Dampen/Soften My Ride Some
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Member
Joined: Jul 2019
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From: Ohio
Dampen/Soften My Ride Some
Hi, currently the ride 2001 XLT 2WD is ultra stiff. It's so stiff that I sometimes feel like I could lose control of the truck when I hit a bump and am turning at the same time. Bumps are brutal! I want to dampen (soften) the ride considerably. Can someone please tell me the path to making this happen? What do I need and where would be a good place to find it?
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 52
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From: Whittier, California
I'm not sure if you have front coil over or torsion bars. What do you have?
Yes, springs are ultimately what makes vehicles ride soft or stiff
For now reduce your tire pressure a bit, tire pressure does have a small effect on ride, as the tires absorb the smaller bumps
Then try to get a picture of your shocks, to get the model number
Shocks can make a ride too stiff if they are made that way, shocks have fluid inside that flows thru holes in plates inside, the more holes there are the softer the ride because the fluid can move thru the holes faster
Image here: https://cdn.hswstatic.com/gif/car-suspension-8.gif
Shocks are there to stop the springs from bouncing after they absorb a bump, if the shock doesn't have enough holes then it prevents the springs from absorbing the bumps.
Springs are rated for the weight they support.
Think of a bed and mattress, if the mattress springs are rated for 200lbs, and you weigh 200lbs mattress feels good, not too soft not to stiff, but if you weighed 100lbs you would think its too stiff, and if you weighed 300lbs then you would think its too soft
Vehicle springs are the same, if the weight on the front axle is 2,000lbs and spring is rated at 3,000lbs, then spring can't do its job, when you hit a bump the spring just pushes up the 2,000lbs vehicle, because its too light to hold the spring down
In rear of pickup trucks the vehicle makers are kind of stuck with a Load Rating, like 1/2 ton, 1,000lbs, extra when calculating springs, so empty bed ride can be too stiff
You can install softer springs WITH an overload spring, which costs more, so vehicle makers don't do this usually
The softer spring gives the better ride when empty, and the overload spring allows full 1,000lbs loads as needed
People will often install Coil Spacers to "lift" the front of a truck, but this also changes the springs weight rating because it takes "coils" out of the rating, making spring stiffer
So have a look for any added parts on front supension
To test springs, remove both shocks on one axle, just the lower mount is fine, this frees up the spring to bounce freely
Now bounce the body on that axle, should bounce easily, if so shocks were too stiff, wrong ones
If it still doesn't bounce easily then springs are wrong or have been modified
For now reduce your tire pressure a bit, tire pressure does have a small effect on ride, as the tires absorb the smaller bumps
Then try to get a picture of your shocks, to get the model number
Shocks can make a ride too stiff if they are made that way, shocks have fluid inside that flows thru holes in plates inside, the more holes there are the softer the ride because the fluid can move thru the holes faster
Image here: https://cdn.hswstatic.com/gif/car-suspension-8.gif
Shocks are there to stop the springs from bouncing after they absorb a bump, if the shock doesn't have enough holes then it prevents the springs from absorbing the bumps.
Springs are rated for the weight they support.
Think of a bed and mattress, if the mattress springs are rated for 200lbs, and you weigh 200lbs mattress feels good, not too soft not to stiff, but if you weighed 100lbs you would think its too stiff, and if you weighed 300lbs then you would think its too soft
Vehicle springs are the same, if the weight on the front axle is 2,000lbs and spring is rated at 3,000lbs, then spring can't do its job, when you hit a bump the spring just pushes up the 2,000lbs vehicle, because its too light to hold the spring down
In rear of pickup trucks the vehicle makers are kind of stuck with a Load Rating, like 1/2 ton, 1,000lbs, extra when calculating springs, so empty bed ride can be too stiff
You can install softer springs WITH an overload spring, which costs more, so vehicle makers don't do this usually
The softer spring gives the better ride when empty, and the overload spring allows full 1,000lbs loads as needed
People will often install Coil Spacers to "lift" the front of a truck, but this also changes the springs weight rating because it takes "coils" out of the rating, making spring stiffer
So have a look for any added parts on front supension
To test springs, remove both shocks on one axle, just the lower mount is fine, this frees up the spring to bounce freely
Now bounce the body on that axle, should bounce easily, if so shocks were too stiff, wrong ones
If it still doesn't bounce easily then springs are wrong or have been modified
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 112
Likes: 3
From: Ohio
The suspension has never been looked, to my knowledge, except for yearly inspections.
