I tow a 5000# TT and I am looking to put on the RS9000 on the rear. Question is, For those of you who have the RS9000's on is do you have them all the way around or 9000's on the rear and 5000's on front. I am trying to cut down on the rear sag with the trailer attached. Thanks in advance for any info.

 

admiral,

First off, regular shocks will not solve rear sag, but they could improve driving stability. Some shocks have overload springs around them, but I have found these to be less effective than other methods (read on).

As for rear sag, you can accomplish this through one or both of the following:
1. Beef-up the rear suspension with an add-a-leaf spring, overload helper spring, or air-bag system. Some helper springs will not change stock ride height (w/o trailer hooked up) and only become effective when you start to add a load. Typical add-a-leafs will increase the bed height about 1-2 inches. With an air bag system and trailer in place, you can add or remove air to get the height you want (within manufacturer pressure limits).
2. Get a load-equalizing hitch system which has tension bars that mount from the hitch point back to the frame of the trailer.

If you have a heavy trailer, I would strongly suggest getting both. You have a 5000 pounder, so I would invest in the equalizing hitch. The hitch will improve handling/stability and help keep the trailer in your lane in windy conditions.

Here's a related post:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...threadid=85235

 

I have an equalizing hitch that I use. However, I have to change my shocks and I thought that the RS9000 would help with the adjustable feature. I would prefer not to add helper springs, but I have thought about Air Bags. I was just asking what would happen with 9000 in the rear and 5000 in the front.

 

I have 9000s all around, but don't see why you couldn't put 9000s in the back with 5000s up front. I do adjust my 9000s differently in the rear when I am hauling, without adjusting my fronts, so at that point I effectively have two different shocks on the vehicle. Not sure what you would really gain, other than the ability to stiffen up your back shocks when under heavy load.

 

I have 9000's all around and tow a 27 foot TT around 5,500 dry. I also added a Hellwig Rear Anti-Sway bar to offset the cross winds I experience out here in Idaho and Eastern Oregon. I also adjust the rear shocks when towing. Around town I run them at level 2. When towing I turn the rears up to 3 or 4 depending on where we are going.

I don't typically adjust the fronts.

I have the "Equa-lizer" weight distributing hitch also.

If your truck is sagging in the rear then your hitch system is not set up properly. O level ground the truck and trailer should be level. Granted the Supercrew 4x4 sets higher in the rear by 2-3 " but if your tailer hitch system is set up correctly the truck should be almost perfectly level.

 

I don't see a thing wrong with using 5000's upfront and 9000's in the back. I'm running my front 9000's on a different setting than the rear (front 3 and rear 2, for good handling and ride).


Also, Rancho has a new 9000 series out it's called the RS9000X. It's 9 position instead of 5 position shock, other than that I do not know what differences there may be other than price. Just a little tidbit.