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3,000-lb Capacity. Convert your vehicle's leaf springs into a mechanically active suspension system. RAS adjusts to your load to level your ride. The system also increases stability, handling, and control by improving traction and reducing sway.
Features:
Specs:
All-In-One Suspension System
When towing or hauling a heavy load, you may encounter a number of problems that can make your driving experience difficult or dangerous, such as sway, body roll, or bottoming out. When your vehicle is weighted down, your factory leaf springs can't counteract these problems to the extent that they are supposed to. The weight will overpower the leaf springs and cause them to twist or flatten out. When that happens, they cannot support, level, or stabilize your vehicle effectively. Additionally, because your factory leaf springs are passive, they won't begin to tackle problems such as sway until those problems have already started.
RoadActive Suspension (RAS) kits enhance those passive leaf springs by converting them into a mechanically active, all-in-one suspension system. RAS kits have variable-rated coil tension springs that automatically adjust to your heavy load. Other suspension systems only solve a few problems and usually at the expense of other improvements your factory leaf springs may need. RAS, on the other hand, is a unique kit that provides everything you want in a suspension system without any trade-offs. It eliminates bottoming out like air springs, reduces sway and body roll like sway bars, keeps your ride level like helper springs, and improves traction and braking control like traction bars. This improves your vehicle's stability, handling, and control while you are towing or hauling, as well as when your vehicle is unloaded. RAS also makes your overall driving and towing experience safer and more comfortable, which greatly lessens driver fatigue.
Each RAS unit has a powerful variable-rated coil tension spring that converts your passive leaf spring into a mechanically-active system. Once your vehicle is loaded, the tension springs immediately activate to absorb and support the weight. This allows your leaf springs to maintain their bowed position and keeps them from flattening out or flipping over, which greatly hinders their ability to bear a heavy load. The tension springs are variable-rated, which means that the heavier your load is, the more assistance they provide to your leaf springs. Because of this design, RAS reacts instantaneously, whereas hydraulics, air springs, and other suspension systems take time to react. And unlike your factory leaf springs, RAS stops sway and sag before they even start to happen. Additionally, when your vehicle is unloaded, the tension springs disengage, allowing your leaf springs to perform as intended without hardening your ride. RAS won't hinder your leaf springs' movement, nor will it cause any friction between any of the brackets.
When under a heavy load, leaf springs are especially susceptible to axle wrap, which can cause wheel hop. Wheel hop is when the tires lose their grip on the road, causing a jarring, up-and-down movement. Axle wrap occurs when the circular motion of the tires cause the leaf springs to twist or rotate. If the leaf springs twist far enough, wheel hop can occur. RAS stabilizes your leaf springs by absorbing the force of the load they're trying to support. This eliminates axle wrap and wheel hop, as well as prevents your vehicle from bottoming out. Because of this, less strain is put on your vehicle. And by reducing some of this wear and tear, RAS helps extend the life of your leaf springs, shock absorbers, shackles, and even tires.
When driving along a curve while towing or hauling a heavy load, the back end of your vehicle or trailer can start to shift with that weight. If your factory leaf springs have flattened or twisted under this load, they won't be able to prevent it from shifting. Because of this, your trailer will sway away from your vehicle. This makes driving challenging and dangerous, as it increases the risk of body roll, which is when your vehicle drastically leans to one side. This can often cause you to completely lose control of your vehicle. Body roll is especially prevalent with multi-passenger vans and vehicles towing long campers, trailers, or boats. RAS provides a much safer ride by reinforcing your factory leaf springs and stabilizing your load. This helps prevent sway from occurring and reduces the chance of body roll while cornering, turning, and swerving. RAS also lessens the rocking motion that happens during windy conditions or when a semi passes by on the road.
When your vehicle is overloaded, the bulk of the weight transfers to the rear axle. Your factory leaf springs then become overwhelmed by this weight, as they are not strong enough to support it. This causes the back end of your vehicle to sag and the front end to rise, which means that the front tires have lost some of the grip they need with the road. In addition to loss of traction, it can also cause poor headlight aim, unintentional swerving, and an extremely bumpy and uncomfortable ride. RAS bolsters your factory leaf springs and enables them to provide support for your load without compromising ride quality or comfort. This keeps your ride level from front to back whether you are hauling a load in the bed or towing a boat, trailer, or camper. RAS also ensures that your tires have the traction they require while braking and accelerating, which improves the overall driving experience.
RAS is also customizable. During installation, the coil tension springs can be adjusted to 2 different tension settings or anywhere in between for improved road handling and support. To do this, rotate the springs while keeping the threaded rod still. As you turn the spring, use one of the 2 included spacers as a gauge to measure the widening gaps between the coils. In order for the RAS units to work as intended, you must tension the coils to a minimum of 25 percent with the 1mm white spacer and no more than 40 percent with the 2mm spacer. The springs can also be independently adjusted to compensate for off-center loads such as a handicap lift.
