Today on this 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 we are going to install part number F8620 from Firestone. This is their Work-Rite Load Assist. To give you an idea of what is going on the new Firestone part actually replaces the factory bump stop right here. When you have the truck fully loaded, the only way it is going to stop is when it hits this bump stop and goes down to the axle. You can see we have got quite a bit of difference so if we put a load in the back of the truck or bounce up and down the road you can see how much travel this has. 00:28
With the new part installed it will take up that extra space and the vehicle will not sag as much on your load. The first step involved is to get the truck in the air we are going to use a standard jack stand to hold everything up. And we need to remove the rear tire. This is the factory bump stop right here, a better view of it. Basically we just have to remove it. You can pry it out or some cases maybe you can pull it out on your own. The truck is already prepped, lets go back to the kit and do some preassembly there. We have the parts assembled here for one side of the system. 01:06
We will cover the parts real quick. Obviously this is the new spring constructed of polyurethane material and then we have the brackets that hold everything together. You have this round plate which fits on top of the spring and then you have this ring that sits on top of that and then you have these two pieces that clamp over the existing bump stop on the vehicle so when you bolt it all together it clamps everything together. A couple of options, when you set it up you have a choice of using a couple of different spacers. Basically what this does is allows you to adjust the spring up and down. Say for instance the carpeting right here is the bump stop on the truck. You want to leave about 1/ 4 inch of space in between the two so it will give you a lot of space in here. You can lower it to take up the gap. Also if you want the springs to work sooner like in the truck you use in a constant loaded condition you probably want to add the spacers to have it already working right off the bat. 02:00
You get two different sized spacers to do that with. If by chance you did want to add spacers later which you can, undo the bolts, take it apart, add the spacers, reassemble, and then reinstall on the truck. Start with the spring. Since we are not going to use the spacers we are going to use the short bolt. If we did we would use this long bolt. Take the short bolt and the flat washer and install it where it comes out the end right here. It is a good idea to use a socket and extension and install the plate. You can see how the bolt holes are sunk in, that is because the bolts get installed like this so you want to have the plate mounted like this where the studs are pointing up. We will add our lock nut to it and just simply tighten it down at this point. Torque these down as specified in the instructions. We will do some more preassembly. Put the ring, center it to keep it from moving around and then take the clamp and do one side and run the bolt through and loosely install the flange nut. Take the middle one and run it down about half way so we still have some flexible room but it will hold it in place while I deal with the other side. 03:20
Lets go over to the truck and start assembling. We will slip it into place. As you can see here the clamp will fit over the edge and that will help hold everything in place while we install the other side. You can see how it is working on there right now so just snug down the bolts. Once you have everything snugged down go all the way around evenly and tighten them up as specified in the instructions. We have got our work rite installed so lets reinstall the back wheel and see what we have got. Once you have it installed you want to double check to make sure you have about 1/ 4 inch of space in between and not much more than that. If it is barely touching it will be fine also. Again if you need to adjust the height you can use the spacers in between the spring and the plate. Now we have got everything reassembled. You want to take it for a test run unloaded like it is now and then you may want to take a test run with it fully loaded. You may want to add a spacer or a spacer depending on how you originally installed it. There you have it for part number F8620 from Firestone.
Questions and Comments about this Video
i have the timbren tdr1500dq installed on my 1500 ram. i fill it is too stiff and bottoms to harsh when you have a light load that leaves a gap between axle and load assist. would the firestone work rite load assist part number f8620 be a softer, less harsh ride? i tipically haul 500-1000 lb payload or tow 8000 lb trailers. just looking for a little smoother ride.
comment by: dion - 1/19/2013
The Firestones have the advantage of being adjustable which is very nice when you have varying loads. If the Timbrens engage with lighter loads and reduces ride comfort air springs may be the way to go. When the load grows, add more air pressure to the bags. The down side is having to adjust air to accommodate changing hauling and towing scenarios. This is easier with an in-cab control unit and on-board compressor, and this also adds to the cost. If you tow and haul frequently, the extra cost could very well be worth while so you can dial in a comfortable ride while maintaining proper load support.
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