Hellwig 550 EZ-550 Helper Spring Kit

I have a 2007 Toyota Tacoma 2WD Prerunner. I purchased 2 boxes (that's 2 pairs /box) of the Hellwig Med Duty leaf spring helpers and applied X2 of these Hellwig 550 EZ-550 Medium Duty Load levelers to each of my trucks axles... fit was perfect for this truck! Installation was fairly easy (hardest part is jacking up truck, I needed two jacks to keep both sides of truck level for install), great directions (anyone can or should be able to do), I took my time for install (semi-retired & not in any hurry) and I am very happy with this product and would highly recommend same! Now that I have this product installed, I enjoy the same quality ride as before unloaded but with a slight improvement in handling related to bumps/dips and cornering will less truck body roll and with a heavy load in my truck &/or towing my 6 X10 cargo trailer fully loaded, I have noticed a huge difference in that the back of my truck does not drop way down as before and I have noticed a big improvement in its handling around corners, and dips/bumps in the road and beyond! Very happy camper! Yes I would recommend same and wish I had bought these several years ago! Note: You may be wondering why I placed X2 Hellwig 550 on each of my rear springs per individual axle... and why I did not just buy the super Hellwig model (twice as long helper spring)? well, I also purchased and installed a replacement "rubber max load handler(s) (made in Canada)" that replaced the "wimpy stock axle bump guards" that came from Toyota and a super long Hellwig would not have fit and would have required some sort of vehicle modication. Please note that the "rubber max load handlers" kind of work like the very expensive air bags you can buy but at l/3 the cost and I feel do the same job but cost a lot less and are of equal or greater quality that the stock toyota parts they replaced. Lastly, I ordered the Hellwig 550's thru Amazon.com and purchased them with free ship and saved "over $40.oo easy" by buying online vs. going to a local supply dealer in rual S. Oregon. Note: When I had a Nissan truck I had bought these Hellwig leaf helper springs (only installed X1 medium duty load leveler helper spring per axle) and I noticed the same big improvement in handling and so did my friends! The beauty is that they really help reduce a bit of truck body roll and when the truck is carrying a heavy load the road handling improvement is outstanding. I just wish all the truck manufactures would add an extra leaf spring from the get go but that would increase the cost of the truck!

The product arrived in a timely manor and upon opening the box I was impressed with its exterior quality, being nicely powder-coated the helpers look better than my original springs.Installation was straightforward on my 2006 Tacoma 4x4, I didn't even bother to jack up the vehicle but just slid under it to install the springs. I installed springs front and rear of the axle of each leaf spring set. Installation was made easier by the purchase of a long 11/16 socket. The spring brackets cleared the brake lines and leaf brackets OK. It was a somewhat tight fit laterally but as far as I can see nothing is rubbing.I tried first with only the rear spring helpers installed and I probably could have gotten by with only them but, since I had purchased two sets, I went ahead and installed the front ones too. Installation took about an hour for two sets.I'm quite pleased with the ride. No longer does the truck bottom out on every dip in the road. Now, it rides like a 4v4 truck should. I had the rear helpers adjusted to 1 1/4 inches of shown thread (past the first nut) and the front to 1 inch of shown thread. I tweaked the tension a bit to even them out after unloading the truck (unloaded I could barely bounce the rear of the truck, and I'm not a small guy). Therefore, I set them both to 1 inch)). With a fiberglass topper and a full load of mulch bags it rode great -- I hit every drainage dip in the road I could find to try to bottom the suspension out but it never did. I'm looking forward to hauling a loaded trailer now, whereas before a trailer really made the springs sag. I can detect no more "bumpiness" on a normal road than without the springs installed; in fact, it seems to ride more like it did when the truck was new. before the notorious Tacoma springs started to sag (I never got around to getting the TSB done).I wish I'd ordered these years ago. I had them in mind for a long time but never got around to it. If you have saggy springs consider the product -- it's inexpensive (less than a bag of groceries) and I think you will be pleased.

I have a 2011 Ford Ranger, and noticed the rear end would sag noticeably when installing a fiberglass cap. Eventually I plan on replacing the leafs, but I've had good luck with Hellwig helper springs in the past with my 1st gen Tacoma and figured I'd give these a try. I was initially concerned after reading a review saying they didn't work with 2010-11 rear disc brake models, but I'm not sure what that reviewer experienced, because I had no issues installing these - there's plenty of clearance for both brake lines and exhaust. With a ratcheting box wrench, takes about 20 minutes to install. I wouldn't think of these as providing "lift" but the rear is sitting noticeably higher with the cap on, and you can adjust a bit for the driver's side "lean" most small trucks eventually experience by putting a bit more tension on that side. Looks a lot better, and feels like it tracks down the road straighter - previously, the weight of the cap would be enough to make the steering feel noticeably lighter. All in all, probably not a permanent fix, but a good low-cost, easy install option for getting a little more life out of marginal springs.