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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.
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.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
What's up everybody, Adam here with etrailer. Today, we're gonna to be taking a look at a very popular suspension enhancement kit for your truck. And it's the Roadmaster suspension enhancement kit. Be sure to use our fit guide, put your vehicle's year, make, and model in there, and that's going to give you all of the compatible suspension systems that you can get for your truck. So this add-on component isn't going to require us to take any of the factory equipment off, so I really liked that. Buy a new truck, you want a little bit more help with the suspension.
You don't really have to remove anything that's already there, that's kind of cool. So another thing that's nice about that, adding another component that's going to take some of that load is just going to put less strain on your components. So these three leaf springs are handling, let's just say, 5,000 pounds. Now we have a fourth component, so that can be divided by four, instead of three. It's just gonna prolong the life.
It's gonna prevent any axle wrapping, any bottoming out of any sorts. And this is going to be a lot less maintenance than your typical airbags. And the cool thing about it is just like airbags, we can kind of adjust it, but this one we can as well. I actually think that this is a lot smoother than airbags because I've ridden with air bags, with no load on them, and it's like riding just on bricks. It's feels like there's not any suspension at all.
So the coil springs really gonna help that. It does have a powder-coated finish to it as well, so it's not really gonna rust away over time. So, I definitely think that this is probably one of the best things you can get for your truck. And even above airbags. This is also gonna help limit your sway that you might feel whenever you're going down the road, whenever you're hauling something.
A lot of times, whenever your trailer gets off centered, the opposing side of your suspension's gonna kind of correct for that. But having a little bit more support is gonna be good because it's not gonna over-correct and that's when all that crazy sway starts to happen. Also, with air bags, a lot of the times you don't have a whole lot of travel. We're not really limiting our travel here, we're just kind of beefing it up a little bit. With limited travel, whenever you hit bumps and stuff, sometimes you start hopping your back end off of the road whenever we're not hauling something. With this, we're not gonna have to worry about that just because it's just a little bit tighter suspension. It's not really completely locking it in with a set of airbags. Comparing them to upgraded bump stops. A lot of them that we sell are just a little bit bigger than this, so they start to hit the axle a little bit sooner. But, whenever the suspension isn't sagging that much, you're not really getting the benefits of it, because it's only activated when it's under load. So this it's activated and right now. So you don't really have to worry about you getting to that point for your upgrade to start kicking in. With this, you can have it kick in right on the get go. Well I called my buddy Joe and he's to put some weight in the back of the truck. This is about 1500 pounds, give or take, so it's quite the load. Oh wow. I can already see the spring workin'. So this is gonna be very interesting on our test course. Thanks, Joe. You're the best, I really appreciate it. Ooh nice. Right as he lowers it down, I don't know if you can see it on camera, but that spring is definitely workin'. Less load on my leaf springs. That's what we're really going for here. Oh wow. I can definitely tell a difference. My truck is typically not happy with this much weight, but it just feels tighter. Meaning, I just feel like the suspension is doing more sooner, just so I don't hit those overloaded springs down at the bottom. Cause' that's when you can start really messing stuff up, you overload em' too much and then release strings will not work as well anymore. You're looking for the easiest way to beef up your suspension, but also have some adjustability. The Roadmaster suspension enhancement system is gonna be great for any type of truck that you may have. These are definitely something that I would use. And again, this was the Roadmaster suspension enhancement kit, and I'm Adam with etrailer..
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (441 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.Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
I love the product since i have a 2021 toyota tacoma crew cab long bed with a campertop a robber mat and a jack thats around 450 pounds that a have at all times my truck was sittind low a lilbit plus it was swagging on the road i have summo spring to help my suspention but it was not enoght so i did my research but this was my better option i just installed it yerterday july-8-2021 and went for a ride where i ussually drive everyday and WOW now my truck rides very smood plus it lift my tryck 1 inch on the back now my tryck seats level it took me about 2 hrs but i did right i just follow the intructions and done i love the product the only thing that im concern is that the left side underneat the springleaft there is a breik line that is too close to the roadmaster suspention i hope that with the time dont hit that line because if it does thats the line for the breiks and i will be in trouble replacing it other wise evreything works great i recomend it 100% thanks guys i will buy it again?????best $500 that i spend on my truck
Miguel - 07/10/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Total transformation! I never knew how bad my ride was until I installed these RoadMaster 3611-HD active suspension. It took longer to safely jack my truck up and remove tires than it was to install them! Absolutely a game changer. I carry about 1000 lbs of tools and supplies daily and like riding a Rollercoaster when hitting bumps. Now, i hit bumps on purpose just to feel these RoadMasters work their magic! Love them!
