Timbren SES suspension aid

Submitted: Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 21:52
ThreadID: 137961 Views:3573 Replies:3 FollowUps:6
This Thread has been Archived
Has anyone used this system. lt consist's of a flexable rubber module that replaces the bump stop and compress's and supports when load is applied, similar to airbags.
l am looking at this system as l only have my camper on for trips and do not wish to do a suspension upgrade as this would give my ute a 50mm lift and harsh ride when unloaded. The wife with short legs has trouble getting into car at standard height so would like to keep it at that height.
When the Timbren system is fitted there is a clearance of about 25mm between the chassis and axle allowing standard ride unloaded, when loaded and spring sags it comes into action helping to support the load.
As my ute is a BT50 single cab with the axle in the middle of the tray, l don't think this system should give me chassis problems when loaded.
Any thoughts about this.

Murray
Another Mexican

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: RMD - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 22:43

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 22:43
G'day Murray.
My comments may not be what some people like to hear but it is based on at least some experience.

The Timbren concept is American, I just read the ad for it.
The ones pictured are quite a way inboard of the spring in the view shown. Not sure if your proposed installation is similar, perhaps you can shed light on it.
Seeing it has a large bracket from inboard of the chassis, if and when it bottoms, ie, comes to it's full compression, the propensity to bend the axle tube is quite real in my opinion. Yours is a BT50 and not a F350. Big difference in axle tube strength.
It is a hollow rubber tube and if it doesn't split it will provide ever increasing resistance, as rubber does, and will still create forces on the chassis above the axle similar to an airbag would do, possibly more suddenand yes, undue additional stress on the chassis. If you must, I would prefer an airbag as I can inflate it to just compensate instead of the totally fixed characteristics of the Timbren.
You mentioned suspension modifications. That doesn't necessarily mean harder suspension just higher, maybe. A replacement spring with more set but same characteristics will lift a bit and give greater load holding and distribute forces similar to original design, airbag and rubber stuff NO. When towing something, the ball weight must be accounted for and so a slightly more capable spring is good. Even if the chassis at the rear axle is lifted 50mm, the rise of the sill of the door will be 20mm to 25mm. Principle of levers. Wife still happy.
A 50 mm increase would probably do what you want, but if also towing, the additional mass on rear suspension should be catered for by having far better shocks fitted which perform and control the induced loads of tray gear and ball weight and pitching and braking and road undulations. If the shocks work better with suitable ride height springs, then you won't be bottoming anyway, unless driving foolishly. Even then the shocks will do a far better job. That is what I would do and have done to a different make vehicle which towed a Tvan over rough stuff.

Comments in the ad of Timbren said,
"I just installed a timbren system in my 2014 f350 4wheel drive ford. our first trip pulling a 36 foot 5th wheel was surprising the ride didn’t feel to bad but when we opened the trailer the ride had obviously been a lot rougher for the trailer. furniture was all over the place the fridge door had jarred open and our printer had been smashed.
Same roads we have traveled before with no damage. can I do something to soften the ride or will that defeat the purpose. I’m concerned for the structual integrity of the trailer.

He didn't like the suddenness of the Timbren system.
AnswerID: 624423

Follow Up By: Member - Murray R (VIC) - Friday, Mar 15, 2019 at 13:27

Friday, Mar 15, 2019 at 13:27
RMD
The Timbren system for the BT50 mounts between spring and chassis by replacing the bump stop as do the airbag kits. My concern is that when my camper is fitted the Mazda springs invert which give me 25mm between the top of the bump stop and the chassis and they bottom out on bumps.Maybe a suspension upgrade of 0 to 300kg constant load may help as they are surpose to retain the 50mm lift with a 300kg load where my camper is around the 550/600kg when fully packed for trips. This may give me more clearance as spring rate would be more and still a desent ride. lf l went this way it would be springs and shocks or maybe just get springs reset and new shocks.

