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Sulastic Rubber
Springs, Greatly Improving the Ride of Trucks
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Install review by
H. Kent Sundling, edited from PowerStrokeOnline.com
Like a torsion
trailer axle or Hendrickson suspension on a semi-truck, Sulastic
Rubber Springs are a cast hinge embedded with rubber. They do settle
the empty ride down considerably. I have a clothes rod attached to
the hanger hooks in my SuperCab which usually bounces down without
clothes on it when my F250 is empty. After adding Sulastic, the
clothes rod stays put. The F250 vibrates less. Sulastic puts tension
control
on your leaf spring, taking some of the impact out of the spring
action. They are made of vulcanized steel and compound rubber which
take the vibration out of your trucks suspension for you and to
increase the life span of your trucks suspension (leafs, shocks and
brakes.) See video below
Very simple
installation. The hardest part was getting the old bolts out of the
hanger. You need to save your old bolts and nuts as they aren't
supplied with the kit. Jack the truck up by the frame, remove the
rear leaf spring shackle from the hanger and leaf spring. Insert the
rubber bushings and separation tube into the Sulastic casting and
bolt to the truck frame hanger. The Sulastic straps bolt to the
factory leaf springs. The casting has a stop in built for empty
position. Warranty one year.
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The
original shackle hanger moves for and aft as the leaf spring
flattens out under load |
Hardest
part of the install is getting the old shackle bolts out |
Factory
shackle and Sulastic torsion shackle |
Sulastic
installed and a smooth ride |
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Sulastic Rubber Springs
has engineered a proven product that virtually eliminates
excessive vehicle vibrations. In comprehensive laboratory
and field tests, vehicles using Sulastic Rubber Springs
obtained the following results:
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Reduction in vehicle
vibrations by 60% to 80%, while significantly
reducing excessive tire temperature caused by excessive
vibrations
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Increase in vehicle
stability by 20% to 30% increasing the angle for
turn-over by 4 to 6 degrees
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Reduction in braking
distances by 10% to 20%, keeping all 4 tires on
the road during braking
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Increase in Driver
Control by stabilizing vehicle weight over all 4 tires
Over
6,000 vehicles are using Sulastic Rubber Springs today!
Free Shipping
Order
below $349 for a pair, except where noted one
year warranty |
 The
airless bag to prevent your sag
and improve your ride! For
trucks with campers, trailers,
commercial bodies and all other loads..
SumoSprings
(the
world’s first and only “airless airbag” suspension
system for trucks and vans)
are manufactured from an advanced high grade, closed
cell polyurethane foam; ideal for the tough truck
underbody environment. The product underwent testing in
extreme conditions ranging from blistering US desert
summer days to the frigid Canadian winter nights.
Combining heavy loads with extreme terrain and
temperature conditions over eighteen months of testing
ensures their performance in any similar conditions our
customers might encounter.
More...
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testimonials Diesel Place
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4-06-2008, 12:09 PM §
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#58
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04-08-2008, 02:20 PM §
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#61
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B123ZMANAB
Diesel Fanatic
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts:
121
iTrader: (0)
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I have them with the 4" deavers and they work great.
makes the rear end feel wayyy better than stock. I have
airbags as well and keep no air in them. I would
recommend them to all. well worth the money |
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 04-29-2008,
08:45 AM §
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#78
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HotRodSS
Diesel Head
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts:
47
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TN Diesel Place Club Member |
I have had the Sulastic springs installed for a while
now and I was very pleased with the ride improvement.
One way I could descibe it is that the rear suspension
is similiar to the front now when going over bumps. It
is much smoother as opposed to the harsh jar that was
there before. They are made much heavier than the stock
shackles also. I would recommend them if you are looking
for a smoother more "car-like" ride from your pickup.  Thanks
to Nick for a great product. |
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08-31-2008,
03:30 PM §
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#117
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rhyanmeade
Diesel Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Elko, Nevada
Posts:
7
iTrader: (0)
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I put a set of the Sulastic shackles on this weekend.
Took me about 3 hrs by the time you drop the hitch, then
the top "superior" shackle bolts didn't want to come
out. I've had the dreaded 45-50mph hop ever since I
bought the truck, and these shackles to seem to help
alot. Most of the vibration is gone, and the ride is
definately smoother. I'll let the wife drive it for a
couple of days to see if she can tell the difference.
Well worth the money so far. |
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09-19-2008,
08:37 PM §
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#141
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JD4440
Lead Moderator
Do you ever think.......?
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Orlinda,Tennessee
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TN Diesel Place Club Member
KY Diesel place Club Member |
Mine came today !! I'll say that is the fastest I've
ever recieved anything from Cali (3 days). Got mine with
the 2" drop; hopefully get them installed sunday and be
able to report back. Thanks Nick ! |
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09-21-2008,
08:19 AM §
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#142
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JD4440
Lead Moderator
Do you ever think.......?
