2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission rough ride improvement

[ctopp]

I'm tired of fighting the rough ride of my 99 4WD. If the road is smooth the ride is good, but if the road is bumpy, the ride deteriorates quickly. The salesman told me the camper option would not affect the ride, but now I have my doubts. I would appreciate any advise on inexpensive improvement to the ride, especially from someone with experience. Am willing to sacrifice some load carrying capacity as I rarely haul more than a ton in the bed. Will replacing the rear leaf springs help or can I remove a leaf from the stack?

ctopp

 

[Double J]

The camper option, which would include an overload spring pack, will only come into effect when you have a load in the bed heavy enough for them to come into contact with the overload rests. With that being said, the ride quality 'empty' should be the same as without the camper option. Correct me if I'm wrong guys.



You might try some Bilsteins (sp?) shocks... . I hear they make an improvement over stock. I wouldn't expect miracles though, after all it is a 3/4 ton.

 

[duaneparks]

Double J has a point. I changed from stock to Bilstein 5100 series shocks. IMO, the ride is more controlled, but it does seem to be just a tad stiffer. The bounding stopped, but sharp bumps are still harsh. As was mentioned, it is a 4x4 3/4 ton truck.



More weight in the bed would help. I see that you have an aux fuel tank/tool box combo, but maybe some secured bags of sand in the bed would help. I know my truck rides a LOT better with two yards of mulch back there



Another option is to have custom springs made up. I have NO idea how to advise you on that though. That expertise exists on the TDR though! Try doing a search and see what you find... someone has possibly fought this same fight and found a solution that would work for you.



Duane

 

[SBall]

rough ride

I've always been told the ride quality of a vehicle depends largely on the ratio of unsprung-weight (wheels, axles, etc. ) vs the sprung-weight (frame, body etc. ). One of the smoothest riding cars we've ever owned, that still could carry huge loads and handled quite well was ... . believe it or not, a Peugot station wagon. It had a relatively large body and frame, (sprung-weight), but very light forged alumimum front control arms, and an aluminum live axle. It still had stiff springs which allowed it to handle well, and carry large loads. Based on that observation, there is not much we can do to our CTD trucks to improve ride quality with large heavy live axles, dual rear wheels, etc. , without compromising carrying capacity. Putting a load in the bed does improve the sprung-weight/unsprung-weight ratio and improve ride, as would lighter aluminum wheels. Have you tried the lowest tire pressures you can get away with?

 

[ctopp]

Double J, That's what the salesman said about camper springs and it does make sense.

My aux fuel tank holds 40 galons which would be about 280 lbs full. I don't notice much change with that amount of weight, however it does make a huge difference when carrying 1500 lbs. Additional weight affects fuel consumption and since I don't use the upper range of weight carrying capacity, I will call a leaf spring supplier and see what they have to offer. Thanks Double J, Duane and SBall.

ctopp

 

[HomerDog]

What is your tire pressure set at? If I run my 1 ton dually empty with max tire pressure and my rancho shocks on the highest setting I'm in for one heck of a ride on rough roads, the truck is like a basketball. However, if I lower the tire pressure way down and set the shocks to the lowest setting the ride is quite smooth in my opinion. I also agree that weight makes a huge difference. When I have my camper on the truck it is a very smooth ride. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Tom W]

I removed the overloads and installed the Roadmaster Active Suspension. It made a big improvement on my 2WD. I got it from Mr. Bob's distributing. I highly recommend it.

 

[SnoKing]

What is your tire pressure set at? If I run my 1 ton dually empty with max tire pressure and my rancho shocks on the highest setting I'm in for one heck of a ride on rough roads, the truck is like a basketball. However, if I lower the tire pressure way down and set the shocks to the lowest setting the ride is quite smooth in my opinion. I also agree that weight makes a huge difference. When I have my camper on the truck it is a very smooth ride. Just my 2 cents.

I am with HomerDog on this one. I have Rancho 9000 on the rear and set them to 1 empty and lower rear air to 44 lbs. Ride is much improved over the 65 lbs and shocks on 4 or 5 I run with 5th wheel. I have the 265's that handle max rear axle rating at 70 lbs. There are people who will swear that you should run 80 all the time. My 2001. 5 came with a tire chart that says you can run the rears at 40 lbs with light load. BTW is also show 3500 can run 40 for light load. I can email the chart to you, if anyone wants it. Send me a PM with your email address. Let me know if you want the 2500 or 3500 section. Maybe some can post it on the web somewhere. SNOKING

 

[CScales]

I had the same problem with my 99--3500 when a slide-in camper was on board Its weight was about 2300 lb. the overloads were in contact but not much. my truck would bounce and thump over expansion joints and potholes. After talking to the shop foreman at BIG MOE'S in Atlanta I had the regular springs re-arced to about half the distance to the rest stop. Now the empty ride is still OK but the overloads are in contact more when loaded with lots less rebound and the ride is much improved. The cost was something under $100. 00.