Murray
Another Mexican

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 897927

Follow Up By: RMD - Friday, Mar 15, 2019 at 19:39

Friday, Mar 15, 2019 at 19:39
G’day Murray,
Seeing the OE springs invert, which on flat springs is normal, the issue is one of clearance. With that being the situation, to me, the only way to remedy or improve ride when loaded and retain a reasonable amount of suspension upward travel to absorb motion, is to replace the springs and definitely fit shocks with appropriate control ability. Nearly all modern utes don’t have shocks which can effectively do that. They might not leak and appear ok, but with additional load to control and temp increases when used off road the performance of the OE ones will diminish rapidly.

Decent shocks will hold and or catch the movement before bottoming. My Bilsteins transformed my ute and does not bottom seeing it has sufficient initial clearance.
0
FollowupID: 897937

Follow Up By: Member - Murray R (VIC) - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 19:37

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 19:37
RMD
The factory shocks are as you say and do not stand up to it when loaded even on the black top which so far is mainly where l been with my camper on. Shocks are definately on the list.

Murray
Another Mexican

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 897987

Reply By: splits - Friday, Mar 15, 2019 at 23:16

Friday, Mar 15, 2019 at 23:16
As my ute is a BT50 single cab with the axle in the middle of the tray, l don't think this system should give me chassis problems when loaded.
----------------------------------------------------------------

It is not so much the load that causes chassis problems, it is the location of material (mass) behind the rear axle that does all the damage.

Any material behind the axle, including the chassis itself, has to be jerked up suddenly whenever the end of the chassis rises quickly and caught and stopped suddenly when the chassis falls. The forces going into the chassis far exceed those imposed on it when the car is stationary. To make matters worse, these forces increase by the square of the vehicle speed.

If you have too much heavy material behind the axle then no amount of heavier springs, air bags or Timbren systems are going to save it if these forces are outside the chassis design limits. The chassis will still pivot on the rear axle bearings and the front end will still go up and down. That places a hell of a lot of stress into it round the rear axle area.

It is for these reasons that manufacturers usually recommend reducing both the carrying and towing capacity on unsealed roads. They don't always say that in the handbook, most likely because there are too many variables in off sealed road conditions, but I asked three on their customer information service and that is what they told me.

By the way, my wife was also built a little too close to the ground and getting up into our standard height 4x4 single cab is anything but easy. I solved the problem about three years ago with a little folding plastic step from ALDI. It is 220 mm high, it folds flat and looks like it is tough enough to support just about anything. I have seen them on sale three or four times so maybe your nearest store will know when they will be back again.
AnswerID: 624449

Follow Up By: Member - Murray R (VIC) - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 20:40

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 20:40
Splits
l think the chassis design limits should be ok My utes have always been under GVM when loaded (passenger, fuel,etc included) and done a lot of outback travalling with only the shocks changed.
My main concern is the rear spring travel when loaded with the BT50, its payload is 1200kg and l think it would sit on the bump stops with that load.

Murray

Another Mexican

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 897989

Reply By: duck - Sunday, Mar 17, 2019 at 14:09

Sunday, Mar 17, 2019 at 14:09
You may want to look at Aeon bump stops they were all the go in the seventy's & eighty's, I know they still make them for a lot of trucks (real trucks) so they still may make them for 4wd
AnswerID: 624463

Follow Up By: Member - John - Sunday, Mar 17, 2019 at 21:23

Sunday, Mar 17, 2019 at 21:23
"The Aeon® hollow rubber spring is the heart of a Timbren SES upgrade. You will find a pair of Aeon® hollow rubber springs inside every Timbren SES kit."
John and Jan

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 897963

Follow Up By: Member - Murray R (VIC) - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 20:46

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 20:46
Duck
l do remember then and seen them but had no need for them on my cars back then.
What John has said is correct and thanks.

Murray
Another Mexican

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 897990

Sponsored Links