Coil spacers to enhance the rear suspension for heavy loads (trailer tongue)
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 86
From: Fort Myers, Florida, USA
Coil spacers to enhance the rear suspension for heavy loads (trailer tongue)
Hello all, I have a Harbor Freight trailer that I use on my wife's Scion Xb. I have ordered the trailer mount and hitch for my Honda Fit 2009 as well as the wiring kit. It is my understanding that the US Fit does not have the enhanced stiffer rear suspension for towing.
I stumbled across theses Supersprings CSS-1168R on Honda Fit Suspension Enhancement - 2009 | etrailer.com. Any cheaper/better alternative?
I look on the forum before posting but I only found people using spacers for aesthetics, which I obviously care less. I use my fit as a utility vehicle.
Thanks!
Hydro
I stumbled across theses Supersprings CSS-1168R on Honda Fit Suspension Enhancement - 2009 | etrailer.com. Any cheaper/better alternative?
I look on the forum before posting but I only found people using spacers for aesthetics, which I obviously care less. I use my fit as a utility vehicle.
Thanks!
Hydro
Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 514
From: AL
I would think air helper springs would be better and a little cheaper:
Vehicle Suspension for 2012 Honda Fit - Firestone F4183
With these you could leave them at minimum inflation so that it doesn't affect ride quality when you're not towing. Then air them up when you are. The ones in the link are adjusted manually with a simple tire pump, but there are also other more expensive kits with small air compressors so that you could adjust them from the driver's seat.
-Dustin
Vehicle Suspension for 2012 Honda Fit - Firestone F4183
With these you could leave them at minimum inflation so that it doesn't affect ride quality when you're not towing. Then air them up when you are. The ones in the link are adjusted manually with a simple tire pump, but there are also other more expensive kits with small air compressors so that you could adjust them from the driver's seat.
-Dustin
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 86
From: Fort Myers, Florida, USA
I would think air helper springs would be better and a little cheaper:
Vehicle Suspension for 2012 Honda Fit - Firestone F4183
With these you could leave them at minimum inflation so that it doesn't affect ride quality when you're not towing. Then air them up when you are. The ones in the link are adjusted manually with a simple tire pump, but there are also other more expensive kits with small air compressors so that you could adjust them from the driver's seat.
-Dustin
Vehicle Suspension for 2012 Honda Fit - Firestone F4183
With these you could leave them at minimum inflation so that it doesn't affect ride quality when you're not towing. Then air them up when you are. The ones in the link are adjusted manually with a simple tire pump, but there are also other more expensive kits with small air compressors so that you could adjust them from the driver's seat.
-Dustin
Thank you for the answers. It will see how it goes and keep the tongue less than 200# is possible. If not, the Monroe air shocks seem to be the way to go but on a 2009 model, they do not seem very easy to install. Is there a good way to install them without the add of an aluminum drinking can as a spacer?
Cheers to all.
Hydro
you kinda DO have to keep the tongue weight under 200 pounds, that is the weight rating for the trailer hitches that fit our vehicles.
Going over it means you give up any and all warranties relating to that trailer hitch.
EDIT if you go the airshock route SEPERATE EACH SHOCK. If you leave them T'd off to each other, it leads to the air flowing to the other side during a turn and can result in dangerous leaning angle.
seperating them is as simple as 5-10 extra bucks and a huge safety increase. plus they act as if they are much stiffer now that two reservoirs are not sharing load on one side
Going over it means you give up any and all warranties relating to that trailer hitch.
EDIT if you go the airshock route SEPERATE EACH SHOCK. If you leave them T'd off to each other, it leads to the air flowing to the other side during a turn and can result in dangerous leaning angle.
seperating them is as simple as 5-10 extra bucks and a huge safety increase. plus they act as if they are much stiffer now that two reservoirs are not sharing load on one side
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 86
From: Fort Myers, Florida, USA
you kinda DO have to keep the tongue weight under 200 pounds, that is the weight rating for the trailer hitches that fit our vehicles.
Going over it means you give up any and all warranties relating to that trailer hitch.
EDIT if you go the airshock route SEPERATE EACH SHOCK. If you leave them T'd off to each other, it leads to the air flowing to the other side during a turn and can result in dangerous leaning angle.
seperating them is as simple as 5-10 extra bucks and a huge safety increase. plus they act as if they are much stiffer now that two reservoirs are not sharing load on one side
Going over it means you give up any and all warranties relating to that trailer hitch.
