7 minute read
SUMOSPRINGS REVIEW FOR THE FORD TRANSIT
by Yuko & Eric of AsoboLife
You’re here because you want to know if upgrading your van’s suspension with SumoSprings is worth it. If that’s the case, check out our complete SumoSprings review below where we discuss our experience with this product a er over 2 years on the road.
We’ll talk about what exactly SumoSprings are, how they help your suspension, and critical things to know before you’re ready to purchase.
So if you’re ready, let’s get to it!
SPOILER ALERT: SumoSprings are 100% worth it. SumoSprings drastically smooth out your ride, reduce sway, and give you more control as you drive on uneven terrain. For the price you pay, they provide fantastic value.
WHAT ARE SUMOSPRINGS?
Simply put, SumoSprings are oversized bump stops that replace your vehicle’s factory bump stops. Shown right is a size comparison between the old bump stop (right) and the SumoSpring replacement (left). SumoSprings are over twice the size.
But there is more to SumoSprings than simply their size. Where bump stops exist to prevent dangerous impact between a vehicle’s main body and it’s chassis, SumoSprings also improve the vehicle’s overall suspension and ride quality.
Types Of Sumosprings
Rear SumoSprings – Everything that we have discussed so far about SumoSprings replacing factory bump stops is in regards to “rear” SumoSprings. These are the ‘springs’ that get installed in the rear of your vehicle.
Front SumoSprings – Unbeknownst to most, there are also SumoSprings made specifically to reinforce the front load support system. Depending on the vehicle, these can either be similar in shape to the rear SumoSprings or are coil spring inserts, specifically designed to be inserted into the front coil that surrounds the struts (for Ford Transits and Promasters).
These Coil SumoSprings support the front strut coil by preventing the spring from over compressing and were highly recommended when we spoke with SuperSprings International staff.
How Sumosprings Improve Suspension
Most vehicles are not originally manufactured with the intention that the driver will load the vehicle up and take it off-road. If you’ve done this before with your camper van or RV, you may have noticed that your ride is filled with rough bumps, jolts, and intense side-to-side sways.
In fact, we dreaded taking our Transit off-road when exploring BLM & National Forest land. The driving just wasn't an enjoyable experience.
When you replace a factory bump stop with a SumoSpring, you’ll immediately notice that there’s much less air space between the vehicle’s body frame (top) and it’s chassis (bottom).
Exact distances will vary, depending on the vehicle type and overall weight. In fact, SumoSprings are engineered to come into contact much sooner than a factory bump stop. This is so that the SumoSpring can begin to absorb the impact from the chassis much sooner than a traditional bump stop.
The result is a vehicle that experiences: less vertical movement, less body roll, muted side-to-side sways, and improved load support.
- Reply from SSI
Obligatory Engineering-Speak
SumoSprings are made from a proprietary micro-cellular technology that o ers a progressive absorptive cushion under your camper van’s body to smooth out your off-road adventure.
ARE SUMOSPRINGS WORTH IT?
Absolutely. 100x YES! SumoSprings significantly calmed our ride when driving across uneven terrain. Less side-to-side sway, smoother rides, and less jarring jolts. Additional Side Benefit: Our SumoSprings also helped us regain ~ ¾" of clearance that we had lost when building our heavy camper van.
LIFE BEFORE SUMOSPRINGS
We drove our first 30,000 miles without SumoSprings and still vividly remember the very real hesitations we had when we drove on uneven ground and bad terrain.
The long list of “bad terrain” that hampered our driving included bumpy dirt roads, forest roads, pot holes (hello Oakland, CA!), speed bumps, exiting bumpy driveways & lots, taking 90° turns faster than 15mph, and high wind environments.
When we drove on any of the above terrain, the body of our van would experience tremendous movement. From harsh up-and-down movement to intense side-to-side sways it sometimes felt like our van was on a ship in the middle of a hurricane.
And all this movement sometimes caused our clothes and food to get thrown from their cabinets onto our floor. It wasn’t uncommon to have a huge mess in the back when we nally arrived at our destination.
A good analogy? Imagine a bobble head figure. When you shake the body, the oversized head bobbles from side-to-side with exaggerated movements. Imagine sitting inside the bobbling head as it sways back and forth. That's what we felt in our camper before installing our SumoSprings.
LIFE AFTER SUMOSPRINGS
With added suspension support from our SumoSprings, we are much more confident when driving on unmaintained roads. Our rides are considerably smoother with less side-to-side sway because the SumoSprings pick up the weight of our camper and dampens it’s overall movement. No longer are we weary of driving our Transit camper van off-road. We drive much more confidently and this has allowed us to get deeper into nature to enjoy a more diverse range of camping opportunities.
And for under $500 (prices vary depending on the vehicle model), SumoSprings are some of the cheapest camper van suspension upgrades you can make that have an immediate and noticeable impact on your driving experience.
No expensive installation required: We installed both the front and rear SumoSprings in less than two hours at a Walmart parking lot. 10/10 we would purchase SumoSprings again for a second camper van build.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE PURCHASING SUMOSPRINGS
Before picking up your pair of SumoSprings, there are TWO VERY IMPORTANT things you need to know.
1. Three Different Colors / Densities
Rear SumoSprings come in 3 different material densities and each density is identified by a different color. The heavier your vehicle, the better o you are going with a denser material.
For Our Camper Van: Our camper van weighs ~8,000lbs and we were recommended to go with the medium density (Black color) springs. If your van is heavier than that, the yellow models may be best for you. Front Coil SumoSprings only have one density: Black
2. SumoSprings Are Vehicle Specific
SumoSpring products are generally NOT interchangeable between vehicle types. This is because each vehicle’s size and specifications are a little different.
FINAL THOUGHTS: SUMOSPRINGS WON'T DISAPPOINT
Dollar-for-dollar The Best Vehicle Suspension Upgrade You Can Make Right Now. For the most cost-effective camper van suspension upgrade, we think purchasing a pair of front and rear SumoSprings are the best way to go. In our opinion, SumoSprings are much more worthwhile than investing in a 4×4 camper van. They’re not expensive, easy to self-install, and dramatically change the feel of your ride.
Whether you’re looking to get SumoSprings for your Sprinter, Promaster, or Transit, we say just stop thinking about it and pick them up today. You won’t regret it. These are some of the best camper suspension upgrades you can make right away to improve your ride.
We hope you enjoyed our SumoSprings review. Happy driving - from Yuko & Eric
ABOUT YUKO & ERIC WITH ASOBOLIFE
Hello world! We converted our camper van in 2019 and have been on the road ever since. Currently, we're located in Central America, headed south along the Pan-American highway. The ultimate goal is to arrive in Argentina with our cat and camper in 2023 You can follow our journey south on Instagram: @asobolife
Roads throughout Latin America can oftentimes be rough and unmaintained. So we've come to love our pair of SumoSprings, which have helped to dampen excessive sways and jolts while driving. It’s a good thing SumoSprings come with a lifetime warranty, because they’re currently being put to the test!
