)
1969 19' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1969-2011)
2004 27' Hi-Lo TowLite (2010-present)
2007 Chevy Suburban

I'm blown away by your "user report", Fireballsocal. I don't think I've ever seen such a frank admission of a poor choice in all my time in any forum.

I applaud you and, if you ever report on something you actually like, I'll take it as "gospel".

I don't know that we really gave you "flack" here, but you can see some of us thought there might be a problem. Thank you for returning to the discussion with your findings. I/we appreciate it big time. *thumbsup* *beers*

You're in my "pay attention to" list from now on out.

- Jack

This might work for you, it worked for me. Install air shocks, measure the height of your front and rear bumper with nothing in the bed, then put you load in the truck bed, the rear bumper will go down, put air in the air shocks to bring the bumper heights back to as close as they were without the load. Now put your trailer on the hitch, the truck bumper will go down again, now adjust the WD to bring the truck bumpers back as close to the original measurement as you can. Check the trailer for level if it is not level adjust he hitch up or down till it is, at the same time keeping the truck bumper measurements, You may have to adjust the WD many times to get it right.
The air shocks ride very well. You could probably use air bags also, on the Hi-Lo CD they mention air bags or other means.
The point here is that a WD is to adjust for the trailer tongue weight, but it can't adjust for a lot of weight that you put in the truck.

Hi Pop,

Wow, you make this WD hitch business sound like rocket science!

The only thing I've ever done is hitch up. Oh, the first time with a new trailer or TV, I adjust the torsion bar chain links until both trailer and car are level. After that I use the same links for ever after...

"a WD is to adjust for the trailer tongue weight, but it can't adjust for a lot of weight that you put in the truck."

I'm not an engineer, so I may be wrong, but based on my understanding... sorry, I don't really agree with your last sentence. WD hitches used to be called "load equalizing hitches." The meaning is pretty much the same, but the point is, they equalize the weight load of both the trailer and TV, and distribute it evenly between both. The "weight" includes what is placed in the trunk/bed of the TV, not just the hitch weight. Yes, it is possible to overload the back end of a TV and exceed the design weight limits, but with a WD hitch that overload will be distributed evenly between trailer and TV. What will bite you is the wear on the transmission, exceeding braking capacity, etc.

If I've got it wrong, I'm not too old to learn what's right!

Jim

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1967 17' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1967-1969)
1969 19' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1969-2011)
2004 27' Hi-Lo TowLite (2010-present)
2007 Chevy Suburban

Jim

From my perspective you are right on the money regarding Weight Distributing aka Load Equalizing hitches. The primary purpose of these hitches is to mitigate the "hinging" of the hitch between the TV and trailer, thus allowing the suspension systems of all of the axles to work in concert.

I added Firestone RideRite air springs to my Nissan Frontier to keep the truck from sagging when I tow my 2207 Towlight. Being adjustable, I can change the effect from none to bone jarring by adding or releasing some of the air pressure ... just to make life convenient I purchased a 12v air compressor so I can make adjustments while on the road ... it also comes in handy for topping off tires and inflating beach balls and such.

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John

2007-22T TowLite 50th Anniversary, Valley Towing Equalizer Hitch
2008 Nissan Frontier SE 4X4 Crew Cab, Snug Top & McKesh Mirrors
Cooper AT3 LT265/70R16 AT w Slotted Rotors, Ride-Rite Air Springs