24 Apr, 2024

New suspension systems for vans | Tough Dog 4WD Suspension

by Ian Bellert

Over the past 35 years, Tough Dog 4WD Suspension has been developing specific suspension systems dedicated to the 4WD wagon and ute market, but it has recently been developing suspension systems for those towing camper trailers and caravans.

I caught up with Blake Jones, marketing manager at Tough Dog 4WD Suspension, at the recent Australia’s Best Hybrids 2024 event held in Merimbula, NSW, to dive into how safety and a good suspension system on your tow vehicle are intrinsically linked. As one of the major sponsors of the inaugural event which was covered in the Caravan World March issue, Tough Dog was well placed to give some insight as we watched the contestants’ vans undergo rigorous testing by the panel of judges.

Safety first

The first step, Blake explained, is to ensure your tow vehicle is correctly set up so that you can tow safely, which includes making sure the vehicle's suspension has the correct spring rate. The spring rate will depend on the trailer weight or the weight of the van, tow ball weight, the load in the van and the vehicle’s load. It's critical to have the vehicle and van sitting correctly and that means the vehicle having a little bit of front rake down, with the back up slightly. On the road, a correctly set up vehicle will retain all its steering capabilities, ensuring you have full control while you are towing. It may seem a small detail but if the front of the vehicle is pushed up by the van, the steering is compromised, which means your safety is compromised.

Research and development

To develop the correct towing setup for any vehicle, Tough Dog will first buy a stock model of that vehicle so that the suspension system they build suits that vehicle exactly. The vehicle is driven for a few thousand kilometres over various road surfaces to assess the limitations of the factory suspension. This data provides Tough Dog with a great platform to start its research and development.

They then fit a set of adjustable shocks on the vehicle. “The adjustable shocks allow us to have nine different settings on the vehicle which we test on the road and offroad situations,” Blake said. “This allows us to get the right valving on the shock, fit for purpose of the vehicle, resulting in the car handling and performing the way it should.”

What data is looked at in testing?

“Firstly, we look at the factory shock and map its performance on a dyno machine,” said Blake. “We can then determine where it needs to perform better after driving the vehicle, with that data in mind. Our shock is also mapped, giving us a base to work from. We then fit the suspension kit to the vehicle and test it on a variety of surfaces, from blacktop to dirt to rougher tracks and outback driving conditions.”

During 5000 kilometres of testing, the shock will be monitored to see how it performs. This is done by measuring the heat on the suspension while it's being tested. A heat sensing monitor is placed on each shock to measure the temperature reached during testing. This allows Tough Dog to identify how the shock is performing across the various surfaces it is subjected to.

Shock fade

Tough Dog’s Foam Cell Shock Absorbers run at lower temperatures than normal gas shocks. This is because there is more oil in the strut allowing it to perform for longer in harsher conditions.

“As we know, it's usually at the end of a long day's drive that shock fade happens, right when you need the suspension to be performing at its best,” said Blake. “Our goal is to have your suspension system performing at its optimum from the moment you set off to the moment you pull up at the end of the day's drive. Experiencing shock fade is not ideal and from a safety perspective can be dangerous.”

Air Assist products

There is a myriad of factors that influence a vehicle's towing effectiveness including the weight of the van, what’s loaded, where that load is distributed and of course what the tow vehicle is carrying as well. The Air Assist program allows owners to set the tow vehicle for both towing and driving normally. Running around town on stiff springs isn't pleasant so the Air Assist Program allows for bellow bags or coil insert bags to be fitted in addition to the suspension range offered by Tough Dog.

If you run varied land heavy loads these Tough Dog products will assist the ride and handling of the vehicle and when the vehicle is at tow. You simply load up the van, the car, your family and inflate the airbags. This offers better control of the weight at the rear of the vehicle and stops the front of the vehicle from rising, while the rear sits at the level it should be. There is also a remote Air Assist controller to make those adjustments even easier via Bluetooth on your smart phone or a handheld controller. You can do this even when moving if you feel the car’s handling isn’t as it should be.

The wrap

It's always good to check how your vehicle with a van or trailer attached is sitting. Is it nose up or nose down? You may have to move your loads around and or better still, upgrade to a better suspension solution. A suspension system designed and built for your specific needs, vehicle and what you will be towing will provide a comfortable ride and safer handling and towing, which are particularly important when heading on long trips into Australia's remote areas.

Further information

Tough Dog suspension is an industry leader in innovative and high quality suspension systems for just about every 4WD application. With more than 35 years in business, and a combined experience of over 100 years, every Tough Dog product is researched and developed here in Australia at the Sydney-based headquarters.

Tough Dog 4Way Suspension Products P/L
14 Darling Street
Marsden Park NSW 2765
P: 02 9672 8899

Watch the interview with Tough Dog 4WD Suspension and Signature Camper Trailers here: