SumoSprings vs Timbrens: Which Is Better? (Before and After)
Some of the more majestic sites are not found along the much traveled interstate system. You have to go off-road to reach these sites and stock springs just may not make it over the rougher roads. That is when you upgrade a bit and add on some after-market help.
The debate between these two top aftermarket springs may boil down to if you like rubber or micro-cellular polyurethane helping your truck’s or RV’s suspension. Those are the two materials used by these companies to make their products.
To learn more about these two products, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can make a very good purchasing decision. Adding more support to your springs should enhance your towing experience.
SumoSprings vs Timbrens
What is SumoSprings?
This product is made by a transplanted South African. When things got difficult in his country, he emigrated to the US and started to refine and build his business. Sumo Springs is just one of the many products Super Spring International makes.
These springs are not made from rubber but from micro-cellular polyurethane. This is not a rubber compound but more of a petroleum plastic creation that uses different materials to achieve different applications.
In this case, the application is a suspension in many vehicles. Once formed into these Sumo Springs, the purpose of this application is to reduce rear-end sag, decrease vibration, stabilize sway, and soften harsh rebounds.
The company advertises its springs as a progressive type that only gets harder when you add more weight. They also provide more support and control without interfering with your stock springs when there is no additional weight added to your vehicle.
You can see them in action on the company’s website. They place a looped video on this product’s web page so you can what is happening after you add these springs to your suspension system.
These springs are just an aftermarket way of expanding your roaming when you want to take in all the sites on your trip.
What is Timbren Springs?
Like the Sumo Springs, Timbren describes its rubber springs as progressive. These springs are made from uncured rubber that is put through a strict process to make sure they form and conform to the application and specs the company needs.
These springs come in different sizes as well as different rubber toughness levels. They are designed to help dampen noise, reduce shocks and bumps, and are able to increase their spring rate as the load increases.
Plus, when used as a helper spring, they help smooth out the rough ride you get when you go off-road. Timbren Springs has been around since 1965 or about 30 years longer than Super Springs International.
The company has a very long track record of success and it is a Canadian family-owned business. Their location is not far from Toronto Ontario and all of their products are made in-house.
The company puts these rubber springs in their SES kits or their axle-less trailer suspension products. Made from almost 100% pure rubber, this after-market spring option is made to work with different vehicles and trailers.
Over the 60 years, they have been in business, they have been able to create new designs that work very well under different applications.
Which is Better Sumo Springs or Timbren?
This will depend on the application. Since the two springs are made of different materials, they work better in different situations. For example, the rubber Timbren springs are best for heavier loads.
For example, they work great in snow plows and similar heavy equipment as well as being the best for 5th wheel towing. This is not to say that they cannot be used in lighter applications.
It is just that the Sumo Springs are better in those situations. Made from polyurethane material, this brand of springs does a great job where weight balance support and comfort are desired.
Because the Sumo Spring product has a lower density construction, it is often preferred over the Timbren Springs when it comes to adding them to RVs. Because the Sumo Springs have a lower density construction, they also do not handle as much weight as the Timbren Springs will.
To answer this question, it will depend on your purpose for the springs that will declare one better than the other. The good news is that both companies make their springs for a variety of applications and a variety of load capacities.
That means that if you prefer one brand over the other, you should be able to find one of their products to meet your needs. This is what one owner has said as well when he said 6 of one and 1/2 dozen of the other. They both work well.
Sumo Springs vs Timbren Pros And Cons
1. Sumo Springs
Pros:
- Comes in three colors for maximum benefits- the colors indicate the application
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Progressive spring rate
- Smooths out your ride, absorbs road shocks and bumps
- Not for every vehicle but best for RVs and lighter applications
- Supposed to provide a softer ride
- Improved load support
- Less body roll
- Less vertical movement
Cons:
- Cost- for the most part they are over $250 and many are over $300
- limited application and not for heavy-duty hauling or towing
- low weight range capacity
- millions of air bubbles in the polyurethane
- rides rough without the extra load of a trailer attached to your vehicle
2. Timbren Springs
Pros:
- lifetime warranty with some exceptions
- made from almost 100% natural rubber
- rubber is designed for different densities allowing for different applications
- easy to install and mounts to current bumper stop locations
- comes with custom options for lift kits
- good for heavy hauling and heavy-duty equipment
- comes with a higher weight rating capacity
- prevents body roll and keeps vehicle level
- minimal maintenance, almost a install them and forget them part
Cons:
- not the best after-market spring for off-road adventures
- weighs a little more than Sumo Springs due to the steel and rubber content
- reduces the ride height of your vehicle
- not the best option for light-duty applications
- cost is roughly the same as Sumo Springs
F150 Sumo Springs vs Timbren
We went to an F150 discussion forum and the comments were not encouraging. Almost all members were saying that you should not have either on your truck. Instead, they recommended going with a weight distribution hitch.
When set up properly, these after-market springs should not interfere with the weight distribution hitch but they may if they are not set up correctly or added after you set up the hitch.
That is the opinion of F150 owners. But if you really want to get some of these springs, then unless you are doing some heavy hauling and towing, the Sumo Springs would be better.
The springs you choose will depend a lot on the weight you are going to haul and tow. A lighter weight would work better with Sumo Springs, while a heavier weight is right up Timbren’s avenue.
