Best Rear Suspension Upgrade for 2018 Ford F-150 for Towing

Updated 09/27/2020 | Published 09/25/2020

Products Featured in This Question

Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 Air Helper Springs - Rear Axle

(1824)

$412.18

Air Lift WirelessAIR Compressor System for Air Helper Springs - Remote - Bluetooth - EZ Mount

(416)

$670.88

RoadActive Suspension Custom Leaf Spring Enhancement Kit

(521)

$539.00

RoadActive Suspension Custom Leaf Spring Enhancement Kit - Heavy Duty

(616)

$589.00

Question:

I have a 2018 F150 XLT FX4 4 door 4wd 5 liter 10 speed short bed. I am pulling a 2020 KS Sportsmen LE 292RLLE trailer. I have a weight distribution system with sway control already. I am wanting to beef up the rear suspension to decrease sag, to work with the distribution system. I have looked at air bag systems and active suspension systems, but I am still unsure of what I should get. Can you help me with this?

asked by: Shane D

Expert Reply:

The best suspension enhancement for your 2018 Ford F-150 is the RoadActive Suspension Custom Leaf Spring Enhancement Kit - Standard Duty # RAS3611-Y or Heavy Duty # RAS3611-YHD.

This kit is the best because it is an active system which continually reinforces your F-150's leaf spring suspension. The force normally put on your truck's leaf springs gets transferred to the RAS Enhancement Kit, allowing your leaf springs to work normally. So they work to keep you level, help with body roll when you turn, and give you better traction and handling by allowing your front wheels to stay completely on the ground instead of being slightly raised under the weight of cargo. The RAS is really a do-it-all type of kit, and easily the option I would go with if it were my F-150.

They also have the benefit of being a one-time install with no type of maintenance or monitoring needed. Air bags like the Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 # AL57385 will do a nice job, but it's a constant process of monitoring, inflating, checking for leaks, etc. And in order to make it easy to use, it's really a necessity to get a compressor like the Air Lift WirelessAIR Compressor System # AL74000EZ, which is a big cost that you don't have with the RAS kits.

The correct RAS kit (standard duty or heavy-duty) really comes down to how heavy your tongue weight is, and how much squat you have. For 600 lbs or more or tongue weight and more than 2 - 3 inches of squat use the Heavy Duty RoadActive Suspension Custom Leaf Spring Enhancement Kit # RAS3611-YHD.

For less than that use the Standard Duty RoadActive Suspension Custom Leaf Spring Enhancement Kit # RAS3611-Y.