Rear Squat with load advice needed

[RetroMan]

I have a 21 Powerboost FX4 with Heavy tow pkg. I purchased a hitch mount Motorcycle carrier to haul my 450lb motorcycle and i an concerned about squatting the rear too much and was looking into installing the Roadmaster Active Suspense HD kit. Anybody running the RAS and how do you like it it? Pro's / Cons, thoughts appreciated.

Also i have read somewhere that the ride height arms / brackets can cause an install problem and might need some install modification.

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[24Carbon150]

I have RAS and love it, so much better ride loaded and unloaded compared to air bags. I have it set up for 1mm most of the time, if I tow heavy I adjust it to the 2mm setting.

 

[RetroMan]

I have RAS and love it, so much better ride loaded and unloaded compared to air bags. I have it set up for 1mm most of the time, if I tow heavy I adjust it to the 2mm setting.

I only tow heavy 2 or 3 times a year. How easy is it to adjust back and forth? Can you adjust without removing the tire?

 

[Groovicles]

I have a 21 Powerboost FX4 with Heavy tow pkg. I purchased a hitch mount Motorcycle carrier to haul my 450lb motorcycle and i an concerned about squatting the rear too much and was looking into installing the Roadmaster Active Suspense HD kit. Anybody running the RAS and how do you like it it? Pro's / Cons, thoughts appreciated.

Also i have read somewhere that the ride height arms / brackets can cause an install problem and might need some install modification.

I've had a RAS HD kit on my vehicle for a few years. Does a great job eliminated squat, and improved unloaded ride quality.

 

[24Carbon150]

I only tow heavy 2 or 3 times a year. How easy is it to adjust back and forth? Can you adjust without removing the tire?

It takes me 15 minutes to adjust to the higher tension setting in my garage using a floor jack and 2 jack stands.

 

[travisN000]

I only tow heavy 2 or 3 times a year. How easy is it to adjust back and forth? Can you adjust without removing the tire?

You may have seen my post about trimming the ride height bracket; RAS says you shouldn''t have to trim it if you move the bolts on the front side plates before install to give it a more forward position and have the bold head facing inward / nuts toward the wheel; mine was already installed and loaded when I had the rubbing, and it was easier to trim with a cutoff wheel than remove and change.

I also have the HD RAS, but on a non-HD powerboost. The PB is heavy enough that you may find you don't ever need to adjust the tension on the RAS; I don't, but I also always have about 200+ lbs in the bed.

If you drive bad roads its ability to reduce wheel hop and axle wrap on wash-board surfaces is a game changer for traction and handling... I feel like it is worth it for that alone. My only complaint has been the challenges in keeping squeak free. Even with the bracket trim I did, I recently had some noise issues and found that the front of the RAS had shifted slightly and the front side plates were rubbing on the leaf pack; it only took a few minutes and a few taps with a 2lb sledge to get it recentered on the leaf and eliminate noises, but still a bit inconvenient if the weather or road surface isn't good.

 

[redline]

for that light of load you should not have much squat at all ... i just hauled a 3000 lbs uhaul and did not have any squat ...

i have about a inch of squat with my 7500lbs rv ...

I would get a tongue weight scale figure out why ...

 

[Tone]

It doesn't track you'd need additional suspension. The payload and hitch should handle 450# easily with little to no sag. Consider it like hitching a travel trailer with a 450# tongue weight.

When you say " Heavy tow pkg" do you mean the Max Tow Package. Even better.

 

[RetroMan]

for that light of load you should not have much squat at all ... i just hauled a 3000 lbs uhaul and did not have any squat ...

i have about a inch of squat with my 7500lbs rv ...

I would get a tongue weight scale figure out why ...

It hangs the bike about 22 inches from the back of the truck plus i have a RSI topper that's about 600lbs empty. Typically when i would be taking a road trip i also carry about another 500lbs of gear in the bed so i get squat already but with the way this rack holds the weight so far back the squat will exacerbated. Your RV must be balanced very well with very little tongue weight.

 

[RetroMan]

It doesn't track you'd need additional suspension. The payload and hitch should handle 450# easily with little to no sag. Consider it like hitching a travel trailer with a 450# tongue weight.

When you say " Heavy tow pkg" do you mean the Max Tow Package. Even better.

Yes max tow. Its how the weight adds up ( See my reply to post above) and how far it hangs off the back of the truck.

 

[Tone]

See your point. That distance changes the physics. I assume the hitch extends that far for clearance of the motorcycle to the tailgate/truck rear. Can the hitch be modified to bring the cycle closer and still have a gap to the tailgate.

So you have 600 + 500 + 450 for payload before passengers and other stuff. That's 1550#. Our '21 is 1719 payload with a Tow Package. Your Max Tow rig must be a higher payload and tongue. It has beefier springs than ours. (Our TT is 600# tongue weight and the sag is less than an inch.)

It's really the tongue weight that's the issue with excessive sag probably exacerbated by the distance.

Besides, the rise of the front tires when the hitch is on is a more critical measurement. Over an inch rise leads to porpoising and instability.

 

[RetroMan]

See your point. That distance changes the physics. I assume the hitch extends that far for clearance of the motorcycle to the tailgate/truck rear. Can the hitch be modified to bring the cycle closer and still have a gap to the tailgate.

So you have 600 + 500 + 450 for payload before passengers and other stuff. That's 1550#. Our '21 is 1719 payload with a Tow Package. Your Max Tow rig must be a higher payload and tongue. It has beefier springs than ours. (Our TT is 600# tongue weight and the sag is less than an inch.)

It's really the tongue weight that's the issue with excessive sag probably exacerbated by the distance.

Besides, the rise of the front tires when the hitch is on is a more critical measurement. Over an inch rise leads to porpoising and instability.

No way to bring it in closer as its scary close to hitting tailgate already. Yes the issue is how far it sits back i have the rack installed already and just me standing on it at 205 lbs I get fair amount of sag and i will be traveling expressway for about 3000 mile round trip so i don' t want any handling issues. I like the RAS setup as i can adjust as needed and it's also said it just makes the truck ride better even unloaded.

 

[Tone]

Got it. Additional suspension may be the go-to.

Vaya con dios.

 

[Star Lord]

I put Timbren SES on my Platinum. I didn't need it for the squat but I needed help with porpoising. They work great. You should check them out. They only engage under load so the ride is still factory smooth.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

I put Timbren SES on my Platinum. I didn't need it for the squat but I needed help with porpoising. They work great. You should check them out. They only engage under load so the ride is still factory smooth.

Yes and no.
The Timbren creates a “pogo stick” effect when the suspension travels and the “bumpstop springs” contact the axle. These suck when the truck is unloaded. They seem to stabilize well when loaded.

I had these on a Toyota and the 24 Powerboost. I removed them for now as I don’t need the added support often

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