SumoSprings Solo Custom Helper Springs - Rear Axle

This review is based purely on the installation. It took as long to jack up my 4Runner, place jack stands under the frame, and remove the tires as it did to install the Sumo Springs. I installed these to lessen the squat of the 4R while towing my boat and my camper (WD hitch used while towing the camper). The Sumo Springs sit just above the real axel which should greatly reduce the squat and lessen the bounce while towing. Went this route based on other 4Runner owner's reviews.1525783

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I gave the SumoSprings an initial rating of 4-stars because they do work as advertised. During the first thousand miles I've driven since installing them on my 2019 Toyota 4Runner, I have noticed they contact the rear axle much sooner than the OEM bumper stops which serves to quickly increase the suspension's resistance to any further downward motion of the truck's body - which not only dampens excessive rear end "dipping" on rough terrain, but also works well to prevent any appreciable rear end squatting from the tongue weight of my heavy 2-axle utility trailer.

I reduced my initial rating by one star because, while they centered on the mounting bracket holes in the same manner as the OEM bumper, I wasn't able to center the SumoSprings over the rear axle even after pushing them as far forward as the elongated bolt holes would allow.

Since the center of the SumoSpring pad (midway in the adjustment range of the elongated bolt holes) is in exact vertical alignment as the center of the OEM bumper, the only explanation would be that the 4Runner's coil-spring rear suspension has a slightly arced rear-axle "full travel" range as it rises upward from the lowest to highest position. If that "full travel arc" moves the axle to its rearmost position when the suspension is at full compression (where it contacts the OEM bumper), the "full travel arc" would then move the axle about 1/2" forward during the downward portion of the arc back to the normal ride position.

Therefore, since the surface of SumoSpring's long cushion pad is very close to the axle when it's in the normal ride position, that would explain why the SumoSpring at its farthest forward adjustment position is still about 1/4" to the rear of being centered on the axle(even though the SumoSpring in that position is now a bit further forward from vertical center of the OEM bumper).

However, since the rear axle's upward travel moves it slightly to the rear (and more toward center-mass of the SumoSpring's cushion pad), perhaps it won't suffer any premature deterioration or failure - but only time will tell about the SumoSpring's durability and longevity.1175993

Thank you for the detailed feedback. When the SumoSpring is installed you will want to position the bracket so that it is offset outboard towards the wheel. This product does have a limited lifetime warranty against defects.

-- Jenny N - 10/27/2021

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After 70,000+ miles of both highway and off-road driving with and without a trailer in tow, I am upgrading my original rating to 5-stars because the bluemedium SumoSprings have performed exactly as advertised and show no signs of degradation in either wear, appearance, structural integrity or any noticeable deformation after being hammered unmercifully by the tongue-weight of the trailer I frequently tow along with the “moonscape” off-road terrain and even worse conditions of the roads I usually travel . Even though the SumoSprings still lacked ¼” from being perfectly centered on my 2019 4-Runner’s rear axle housing after installing them as far forward as their elongated slots would allow, my assessment of the suspension’s compression arc moving the third-member a bit to the rear on its upward swing proved to be true since the “shiny spots” of the contact points on the rear axle housing are well-centered. Unlike a Jeep Wrangler with an extremely stiff “hay-wagon” ride and having “no butt” or cargo space that protrudes more than a few inches past its rear wheels to strike the ground after traversing a sharp terrain -off, the largerlonger 4-Runner with a more comfortable ride has a lot of rear body protruding past its rear wheels – especially with a trailer hitch draw-bar attached. The 4-Runner’s hard-rubber OEM bumper stops allowed almost 5-inches of upward rear suspension travel before “bottoming out” which occasionally caused the underhung spare tire or hitch drawbar to contact the ground in extreme off-road terrain -offs or sudden roadway dips when towing a loaded trailer. However, the SumoSprings worked magic because there was only ½” clearance between them and the rear axle housing under normal conditions, and the rear axle housing gently touched the SumoSprings when the trailer was hooked up – which almost completely eliminated rear-end squat on a sharp off-road -off or sudden roadway dip without making the 4-Runner ride like a hay-wagon, farm tractor, 1950 International pickup with overload springs, Jeep Wrangler, etc. in the process. After another 250,000 miles or so, I’ll put SumoSprings on my next 4-Runner – good show guys!!!

