Hey Everyone, long time no type...

Last year, I got an `03 F-250SD 4x2 Crew Cab Longbed... Here's the problem... The truck off the bat rode like --- well, picture having a good sized full truck on the back of a say ... international flatbed crewcab tow truck, going down the 405 freeway in the L.A. area at 65... If you still have your abdomen when you get there, and it's not in your nose, you are lucky...

Well, from the start, my truck rode that way from about 55 - 75 or 80. Someone, actually, a few people recommended to me to get the Rancho 9000X's for it, as I did... I must say, that truck ride 1000000000000 times WORSE than it did with the stock shocks... I have had them on there for 3 weeks now, and have tried literally and virtually every setting there is possible, with no luck...

Could it be because the vehicle came from ford with the 8800# suspension package on it, or is that common on all SD crew cabs?

If I put a load on it, say a full size U-Haul style car carrier with a Fiero ( approx. 3000 pounds ), it rides "better", but still has bad bouncing on certain parts of the freeway...

I know that the truck itself will ride just like that --- a truck, but I mean come on... There are no words that can describe how this truck rides, unless you ride in it... If you are next to it, or behind it on the freeway, it shakes bad enough you can see the whole truck frame, bed, cab, etc. shaking... I have enquired at Ford shortly after purchase, and they looked it over and said there is nothing wrong, it's just the way the truck is...

Anyone got any ideas?

--- Charles!

 

Dont mean to sound simple, but have you checked the tires really good?

 

try 50 pounds of air instead of 80

 

I have a 9900gvwr on mine, sc sb ,55psif/50psirear,and ride is great,no kidding. could this be a drive shaft problem/wheel problem,those trucks usually ride good,have the dealer let you test drive another! (to see for your self).

 

Maybe it is just those Cali highways....

That would be the first thing I would check is tire pressure. usually those shocks will firm up the ride, causeing your situation to get only worse. good luck.

 

Same problem here. Roads here are just a bunch of potholes and cracks holding hands. I tried reducing the tire pressure to 55 psi all around, not too much of a difference. I got new shocks, helped a little, then I got load range D tires instead of the stock range E. That fixed the problem. If you get a 285/75R16 or a 33x10, you still have 3000 lbs capacity for each tire so you only lose 100-200 lbs per tire over the range E's.

 

wow, you have the diesel crew cab and still have ride harshness issues. thats pretty much heaviest unloaded setup. Putting on a wider/taller tire will offer more damping for those rough roads, and also more flotation if cruising the beach or off road at all. Some of the load range D's actually have greater capacity (~3300 vs ~3000) then the E's, so its no worry about going 'down' in load range.

 

[QUOTE=unit5alive]I have a 9900gvwr on mine, sc sb ,55psif/50psirear,and ride is great,no kidding. [QUOTE]

Two major differences... SC & SB... A friend of mine has a crew cab short bed, and his rides not a problem at all...

Mine rides identical to my neighbors dually (F-350 CC, LB), and the dually (F-450 CC, LB) of the guy that works next door....

 

Yeah! That was the first thing I did!

 

I did... The dealer, when I had the truck in there for it's first 10k mile check up, or whenever it was, took the fronts to 50, and the backs to 55... Seemed about the same...

 

Really.... Then I will have to give that a shot... I have 30K on my truck already ( less than a year ), and the tires are still good, but just need to get rid of the stock tires... Until the woman got used to the truck, she used the tires for curb feelers, so it's embarassing to drive after that!

 

Is the 8800# package stock on ALL 250SD's? Or is that a factory / dealer upgrade?

 

I thnk they are all at LEAST 8800 lbs.

I have a SB SC 4x4 F250, stock shocks were dangerous on rough roads. Put on Rancho 9000x's and replaced the stock steering stabilizer, and love 'em.

I have the "heavy service suspension", which on a "normal" F250 has "T" springs in the front. Rides very nice. Nicer now that I went to 265/75's, from the stock 235/85's.

 

My 2002 F250SD is 8800#, which is factory. I never heard of a dealer upgrade for GVWR. I don't think they can legally do it.

 

Cwater,
Please post if you ever find a solution to this. I drive to SoCal a few times a year to visit family and those freeways are killing me. I also have a crewcab longbed so it probably has something to do with the wheelbase and the tires hitting the expansion joints at just the right time. I swear it felt like my rear was actually bouncing in the air sometimes when passing Palm Springs on I-10. I know it is not the tires because I've had it pegged on I-10 in AZ where the highway is asphalt, so it is a SoCal freeway thing.