Hi. I am pulling a 7000# toy hauler, tow behind and with it hooked up to my truck the trailer seems to hop up and dowon on the hitch pretty bad. Some have told be that I need to put Bilsteins on the back to eliminate the hop. Also, would the Bilsteins give me a better ride empty too. Any ideas would be appreciated. Vince

 

Check your trailer loading first to be sure you have not loaded it tail heavy......shock only control bounce recovery of your truck.....new shocks can only help but may not cure your problem if your trailer is loaded wrong

 

Take it to a scale and have it weighed and then figure out if you have enough weight on the tongue. Sounds to me like you're rear heavy. My work trailer goes about 6000lbs and my 04.5 rides like a Caddy with it compared to my '99.

 

I'm definately not tail heavy as the 60 gal water tank is right up front, almost 500 extra pounds, and I only have 600 lbs right over the trailer axle, nothing behind it. I forgot to mention, the truck hops so bad unloaded that when I am going down a washboard freeway and I time the hops right, I can punch it and get the rear tires to bark at 60 mph.........now I know that aint right. It feels like they put 5 ton rear springs in the truck.

 

I just installed teh Bilstein's, they work great. I pull a 14k trailer with 2k hitch weight. they work wekk with & without the trailer.
I initially tried installation myself, but the top rear bolts on the 2002 were in a tough place to get any leverage on, so I took it to Pep Boys. Cost $90, took them 1.5 hours, even with all the proper tools. Well worth it.
No idea on the hopping.