Brent - 10/22/2022

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Hi this is Brandon Gager I ordered the sumo spring. Was there supposed to be a blue one & a black or driver & passenger side1466488

I put them on an overland rig pulling an off-road trailer. Shoulda done it sooner. Big plus!1409148

by: Abe L01/21/2023

Easy to install work great 1503979

Better overall ride quality than the Timbren rubber springs I originally had installed. The Timbren are excellent for heavy loads and I may hang on to them for that reason. The Sumosprings were even easier to install than the Timbrens, so I'd recommend the Sumosprings over the Timbrens based on ease of install as well. It would make it easy should you find yourself needing to switch back and forth. It'll take you 20 minutes at the most to change both sides. This includs getting out the tools, jack, jack stands, wheel chocks,and putting everything away when done. Time is about the same with or without removing the wheels.
My GX460 is self leveling, but it doesn't hurt to give the suspension a little help towards longevity (Air bag repair can be pricey on the GX). Picture shows the limited work space with the tire on the vehicle while on the ground. Please note that with the vehicle raised there's a lot more room to work and access from the bottom as well. I didn't find the need to work from underneath the truck.1196506

by: James 10/12/2022

Does the job. Install was easy 1446945

Easy install, about 45 min., And the outcome was much more than expected.. Now I have no sway, or excessive rolling.. no dipping, and the control is excellent..1264041

So far, so good. Much more support than the OEM bumpers. Hopefully they will last.1355649

This worked perfectly for what I needed my 4Runner no longer sags with the trailer and without the trailer it actually corners tighter with less sway and ride smoother.
And this directly mounted in the exact bump stop location with the same mounting hardware in fact they sent hardware I guess so it fit on other vehicles but it was a direct replacement of The bump stop on my 2010 4Runner1321906

Can’t beat the Sumo Spring fir the price! Stabilized my 4 Runner body roll and kept it from sagging when towing my boat. In my opinion, these are a no brainer.1126842

Super easy install. Took longer to jack up the 4Runner and take the rear tires off.1283056

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Review from a similar SumoSprings Solo in Vehicle Suspension

First off, these won't fix worn out suspension components, they are designed to improve ride quality by reducing sag/porpoising, especially on heavier vehicles.
Our 2010 Roadtrek 210P (75k miles) is a great rv but essentially a big heavy tub going down the road. Has the tendency to lean and wallow front to back. New shocks and all suspension is good, as mentioned make sure that stuff is all in good shape.
Pics show the oem stops vs the SS stops. Big difference - you may assume ride gets harsh but not the case. The oem stops were very tired and didn't do much. The preload on the new SS stops is just about perfect - any weight changes are very progressive which takes the harshness out of the ride. I didn't really see any change to ride height either.
Road manners are improved, there's a bit more resistance to lean, but the main difference is that the front end doesn't try to change height as readily with the back end.
Not a big deal to install. Youbdont need to pull the wheels, just turn them side to side to get to the stops. Pop out the old stops and clean the retaining cups with a wire brush and some brake clean. I used syl-glyde on the new stops to help get them into place. I also used a crowbar under the stop to push it into the cup while making sure the 4 tabs captured the top of the stop. Final step was to lower the van and give it a drive, then check to ensure the fit was good. The key here is to clean the cup first and use a bit of lube on the new stop.

