Front Sumo Springs

In our continuing journey to enhance the ride of our Unity (its a CB model) and given the success we had with adding Rear Sumo springs, we decided to invest in front Sumo springs—specifically the SuperSprings SSF-106-40.

Materials Needed

Before embarking on the installation journey, ensure you have all the needed tools and materials. For this project, you’ll need:

• Floor jack
• Safety jack stands
• 10mm socket & wrench
• SuperSprings SSF-106-40 kit, which includes front Sumo springs, M8 locknuts and washers

1: Prepare Your Sprinter

Begin by ensuring your coach is parked on a level surface and engage the parking brake. Place chocks in front and behind wheels to prevent moving. Safety is paramount, so wear safety glasses throughout the installation process so that any dirt you knock loose does not go into your eyes.

2: Lift the Front of the Sprinter and Support the Frame

Carefully lift the front of your Sprinter using a floor jack (We used our hydraulic leveling system to raise our coach). Allow the axle to hang freely until you have enough room to fit the sumo springs. Once lifted, secure the frame with safety jack stands, ensuring stability before proceeding further with the installation.

3: Locate and Remove the OEM Bump Stops

Identify the OEM bump stops on the front suspension and proceed to remove them. Use your socket set to loosen and remove the OEM nuts securing the bump stops in place.

4: Install the SuperSprings with supplied M8 Locknuts

With the axle hanging freely, position the SuperSprings onto the front suspension, aligning them with the existing mounting hole. Utilizing the provided M8 locknuts and a 10mm socket, secure the SuperSprings in place.

5: Lower the Sprinter and Test Drive

Once the SuperSprings are securely installed, remove the jack stands and carefully lower your Sprinter using the floor jack. Now it time for you to take it on a test drive and consider any improvement in ride comfort or handling.

Conclusion

The installation process was straightforward and took less time than the rear sumo’s. Everything could be done without getting under the coach.

Navigating the Downsides

I wanted to love these as much as I did the rear springs, but there were to many downsides, and ultimately I removed them. Here is what I did not like:

• Increase in suspension stiffness. While the goal was to enhance stability and control, the stiffer front suspension resulted in a less comfortable ride. The additional firmness was more noticeable when traversing mildly rough or uneven surfaces, leading to diminished ride comfort compared to the stock suspension.
• Increased road feedback in the steering wheel. There was a much heightened sense of the road surface through the steering wheel. While this can provide a more connected driving experience, I found the amount of it undesirable. This feedback was very noticeable on “smooth” roads, so it made traversing the interstate and normal roads less enjoyable.

That is my experience and others would not live without them. I will note that if you have a heavier front of coach, or travel on rougher roads, these would make sense. In those cases you may have to much front drop / porpoising causing a harsh bottoming out on the OEM stops or simply to bouncy of a ride.

Keep in mind the varied owner experiences, including the potential for increased road feedback in the steering wheel, and perform a test drive to assess the impact on your personal preferences and how you use / where you take your coach.