Labrati

On a short road trip with a moderate amount of gear in the rear (weight distributed forward of the rear axle) and a large hitch-hauler hanging off of the back (probably 220/250 pounds) the 460 was a little light in the front. I have another upcoming road trip that will have a LOT more gear and substantially more weight including second row passengers. I'm not a huge fan of air-bags inside the coils (had them on a 4runner, Yukon Denali with the built in's etc). I have been looking at the sumospring / timbren jouncer helpers and wondered if anyone had any experience with these. They look simple enough and I understand the principal. Easy enough to swap back to factory stops etc. Ultimately I would like something that would just give a little extra help if the rear gets laden down on road trips or when pulling a lightweight boat. We have 100 series LC's that are put to work for any serious towing.

2022 Premium (no AHC).

Thanks.

Carnevino

I’ve considered helper bags like Airlift. I tow a boat 1500 miles round trip every other month and have looked into Airlift bags for the rear springs.

ASE

^ Airlift vs Firestone ... Firestone has significantly better air fittings ...

ASE

For me, the "jounce' approach is always engaged at a fixed "spring rate" ... so unless one wants to "bolt-on" and "bolt-off" based on load conditions ... the internal spring "Air Bag" approach offers adjustability via air bag pressure.

OhioGX23

I just put Timbrens on both front/rear on my 2023 GX and difference was noticable w/ improvement but not dramatically different. Was it worth the 600$ that is debatable but time will tell.

ASE

Have Timbren "Bump Stops" ... huge improvement when the suspension "bottoms-out" ... a cushion vs the violent "stock" bump-stops.

Labrati

I’m still under factory warranty so I would prefer not to give them an opportunity to claim something aftermarket has created an issue. I agree that the airbags are the best solution but not exactly bolt on / bolt off.

Scott571GX

... OK so I have the Timbren SES rear load carrying bump stops installed on my '23 GX... had them on my 5th Gen 4Runner Limited also. Once you're loaded down and riding on them, the ride get's a bit stiff since they don't compress at the same rate as the rear springs. Still, if you're not carrying heavy loads all the time, it's a decent enough solution. But I also agree that air springs inserts like the AirLift or Firestone options are a good/better option for more frequent use - had them on a '03 Pathfinder and they worked great in that application. I went the bump stop route for my GX and 4Runner due to ease of install.

And... You probably already know this... Timbren has two different bump stops - the SES (Suspension Enhancement System), and the 'Off Road' ones. They are different, and from what I read the Off Road ones are not designed to be load carrying like the SES ones. Be sure you're getting the right ones if you go that route.