I have a 2012 ford f 450 which has the standard Rancho shocks,the problem is the ride is very rough and the truck bounces when the road gets a little bit undulating.Does anybody have a similar problem and if so how did you fix it.
Cheers
Baker

 

Baker, I've moved your post out of the Dually thread and into its own thread where someone can try to help you figure out a solution.

 

Not really enough information to go on. Is the ride rough loaded, unloaded or both?

I am not a fan of the stock shocks and have installed Bilstein heavy duty shocks on mine. I also have the FS ride rite airbags that improve the ride both loaded and unloaded. I know my 450 rides better when it is loaded but it isn't bad unloaded with the upgrades.

 

Hi gwcon
Thank you for your quick reply,the truck when loaded has a better ride but unloaded it is worse.
I have read a lot on the forums regarding rough rides in these trucks and people have changed over to the Bilstein 5100 or the the Fox 2.0 shocks and seemed to improve the ride.
Cheers
Baker

 

The stock "Rancho" shocks are not really Rancho shocks. They are Ford shocks painted white with Rancho stickers on them. They are also complete garbage. Three of my four were blown out at less than 1000 miles. I went with the Bilstein 5100 route and have been very impressed. They didn't make a huge difference empty but while plowing, hauling, or towing heavy, they made a HUGE improvement. They were the first mod I did when I got my 2012 and I'm still very impressed.

 

The stock shocks are not a gas charged shock, they are neutral. So, they just try to dampen suspension movement, and they don't do it very well but they do help to soften the ride quality.

When installing new shocks that are charged there is significant pressure applied to the suspension which enhances road feel and provides a solid base. If anything, new shocks will make the ride a little harsher feeling but also do a much better job of absorbing movement and restricting the rebound bounces.

Experiment with tire pressures and maybe try to drive around with 1000lbs of weight in the bed to soften the ride. On the road to my house we bounce around and drinks spill in my truck but in my wife's expedition the road feels like glass, these trucks just ride firm.

 

My stock "Ranchos" were gas charged? Well, the one that wasn't blown out was. Unless they changed something since 2012, the stockers are indeed gas charged...

 

I'm just repeating what the rancho person stated here in a thread somewhere. He said that the stock shocks are not supposed to extend on their own when they are removed from the truck. This was in direct response to someone stating that none of the original shocks would fully extend when they are removed from the truck.

If I'm wrong it's just because I'm repeating what I read. I don't know personally, I do know they suck....

 

Yeah, that person was misinformed. If theirs weren't extending when removed, the gas side of the shock was blown like three of mine were. The gas side blows out very quickly on these. The oil side lasts longer. I had three gas blowouts and one leaking oil at 900 miles. If the fourth had blown the gas seal, I would have assumed the same as the guy who thought they weren't gas. It's probably a common misconception as most probably have the gas side blown on all four when they are removed...