Well I purchased a set a rear Timbrens for my truck. After one week of testing, I decided to return them, here is why.Extremely easy install, that's a given.They absolutely minimized the rocking back and forth when going into a driveway or my favorite, the gas station tank covers! My truck is a dually and I was still able to notice a big improvement is stability.What I couldn't live with was the amount of bounce they introduced to the ride.When you lower the jack after install, the Timbrens touch the top of the rear axle, then start to compress along with the rest of your suspension. What happens next is, what I believe is the root of the bounce. At some point the Timbrens stop compressing, and so does the rest of your suspension. Now I know that without them installed, my leafs would normally compress further, but at this point the Timbrens have become THE major rear suspension component. The truck is now relying on the several inches of travel and compression that the Timbren allows for. I have to give them credit, they are tough little buggers to take on over 2 tons and keep bouncing along!I did install the heavy duty model that was suggested for slide in camper use.Interesting product that just didn't work out for me. I would though, recommend you trying them out and see if they work for you as they are very easy to install or remove.Cheers!

Well I purchased a set a rear Timbrens for my truck. After one week of testing, I decided to return them, here is why. Extremely easy install, that's a given. They absolutely minimized the rocking back and forth when going into a driveway or my favorite, the gas station tank covers! My truck is a dually and I was still able to notice a big improvement is stability. What I couldn't live with was the amount of bounce they introduced to the ride. When you lower the jack after install, the Timbrens touch the top of the rear axle, then start to compress along with the rest of your suspension. What happens next is, what I believe is the root of the bounce. At some point the Timbrens stop compressing, and so does the rest of your suspension. Now I know that without them installed, my leafs would normally compress further, but at this point the Timbrens have become THE major rear suspension component. The truck is now relying on the several inches of travel and compression that the Timbren allows for. I have to give them credit, they are tough little buggers to take on over 2 tons and keep bouncing along! I did install the heavy duty model that was suggested for slide in camper use. Interesting product that just didn't work out for me. I would though, recommend you trying them out and see if they work for you as they are very easy to install or remove. Cheers! I use Energy Suspension Bumpers and am perfectly happy with the way they work with a 4000 pound cabover. And, they are super easy to install. All four installed in twenty minutes. They have no effect on the unloaded truck's ride.

With Timbrens installed and camper on truck where the overloads in play or just barely touching.Barely touching.......then more bounce. Installing larger overload bumpers might have taken the bounce out and would have made the overloads come into play.Torklift Stable Load Spring Pads

Why would you install them in the first place on a 1 ton dually? Simply put IMHO this is totally wrong application for the product. You would have been far better off installing quality shocks and maybe a rear anti sway bar.

As you discovered, the gap unloaded and the amount of compression loaded is the secret to using Timbrens. Did you call them for assistance? They were very helpful to me and provided spacers which really helped my setup, free of charge.

My Timbren Review | Good Sam Community

ggadwa
Explorer
Jan 18, 2014
I think the point here is that Timbren Tech Support Folks specifically told me to go with the Standard Load Timbren SES.....They said I would not be happy with the HD version with my FORD F350 and a 3200 to 3500 pound camper. I personally can't say what other peoples set up needs are. Your mileage may vary...as the saying goes.

GARY
p.s. the quote in the previous message was not from me.
BradW
Explorer II
Jan 19, 2014
NHIrish wrote:
Timbren's were the best thing I installed on my 3500 duramax! You need to work out you installation issue.

Ditto on our 2006 F-350 DRW hauling a 4k lb camper. You have to get the spacing correct and you need some heavy dampening rear shocks. We have Rancho 9000 XLs.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think we have the standard Timbrens, not the HD version.
whizbang
Explorer II
Jan 19, 2014
It sounds like there are two issues here:

1) Regular duty Timbrens, not heavy duty, and

2) 1" spacing, not 2" spacing.

We're had air bags on two trucks and Timbrens on our current truck. I am happier with the Timbrens.
Tarkin75
Explorer
Jan 19, 2014
Timbrens are great on my F-150, when the camper is on. 1" of spacing unloaded as the instructions say.

With the camper off, and me towing just my boat, they kinda suck. Too stiff without the camper, and the boat weighs just enough to barely preload them.

later
C
abslayer
Explorer
Jan 19, 2014
Timbren's were the best thing I installed on my Ford F350 SWR Along with sway bar made driving truck with 4000 lb TC a dream.
You need to work out your installation issue something is wrong.
egarant
Explorer III
Jan 22, 2014
I called the folks at Timbren today, what they said was interesting.

In no way should I be using the non HD Timbren model, that ALL trucks with a truck camper in them should be using the HD model. He said that the regular model is somewhat taller and will introduce instability to the suspension.

What he did tell me is that there are different stiffness levels available for the HD model. (Nowhere is that information listed on their website).

He recommended that I drop a level in stiffness, then proceeded to give me a string of numbers to add behind the normal model number when ordering.

My normal Model is DRTT3500CA, then I need to add CW (comes with)A0103B-65

So to order that, I now have to go through a Timbren dealer that has a return policy in case I don't like the ride.

Before I go to that length, I have decided to try the upper Stableloads in conjunction with my lower Stableloads and see how things feel.
MORSNOW
Navigator II
Jan 23, 2014
I emailed Timbren over the weekend and received pretty much the same reply. Use the HD model for a truck that carries a camper. I take my camper off and was worried when only towing my 16' aluminum trailer with ATV's or snowmobiles it would get bouncy, but they said the HD's are shorter and would not even hit the springs with that size load.
3_tons
Explorer III
Jan 23, 2014
Ask the tembren guy if he's ever had any real world experience with a truck camper...

Bad 'Expert' advice happens to me ALL the time...'Per tembren', the H.D. version WAS designed for a tow truck having a cantilevered load, this reason is why tembren made a no charge exchange (HD for Std) on my buddies Lance 1181, after which all was and still is quite well...Expert?? (LOL). From someone who actually owns a truck camper, stay away from the HD model and you'll be a happy camper.
stevenal
Nomad II
Jan 23, 2014
As others have said, I believe you have too much unloaded spacing. If the HDs are shorter, its even more important to use the spacers to get the clearance right. You want your unloaded truck to contact the Timbrens as little as possible, since you will feel every contact. Likewise you want the loaded truck to loose contact as little as possible, since you will feel every re-engagement.

I found the Timbren instructions less than helpful, recommending too little clearance. Once I removed the spacer, all was fine. So in my experience it takes a bit of experimenting to get it right.

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