Yes, springs are ultimately what makes vehicles ride soft or stiff
For now reduce your tire pressure a bit, tire pressure does have a small effect on ride, as the tires absorb the smaller bumps
Then try to get a picture of your shocks, to get the model number
Shocks can make a ride too stiff if they are made that way, shocks have fluid inside that flows thru holes in plates inside, the more holes there are the softer the ride because the fluid can move thru the holes faster
Image here: https://cdn.hswstatic.com/gif/car-suspension-8.gif
Shocks are there to stop the springs from bouncing after they absorb a bump, if the shock doesn't have enough holes then it prevents the springs from absorbing the bumps.
Springs are rated for the weight they support.
Think of a bed and mattress, if the mattress springs are rated for 200lbs, and you weigh 200lbs mattress feels good, not too soft not to stiff, but if you weighed 100lbs you would think its too stiff, and if you weighed 300lbs then you would think its too soft
Vehicle springs are the same, if the weight on the front axle is 2,000lbs and spring is rated at 3,000lbs, then spring can't do its job, when you hit a bump the spring just pushes up the 2,000lbs vehicle, because its too light to hold the spring down
In rear of pickup trucks the vehicle makers are kind of stuck with a Load Rating, like 1/2 ton, 1,000lbs, extra when calculating springs, so empty bed ride can be too stiff
You can install softer springs WITH an overload spring, which costs more, so vehicle makers don't do this usually
The softer spring gives the better ride when empty, and the overload spring allows full 1,000lbs loads as needed
People will often install Coil Spacers to "lift" the front of a truck, but this also changes the springs weight rating because it takes "coils" out of the rating, making spring stiffer
So have a look for any added parts on front supension
To test springs, remove both shocks on one axle, just the lower mount is fine, this frees up the spring to bounce freely
Now bounce the body on that axle, should bounce easily, if so shocks were too stiff, wrong ones
If it still doesn't bounce easily then springs are wrong or have been modified
For now reduce your tire pressure a bit, tire pressure does have a small effect on ride, as the tires absorb the smaller bumps
Then try to get a picture of your shocks, to get the model number
Shocks can make a ride too stiff if they are made that way, shocks have fluid inside that flows thru holes in plates inside, the more holes there are the softer the ride because the fluid can move thru the holes faster
Image here: https://cdn.hswstatic.com/gif/car-suspension-8.gif
Shocks are there to stop the springs from bouncing after they absorb a bump, if the shock doesn't have enough holes then it prevents the springs from absorbing the bumps.
Springs are rated for the weight they support.
Think of a bed and mattress, if the mattress springs are rated for 200lbs, and you weigh 200lbs mattress feels good, not too soft not to stiff, but if you weighed 100lbs you would think its too stiff, and if you weighed 300lbs then you would think its too soft
Vehicle springs are the same, if the weight on the front axle is 2,000lbs and spring is rated at 3,000lbs, then spring can't do its job, when you hit a bump the spring just pushes up the 2,000lbs vehicle, because its too light to hold the spring down
In rear of pickup trucks the vehicle makers are kind of stuck with a Load Rating, like 1/2 ton, 1,000lbs, extra when calculating springs, so empty bed ride can be too stiff
You can install softer springs WITH an overload spring, which costs more, so vehicle makers don't do this usually
The softer spring gives the better ride when empty, and the overload spring allows full 1,000lbs loads as needed
People will often install Coil Spacers to "lift" the front of a truck, but this also changes the springs weight rating because it takes "coils" out of the rating, making spring stiffer
So have a look for any added parts on front supension
To test springs, remove both shocks on one axle, just the lower mount is fine, this frees up the spring to bounce freely
Now bounce the body on that axle, should bounce easily, if so shocks were too stiff, wrong ones
If it still doesn't bounce easily then springs are wrong or have been modified
There is no "off the shelf" coil spring conversion for rear leafs
You "can" do anything you want though, lol.
