Regular Cab Owners..

907DAVE · Feb 28, 2012

How bad does your truck ride?

Mine rides like a brick!! I thought swapping to a F-250 spring would improve ride quality, but it didn't seem to change a thing. Its amazing how roads I once thought were silky smooth feel in this thing.

Is there anything I can do to smooth this thing out?

I am not too concerned with carrying capacity either.

Hotrodtractor · Feb 28, 2012

907DAVE said:
How bad does your truck ride?

Mine rides like a brick!! I thought swapping to a F-250 spring would improve ride quality, but it didn't seem to change a thing. Its amazing how roads I once thought were silky smooth feel in this thing.

Is there anything I can do to smooth this thing out?

I am not too concerned with carrying capacity either.

Its been a while since I have looked at an F250 spring pack - but - remove any overloads and pull out leaves from the spring packs until you get the ride you want - taking out short versus long springs or shortening a long spring leaf into a short one can all effect ride - making it so the springs slide well over each other does wonders too. What did you do about shocks?

Cat_rebel · Feb 28, 2012

Every reg cab long bed SD I've been in rode like a brick, 2wd or 4x4.

907DAVE · Feb 29, 2012

Shock are defiantly not stock, they are quite a bit larger. I was thinking of switch the shocks between trucks and see how it responds.

Good idea on lightning the spring pack. I might throw some 2" blocks back under it and pull the bottom overload and maybe the next one up and take it from there.

Do you know if there is enough threads on the center bolts to do this?

Any recommendations for shocks?

Any idea's for the front?

907DAVE · Feb 29, 2012

Cat_rebel said:
Every reg cab long bed SD I've been in rode like a brick, 2wd or 4x4.

Its a good thing the seat has some good suspension in it, if not my head would hit the roof just tooling down the road.

Powerstroked162 · Feb 29, 2012

907DAVE said:
Shock are defiantly not stock, they are quite a bit larger. I was thinking of switch the shocks between trucks and see how it responds.

Good idea on lightning the spring pack. I might throw some 2" blocks back under it and pull the bottom overload and maybe the next one up and take it from there.

Do you know if there is enough threads on the center bolts to do this?

Any recommendations for shocks?

Any idea's for the front?

Center pins can be made by you with a little grinding and buffing. Guy like you could have it done in no time.

I vote you go to a adjustable coil spring, four linked rear LOL

907DAVE · Feb 29, 2012

Powerstroked162 said:
Center pins can be made by you with a little grinding and buffing. Guy like you could have it done in no time.

I vote you go to a adjustable coil spring, four linked rear LOL

I know I could probably whip something up, but they all seem to be a hardened/fine threaded bolt. Might not be worth the effort even trying to find a similar bolt to make one out of.

Could I get away with a standard Grade 8 type bolt?

I would love to have some type of link'd air or coil setup, but this truck is being built on the cheap with stuff I already have...and I dont have anything like that...LOL

Powerstroked162 · Feb 29, 2012

We've used grade 8 hardware with no issues on lift kits over the years. May have to modify the head to fit.

JDub · Feb 29, 2012

My 2wd didn't ride that great, I pulled all the springs possible in the rear and went to an adjustable Rancho shock in the rear. Helped some, but was still a bit rough in the back.

907DAVE · Feb 29, 2012

Dammit, that's not very encouraging!

I dont expect it to ride like a Chevy, but damn...that ***er is stiff.

Cat_rebel · Feb 29, 2012

907DAVE said:
I know I could probably whip something up, but they all seem to be a hardened/fine threaded bolt. Might not be worth the effort even trying to find a similar bolt to make one out of.

Could I get away with a standard Grade 8 type bolt?

I've done quite a few over the years & fine thread is what you really "want" to use. However I have used course with good results. You can take a normal hex bolt & grind the head till it's round/smooth & fits in the hole. Or you can go pickup a metric allen head bolt & save some grinding.

907DAVE said:
but damn...that ***er is stiff.

GreenMachine · Mar 1, 2012

My regular cab rides like azz

GreenMachine · Mar 1, 2012

Come to think of it BOTH ride like azz

MUDSTROKIN' · Mar 1, 2012

I have a lift on my 05 and it rides pretty darn smooth...

Well it did, over the past few months my bal joints have decided to take chit on me and now she rides like a massage chair

907DAVE · Mar 1, 2012

This weekend I plan on mounting up some new meats - and I think I will pull some leafs and see what happens.

Cat_rebel · Mar 1, 2012

MUDSTROKIN' said:
I have a lift on my 05 and it rides pretty darn smooth...

Well it did, over the past few months my bal joints have decided to take chit on me and now she rides like a massage chair

Your 05 has coil overs in the front, we're talking about leaf sprung front ends.

MUDSTROKIN' · Mar 1, 2012

Ah... Sorry

907DAVE · Mar 1, 2012

Here's what I have in mind...

Loosing these two leafs will drop me 1 1/4", so after putting the 2'' block back in I should be close to where I am at now.

El chupacabra · Mar 3, 2012

Mine rides pretty rough as well. Thinking someday either coilovers or air ride seats.

Break break break

907DAVE · Mar 3, 2012

I thinned out the rear leaf pack just like in the picture and all seems well so far. Ride height remained the same and ride quality seems better. I will report back tomorrow with my conclusion.

Thanks for the help guys!