This custom-fit kit comes fully assembled and is easy to install. Each RAS unit simply bolts onto your factory leaf spring with the included hardware, and drilling, welding, and cutting aren't required. First, position the eye hook bracket so that it wraps around the top of the factory leaf spring eye. Then the axle bracket secures under the leaf spring and around the factory U-bolts on the other side of the leaf spring pack. Once the maintenance-free RAS units are fully installed, you won't need to monitor them as you would with air springs.
RAS is extremely durable and corrosion-resistant. The units are constructed of high-grade alloy steel, and they have an epoxy e-coat on the coil springs to provide extreme corrosion resistance. The brackets on the ends of each unit resist the effects of water and other elements, and they have a salt spray rating of more than 800 hours.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (777 Customer Reviews)
3,000-lb Capacity. Convert your vehicle's leaf springs into a mechanically active suspension system. RAS adjusts to your load to level your ride. The system also increases stability, handling, and control by improving traction and reducing sway.I am a competitive shooter and take my camper to all my shoots. I have a cap on my truck and the decked drawer system. I also carry 400 lbs of ammo at any given time. When pulling my camper on the highway or over bumps and railroad tracks it was kinda scary. This system stopped the squat and removed the sag at acceleration. I installed sumo springs as well (without spacer) for added sway control when loaded down with trailer. The RAS was great right from the start. It reminded me of the 80’s then we would put traction bars on old hot rods to stop rear squat on acceleration. Same kind of feel with my truck. Some much nicer. With the trailer it removed 1.5 inches of squat on the rear and got my front and back within 1” of variance and before install it was around 2.5 to 3. Took only fifteen minutes per side to install once the tires were off. Great product….
I bought these after a 1000+ mile trip towing my trailer (~8000# loaded) with my 2013 F-150 (HD Payload & Max Towing Package). Installation was super easy. I did not need to take the tires off. There was plenty of room to get behind the tires and place and adjust the springs. Once installed they definitely give the truck a rake. I didn't measure pre-installation because I didn't expect the lift to be so great. I used the black disc to adjust the springs.
It's not too extreme but you can definitely see a difference compared to stock.
As you can see in the pictures, with the springs the drop with a trailer attached is greatly reduced and the truck sits level. Towing was great. I used a WDH before and being able to with springs only and a sway bar is pretty nice. Drop with trailer attached is only about 2.5 inches (see pics)
I bought this last summer (2022) for my 2020 F150 to haul the travel trailer (summer) and to have the quad in the box (fall) during the hunting season. I mainly used it during the weekends as I work from home during the weekdays. I adjusted the tension just before the winter because I haven't haul anything during winter. As it is now spring, I wanted to adjust back the tension for the rv season and I found everything rusted out (I am.in Canada and use the truck only 2-3 times a week).
I was pleased to use the product back last summer but because of all the rust I found this spring, I'm having a hard time adjusting them and I am also quite scared for next seasons as rust is making adjustments hard.
By having this for less than a year, I am now dissapointed in the product. Before buying this, I looked a lot into airlift a lot but because of reviews, I changed my mind to go with RAS.
Rust is now found on the main threaded rod locking nuts the bolt/tube underneat locking the device was rusted and seized.
Julien
4/17/2024
Product is doing its job BUT it is hard to adjust the spring rate because of rust living above the rust belt. Knowing this, I would have maybe go with bags for the adjustment simplicity vs removing the back wheels every time an adjustment is needed
Very easy installation after watching the trailer videos. It worked better than I had anticipated and really improved the handling when towing our camper.