Tracey T - 04/29/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
I have a 2020 Silverado 1500 6 cyl Duramax with the Diesel Off Road package (3.73 diff). Travel trailer loaded is probably about 6,000 lb. I took several measurements during and after the spring kit installation. All measurements increased about an inch including the stock suspension with trailer and equalizer bars and with the spring kit installed at 1 mm spacing. A one inch improvement overall. I took the truck on a short drive and didn't notice any difference in ride (wasn't stiffer) which is what I wanted. Good to know that I can adjust the springs to the 2 mm spacing if I want to increase the suspension assist. Going camping next week and looking forward to see how it improves handling and porpoising.
Rick M - 03/27/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
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 - 01/30/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
The bed of the truck measured 37.5" with a tool box weighing 200 lbs. The truck felt weighed down with passengers weighing 600lbs. Total weight 800lbs with a tank full of gas. After the install the truck rides smoother and certainly " like new". The stopping distance and acceleration distance have shortened drastically. I'm planning on loading up the bed and the Roadmaster Active Suspension RAS4611. My wife even drive it and she could feel the difference. "It drives like a muscle car." Buy it. Install time at a reputable mechanic shop was a 30 min. Install. I received them today at 1 pm and got it installed at 3:00 pm and finished the install at 3:30pm. It's an investment worth the price over traditional air bag system. Mechanic installed this on 2011 Nissan Titan SV.
Sergio R - 08/13/2021 Sergio R - 08/16/2021Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Haven’t got to tow with them on yet. But overall they look and feel like they are great quality and were extremely easy to install. I had one slight hiccup and had to call customer support. I was on the phone and connected to an actually person within a minute, great customer service. Without a load, my 98 Blazer rides very smooth, only slightly stiffer than stock. Also raised the rear maybe an inch, but not a big deal.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Overall, very happy with the product. GMC didn't have any way to improve the truck from squatting when I hooked up my trailer. This kit didn't stop the squatting but significantly reduced the bounce on bad dips in roads, bridge/road transitions and bad railroad crossings.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Installed this on my 2020 GMC 1500 Denali. The one thing I hated about my Denali was how much a small amount of weight made it squat. The Denali is meant for smooth ride not towing! These springs brought the back of my truck up by an inch. Truck doesn't squat when being "exuberant" leavin red lights. Ride quality when empty hasn't changed. These springs are AMAZING but, are not a cure for all your hauling needs! When I'm hauling my 1800lb side x side on my trailer they work great! Hauling my 4500lb tractor... Load stabilizer hitch still recommended!
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
The Roadmaster suspension kit did provide the additional stability and load carrying capability for towing a 6000lb rv travel trailer with a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali with Magnetic Ride Control system. However without the load the ride was rough and raised the rear of the vehicle so that night time driving with dim lights was reduced. The suspension kit was easy enough to remove during the off season of RV use, however is an inconvenience. It would be great to have Roadmaster create a system that would work with the Magnetic ride system without having to install / remove for the use and still continue to have a OEM smooth ride.