Very pleased and I'll be installing SS on the back end soon. Yup, they're pricey but they are good quality with a limited lifetime warranty.1236734

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A year later, all is great. The SS on the front are solid performers, combined with an airlift airbag system on the rear and new coil springs on the front for a slight increase in ride height. Ride, stability and control are greatly improved.

Roadtrek - 01/05/2023

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by: Jeremy01/04/2023

Review from a similar SumoSprings Solo in Vehicle Suspension

I installed Sumo Springs on our 06 Xterra right after we bought our Casita 17' trailer. The back of the X squatted a bit more than I liked. I had also noticed before some tendency to bottom out if the car was full of people and stuff. These ingenious devices are a perfect solution for me! They are about 3/4" clear of being engaged with the axle when unloaded, so the ride is not overly affected, but progressively take up some of the weight when the back end starts coming down with load. It now sits very nicely with the trailer connected, no weight distributing hitch and stuff in the back, and no more bottoming. We've put a good number of miles on the X in the last year, towing and not towing, and they are still doing the job.

I should note, the back of my Xterra is lifted about an inch with AAL springs. If that were not the case, the Sumo Springs would be engaged all the time. That will vary with vehicle.

I will also note that they are non-adjustable, unlike airbags. I kinda like that, I didn't want to mess with adjusting air pressure and such. But once they do start kicking in as one or both wheels travel, they do stiffen it up quite a bit. I mean, there's no way around that; you can't take load without stiffening the suspension. As such I think they inhibit upward axle articulation a bit when 4-wheeling, but for us that's not a big deal. Since they do not connect to the axle, they don't affect downward articulation at all.

The pics are shortly after installation, one with the car unloaded, and two with trailer and gear loaded up.1492849

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Review from a similar SumoSprings Solo in Vehicle Suspension

I would have give it a 5star but the bolts are 1/4” I think it should be at least minimum of 3/8” or1/2” bolts to hold the sumo springs. I like them toed the camper handles very well. Wishi got these a long time ago worth getting. With out camper can tell that it’s there but rides ok. I wanted the same ride it not quite. I ask what the how high they are said 5” with bracket but it’s actually 6” with bracket see picture. I would recommend getting the sumo springs ssr-610-47.1013897

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They are working great in my 12 tundra still would recommend them. I tow 8000lbs camper handles great at times I probably wished I got the next step up but might be to hard when not towing. Will see next time I need to get some for next truck. Wish they have measurements to know how high they are from the lighter ones to the heavier ones.

Luc - 04/18/2022

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Review from a similar SumoSprings Solo in Vehicle Suspension

Parts arrived on schedule. At first I thought that the parts did not fit my truck, so I called customer service and they immediately started to send me a return label and refund. It turned out that I was wrong, and the parts did fit. I called them back cancelled the refund action.
Great friendly service!
I also found that the price I paid was much cheaper than [online store]. I highly recommend etrailer!1051316

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The springs still work as they should. They are nice because they dont seem to affect the ride quality when the camper is not on the truck. Very happy with my purchase.

David B - 05/31/2022

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Review from a similar SumoSprings Solo in Vehicle Suspension

Very straight forward installation. Simple. very noticeable difference under load. Towing with the gooseneck also an improvement, looking forward to the longer road trip test. So far pleased with the product and results1053226

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after a year i could buy them again. great performance and no issues.

Richard J - 06/04/2022

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My wife and I loved him on our trucks

-- comment by: Ben L - 07/26/2022

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Review from a similar SumoSprings Solo in Vehicle Suspension

Seems very robust. Looking forward to towing the trailer in the spring! Relatively easy to install, but thanks to a little [online] search, I was able to install them more easily. The steps for installation did not call for any lubrication of the top of the spring in order to get it into place, but it definitely needed it. I took multiple attempts to try and install them without and they simply wouldn't slip into place. I used a little bit of Simple Green in order to provide the lubrication that they needed to slip into place. It worked on the first attempt. OE bump-stops included in the picture next to the new Sumo Springs.1486880

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