Installed this today on my 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 4x4 with the tow package. The kit arrived within 2 days of ordering. The box was slightly open but the springs appeared undamaged. I elected to do the install myself and opted to get a 4 ton floor jack to replace my very old 3 ton. I’m very glad I did. After blocking the front tires and setting the parking brake, I loosened the wheels and raised the rear at the differential using a small 2x4 block to span the contact points. I took the wheels off and originally set my jack stands in front of the leaf spring on the frame. Lowering the truck onto the stands was not effective. There wasn’t enough travel to provide relief to the springs. I ended up setting my jack stands on some 1x16 scrap pieces and put them under the spring attachment point. This gave me just enough room on my floor jack to unburden the springs. Once I got over this small hurdle the install went smoothly. This took about an hour to very carefully construct as I didn’t want to drop my brand new truck on the ground. Brand new 5 ton jack stands would have eased my mind considerably. My install includes a spacer for the bump stop to offset it towards the centerline of the vehicle. The instructions weren’t intuitive and it took a few minutes to figure out the bolts. You need to insert the provided bolt into the spacer and attach the spacer to the frame with the original bump stop bolt. It’s the only one you can get a socket on in the depression. The bump stop then attaches to the provided bolt you inserted into the spacer using the provided nut. You will need a deep well 15mm socket for this attachment. Fortunately I had one. I set the spring using the 25% white spacer, reinstalled the wheels and set the truck back on the deck. The truck now sits 3/4” higher in the rear. I drove around and noticed that I was sitting a little higher as the site picture changed a bit. The truck didn’t seem to ride differently empty. If anything it seemed a little more cushioned though no less responsive. I towed my 9000lb travel trailer previously with a Ram 2500 6.7l diesel that had Sumo springs and a WD hitch. I got tired of the cost and maintenance and selected this Ford because it could haul the trailer. I chose the RAS over the Sumo springs because of how much squat I observed when I hooked up the trailer initially. I will update after I tow the trailer. My only concern at the moment is that the bump stop spacer isn’t going to provide enough clearance from the bracket.
This was easy to install, and has worked great for my application. (Towing a boat with 600 lb tongue weight.)
Mcs
6/22/2024
Still working out great.
Removed my air bags on my 2018 F150 as they would always bottom out unless I had 20 lbs in them. Placed the RAS system and adjusted to the 2mm spacer. I immediately loaded a trailer with a palate of concrete and the truck only squatted a half inch. Truck rode phenomenal both loaded and unloaded. I wish I would have purchased this system years ago!
The Road Active Suspension is The solution .
2015 F150 EB Max Tow pulling a Lance 1685..
Truck pulls TT with no effort..but was looking for better handling options.
Have many miles without RAS vs Quite a few now with RAS.
The driving and handling is a very welcome improvement… from high mountain passes and roadways to Interstates.. wind… rain … etc
Was contemplating a 3/4 ton… not now.
Easy install.. you won’t be disappointed
I am very pleased with the way RAS works. It does just what is advertised. I have a 8 1/2 by 20 covered trailer and loaded my truck sits level and the ride is very smooth. I recommend it for anyone who's tows alot.
Have not got to pull my trailer with the RAS yet, but installation was easy and my truck still rides good unloaded. Have a trip planned soon to check out the stability with the RV.
The wheel stabilizer works great on the trailer, took out about 80% of the rocking.
Great product! I have a 2021 Ford F150 and leveled the front end, when I loaded my 6000# trailer I had sag. The RAS system completely fixed that problem l The truck handles much better loaded and unloaded. I was going to upgrade to a F250, but it’s not required anymore, that saved me a lot of money!
Follow up to my earlier review.
On top of the excellent care and service from etrailer, the roadmaster active suspension was easy to install. My Travel Trailer has a 1200lb hitch weight so I used the black spacer. The RAS gave my truck a 1 1/2” lift. I had recently loaded my truck to the top of the sidewalls with wood for the winter. Barely put a squat in the suspension. The truck handled on the highway like it had a quarter the weight. There was no noticeable sway or body roll. Unloaded the truck handles better than it did with just the leaf springs. Does not feel like hockey puck suspension. Love the RAS kit. My truck is a 2018 Ford F-150 eco boost with the max tow package. Looking forward to hooking up the Travel Trailer this fall.
Jeff
12/7/2023
So it has been a little over a year since I had installed the RAS kit on my 2018 Ford F150 3.5l eco boost with max tow package and 3:55 rear end. I have towed my 2022 34’ Jayco trailer a couple of times. The truck is rated to tow 11,500lbs and has a cargo capacity of 1,700lbs. Trailer loaded is 9,283lbs with 1,124lbs on the hitch. I tow with a trunion style weight distribution and sway control set up. When the trailer is hooked up both axles have the weight evenly distributed. The RAS coils control the body sway of the truck making the setup feel like a 5th wheel tow. I had towed the trailer on the 400 series highwayexpressway. At 100 to 110kmhr with transport trucks and a decent cross wind my truck and trailer were easy to keep in the lane. There was no noticeable sway as the truck and trailer moved in unison when hit with the cross wind or the vortex created by passing transport trucks. The truck and trailer weren’t even affected by the troughs in the highway. Love the RAS kit. Has added stability to my setup and has helped to make the towing experience more comfortable.
Mike L.
12/7/2023
Easy Install and everything was in the box. These raised the rear of my truck 1 1/4” and give a stable ride.
Roadmaster active suspension seems to be built very well. I look forward to towing my travel trailer very soon to see if it improves the towing experience.
Dave H.