 

[TJany]

I'm tired of fighting the rough ride of my 99 4WD. If the road is smooth the ride is good, but if the road is bumpy, the ride deteriorates quickly. The salesman told me the camper option would not affect the ride, but now I have my doubts. I would appreciate any advise on inexpensive improvement to the ride, especially from someone with experience. Am willing to sacrifice some load carrying capacity as I rarely haul more than a ton in the bed. Will replacing the rear leaf springs help or can I remove a leaf from the stack?

ctopp

Am willing to sacrifice some load carrying capacity as I rarely haul more than a ton in the bed.



if you don't need tires for carrying, try a lighter tire. Stock our trucks come with E-rated tires, go back to a D-rated tire, you will lose about 500 pounds per tire. I put 315/75 r16 Cooper Discoverer St's on my truck, they are a D-rated tire (and i know the size helps too) but the truck rides a heck of a lot better. If load is not an issue, tires will make a big difference.



Tim

 

[Dane]

Will replacing the rear leaf springs help or can I remove a leaf from the stack?

Yes, it will make a huge difference. I have the Skyjacker leafs and front coils. The difference is night and day. Much of the rough ride on our trucks comes from the rear suspension. The only down side is you will need airbags for carrying loads over 500lbs. I've heard removing the lower overload spring (the thick one) helps alot, can't speak from experience though...

 

[WBusa]

I've gotta say try new shocks first. Its the most conservative change you can make, and probably one of the less expensive ones. My new Bilsteins (about $62/ea from Offroad Warehouse on the web) made a huge difference in handling and ride. Used to ride like a pogo stick on marbles. Now rides like an 8,000 lb. sports car, if you know what I mean.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Yes, it will make a huge difference. I have the Skyjacker leafs and front coils. The difference is night and day. Much of the rough ride on our trucks comes from the rear suspension. The only down side is you will need airbags for carrying loads over 500lbs. I've heard removing the lower overload spring (the thick one) helps alot, can't speak from experience though...

Is the spring rate really that low on the Skyjacker rear leafs?



Brian

 

[Cooker]

I've heard removing the lower overload spring (the thick one) helps alot, can't speak from experience though...

You do not want to remove it because it adds stability to the spring pack. What you can do though is flip it over so it is used less.

 

[DirkSanders]

I've got Bilsteins on my 3500 and they are nice, but firm. I've got an ARB Sahara Bar on the front, and it still rode rough on the dirt roads.



I put 5 stall mats in back from the local farm supply store. They are thick rubber mats about 6' long (I think) and fit nicely between the wheelwells. They weigh somewhere around 80 or 90lbs each. That helped the ride a lot.



Plus, they are a big flat mat, so in an accident, they wouldn't be as dangerous as unsecured sandbags or weights. They could be bolted down easily enough too, and still be removable when hauling or towing.



Worked for me. No more tailbone beatings.



Now if I could just make these blasted seats more comfortable...

 

[ctopp]

Thanks to all for the great ideas. I made an appointment with a guy at a local spring suspension shop to have him take a look at it. On the phone he mentioned some of the same options you guys talked about (rearcing the leafs, removing or turning a leaf or 2 over, etc. ) and fortunately none of them are extremely expensive.

I still love the looks of the 2nd gen dodges and the truck has a lot of hours left in it so I might as well make them a bit more comfortable.

Happy New Year,

ctopp

 

[amnewsom]

Has anyone ever thought about taking off the diving board of an overload - if you dont tow that heavy of load - and replacing it with the KORE Spring Pack I have the D25s in front and I think I will order the mini-pak from soon, they are like $200 plus shippind and that is what they sell with their system that see being jumped all over the place.



Seems like a cheap upgrade for a controlled smooth ride?? I dont know. Anyone else jump in, but that mini-pak is not on the website anymore but I just emailed them. But even with my tall shell the ride did not get better than I had planned. So something needs to change. And I run my E's at about 45 pounds. But will be upgrading to 295's or 285's BFG A/T maybe that will help.



(KORE = T-Rex btw. )

 

[Fred Swanson]

The mini-pack will make a difference, but if you want to cure the bad ride altogether, then get the shocks too. The PACE system will make the truck more balanced, and not feel like the front is a pogo, and the rear is a buckboard. The truck will go over bumps or whatever terrain without bucking/hopping around.



Here's an example as best I can describe in words. How many washboard roads have you been down? Know the sensation, You hit them too fast, and the truck feels like the rear is jumping around, throw that same washboard into an intersection when making a turn, and the rear of the truck jumps around, and you instantly let up or hit the brakes, because you feel like your losing control. Or you hit a bump or hole, and you think your teeth are going to fall out.



Well with the KORE system, none of that happens. Washboard is soaked up, you can accelerate over it, and the rear stays planted, never jumping or hopping around.



Make a turn in a crappy intersection, and you can accelerate through it, and the truck stays planted. Hit a hole or bump, and it is asborbed. Fact is, you can go over the same terrain you normally go slow for, much faster.



Seriously consider fixing the problem. Rearching the springs won't do much, except take away money you could have spent on a real fix.

 

[MerkelG]

To CTOOP, I have used Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks on all three of my Dodge trucks. They made a world of difference. If you use a shock that is not adjustable it will ride too stiff. Modifying the leaf springs is not necessary. The best way to a smoother ride is to have adjustable shocks.

 

[TinCanTourist]

Another cheaper option than changing springs no one seem to have considered is the torsion style shackles. I have a 2000 2500 that was beating me to death when running empty. After installing the new torsion shackles the ride wasn't as smooth as a 'Benz, but at least it was bearable. The shackles used to be made by Goodyear Arospace but were bought out by Lord Industries. They were called the "Velvet Ride Shackle". You'll have to look around for them as they aren't a commonly stocked item.