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Orlinda,Tennessee
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TN Diesel Place Club Member
KY Diesel place Club Member |
Installed yesterday. Took all of a few hours (uncommon
problems) For some reason when you take loose my right
shackle the spring moves against the frame? Other than
that and the bolts that wont go between the rivet and
bed all was good. The 2" drop pieces were a little snug
but ended up working well.
Now for the good stuff. Took them to the roughest road
near the shop, took it as fast as I had the nerve to and
WOW! is all I can say. If they don't do much more they
really keep the tail in line when going around a rough
curve. Smoothed out potholes considerably and
overallgreatly improved the feeling of patchwork in the
road. A+ and a big thumbs up for a great product Nick ! |
testimonial Marble Junkie
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Marblejunkie
Diesel Fanatic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverbank, CA
Posts:
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Smoother Ride
Well here it is in her own words quote: "The aftershocks
are gone and my body don't jiggle no more! The ride is
50% better than what it was, it's not my old Suburban,
but we'll keep the
truck" ,unquote. The receiver hitch had to be
lowered to remove the shackle bolts, and the torsion
bars were adjusted up 1/4". The front is +1" higher and
the rear is +5/8" higher. At the suggestion of the
installation tech I changed the tire air pressure while
riding empty in the front from 55# to 65# and in the
rear from 65# to 55#. The engine is where all the weight
is and the bed is empty, it was visible in the tire
sidewalls as he pointed out to me. Back up to 80# when
towing. I drove the truck and was quite surprised at the
big difference, especially after reading on the forum
about all the big bucks spent on shocks and other
suspension type items. I was skeptical to say the least,
but now I am sold! Here is a link to the installation
pics, read the inital comment for more information when
you get there. Monty
http://www.esnips.com/web/SulasticRubberSpring |
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Marblejunkie
Diesel Fanatic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverbank, CA
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One Week Later
Update:
The springs are doing what they
claim to do. I pumped up the air in my tires front
and back (80#)to tow my TT home after some dealer
warranty work. The trip was about 30 miles and I as
presumed, the ride was fine because of the heavy tongue
weight. What I did notice was after unhitching and going
for a ride to grocery shop was that the additional air
in the tires made the ride considerably rougher. So the
best pressure for us to obtain a smooth ride is 65#F and
55#R. These springs are fine if you run empty most of
the time, they would be less valuable if towing or
carrying a load most of the time. Overall the DW is
happy with the ride, and that is what this was all about
in the first place. |
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverbank, CA
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by johnmay19;1980853;
Everything still working out with the springs? |
Everything is still right on, not one problem or
disappointment! We took a 300 mile trip on the 19th, 80%
freeway driving at 70mph, the rest on meandering
mountain roads and without provoking her the DW blurted
out about how much she was liking the
truck now since the ride was so smooth. Music to my
ears! Tire pressures make a difference, as mentioned
earlier I am running 65psi F and 55psi R when empty.
Mileage on this trip (no towing) was 18.65 mpg. I would
not hesitate to do it all over again, it has been worth
it. |
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12-28-2007,
03:24 PM §
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#33
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Marblejunkie
Diesel Fanatic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverbank, CA
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by RayMich
Other than tire pressure, are the Sulastic
spring shackles the only changes you have made?
are you still running the stock shocks? Stock
tires? |
Tires and shocks still stock. No other changes, have
about 7,000 miles now. It was a wise move for my
situation. I did not need to upgrade the shocks to
smooth out the ride and when the little lady is happy, I
am happy! |
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02-03-2008,
09:32 PM §
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#36
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Marblejunkie
Diesel Fanatic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverbank, CA
Posts:
70
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What type of update are you seeking? Price, quality,
performance, satisfaction?
I know there are a few others who have made the plunge
so to speak, but I am still very happy the Sulastics are
on our truck. The price was worth it for the results
obtained.
I have not heard from anyone who has the springs,
complain about them not doing what they were designed to
do. I feel like it would have been a mistake to go the
shocks route, since they only make the ride stiffer
instead of softer, especially in normal everyday driving
conditions.
If you are looking for a more cushioned ride to the rear
end, I don't think you can make a better choice other
than loading a few hundred pounds of sandbags or maybe a
water bladder in the bed of your truck.
Good luck and let us know if you make the leap |
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12-28-2007,
03:24 PM §
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#33
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Marblejunkie
Diesel Fanatic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverbank, CA
Posts:
70
iTrader: (0)
Marblejunkie's Garage
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by RayMich
Other than tire pressure, are the Sulastic
spring shackles the only changes you have made?
are you still running the stock shocks? Stock
tires? |
Tires and shocks still stock. No other changes, have
about 7,000 miles now. It was a wise move for my
situation. I did not need to upgrade the shocks to
smooth out the ride and when the little lady is happy, I
am happy |
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