1/30/2022
It has been a year now since I installed the Roadmaster Active Suspension system on my 2018 F150. We pull a 30 ft travel trailer from Wisconsin to Alabama.Last year the roads became very slippery when we encountered a rain snow mix. The truck and trailer tracked perfectly. I just hooked up the rig yesterday to take the same trip, leaving tomorrow. The truck definitely handles better with the RAS. Im glad I installed it and am sure it will last for years.
Product was delivered in the time that it said it would be. Installation was done within an hour time and the ride felt so much more controlled Towing was just Awesome! Thank you for a great product!
etrailer asked if I would review the roadmaster active suspension kit after a year. Ok, I get a lot of junk email but this impressed me. This shows that they are a stand up company.
I purchased this product to help with the sag I was getting at the hitch.
I read a lot of articles and literature about the sagging issues and almost went with an air system as they are described as the end all be all fix. WRONG!
I installed this RAS on my 2018 F150 and the sag was gone. It has never returned. The trailer rides true behind my truck and my truck rides great when I’m not hooked up.
I have max towing capability with my truck from the factory but I pull a 10,000 lb trailer. Lot of concrete grinding equipment, big vacs, generator and I haven’t had any issues at all.
The Roadmaster active suspension works just as advertised. I’m very happy with the purchase and I’ll do it again on my next truck.
Initial install is super easy. This is waaaaaay better than airbags. No airlines, no worries about a compressor, no worries period. No difference in ride change, although the backend went up about an inch or a little better. Will send review in a year or so to let you know progress!
Great videos for install assistance! In my opinion, it is better than the OEM video
I don’t normally post about items I have purchased, but in this case, I had to make an exception. I did a lot of research on helper springs and ways to insure my truck gave me my maximum rating. We purchased this kit and it actually arrived a day early and best of all, the day before we were going to get our new 5th-wheel trailer. My son-in-law helped me install them in under an hour. Unfortunately, I did not measure my height before the install, but it did look like it raised the truck a small amount but that was fine with me. I didn’t notice any difference in the ride. The next day we picked up our new Reflection 150 - 278BH trailer. When we first connected the trailer, the maintenance manager commented “Wow, I really expected to see the back end of the truck drop more”. I told him I had installed this kit and he was very impressed. We had a cold front pushing through and had a 20-25 mph crosswind hitting our new rig as we drove home. Since I had not pulled this rig before, I was a little concerned about how the truck would handle. All-in-all, it handled great and the truck felt secure on the road. You could still feel the wind at times, but I did not feel like the truck swayed as much as I remembered our old truck and trailer. Overall, I am quite happy with this kit. My wife said she didn’t really notice any difference in the ride but she did say she thought our truck now looked a little jacked up without the trailer, but as I said, that’s fine with me.
Easy install on my '23 F150. I removed my wheel well liners for better access, but that was probably not necessary.
I have a 2020 Ford F150 and purchased this product because I bought a 33’ 5th Wheel Trailer and wanted to add the additional suspension. It has more than surpassed my expectation. By adding this, I have be able to keep the front and rear bumpers to a difference of 1/2” and my truck runs very smooth. This product lives up to it claim and was well worth the money.
Shipping was fast. The product is heavy metal pieces with a thin box. Mine came delivered all beat up and end of box was wide open and parts can easily fall out. I have purchased many items from trailer and this is first time box was in this condition. I think I got lucky and all parts are there.
Installed this evening on my 2019 F150 FX4 Crew Cab 5.5 ft bed. On level-ish ground before install the fender well was 39.5 inches from the ground (unloaded). Installed these and set the tension for a 2mm gap with the black spacer in the kit for a 40% increase..... This kit removed a little squat and the fender is now 40.25 inches from the ground (unloaded). Truck rides good unloaded, have not yet pulled the travel trailer with them installed. I will update the next time I tow something heavy that I've towed with this truck before installing these. To set the tension use a 9/16 wrench or socket. The bolt is actuall made for an allen wrench but roadmaster uses silicon to glue what apears to be part of an allen wrench into the bolt. I understand this makes it easier for us to install, but they should use something stronger than silicon as one of mine fell out as soon as I started turning it. See pictures.
I tow a 31 foot trailer with my 1/2 ton. Before adding this product the sway was still noticeable, especially with 30 to 40 km wind gust, even with a Curt 4 point sway control hitch. After adding this product I noticed significantly lower sway and better towing.
Liked this product so much on my 2017 F150, Got a set of Roadmasters for my new to me 2021 F150.
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Brooke M.
6/26/2024
Wow, that is awesome to hear a product really deliver on what its made to do! Youre a competetive shooter? Thats so cool. I could never do that - Im such a bad shot I wouldnt hit water even if I fell out of a boat. Do you travel across the country or do you stay more local?