That's my point - it doesn't matter where it starts out, if it sags, the headlight angle WILL change the same amount...

the front end of the truck and the rear end ARE connected, not like it will bend (at least I hope not )

 

It's not the headlight angle that would bother me, it's the ride quality. Also, how quickly the new trucks seem to sag with the littlest amount of weight on them. Once the back end starts going below level, the front wheels start lifting up and makes it harder to steer.

 

My 08 sags about 2", which is where it contacts the top overloads, with the first 1000# but after that it will only sag about a inch more with up to 5000#.

 

This. I really don't see the issue here either. And I don't think the difference in weight distribution is anything approaching something to worry about.

Tongue weight on a hitch ball WILL lever weight off the front wheels regardless of the height of the rear end. That's overwhelmingly the biggest factor when it comes to weight distribution. Likewise on a fifth wheel weight distribution is determined by the location of the kingpin or coupler. It matters very little whether the truck starts out level. Lots of folks don't like how their truck looks when towing a trailer. Others spend their money raising the front of a truck to level it out. No practical reason to worry either way.

 

I agree, it is not supposed to be winning an aesthetic beauty prize when it is towing and the front end lift is controlled directly by the tongue weight no matter where the leveling starts out.

 

The ones I am referring to are the 11-up models. I see them everywhere and they are sagging like an obs f150. It just looks to me like ride quality when empty was put a little too high on the priority list.

 

I bet you can thank all the Scorer Moms for that.


Sean

 

Probably what me and thousands of others like about it. The Burb is even smoother.

 

Not just the scorer moms that like it.

 

I used to have an '11 SRW F350, and I've towed as much as 15,000 lbs with it. And I never thought it sagged much at all.

But if it does, WHO CARES? The overwhelming majority of these trucks spend the majority of their time rolling around dead empty. Why wouldn't you want them sprung for a good ride unloaded and acceptable performance fully loaded?

One of the reasons I got rid of that truck was because it was a punishing daily driver. I drive a lot of miles and I don't like that these things ride like grain trucks. I get why they do, but I have to applaud any steps the engineers can take to make that a little better while still preserving their capability to pull and haul huge things. Honestly I'd like to see Ford go the way of Ram and offer a load-leveling air-ride suspension similar to what heavy trucks use. That way you are riding on all the spring you need and no more regardless of how the truck is loaded.

 

I do. My truck is very rarely empty. I bought my truck because I wanted a truck, not a car. Trucks have become the new fad vehicle though, so they have to cater to what sells, which is to people that their trucks will spend most of their time empty. I also get amused by the changing sentiment towards things once ford starts doing something, even though the same people bashed it when it was Chevy or dodge that did the same thing. Fully boxed frames were horrible, until ford offered it on the 150 and now it's the best thing ever. Fords are built like real trucks, look how the others sag when actually working. Now, who cares if it sags, I want a smooth ride unloaded.

 

my '13 F250 sits an 1" higher in the back. It looks level with the naked eye.

 

I have an early 99 and the rear sits 3.5 inches higher than the front. I've had this thing loaded with as much firewood as I could put in it without spilling out, and the rear still stays noticeably higher than the front. It looks like one of those trucks the rednecks jack up in the back to make them feel like they have a hot rod. Looking at the fender gaps, it looks like a 2wd front was welded to a 4wd rear. I plan to level it when I get the extra money to do so, and judging by current performance, I don't expect a load to make it look like it is squatting much...

 

This (like many other replies is off thread topic - original post was asking when did Ford make the SDs closer to level; not "Hey how do you like your ride and how do you like how it looks when loaded/towing)
BUT since it is going towards the latter; we have been a GM family... a little dodge here and there but mostly GM. I think my brother was the first to get a ford... ranger... but I went and up'd him one and got the 250 due to what I wanted to do with it.
The ride quality is great empty with my 2002 f250 v10 4d 4x4 lb srw. I put my scout behind it on a robust trailer and it sags. I know a lot of it has to do with tongue weight and leveling of the load on the trailer but to keep enough fwd weight to alleviate the trailer sway the Ford dropped quite a bit; but 'looks' level; only the wheel wells make it look as though it is sitting on a knee. I will be looking to spend some $ in the future to help with this (leveling the truck (+2.5' in front) and air bags in rear) but for now I would say that with a trailer one can expect substantial sag. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
On the other hand I have had the truck loaded down with a bed load and as someone commented it came down to the overloads and then just sat there. Looks like hitch/bumper pulls are not the strong suit for F250 (at least mine), but if it will fit in the bed you will not notice it.<o></o>
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