SumoSprings – the Yokozuna champion of a stable cool tool.
Having spent a few years living in Japan watching the six-time-a-year sumo wrestling championships, ye olde new editor admits the name caught his eye. A “stable” is the term for a team of sumo wrestlers, but in this case it’s also all about the stable ride.
From SuperSprings International, Inc. headquartered in Carpinteria, California, and an office in Dalton Gardens, Idaho, the SumoSprings is an American-made suspension system for trucks.
The Story
During a visit to California in 1998, current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gerry Lamberti spent time with his sister Cathi who was running the new-ish SuperSprings International operation in the US.
After uprooting his family, Lamberti moved to Amerioca and began working for SuperSprings, refining its namesake steel product, SuperSprings.
But the SumoSprings story took off after the company exhibited at the SEMA automotive show in Las Vegas in 2005. Lamberti saw a material he hadn’t yet considered—microcellular polyurethane.
It reminded him of his favorite chocolate bar, the Nestle Aero—smooth but has a bubbly texture on the inside due to the chocolate being aerated before cooling.
Like the chocolate bar, the microcellular polyurethane was engineered and formed to incorporate all the features of the superior material while also capturing air bubbles to allow for compression.
The result is the SumoSprings suspension solution that performs differently to anything else in its class, described by SuperSprings International as being a disruptive force in the market for over 15 years.
In 2005 with a contract to supply an entire fleet of vehicles for the US Border Patrol, SumoSprings got a real workout. Agents drove the trucks as hard as they could, traveling off-road across broken terrain at high speeds while pursuing illegal border crossings.
With some 3,000 trucks to test on, there wasn’t a single warranty return. To test its limits, one agent jammed a screwdriver completely through his SumoSprings and left it in there with zero impact to performance.
The Skinny on SumoSprings
Since its commercial launch in 2008, SumoSprings have become a globally-demanded product for trucks, trailers, motorhomes, and RV’s when it comes to a simple “fit-it-and-forget-it” suspension upgrade.
SumoSprings are a progressive spring with a very soft initial engagement, whereby the more weight is added, the harder it gets and the more it pushes back—just watch a sumo watch online—providing support and control when you need it without affecting the factory ride when unloaded.
The springs are designed to reduce rear-end sag, decrease vibration, stabilize sway, and soften harsh rebounds.
Available in three models—easily distinguishable from one another by color—the Solo, Maxim, and Rebel.
The yellow Solo model is a one-piece unit attached on one side used as a replacement/upgrade to factory bump stops.
The blue Maxim model a one-piece unit attached on top and bottom allows up to 50 percent expansion of original body height.
The Rebel, dressed in black, is a two-piece unit attached on top and bottom using separate male and female pieces allows unlimited travel.
Offering zero maintenance and a lifetime warranty, you can view a video of how SumoSprings are manufactured—by hand.
SuperSprings - How It's Made
A look at how the SuperSprings suspension system is made by hand.
For more information, visit www.superspringsinternational.com/sumosprings.