I have a 1999 2WD standard cab Ranger. I have been doing some fix-up and mod work on it. Here is the problem. I drive it only on pavement (I have a Heep and motorcycle for offroad). The stock shocks have been replaced (don't know exactly what kind). Anyways, it rides very rough over any sort of bump or irregularity in the road. I want a softer, smoother ride. Any ideas besides running the tires low on air, or carrying a 500 pound weight in the bed?

It handles like it's on rails, which is fine, but any sort of bump feels like getting hit with a hammer almost. The suspension is not seized up. It is even worse now in cool weather. I think the shocks are heavy duty/too much dampening, and the tires are Cooper 6 ply.

Harry

 

I have the same problem with my '01 2wd std cab short bed. Gabrial shocks helped the front a little. I haven't found a shock to help the rear. I run 28psi rear and 33psi front for tire pressures. Do you have the spare under the bed? I do and it makes a difference. I also stepped up from the OE 225-70-15 tires to 235/75-15 Kenda tires and that helped a little. They are six ply tires but the taller sidewall gives a bit of a sluggish feel to the steering. Also, I rebuilt my entire front suspension a week before installing the new larger sized tires. The rebuild didn't help the rough ride.