HD truck springs – RoadTraveler.net

At the SEMA Show a few years ago TUFTRUCK introduced heavy-duty rear springs for the 2014 and newer Ram 2500 trucks. They had already been making replacement coils for the front axles of Ram trucks and other brands for several years.

TUFTRUCK is a brand of McAllister Industries out of British Columbia, Canada. This company has over 100 years of manufacturing experience, making leaf and coil springs for everything from light trucks up to huge mining equipment from quality American steel.

The TTC–1225 springs fit the 2014-and-newer, Ram 2500 trucks with coils atop the rear axle and cost about $425 a pair. They have a spring rate of 438 pounds-per-inch, and according to TUFTRUCK they add an additional 500 pounds of capacity. The chart below tells how much beefier the TUFTRUCK coils are compared to the stockers, and the differences are easy too see, feel, and measure.

Beefy Canadian aftermarket heavy-duty replacement rear coil springs.

TTC-1225 vs OE Coil	TUFTRUCK TTC-1225	OEM 2014 Rear Coil
Height	18”	17.75”
Diameter	8”	7.5”
Material Thickness	0.93”	0.86”
Weight	35-lb	24-lb

Left: TTC-1225 Right: OEM Ram 2500 rear coil.

Installation And Road Tests

Swapping the rear coils on heavy-duty Rams is a simple job for the mechanically inclined and experienced; it is much easier than removing and replacing long, heavy, and awkward leaf packs. I did the project by myself, without a vehicle hoist and with zero cursing. If I had been removing-and-replacing leaf springs, particularly solo, there certainly would have been busted knuckles and profanity.

Ran this setup for many thousands of miles on two 2500 trucks; OE coils and Air Lift 1000 springs.

After chocking the tires on the front axle, lifting the rear of the truck, supporting the frame with jack stands, disconnecting the rear shocks and body-roll bar, and removing the rear wheels, the axle was drooped as far as practical to make the coils loose enough to remove. (Remember to insure you’re not pulling on brake or ABS lines.) Because the TUFTRUCK coils were just fractionally taller, and drooping the axle provided plenty of access, no spring compressor was needed. I spent much more time making measurements, videos, and photographs than doing mechanical work.

Doing the spring R&R was incredibly easy.

To make a direct, back-to-back comparison of the factory coils and the TUFTRUCK TTC-1225, the Air Lift auxiliary springs were deflated (to zero) before I drove a 15-mile test loop over a mix of city streets, rural highways, and interstate freeway. This type of repeatable initial testing, combined with notes made during the drive, helped document performance differences with an eye on reducing the effects of faded memories and subjectivity.

After installing the TTC–1225, there was a noticeable and substantial improvement in stability, control, and spring rate compared to the OEM coils. The stouter and fractionally taller TTC-1225 coils produced a 3/4” height increase measured at the bottom of the hitch receiver, with my Hallmark camper mounted (without water or gear).

TUFTRUCK’S TTC-1225 rear coils installed and ready for work.

Shortly after the installation I made a 1,000 mile roundtrip over the north-south length of Nevada, to buy a new Welsh Terrier puppy, our first travel-size dog. Then a 1,500-mile round trip to the Southwest in May. The TUFTRUCK rear springs are working well, and I’m glad I added them. Stay tuned, there are additional rear suspension upgrade editorials coming.

Our new six-month-old Welsh Terrier puppy we named Elsie Desert Rose. She fits well atop the center console in the regular cab camper truck.

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James Langan

Resource:

tuftruck.com

Reader slangheld asked my opinion about Ram 1500 rear suspension options after seeing one of my Ram 2500 heavy-duty rear suspension post photos showing TufTruck, Timbren, and Air Lift aftermarket springs.

Question:

I’m confused, and I’ve considered all of these options for my 1500 (Ram). I’m leaning towards the Air Lift 1000 for the ease of install, maintaining unloaded ride quality, and price. Any opinions?

I asked:

Give me more info… what is your load?

Load and use details:

I’m pulling a bumper-pull camper (trailer). Tongue weight is close to 900 pounds, and I figure my 1,471-pound payload is close to the maximum. I probably take six, two-to-four hour trips per year. The truck might get another six heavy loads each year doing stuff. The rest is street or highway driving.

Reply, HD Ram 1500 springs:

There’s nothing wrong with the Air Lift 1000 drop-in springs, and I agree that the ease of installation and low price, along with retaining the soft factory ride when unloaded are pluses. Possible negatives with air suspension can include leaks, and sometimes a bouncy ride, deepening on the rest of the chassis setup and suspension. Air Lift’s Universal 1000 springs were the first heavy-duty spring upgrade to the rear of both my 2014 and 2017 Ram 2500s, worked quite well, and it’s a simple and inexpensive place to start. The pair on my 2014 crew cab have remained leak-free, however I do have a leak somewhere on my 2017. That truck has had the springs installed and removed a couple times, where the 2014 has remained plumbed.

Air Lift 1000 Universal Kit #60927 was installed on both a 2014 and 2017 Ram 2500.

TufTruck rear coils for my 2500 are designed to add about 500 pounds of additional carrying capacity, which is really not that much. I would love it if they made an extra-heavy-duty set for my application. Looking at TufTruck’s site I was surprised to learn that they make four different rear coil options for the late model Ram 1500s. Their variable-rate TTC-1223V is presumably their softest-riding spring when unloaded. It’s nice to have choices, and they are all quite inexpensive, from $215 to $270. Rear coil spring installation is so much easier than leaf springs. Like the Timbrens below, the TufTruck coils are never going to leak and should be maintenance-free.

TufTruck TTC-1225 2014-up Ram 2500 rear coils.

The Timbren rubber auxiliary springs seem to work impressively well with my truck camper, both the DR2500D regular-duty set I installed June 2019, and the DRTT3500E severe service springs added six months later. With my heavy truck camper the Timbrens are constantly loaded, same as they were on my 2011 Toyota Tundra with a slide-in Four Wheel Camper. On trucks that only see occasional loading, Timbrens are set-up to only engage after a load is added. I’m considering putting the DR2500D springs on my 2014 crew cab that no longer hauls a truck camper, and sees more typical, mixed use. Installing the Timbrens is arguably even easier than the Air Lift 1000s. There are no airlines to run or leak, though they are more expensive and theoretically not as adjustable. Theoretically because it’s likely that you would simply inflate the Air Lift 1000 to their maximum 35 psi when loaded, and then reduce them to the minimum 5 psi when not hauling.

Timbren double-convoluted rubber spring from kit #DR2500D

If I owned a Ram 1500, depending on my loads, I am guessing that I would try a pair of TufTruck coils, which I’d possibly augment with either Timbren or Air Lift 1000 auxiliary springs.

There are a lot of good options and products, but it is sometimes a crapshoot of where to start or what will work best on your outfit for your needs. Often some tinkering is required to get things exactly where you want.

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James Langan

Resources:

Air Lift Performance

Timbren

TufTruck

Tag: HD truck springs

TufTruck TTC-1225 Ram rear coils installed

Ram 1500 heavy duty suspension options