RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Comments on Roadmaster Active Suspension or Bilstein shocks


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lawrence617

High Point, NC

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Posted: 02/09/08 06:13am

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Need input on Roadmaster Active Suspension - (RAS) for my 2006 GMC 2500HD D/A CC SB 4X4 , it squats a little with my 2008 Jayco 345BHS. I heard the RAS is the way to go for preventing squatting and help with handling. What about Bilstein shocks, any comments?

2006 GMC 4x4 2500HD Duramax/Allison Crewcab Shortbed
Roadmaster Active Suspension
Voyager Braking Kit
15K Reese Slider Hitch
2008 Jayco Eagle 345BHS

trop-a-cal

Palm Coast Fl

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Posted: 02/09/08 06:26am

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Active suspensions has to be shut off when trailering, as they adjust at every movement of weight. What you need is just the air bag suspension. The bags with air ports that you fill to level and don't change on every movement. The shocks are good but, you could get air shocks, and that would do it. Make sure you are not loaded with more weight in front of trailer axle than 60%.

* This post was edited 02/09/08 10:39am by trop-a-cal *

2008Wildcat

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Posted: 02/09/08 12:17pm

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I ahd the Roadmasters on my old tv, a 1998 Dodge 1/2 ton when I pulled our TT.

THey do make a big difference, not just in sag, but in general suspension. They help with sway and axle hop also.

crappie_fisherman

Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Posted: 02/09/08 01:48pm

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lawrence,

First off...WELCOME to the Open Roads Forum!

I assume your question is about the RoadMaster Active Suspension (RAS)?

CLICK HERE

I have this system on my Excursion. It is a COMPLETELY PASSIVE system. Nothing needs to be adjusted by you with this aftermarket system. The 'auto-ride' systems that come on vehicles from GM, Ford, Dodge...may be what the previous poster is referring to?

I'll address your question as if you ARE referring to the RAS I linked to above because that is what I have.

The RAS when installed DOES add rear spring capacity. Roadmaster indicates in the neighborhood of 2000# worth. I can tell you this about my situation.

My TT tongue goes 1100-1200# (depending on fresh water or not). I have 1400# WD bars on my Hensley Arrow. Prior to installing my RAS when I would drop the trailer on the rear of my Ex and adjust the WD bars...the rear would STILL sag (mind you the Excursions have soft rear springs for that cough cough...car like ride). But after the installation of the RAS...my Ex sits very much at the same height (maybe a 1/2" drop after WD is applied).

You asked about shocks...I'll divert here for a moment...this summer I also installed Bilsteins (shockwarehouse.com and enter the code "fordtrucks" at checkout for 5% discount)...but here's a point to illustrate what the RAS did to the rear of my Ex.

When I installed the RAS it raised the rear of my Ex by ~1.25". I ordered Bilsteins for a 4x4 Excursion. The rears come factory 'banded' and compressed. I didn't want to unload the shock for installation for fear I couldn't recompress it. So that 1.25" fought me as you can imagine. There was no easy way to 'compress' the suspension to bring the FRAME lower to the AXLE...that I could 'think' of at that moment...My TT is not here or I would have used that tongue weight. So...what to do...well I convince my wife, my neighbor, his football center son, the neighbor girl, my little girl and 240#s of water softener salt to CRAM into the rear of my Excursion...that added ~900# of weight to the rear of the Ex and ONLY compressed the suspension about 7/8"...so I'm laying under the Ex with the bolts in hand for the lower shock mount...and I holler "BOUNCE"...all at once they start to bounce...it gives me just the small amount I needed and I got both bolts in. I cut the band and the shocks expanded with GREAT FORCE.

Why did I just type all of that...well to illustrate how much capacity the RAS REALLY does add to the rear springs!

Back to the RAS...I installed them myself in about 2 hours and below are some photos from the installation...not very hard at all...

CLICK THIS LINK FOR INSTALL PHOTOS

All in all I have been VERY happy with the additional rear spring capacity. An added benefit to the RAS is that it GREATLY reduced a phenom on the Ex's called axle wrapping due to pushing of the tongue on the rear of the Ex and the Ex rear suspension having a large spacer block between the axle and leaf spring pack...the RAS has been very effective at reducing that 'push' steer feeling I had previously. So for my situation...I have been happy with the RAS and have recommended it to many folks on here.

Once you get it tensioned properly...you will likely NEVER have to re-tension it again...but the adjustment is there if you needed to.

Back on the Bilsteins...they have provided a big improvment in handling while towing as well. I only had 30K miles on my OEM shocks but on bumpy/uneven roads you would get maybe 2 bounces of the truck after hitting that bump...on that SAME road with the SAME trailer...but with the Bilsteins...the truck will dampen out after 1 bounce...I have been very pleased with the towing characteristics the Bilsteins have added to my Ex.

I looked at the Rancho 9000XLs...but couldn't imagine that they were that much better than the Bilsteins...and the Rancho's cost ~$100 MORE for a set of 4...I have been pleased with my decision and can recommend them if you are in need of a shock change...they do NOT add spring capacity...they help dampen dynamic inputs into the suspension...but for me the combo of the RAS and Bilsteins have been wonderful.

Hope this information helps.

Good luck and let me know if something isn't clear.

joe.

