Airlift vs Timbren SES vs Rear Anti-Sway

[Tscottok]

Hey MTC,

I'm planning to start towing with my 22 EB 4k Maverick. I'll likely be running fairly close to the max loads and wanted to add some parts to make it easier to drive and safer for me & the truck. I've already replaced the transmission, PTU & RDU Fluids (highly recommend! write up here) and I'm looking for ways to tweak the suspension to handle the tongue weight and help with driving/handling. I also ordered this nifty Weight Safe hitch that measures the weight in real time so I'll now if/when I'm overloaded before taking off.
Below are the 3 main options I found without replacing/modifying the entire suspension. I don't want to get into weight distribution hitches as I'm not convinced they're a good idea on a unibody truck and would rather beef of the mav where possible.

Please let me know your thoughts on what I should add/modify!


Air Lift 1000- ‎60859 (Amazon): Cheapest option
Air bag "springs" that inflate inside the existing spring suspension. This seems like the cheapest & most adjustable way to level the truck under load and better distribute the weight. Other installations make it seem a bit tricky to get the bags into the springs, but definitely possible without removing any parts! I like that these are adjustable based on the load that's on the truck (add/remove psi), but I'm concerned on how these will impact normal driving, if there is a chance it voids the warranty, and/or if it causes increased wear since the truck is loaded differently than designed (some lift kits have this problem, especially on ball joints).

Sport Timbren SES Suspension Enhancement System (link): Easiest option
A rubber cylinder that supports the truck under load. I like that these are easy to install (direct bolt on), they're not engaged at all under normal driving (same drive feel), and prevents damage if you hit a pothole or bottom out on a bump. Timbren claims that they provide variable support where resistance increases with higher loads, but I have doubts that it's that much of a change. This option seems like the easiest to install, definitely helps, but is limited in its ability to shift weight to the front & level the vehicle under load.

Steeda AWD Rear Anti-Sway Bar (link): Helps with driving, but not with towing
This is a part that I've been looking at for a while. It helps the side-to-side sway and keeps the truck level when going around turns. From what I've read, this doesn't really help with towing as the trailer and truck sway aren't really connected all that much. The trailer is going to sway regardless of what the truck is doing, and the sway control tech in the mav will help here (plus properly sizing/loading the trailer). Overall, I've heard that these are great when driving normally, and want to make sure I won't regret having them when I'm towing.


My Plan:
I'm currently planning on installing all 3 (crazy, I know). I like that the air lift provides adjustable support based on the load, and that timbren offers a fixed "bottom end" support when heavily loaded or hitting a bump. Plus, I hear great things about rear anti-sway bars on normal ride and drive feel.

My concern is that these systems will not work well with each other and/or the sway bar will make towing more challenging. Let me know if it's crazy to do both air lift and timbren, and if the sway bar is worth it if I'll be towing.

Thanks!

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[fossil]

Honestly think you won't need the Timbren bits and should put that money into an onboard air compressor system.
I had air bags on a F150 and the need to adjust the air every time was a pain. I ended up installing 2 3 way solenoids, 2 gauges and a small compressor to adjust them on the fly. Took a full day to install but it was a fun project and I could adjust the bags from the drivers seat. If you want to air them the same you'd need fewer parts.

 

[Tscottok]

hmmm that's a pretty cool idea! It would be nice to be able to adjust the pressure while driving and automatically.

 

[justiz00]

There was someone on here that went the airlift route and had a small airlift compressor in the storage cubby wired to that spare circuit back there. They had a remote to assist the air from inside. It may have automatically maintained the pressure as well.

 

[justiz00]

There was someone on here that went the airlift route and had a small airlift compressor in the storage cubby wired to that spare circuit back there. They had a remote to assist the air from inside. It may have automatically maintained the pressure as well.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...irelessone-compressor-system-installed.35727/

 

[Tscottok]

amazing! thank you for the link

I ended up routing the air hose into the bed cubby so I could set this up later. Worked great. there was already an opening at the bottom to feed the line in

 

[todd92]

How do they perform? I was just looking at the same air springs to counteract the rear droop when loaded up. Nice idea for placing the fill valve.

 

[Maverickman74]

Now y'all got me thinking about an actual air spring for the rear. Imagine knowing your bumper is about to be hung up then having the ability to over inflate it for just a few feet until you clear that rock.

 

[Tscottok]

How do they perform? I was just looking at the same air springs to counteract the rear droop when loaded up. Nice idea for placing the fill valve.

They worked great! I'm new to pulling trailers, but I had ~3,500 lbs and 350 on the tongue and the squat was barely visible. I pumped the bags to about 19 PSI and the car felt very flat/square. You definitely know there is a trailer there, but the truck felt very safe to drive, minimal sway, and braked pretty well. We also had a good amount of gear in the back of the truck, so the total weight in the bed was probably closer to 600 pounds (without passengers).

I definitely think the air lift is what made the difference. The rear suspension is pretty stiff, but the truck was barely showing the weight when everything was loaded (pic below)

To be honest, I actually went with all 3 of these items. I really wanted to see what the rear anti-sway bar would do to regular driving, and feel that the combination of an air spring & a rubber support spring is really interesting. The air spring will limit overall compression of the suspension (great for all types of loads, and is always working), the Timbren only kicks in on the lower end. This means it will only engage at a pothole, swerve/sway, and if you're pushing the max capacities. Plus the SES system is supposed to add variable resistance, it may help even more on windy roads or emergency situations where a heavy truck may want to leanh hard on 1 side.
The air lift would help a ton (and what I'd recommend over the Timbren), but applies somewhat constant resistance to the springs, and could actually increase sway since they are linked (air is pushed to the 1 of the bags).


Pic of the Mav & Trailer
For this I just had air lift springs

 

[todd92]

My air springs just arrived today. Looks like a very easy install, I'll be putting the valve in the cubby like you did. I just measured the empty truck it only has 3/4" of rake. No wonder it squats when loaded and feels nose high. This is definitely a truck you don't want to level, unless you like the Carolina squat look.

 

[Tscottok]

My air springs just arrived today. Looks like a very easy install, I'll be putting the valve in the cubby like you did. I just measured the empty truck it only has 3/4" of rake. No wonder it squats when loaded and feels nose high. This is definitely a truck you don't want to level, unless you like the Carolina squat look.

Overall it was pretty easy. I did put shielding on the hose, used a Dremel to smooth some rough frame edges, and put some foam tape over any corner points.

It was definitely tricky to get the bags into the springs without taking anything off. I ended up getting the nozzle through with the "hot dog" method (air lift instructions), then using ratchet extenders to push the rest of the bag in. It was tough, but definitely doable.

Good luck!

 

[BlueRaven]

4500 pounds, car and trailer. did move it back about a foot and a half. towed just fine. after moving it back truck wasnt squatting. been towing mr2s for years. this mav towed it better than my yukon xl(suburban) with a v8.

dont care about showing me over weight as this truck got traded off. and yeah yeah i was over weight and unsafe. blah blah. i made it home safely and put another 15 thousand miles on that mav.

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