Jenny N - 04/15/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
This is my 2nd set of RAS! Just purchased for towing in my D-Max 2500HD. 1st set we’re on a Chevy 1500. I tow a 7000lb 259FKDS Freedom Express bumper pull and having the RAS-HD’s installed is night and day difference in towing. I have them set at 40% because of my cargo in the truck bed and tongue weight. I’m set up right now as I type on a 100 mile camping trip to set the springs and readjust if needed! So I say….”if you need support with towing, give RAS3611-HD a try…you won’t be disappointed with the results”
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Night and day difference on our 2011 F150. Before installing the vehicle was almost undrivable at highway speeds due to bouncing/jerking when pulling our trailer. The bounce/jerk has been virtually eliminated since installing the Active Suspension. Installation was a breeze, hardest part was getting the wheels off the truck due to corrosion between the wheel and the rotors. Total install time was roughly 1hr 15 minutes including the stubborn wheels. Initially I was hesitant to order due to the price, but very happy with the results, etrailer also did a great job at guiding me through the process, shipping and answering a few technical questions along the way. Highly recommend if you need a little more spring/payload.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
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 - 04/11/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
I read a lot of reviews before buying the Roadmaster Active Suspension system and was happy with what I read. I live in BC Canada and ordered the product at 01:30am April 27th 2022 and it arrived in perfect condition May 3rd. I was expecting to pay duty but there was non. Very happy with the fast informative service from etrailer. I could follow the item through transit updates as it was being shipped. I have a 2020 Ford F-150 King Ranch with the 6' box. We're getting a 29' travel trailer, 5,000 lbs, this summer so I wanted to be prepared, at least regarding the suspension. I installed the system the day it arrived. I took the wheels off for easy access which was pretty easy. The suspension has to be hanging free for the proper install. The system install was extremely easy. The installation instructions are simple and with pictures. Once the system was installed to spec I took it out for a test ride. It actually did make a difference for a smoother ride. It softened out the bumps without the jumping around an empty truck may experience. Not saying my truck was a rough ride to begin with but I did notice a change. Just have to get the trailer to test it out now. I'm already planning to get the Roadmaster Comfort Ride suspension kit for my new trailer so I should have a smooth riding system.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Easy 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 - 06/23/2022Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Easy install 2011 Tacoma crewcab long bed. Helped with sag when towing microlite travel trailer. Keeps the rear end raised in the rear a little when unloaded, but I like that look. Only complaint and its nothing big when truck is unhooked and empty when i get out I can hear alittle noise from RAS. Sort of like a bedspring coil. Night pic is with RAS installed daylight pic is with out installed
Rich - 03/10/2021Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Silverado 2500HD Ready to install out of the box. Simply extend the RAS out to become the proper length (shortened for shipping), remove the bolt to allow the fork to drop over the leaf spring and reconnect, hand tighten the assembly via turning the spring and check the "centered alignment", then tighten with a wrench (my socket wouldn't quite fit) until gap disc slips freely between the expanded spring. Took me longer to prep truck on a jack and two axle stands/remove tires for improved accessibility than the actual RAS installations. Added 1 inch of lift "empty weight". Will see how much squat is removed under load of our travel trailer this weekend! I'm not very mechanically inclined, and found this very easy to self-install - a level 1 project. NOTE: etrailer customer service also took their time w/ me over the phone to ensure I had ordered the proper kit for my vehicle, and although my order was sent to the vendor for direct shipment, I got it to Alaska in less than 10 days.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
2005 Silverado 1500 4x4. Best suspension upgrade including trying multiple shocks to cure rear hop and shake. Wish I had done this a decade earlier. Improved travel trailering stability as well.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
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.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
I found this items cheaper on another site but etrailer match and then beat the price. Item installed super easy, more work jacking up the truck and taking the tires off. Can be installed with out removing tires just make it easier to get it in. The item did lift the back of my truck 1 inch. See Pics.
William - 03/30/2021Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
I put these on my 2018 F150 and towed a fully loaded 17' foot cargo trailer from from Washington to Florida through bad weather and even performing some high speed emergency avoidance. I feel that the safety of that trip relied heavily on the positive effects of Roadmaster on my suspension!
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
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.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
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.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Purchased the RAS system to help with some bounce I was encountering when towing my 7500# Airstream, especially on older segmented concrete highways. The installation is pretty simple with a floor jack and a couple of jack stands. The instructions are easy to follow. With the RAS set up in the lower range of it’s tension, the problem has disappeared — any oscillation is dampened within a cycle. 2016 Nissan Titan XD with the 5l Cummins diesel
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Easy install, instant results. I keep about 300lbs of tools in the back of my Ford F250 at all times. Usually when I drive the curvy roads in the San Bernardino Valley my truck leans and its not a very fun drive. Today after installation I went for a drive and the truck stayed level and flat during the turns. I also tow 7,000lbs regularly - but I haven't tested it towing yet. Money well spent.
Review from a similar RAS in Vehicle Suspension
Excellent system, ride and handling when towing is much better than stock. The only reason for 4 stars vs 5 is because I expected slightly more payload capacity. I will definitely purchase this agin on my next truck.
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