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I’ve just finished (at least this stage) restoring my 1985 Short Box 4x4 and has a 2.5” rough country lift in it but looking for peoples experiences with high end suspension.
I’ve put a load of money into the truck and am happy to invest more to get the nicest smoothest handling. I know it’s never going to be like a newer car, but what have people experienced with different springs, high end shock (fox, king etc)? I’m only going to use it now as a Sunday driver. It won’t see aggressive off-roading, it won’t see winter driving, or even driving in the rain but I’ll keep it for ever and want it to ride as well as possible.
It has all the new suspension bushings, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, ball joints etc. and the handling has become dramatically better after doing all of this.
and I’m not looking for the “it’ll never ride smooth” answers, I know it’s an old truck, I’m just looking for actual experience from people who have put the money into their suspension and if it was worth it?
Take the lift out of it and put stock tires back on it, and it will be a big difference in the ride. That is going to be the best ride you can get. Ford spent a lot of time making the ride "smooth" for good reviews from the car and driver magazine crowd. You said you replaced the bushings, if you used hard plastic, they will make the ride noisier and rougher also. Smoothest is the stock rubber bushings.
Not the answer you want to hear I am sure, but you already expected that. A lot of things are sacrificed for looks sometimes.
They dont call it "rough country" for nothing and I can tell you Rancho Suspension back in the day was not much better.
I had Rancho on a 73 Toyota L/C with dual shocks at each corner that would knock your teeth out.
Buddy had Rancho on a Jeep CJ that was the same. He took out a few leafs to make it softer.
As a guess it worked on the Jeep as he never put them back in.
Oh an both the Toy & Jeep were raced off road on Moto X Tracks and hill climbs.
In your case short wheel base dose not help in how the truck rides.
Before you go pulling out leafs what are you running for tire PSI?
Start lowering them down to help on the ride.
Then start to pull a leaf or 2 out.
If that does not work stock always works
Just a thought when my 02 Durango was new it rode ruff to the point it would side step over bumps, not good at 65 MPH!
With 276K I dont have that issue now. Maybe if you put more miles on the truck it will get smoother like the DUrango?
Dave ----
PS my 81 F100 4x2 flare side I think rides pretty smooth.
Thanks for the input. I have played with tire pressure which helps for sure and I replaced all of the bushings with original rubber style bushings. The lift I put in was really to get the stance I was looking for but I was fully aware I would probably end up switching out most of the parts.
I’m more looking for experience with high end shocks and potentially different/custom leaf spring and coils. I understand ford made the suspension ride well in it’s stock form, but that’s not to say you can’t make it ride as good or better with higher quality components? I’m not looking for the cheapest option, and I know some people may thing it’s a waste for how I’ll be using the truck, but I’m ok with that. I have a lot of experience in high end mountain bike suspension and I know how massive of a difference good quality damping makes with suspension. Happy to put money into shocks that are rebuildable and with the ability to re-valve to get it as good as possible. And happy to get leafs/coils made for the truck’s specific weight.
Has anyone done these kinds of things and had good success?
How much thicker are the leaf springs from stock and the same for the front coils?
I have not messed with shock valving because back in the day, early 80's, no one made stuff like they do today.
If they did it also was not worth it as we were racing for fun not money.
We also had 1 truck to do 3 different types of racing.
Think taking a door slammer street drag car to do road racing and doing both just for fun ... read CHEAP!
I take it the ruff ride is in the rear mostly?
To see if it is in the shocks or springs I might try a short test run with out shocks.
Yes it may bonce a bit after a bump but when you first hit it if the springs are too stiff your butt will be pushed up your spine.
Then you would know where to start looking to make it softer.
Dave ----
Hey curious about removing shocks and going for a joy ride? Looking to smooth things out a bit on my 86 bronco. Mechanic says shocks and springs are good but it hits bumps hard af. Any update on smoothing out old trucks from the 80s? Thinking about different springs and new shocks. I know it seems unlikely but would like ti get the feel of driving a 90s land yacht with the air suspension? Thanks hope we can validity further for the forum.
My post about a test drive with out shocks was to see if the spring were adding to the ruff ride.
If you hit a bump with out shocks and it felt lighter then you would know the shocks were valved to much on compression.
If it hit just as hard then you know the springs were to heavy.
I would also think if you were to remove the shocks and then jump up and down on the front & rear and the truck hardly moved springs to HD in my book.
If the springs will not let the wheels / axles move over bumps then shocks are not going to make much of a change.
After you get the springs to move then you build the shocks to keep the axles from moving more than they should after a bump.
Dave ----
