Achieve A More STABLE AND SECURE Ride With Sumo Springs

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want an easy and cost effective way to stabilize your van’s ride?

SUMO SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL

SumoSprings are the fastest way to improve your van’s ride quality and handling. After putting 500 miles on my yellow SumoSprings, I am finally ready to give you an honest and in depth review of the product.

Off To The Shop

I took my Dodge Promaster 1500 down to GlamperVan in Oakland California for an under mount spare tire installation. I wasn’t planning on getting SumoSprings installed at the time, but a speed bump changed my mind.

As I was driving to the shop, I accidentally hit one of those wide speed bumps at 20 mph. Suddenly the front of the van bounced up in the air. A second later the rear of the van launched up and crashed down with 3 or 4 wild bounces. Pots and dishes clanged together as I held on tightly to the steering wheel. The stock suspension is pretty soft I learned. This can be great if you are just driving on flat straight roads with no turns, traffic or wind, but that’s not reality.

Which Color / Density To Choose

When I got to the shop I asked them about possibly installing SumoSprings. I knew there were three colors (blue, yellow, black) which indicated the material density. I had heard a lot of people with the Ram Promaster 1500 were using the black ones (you can also add or remove spacers to fine tune the ride). The GlamperVan crew said they put the yellow ones on all of their custom van builds. I had heard the yellow ones can be a bit stiffer than the black ones, but I decided to trust the shop. Good choice! As a note, they do make the rear of the vehicle sit a bit higher. 

What Are They Made Of

From the SumoSprings Website, “SumoSprings are not made from rubber. They are a progressive spring with a very soft initial engagement. That means that as more weight is added, the harder they get and the more they push back, providing support and control when you need it without affecting the factory ride when unloaded”.

My Speed Bump Test

About 2 1/2 hours later I had my under mount spare and yellow SumoSprings installed. The first thing I did was hit that same speed bump at the same speed. Wow, what a difference. The rear of the van launched up as it did before, but did not bounce at all when it came down. No dishes or pots and pans clanging either. This appeared to be a real game changer for the soft stock suspension.

Real World Road Performance

Now it was time to see how they changed the overall ride on the roads. Over the next 500 miles I drove on roads filled with potholes, on freeways next to big rigs, up the curvy coastal highway and in windy conditions. The results were more than I was expecting.

Around Town

The first thing I did was drive it around the city of Oakland. If you know the city, then you know we have some pretty bad roads. I could definitely feel a stiffer ride. At first I thought maybe I should have gone with the black ones, but 30 miles in I loved the feel. I felt the road more in a good way. It feels like you have better stability and control. The pot holes in the road were far less jarring and the interior shook less. Let’s hit the freeway.

Freeway Driving

The sumoSprings really shine on the freeway. You have less bounce and far more stability and control. Because the SumoSprings are touching the leaf springs, there is far less body roll and drift. Instead of the van feeling like it is balancing and sometimes teetering on the suspension, it feels like one solid vehicle. Our vans will never feel like a slot car, but this really ties the body and the suspension together for a sold feel. Passing trucks is much more stable too as the body does not roll from the truck’s wind. Let’s hit a curvy road.

Curvy Roads

Another place the SumoSprings shine is on curvy roads. With so much less body roll, you feel more stable and in control. Not to mention you can take the turns safely at higher speeds. Getting rid of the space between the old rubber stopper and the leaf spring really helps. Because the Sumo Springs touch the leaf springs, the body of the vehicle can’t lean as much in turns. Let’s talk wind.

Those Cross Winds

We have all felt those strong crosswinds as we drive down the freeway. With a taller vehicle like a van, they can really push you around. Thanks to the SumoSprings being in contact with the leaf springs, you avoid much of the body roll tendency and maintain better control. Ok, let look at some pros and cons to finalize your decision.