DH, DW, 2 DD's

2005 Excursion V10 w/4.30's
- Hensley Arrow
- Prodigy
- Hellwig rear sway bar
- RoadMaster Suspension
- Front 2" hitch
- Bilsteins

2007 JayFlight 31BHDS (3 women & 2 slides...it helps!

)

Mini & the BEAST

ClevelandJim

Cleveland, Ohio

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Posted: 02/09/08 02:44pm

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I went with Timbrens. Timbrens only come into play when there is load on the rear of the truck - $160 from www.truckspring.com.

I own Rancho 9000's, and I adjust them up to full stiffness when I pull. The problem with adjustable ranchos is the adjuster mechanism will freeze up over time. The best thing to do is to take the adjuster off and slather the inside with an anti-seize compound before your install them.

2005 Ford Excursion 6.0 PSD Rancho 9000 Shocks Timbrens
2003 Ford Expedition 5.4 2V
Sunnybrook 3310 Bunkhouse Hensley Hitch Yamaha YG2800i

jmramiller

Dallas

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Posted: 02/09/08 04:05pm

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crappie_fisherman wrote:

Ditto. I have both the RAS and the bilstiens shocks. The RAS was recommended by my RV service manager. He said after seeing how effective the RAS is they will never install another set of airbags.

2006 2500HD CC SB 4X4 Duramax/Allison
Prodigy/16K Reese/265E Tires/Bilstein Shocks
RM Active Suspension/RDS 60gal Toolbox combo

2008 Big Country 3490BHS by Heartland

Tatonka

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Posted: 02/18/08 04:06am

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A very timely topic as a few weeks back we bought both a tow vehicle and a trailer within 24 hours. I've been on steep learning curve ever since. Luckily the trailer is still on order. (The truck is a '02 Excursion V10 with a receiver but apparently without the official "tow package" and the trailer will be a K-Z Spree 318BHS.)

Anyway, based on all the postings on this and other sites, I'm going to be putting the Bilsteins, Helwig Sway Bar and RAS on my 2002 Excursion . (I have the Bilsteins, Helwig should arrive shortly, and I still need to order the RAS).

So folks, any more pointers or links you can provide to ease the install would be greatly appreciated. For instance, I thought somewhere I'd read that the sway bar should go on first. (I may just look for a mechanic to do it all at once so your pointers might save me big install time and bucks.)

Note: This is off topic but I also have find the correct wiring harness to move my Prodigy from a Honda Pilot to the Excursion, find tow mirrors, and get a Reese Strait-line or Equalizer WD/Sway hitch, figure out if the "D" rated, low mileage Radial T/As on the truck will do... And what else have I missed. Oh yes, and I haven't even read a single posting yet on Excursions and transmission or power steering coolers. I think I'll need a vacation after all this.

lawrence617

High Point, NC

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Posted: 02/18/08 08:01am

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I went with the RAS and it made a difference in squatting, it lifted up the rear end about 1.5 inches, and after putting on the fifth wheel, it leveled out. I made a 6 hr trip and was very pleased with results. RAS gets my vote!

* This post was edited 02/18/08 08:08am by lawrence617 *

Tatonka

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Posted: 02/18/08 09:52am

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One thing I don't understand is quite how the RAS is working as the leaves 'flaten out'. The coils look tightly wrapped when unsprung and the installation video indicates that they are stretched upon install on to unsprung leafs. i.e. please forgive the lay language but whereas springs like regular loose-coil, coil springs have gaps in the winding thus providing both up and down, 'push and pull' 'rise fall' resistance, RAS's tightly wrapped spring looks like it only resists pulling/stretching forces. When leaf springs compress, is the RAS at that point just providing near solid resistance - redirecting the vertical force horzontally?

Basically, when the weight is back on the vehicle doesn't that installation 'stretch' disappear - returning them to a solid, un-stretched coil spring? Hence the 1 1/2" lift mentioned above. It would seem that the the RAS springs are only "active" when there is a pulling/stretching force - otherwise they are acting more like the Landyots upon any compression forces (cornering, bouncing...).

Helper springs (Hellwig Pro-???...) apparently stiffen unloaded vehicle ride which isn't always desired, but in my mind, upon leaf compression they'd continue to flex along with the leaves, whereas the RAS acts a solid bar in that instance acting like traction bar.

I'm perceiving the Lanyots to be closer to a traction bar than a helper spring and the RAS being something inbetween. Is this at all correct?

crappie_fisherman

Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Posted: 02/18/08 10:04am

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Tatonka,

Look at the RAS this way

Draw a semi-circle with the open ends UP

Next draw a straight line from the center bottom of the semi-circle to one end.

Visualize as the bottom center of the semi-circle 'tries' to move upwards and flatten out the arc...that line you drew to the endpoint from the center point would have to LENGTHEN to accomodate the motion.

The RAS IS that LINE...the coil spring supplies the spring RESISTANCE to the arc (leaf spring) flattening...

That is why if you look at your vehicle..the rear spring hanger is actually a swivel shackle...if there was no swivel...that lengthening of that dimension would bind up...

The RAS DOES add spring capacity by RESISTING the FLATTENING of the leaf spring under load...so as the leaf needs to flatten...the RAS provides resistance thru STRETCHING resistance in that coil.

The way you adjust the RAS with the rear axle hanging by the leaf springs 'sets' the natural point that the RAS 'tries' to HOLD...

If you take a piece of string and make the semi-circle...and connect one end point to the center of the arc...as you attempt to flatten the arc...notice how the straight line distance from end to center LENGTHENS...then I think you will understand what the RAS is doing.

Does that help?

joe.

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