Boing....Boing....Boing....(too much bouncing!)

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I just picked my truck up last Thursday and took the girlfriend to my dad's for a BBQ yesterday. This included about 25 miles of Los Angeles freeways (the cement kind vs. paved) On the way home I had to pack a bag just to make sure she wouldn't throw up on my new leather interior #ad
The truck was bouncing like crazy on certain sections of road!! How do I correct this other than throwing a lot of weight in the bed? Would Rancho adjustable shocks in the rear work? (I have the camper package with overload springs and rear stabilizer).

I don't want to have to put barf-bags in the door-map pockets for my passengers!

(Other than that, I love this truck!! I just need something to tow... . can you say "boat-show?") #ad


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'01 2500 SLT+, QC, LWB, 4X4, 3. 54s, AT, every option but running lights! To come: 19. 5"s (?), lift, Line-X, Exhaust brake, 4" turbo to tail, etc...

'98 DUCATI ST2 "Bombed" 944CC with Ducati Performance Carbon Fiber Exhaust, F. I. M. Chip, K&N and "modified" air box.

 

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Scooby-
How much pressure do you run in your tires? Lower your pressure to around 50 to 55 psi each and it should help. It did on my truck. I know this will probably bring up all sorts of replys about proper tire inflation and all, but fifty to fifty fiveis plenty if you are not towing a bunch of weight.

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2001 2500 SLT+ QC LWB 4x4 Auto 3. 54 rear end Forrest Green Sport with all options avail
DC Nerf Bars, DC Grill Gard, DC mud flaps, Line-X bed liner and Leer 160XL Topper
Dreaming of BOMBing... ... injectors soon... . more to follow
See My Truck
2000 Skidoo Summit 700

 

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Scooby,
I run 60 psi in my front tires and 45 in the rear. That helped a lot but then I put on a set of Edlbrock Shocks and that solved 90% of the problem. I had Rancho 5000's and 9000's on my 12v 98 and ate those up in short order. A buddy of mine has the Edlbrocks and has had them on for two years with no problems. Their design solves the bouncing problem we have with these rigs.
Good luck.

 

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Check your owners manual--I'm at work and don't have mine handy--they have recommendations. As I remember, 60/45 is still higher than needed when you are empty.

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Glen Eaton
2001 2500QC SLT LB 5sp 4x4 Garnet Line-X Steel GemTop VDO gauges

 

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Thanks for the replies..... I'll try the airpressure first and then maybe the new shocks. I'm relieved I don't have to hire a couple of fat guys to sit in the back and weigh it down! #ad

 

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Scooby, I had the same problem on my '94. Rancho 9000's fixed it. If you go that rout, get the remote adjust kit. I tune the damping while driving and the type of roads you describe can be adjusted out almost completely!

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'94 3500 4x4, 193,000 miles, Auto w/tofdjr shift kit,3. 54 Gears, TST #5 (255, 650), 235-85-16s, Rancho 9000s w/remote, Isspro gauges inplace of cupholder & Amsoil Bumper to Bumper. NRA member.

 

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Try the Rancho 9000's set to position #2 or #3. That worked for me.

 

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I have the rancho 9000s on my truck and still get some bucking on certain concrete freeways, I run 60 front and 40 in the duals unloaded. My 98 2500 would dump my drink out of the cup holders when towing my RV over the same stretch, I'm still trying to find an answer.

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2001 black dually, 6 speed H. O. ,loaded up. Lighted running boards, toolbox, solor visor, mag hytec cover, rhino lined, diamond tread rail protectors, mud flaps with genos chrome plates, megs exhaust tip, VDO vision series pillar mounted pyro & boost gauges, torklift class 5 double tube hitch. Rippin' through the gears with a smile on my face... no more auto for me!

 

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Scooby,
The factory shocks are junk. This is the case on all but the very high dollar performance cars. Do your gal a favor and buy some good shocks. Bounce is usually caused by improper rebound dampening in relation to spring rate. Most often the compression and rebound rates are the same on factory shocks. That is not a good thing... The motorcycles have the best options when it comes to shocks. They can buy shocks that can be adjusted for - compression, rebound, spring preload and can even change oil viscosity #ad


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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover

 

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Scooby--I lived 45 years in SoCal, ran every freeway and main road from Santa Barbara to San Diego doing HVAC service work. After trying every combo of tires, pressures, shocks etc, I gave up fighting it. Don't know which area of whose freeway you were running, but if you were on I-10, we called it the "washboard", and the Pasadena frwy isn't much better. When they poured the concrete on those two roads, the sections were about 16 feet long,(parallel) with direction of traffic. Over the years, these sections have "buckled" up at the seams, due to ground movement, ("shakers"). Depending on vehicle wheelbase, some were bad, others very bad, and still others were abhorent. My 74 std cab chev dooley was a "puke bag special" on these same roads. Trailer Life magazine did a test and a write up on this problem years ago, specific to SoCal freeways. The only common "cure" was longer rear leaf springs,--meaning at least 5 feet long from eye to eye, or very long, or very short wheelbase. The chev had a 131. 5" wheelbase and was considered the worst. The term used to describe the trucks ride on these roads was "porpoising", as that was the way the truck looked going down the road. Try driving 45-50 MPH on I-10 in the next to slow lane, and watch the action. The truck is going just slow enough to "ride the waves". What you need is a real "honker" of a 'quake, and then maybe the state will tear up those old roads and replace them, problem solved. Shocks will help, once adjusted for "soft" ride, as will lower air pressures in tires, but you will NEVER cure it completely. MY $. 010 worth. Ron