You would need to install swing arms to hold axle straight and allow it to move up and down, and coil buckets, shock mounts should still work as is
But coil springs main purpose is to get a longer travel distance, leafs, IMO, are better unless you need that longer travel suspension
One doesn't provide a better ride than the other, IMO, if weight rating is correct
You "can" do anything you want though, lol.
You would need to install swing arms to hold axle straight and allow it to move up and down, and coil buckets, shock mounts should still work as is
But coil springs main purpose is to get a longer travel distance, leafs, IMO, are better unless you need that longer travel suspension
One doesn't provide a better ride than the other, IMO, if weight rating is correct
Last edited by RonD; Aug 12, 2019 at 06:03 PM.
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 112
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From: Ohio
Well time didn't permit for me to check my suspension today. Hopefully tomorrow...
So, can I dampen the leafs then? Like I'm trying to dampen the front to soften the ride some, I can also get "softer" leafs?
So, can I dampen the leafs then? Like I'm trying to dampen the front to soften the ride some, I can also get "softer" leafs?
Dampen means to "bounce less", so thats not what you are after
You want the springs to compress and absorb the bumps, and that can only happen if you have correct springs.
BUT..................there is a chance previous owner got shocks that won't let the springs absorb bumps, stiff shocks, so you have to get info on the shocks and go from there
Yes you can get rear leafs with lower weight rating for a better ride when bed is empty
Have a look here: https://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf...ger_s/1879.htm
Counting the leafs doesn't always mean what its weight rating is but it may
You want the springs to compress and absorb the bumps, and that can only happen if you have correct springs.
BUT..................there is a chance previous owner got shocks that won't let the springs absorb bumps, stiff shocks, so you have to get info on the shocks and go from there
Yes you can get rear leafs with lower weight rating for a better ride when bed is empty
Have a look here: https://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf...ger_s/1879.htm
Counting the leafs doesn't always mean what its weight rating is but it may
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 112
Likes: 3
From: Ohio
Dampen means to "bounce less", so thats not what you are after
You want the springs to compress and absorb the bumps, and that can only happen if you have correct springs.
BUT..................there is a chance previous owner got shocks that won't let the springs absorb bumps, stiff shocks, so you have to get info on the shocks and go from there
Yes you can get rear leafs with lower weight rating for a better ride when bed is empty
Have a look here: https://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf...ger_s/1879.htm
Counting the leafs doesn't always mean what its weight rating is but it may
You want the springs to compress and absorb the bumps, and that can only happen if you have correct springs.
BUT..................there is a chance previous owner got shocks that won't let the springs absorb bumps, stiff shocks, so you have to get info on the shocks and go from there
Yes you can get rear leafs with lower weight rating for a better ride when bed is empty
Have a look here: https://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf...ger_s/1879.htm
Counting the leafs doesn't always mean what its weight rating is but it may
Thanks for the link. I'll look through it.
I have some other ??'s pertaining to a new development that I noticed driving today. I'll start a new thread...
Maybe my dad (original owner) bought some kind of a towing or load package? I don't know. It's stiff as sh*t though.
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Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 1
Likes: 1
From: nc
shocks too stiff
I replaced the shocks on my 2001 XLT 2x4 and the ride was horrendous. After checking the blogs with no good suggestions I decided to look for lighter weight shocks that would fit. I picked 1991 (10 years earlier). It turns out the weight of the 1991 ranger truck was about 600 lbs lighter. I went to the parts house with my old shock and asked for a 1991 shock. They were the same length. I replaced the rear shocks with the 1991 rear shocks and the stiffness in the rear went away. I went and got a pair of 1991 front shocks. I had to take the rubber bushing out of the old shock to put in the new one and then mounted them. Now my truck is a pleasure to ride again.
If you use your truck for (heavy loads) OEM is probably good. If you use it as a commuter, lighter shocks will help.
If you use your truck for (heavy loads) OEM is probably good. If you use it as a commuter, lighter shocks will help.
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