EDIT if you go the airshock route SEPERATE EACH SHOCK. If you leave them T'd off to each other, it leads to the air flowing to the other side during a turn and can result in dangerous leaning angle.
seperating them is as simple as 5-10 extra bucks and a huge safety increase. plus they act as if they are much stiffer now that two reservoirs are not sharing load on one side
Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,371
From: NC USA
Hello all, I have a Harbor Freight trailer that I use on my wife's Scion Xb. I have ordered the trailer mount and hitch for my Honda Fit 2009 as well as the wiring kit. It is my understanding that the US Fit does not have the enhanced stiffer rear suspension for towing.
I stumbled across theses Supersprings CSS-1168R on Honda Fit Suspension Enhancement - 2009 | etrailer.com. Any cheaper/better alternative?
I look on the forum before posting but I only found people using spacers for aesthetics, which I obviously care less. I use my fit as a utility vehicle.
Thanks!
Hydro
I stumbled across theses Supersprings CSS-1168R on Honda Fit Suspension Enhancement - 2009 | etrailer.com. Any cheaper/better alternative?
I look on the forum before posting but I only found people using spacers for aesthetics, which I obviously care less. I use my fit as a utility vehicle.
Thanks!
Hydro
good luck.
Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 428
From: Harmaston, TX
I would think air helper springs would be better and a little cheaper:
Vehicle Suspension for 2012 Honda Fit - Firestone F4183
With these you could leave them at minimum inflation so that it doesn't affect ride quality when you're not towing. Then air them up when you are. The ones in the link are adjusted manually with a simple tire pump, but there are also other more expensive kits with small air compressors so that you could adjust them from the driver's seat.
-Dustin
Vehicle Suspension for 2012 Honda Fit - Firestone F4183
With these you could leave them at minimum inflation so that it doesn't affect ride quality when you're not towing. Then air them up when you are. The ones in the link are adjusted manually with a simple tire pump, but there are also other more expensive kits with small air compressors so that you could adjust them from the driver's seat.
-Dustin
_
Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,371
From: NC USA
we have tried a set of these and indeed they will assist in 'holding up' the rear but we didn't like the ride or the leveling nearly as well as the Monroe Air Lifts.
Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 428
From: Harmaston, TX
_
Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 165
From: San Ramon, CA
Has anyone put the Monroe Air Shocks on a 2012 base Fit? All the articles I've seen were putting them on earlier Fits, and online at Amazon a warning comes up that they do not fit a 2012 Fit. I discount that a bit due to the need to shim them on the earlier cars, maybe that is all needed here too.
I am waffling between the Monroe shocks and the Firestone helper air bags. I will be towing a light trailer in the near future, and am preparing the car for it.
Thanks,
Paul
2012 Base AT Fit
I am waffling between the Monroe shocks and the Firestone helper air bags. I will be towing a light trailer in the near future, and am preparing the car for it.
Thanks,
Paul
2012 Base AT Fit
Has anyone put the Monroe Air Shocks on a 2012 base Fit? All the articles I've seen were putting them on earlier Fits, and online at Amazon a warning comes up that they do not fit a 2012 Fit. I discount that a bit due to the need to shim them on the earlier cars, maybe that is all needed here too.
I am waffling between the Monroe shocks and the Firestone helper air bags. I will be towing a light trailer in the near future, and am preparing the car for it.
Thanks,
Paul
2012 Base AT Fit
I am waffling between the Monroe shocks and the Firestone helper air bags. I will be towing a light trailer in the near future, and am preparing the car for it.
Thanks,
Paul
2012 Base AT Fit
Originally Posted by Triskelion
The posts in this thread by manxman were written by me. I used Monroe Air Shocks on my (now totaled) GD3 Fit and currently use them on my GE8. Air pressure with these shock absorbers adjust ONLY RIDE HEIGHT, not ride quality. The shocks provide better ride quality than stock shock absorbers. Putting more air pressure into the shocks simply raises the rear of the car---- it does not change the ride quality. Monroe Air Shocks provide better compression and rebound control with STOCK springs.
With the single fill valve supplied with two shocks from Monroe, in a GD3 or GE8 Fit, depending on the car's load and your road conditions, handling safety can be compromised. For general overload conditions on twisty roads, you are much better off using individual filler valves for each of the two shock absorbers. Air pressure can be transferred from one shock to the other with a heavy load on a tight curve. My GD3 is dead. Ask me how I know this.
With the single fill valve supplied with two shocks from Monroe, in a GD3 or GE8 Fit, depending on the car's load and your road conditions, handling safety can be compromised. For general overload conditions on twisty roads, you are much better off using individual filler valves for each of the two shock absorbers. Air pressure can be transferred from one shock to the other with a heavy load on a tight curve. My GD3 is dead. Ask me how I know this.
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