Also, if you are going to go off-road, then you should go with the Sumo Springs. Timbren’s are not necessarily made to handle that kind of rough driving. They are better on paved roads than anything else.
Check your purpose before making this decision. Many truck owners prefer Timbren’s but not in this situation. The lighter application is better for Sumo Springs.
Sumo Springs vs Timbren Ram 1500
We went to a Dodge Ram discussion forum and the comments there were more encouraging. The opinions were divided between the two types of Springs. There were enough people liking and using the Sumo Springs as there were the Timbren models.
However, those that have used both said the Timbren’s were better for squatting, ride comfort, and load handling. The people that liked and used the Sumo Springs did admit that you will feel just about every bump when you drive over them.
That may be the difference in this category. Timbren’s may help smooth the bumps over better and provide a better ride quality for those who place a high priority on that aspect of driving.
As for squat, the pro-Sumo Spring users did not find much difference between the two. They said that the Sumo Springs helped with the squat quite well. However, other experts said that Timbren is far superior when it comes to the squat especially when you have a heavy load in the back of your pick up truck.
Other Dodge Ram forums seem to hold a different opinion and this comparison will boil down to which product you like the best. Both are good and have their strengths and weaknesses.
Are Sumo Springs Worth It?
These springs may be higher priced than their competitors but they may also be worth the price you pay for them. For example, if you like going off-road a lot to see the grand sites, then yes, you will get your money’s worth out of them.
You may not think they are worth the money if you do a lot of empty driving. By that we mean you are not hauling or towing anything behind you. The lack of weight will affect how these springs perform.
Some owners have said they did not like the rough ride the Sumo Springs came with when they were in an empty truck. Your use will answer this question for you.
Some owners are very happy with their purchase while others replaced them with Timbren or some other competitor’s after-market springs. In the end, it will be your preferences and experience that will make the final determination.
As the one owner that we quoted said, it is 6 of one and a half dozen of the other. In other words, these springs are good, they do their job but they do not blow the competition away. You may get the same results from other brands similar to these springs.
Do Sumo Springs Affect Ride Quality?
In some cases, this is a subjective topic. Some people have claimed that after putting these springs on their vehicles, they found no ride quality difference. That is the result for some people.
On the other hand, our research indicates that the Sumo Springs do improve the ride quality and make your travels a lot more enjoyable. These springs do help smooth out rough rides.
In addition to all of that, Sumo Springs are supposed to help sway control, which can lead to passenger and driver discomfort when it happens. Also, this product is supposed to reduce road vibration which would help smooth out your ride.
The design of these springs is compared to an air-spring type buffer. The springs are infused with injected air, hence the millions of air bubbles mentioned earlier, and that infusion is supposed to make your ride smoother.
You can enjoy these smooth rides and better ride quality if you install the springs correctly. Do not expect to receive the same quality of performance when the springs have been installed improperly.
The installation is supposed to be fairly simple so it would be really hard to mess the installation up and ruin your new springs.
Timbren Before And After
Life before using Timbren Springs will be similar to life before Sumo Springs. There may be some duplication as these spring competitors are very close to each other in performance and purpose.
Before using Timbren springs, you may experience a lot of squat when you add a heavy load to the pick up truck’s bed. Plus, you may feel every bump in the road and wonder if your suspension is going to hold.
Also, you may not have been able to go too far off-road without the Timbren springs. While they are not an off-road type of spring, they do take you further than if you did not have them.
Life after Timbren means a smoother ride, the ability to carry heavier loads and better turning capability. You do not feel the bumps in the road nor do you need to worry about speed bumps.
The best way to say this is that you should have a better quality ride, one that is smoother and without road noise or vibrations. That is money well invested. It also helps you keep your truck level when the loads are added to it.
Sumo Springs Before And After
Life before adding these springs to your vehicle may have been rough. You would feel every bump, have difficulty going off-road, and not be able to speed up as you turn your corners.
That is not all, as you will also have problems in high wind areas, including enduring sway and side-to-side movement. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you had the contents of your van or trailer strewn all over the floor when driving without Sumo Springs installed.
Someone used the imagery of a bobble head doll to describe their driving experience without Sumo Springs helping them out. Life after adding the springs changed all of that.
The addition of the springs reduced side-to-side movement as well as reducing the vehicle’s overall movement. It also helped smooth out rough roads allowing you to go further off-road and not miss out on anything along your route.
You can have more confidence driving those low to no maintained roads that make travel more of an adventure than just a holiday. There is no more bobble head driving experience once those Sumo Springs are put in place.
Where To Buy Timbren or Sumo Springs?
In a quick check of the websites for these two products, it may be easier to purchase Timbren Springs. The company has an internet store and the prices are clearly marked under their different products.
On the other hand, you will have to use the find a dealer locator page on the Sumo Springs or Super Springs International website. Prices are not clearly marked and you have to make sure there is a dealer near you.
Both companies have an Amazon presence through different vendors. But you should verify that the vendors are not selling you inferior materials. Prices seem to be a bit lower at Amazon than at other locations.
A quick internet search should turn up other options as well. These products are well known and there should not be a problem in finding any of them.
Some Additional Words
Enhancing your current suspension system is a good idea if you plan on doing heavy hauling or towing. Or even if you plan to go off-road. Having a better ride is important for both you and your vehicle.
These springs. No matter the brand, should help your suspension system last a little longer and perform better than ever. Both are good products and it will be up to you to decide if they are the best.