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2001 QC Dually SLT+ 354 LSD AUTO 4WD Driftwood SS Railcaps Stainless Werks step-rail nerfs Rhino spray-in liner Aux B/U lites Diamond Plate Alum Highways tow box SS Fender lips Jardine 4" Mag-Hytec diff & transmission Alcoa classics Reese 20K hitch 28ft Holiday Rambler 5er w/slide 84 Scrambler 4" lift 33/12. 50's 4. 56 gears soft locker/trac-lok Built 258 w/Mopar fuel injection conversion BUILDING 66-442 Olds, ground up--OH BABY! NRA 25 YEAR MEMBER

 

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As I was reading your post I thought "this guy bought a longbed 4x4",and sure enough, your sig shows it. Welcome to our nightmare!
I've had three LB 4x4 Dodges' and they all did it (but my Ford didn't). I used to live
in the little town of Lompoc,and drives to LA would be a pain once you hit the wavy conrcete on 101 in Oxnard. Now in Seattle,
I-5 is the same way... I hate it!
The lower air pressures isn't going to help, except give you steering wander. I also heard Rancho or Edelbrock shock will help,
but I'll wait until my originals are wasted before shelling out more cash. Thanks DC!

-Mike

 

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Thanks for all the replies! I went out to the garage and realized my current guage only goes up to 50 psi. #ad


The section of fwy I was on (for those familiar with So. Cal) was as follows:
-134 W. between Pasadena and Glendale (this was startling)
- 2 S. just before the 5 South (I thought I had to pull over here! #ad
I thought we were breaking up! -- recollections of the "Six Million Dollar Man" TV show popped into my head "She's breaking up,... . she's breaking up!") Then I saw a dip in the highway that I thought was going to launch us into the air! "HANG ON TO YOUR DRINK!" , I yelled.
- 110 Thru Downtown L. A. to the 105 (old part of the 110 worse than the elevated carpool lane.
-105 W. Was actually fine!

I'm picking up a new guage today and I'll experiment with the rear pressure.

 

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Scooby,
I've had 3,300lbs of screenings and a 2,200lbs pallet of brick in the bed of my 98. 5 2500, only to find that the truck looked "level" with this much weight in the back. Not only do I not want to know how much weight would make it sag, but I wouldn't want the fine for being grossly overweight. Nevermind trying to jack the truck to fix a blow out. So..... tell me again. . why did you get the camper package?? Anyway, Just giving you a hard time #ad

When I bought my truck, the tires were at 70lbs front and rear. I've since adjusted them to 65 PSI up front and 45 PSI in the rears. The tires are wearing evenly at this PSI. Meaning they are not under or over inflated for the weight. Don't forget to put the rears back up to 80 PSI if you see a need to make those extra springs do a little work.
BTW: maybe a little off track here,(No pun intended) setting your rear tire pressure different from the fronts will alter the understeer "engineered" into our trucks (and cars). Less air in the back makes things a tad more responsive (tighter) up front. And vise vera.

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98' 24v 2500 Auto/3. 54 4x4 SB QC. Everything but leather. AMSOIL oil filter relocation kit w/secondary by-pass unit,Smittybuilt Stainless Steel Nerfs, Rhino Liner, K&N. Somehow lost my silencer Ring.
Still wishin I could put my M3's mile deep paint job on the truck. Or maybe I should wish to swap its perfectly engineered automatic. Or maybe... . Ah heck, Just wish BMW would start makin a truck using the ISB!

 

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That section of the 134 is a real "cookie tosser. " I have the LWB, 4x4, Quad Cab beast and I thought I was riding a bucking bronco the way the back end was bouncing in the air. Just terrible, thought my neck would never recover. I make this trek often going from the house to a cabin in Lake Arrowhead. I have lowered the pressure in the rears to 43 lbs, the the fronts are at 55... it's a little better. Also, the car pool lane on the 134 is a million times smoother... give it a shot, as it used to the the shoulder and is asphault instead of concrete. What ever you try keep us posted, will try almost anything.

I noticed no one mentioned the Velvet Ride Shackles from BF Goodrich Aerospace... I take it they don't really work?????????

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2001, 2500-155", QC, 4x4, ETH, 6-speed, Forest/Driftwood, color matched Rhino, first truck... delivered 3-24-00.

 

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Originally posted by Scooby:
I just picked my truck up last Thursday and took the girlfriend to my dad's for a BBQ yesterday. This included about 25 miles of Los Angeles freeways (the cement kind vs. paved) On the way home I had to pack a bag just to make sure she wouldn't throw up on my new leather interior #ad
The truck was bouncing like crazy on certain sections of road!! How do I correct this other than throwing a lot of weight in the bed? Would Rancho adjustable shocks in the rear work? (I have the camper package with overload springs and rear stabilizer).

I don't want to have to put barf-bags in the door-map pockets for my passengers!

(Other than that, I love this truck!! I just need something to tow... . can you say "boat-show?") #ad

Scooby,
I live in San Bernardino,Ca. I know exactly what you are dealing with . I took two leaf springs out and put on air-bags to compensate sine I do alot of heavy towing. There is also a product out there called "velvet ride"( modified leaf spring shackles)Not sure who makes them, but I can e-mail you the number of a off-road supplier who carries them and can tell you what they are. I try to avoid I-10, the 91 in Riverside into Orange is the worst of all and the 60 in Riverside also.