The coil springs and leaf springs carry the load. However, the shock acts as a stabilizer. Most factory shocks have poor rebound valves.

Points to Consider

• The rear suspension will compress when a heavy load is carried up a driveway.
• Rear springs consume a lot of energy. The shocks slow it down to keep it from bottoming out.
• However, the rebound action is caused by the load being pulled out of compression. Factory shocks aren't designed to deal with that much kinetic energy, so there is a bounce or boaty feeling.
• This initiates a cycle of up-down and down-down until the vehicle settles. 

Predictably, good shocks can decrease this cycle by 50%.

 

Heavy load shocks have better rebound valving. This means that as the weight is released from compression, the shock slows down its rebounding weight. This means there is no need for the shock to apply additional compression forces, so the importance 

does not have to fall again on the suspension.

 

It makes a big difference in driver confidence when the rear load doesn't go up and down or sway left and right too much.

Most Frequently Asked Questions - Hauling & Towing

Are shocks helpful in towing?

You can't just replace poor shocks with any shock to make your towing experience more enjoyable. A properly dampened shock for towing or hauling or an off-road-oriented one will significantly improve your towing performance by reducing bounce and sway.

 

Towing upgrades that are reliable and safe include the Bilstein 4600/5100 Series, KYB mono max or Rancho RS7MT, or Rancho RS9000XL. Each has its pros and cons. Bilstein is our favorite choice because of its rambling valving nature and ability to aid vehicle handling.

Do adjustable shocks help with towing?

Towing can be made more accessible by adjustable shocks. You can adjust the compression valving of the shock with a knob. To give you the best handling, shocks like the Rancho RS9000XL or Fox 2.0 CD can be set to a firmer range of valving under load or towing. The shocks can be adjusted once unloaded to provide a smoother ride if needed.

How can I improve my towing suspension?

A stock vehicle loaded with a 5th wheel or travel trailer, a toy hauler, or other load-in-tow will typically sag in its rear because of the nature and design of the factory suspension. This suspension is designed for comfort rather than heavy duty. Even if the rear shocks (coils and leaves) are sufficiently heavy-duty, they are often under-dampened for such loads. This causes excessive rebound, leading to boaty behavior (rear bouncing and boaty behavior).