To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
Customers prefer these similar products
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.
Roadmaster Active 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 (445 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.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 - 01/30/2022Easy to instal on a 2014 F-150 4x4.Used the bump stop spacer even though installation was for 2015-present f-150 4x4. Many thanks to Corin for her help in getting the order sent in a timely manner. The only thing I forgot to do was measure the wheel well height before instal. I used the thicker black disk as I had concerns with tongue weight on the new trailer that I will pickup on Wednesday. Thanks again for the good service.
LRS - 06/23/2022I 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.
Just had the roadmaster suspension assist installed today. The ride feels a bit smoother and truck back end feels tighter. Have not had a chance to hook up our 28 foot RV but I will be sure to revisit after. So far I feel good about this purchase
Forrest F - 04/11/2022
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.
A year later and they still work great! It’s impressive how improved the handling in our 2013 Ford F-150 FX4 even without our 30ft camper on the back. No more spinning shale going up our driveway or sway on highway, these give it a much more planted stance in all applications. Hauling our camper without a major squat or hitting the bump pads is achievable with these units! You will not regret this purchase! I installed them on my own, in my garage along with new Bilstine shocks I purchased online in less than an hour! Great instructional YouTube videos showing proper install. Not a mechanic at all, I work in Sales for ADT Security and drive over 4,000 miles a month.
This should be a legally required safety item for all half-ton trucks towing heavy trailers. I tow a 31 foot camper at about 8000 pounds loaded. That’s just a guesstimate. It could be more, but it’s well within the limits established by the manufacturer. Even with the anti-sway hitch the truck, a 2018 F150 twin turbo V6, would squat a few inches so that the back of the truck and the front of the trailer would dip down and neither would be level. I tried tightening up the resistance on the sway bars to no avail. I thought about getting a different shank that would raise up the ball hitch and trailer, but this would not have fixed half the problem. You have to get your truck level so that your steering wheels are firmly planted on the pavement.
Interestingly, before I got the truck we towed with my wife’s Lexus LX570. It’s the big V8 and did ok, but we needed the longer wheelbase of the truck for the towing. But one thing the F150 did not have that the Lexus did have was auto-leveling airbag suspension. So this squatting problem was a new one when moving from the Lexus to the F150.
So I wasn’t going to pay big money to add auto-leveling airbag suspension to the F150. I looked at Timbrens, but the RAS seemed to be much better. I did not like the idea of having to endure x amount of squat before the devices began to work. RAS starts to work as soon as the load is applied.
Installation was easy. Instructions were good. The most difficult part was getting the truck off the ground. A good floor jack and jack stands are an absolute must.
Now with RAS installed, the trailer is level, and most importantly, the truck is level. Steering is now as responsive as it is when not towing the trailer. No more white knuckling. I can go 80 mph if I want to. If the wind catches me, and there’s no cure for that, I remain in control and needed corrections are minimal. Bumps are even less bumpy. I remember my head used to pop back and hit the headrest, but that does not happen anymore.
Without towing and/or with no load in the bed of the truck, I can tell no difference in how the truck handles. The rake is a little more pronounced, but that’s ok with me. I bought the truck to tow.
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.
I waited a while before adding a review. I needed some road time pulling a camper before I was ready to offer feedback. These kits are a really easy to install. I have a camper that is 2,000 lbs dry, and about 2,500 Lbs when I pull it with an F150. There is a big difference in the truck sag when you add the weight of a trailer with the Roadmaster. Even what I consider a light Camper like mine. I'm very happy with it.
The Roadmaster was easy to install. I adjusted it to keep my truck from sagging when pulling my camper and the headlights from blinding other drivers.
Great product. Easy to install and adjust. I installed on my 2018 F150. I continually run with a heavy load. Cap, decked drawers and bed slide plus tools and fishing gear. Adding Active Suspension raised my rear up 2” and the front 3/4”. Rides better and looks better. I used 40mm spacing due to the load.
Easy installation, although it should be noted the one bolt used for mounting is now a 3/8" Allen head bolt. Seemed to make the pick up ride "more confidently". Haven't used for towing yet as our trailer is on order. Will follow up if our review changes. Looking forward to an improved towing experience using this product coupled with our Hensley hitch.
Jamie - 08/16/2021Quick delivery, at my door in only 2 days after placing my order. Simple directions for installation which only took about an hour. Have not hooked up my trailer yet but can tell the difference in the ride of my F-150 immediately!
Definitely helps with the jostle and jiggle my truck gets when towing my trailer. Still does that but not as bad When not towing the rear end if my truck is 1 1/2 inches or so higher at the rear fender. I don’t care for that but not a huge deal.
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 haven't hooked up my 6700# trailer to my F150 yet but my truck ride already feels like a new truck ride again. Totally different ride. For installation, I connected to the third hole just like in the official video, for the most efficiency as stated by the manufacturer (most of the YouTubers will show the installation at the first hole).
Works great, helps when pulling the camper. But still has a comfortable ride empty.
Easy to install and fast shipping. I haven't drove a lot with the roadmaster installed yet but the rear end of my 2011 f150 4x4 feels more stable across rough bumbs on our gravel roads. It did lift the rear of my truck about 1 inch which will be good for towing. I installed it in the 2nd hole from the end of the bracket and used the 1mm disk.
This is by far the best investment I've made for towing. Truck rides great when unloaded, but stands proud when loaded. Mush more stable when pulling my 28' Travel Trailer. We did a 2000 mile trip last summer right after this install, and had zero complaints.
RAS is the best. If you are on the fence buy them. etrailer shipped them fast and was easy ordering. I had these on my 2020 GMC 2500 and I loved them. I got them for my 2022 f150. I got them because I leveled both trucks and when the boat was connected it sagged in the rear. Once I put these on no more sag and the ride was awesome. I didn't think I could improve the ride on the GMC but these made it so much better.
Ease of installation. Now have a level and bounce free ride.
I would recommend this product.
I was able to install both sides in a half hour and they hold the truck nice and level around corners and function awesome for leveling my truck when pulling my travel trailer.
Troy S - 12/15/2021This product was easy to install and lived up to its performance and raised the rear of the truck 2”
Awesome product. Super easy installation, completely removed and sway and/or squat while pulling our travel trailer. Would recommend to anyone!
The suspension kit does exactly what it claims to do... only minor issue I had with this system is over time (after 5000 miles towing) I developed a slight squeak when not under load. It wasn't major but I could hear it from time to time
Info for this part was:
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.