airbag suspension
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 987
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From: East Bend, Carolina, U.S
Originally Posted by Torque1st
The TIB suspension system is brute strong but it does absolutely nothing else right that a suspension should do. So I am changing it out. I have had many vehicles over the years with TIB and it is just a bad design. TIB is great if you want to chew up tires and feel every joint in the road.
By the way I have the TIB on my 76 F100 and don't feel every bump nor experience chewed up tires. I am just lucky I guess.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
Ford has always used designs until they had to change for some reason. Apparently you were lucky with your truck. I saw many owners come into the dealership with tire problems due to the TIB and it is well known for those problems. All you have to do is ask around or search. Check with alignment rack operators also. Ford also constantly changed the alignment specs for the TIB hunting for a way to make it work right. They have replaced it now.
The radius arms are what transmits the bumps to the frame. If they were trailing arms that would not happen. The same thing is a problem with leaf spring front suspensions. Many of the newer Super Duty trucks are changed at the Ford dealerships due to owner complaints to reverse the front springs due to the same problem. If you reverse the springs to put the shackles at the rear the ride improves greatly. You can check some books on suspension design. Some may be available at your local library. Others are available from various publishers.
The radius arms are what transmits the bumps to the frame. If they were trailing arms that would not happen. The same thing is a problem with leaf spring front suspensions. Many of the newer Super Duty trucks are changed at the Ford dealerships due to owner complaints to reverse the front springs due to the same problem. If you reverse the springs to put the shackles at the rear the ride improves greatly. You can check some books on suspension design. Some may be available at your local library. Others are available from various publishers.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 3
From: gravel road ONTARIO
I remember being at an all Ford swap meet years ago and I had found a rear Air ride suspension kit made by Keldermann I think that was the name. It could be purchase with single bag or dual bags and encorporated into the trailer hitch. It was very well engineered and built. It was not for a lowered truck.
Anybody who has trouble with the indestructable TWIN I BEAM should check their maintenance shedule. Ford's only been using it since 1965 and the last F 350 dually I looked at was a 2005 King Ranch and GUESS WHAT?
I bought a new 91 F250 2x4 with Firestone FR4S 235/85/16s kept my spare in rotation and got 140,000 km/80000 miles out of the tires before one shifted a belt. If you have a handling problem, add an aftermarket steering stabalizer. You will be pleased.
Anybody who has trouble with the indestructable TWIN I BEAM should check their maintenance shedule. Ford's only been using it since 1965 and the last F 350 dually I looked at was a 2005 King Ranch and GUESS WHAT?
I bought a new 91 F250 2x4 with Firestone FR4S 235/85/16s kept my spare in rotation and got 140,000 km/80000 miles out of the tires before one shifted a belt. If you have a handling problem, add an aftermarket steering stabalizer. You will be pleased.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
..."Ford's only been using it since 1965"... -And they have been changing specs on it every year since 65 trying to get it to work right.
Frequent rotation seems to be the key to long tire life with the TIB. It requires frequent rotation unlike other systems. Some vehicles still have the TIB but it is being phased out. The handling and other road feel problems can't be solved with a steering stabilizer. The TIB is strong but that is all. I have had many vehicles with it. I have 4 with it at the moment but one is being changed along with an air suspension for the rear. Since the truck is being reworked from the frame up I can do it right.
Frequent rotation seems to be the key to long tire life with the TIB. It requires frequent rotation unlike other systems. Some vehicles still have the TIB but it is being phased out. The handling and other road feel problems can't be solved with a steering stabilizer. The TIB is strong but that is all. I have had many vehicles with it. I have 4 with it at the moment but one is being changed along with an air suspension for the rear. Since the truck is being reworked from the frame up I can do it right.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 3
From: gravel road ONTARIO
I would say I've only had maybe 12 trucks w/TwinIbeam technology. I've only done 1 kingpin(siezed) and 1 lower/1upper bj, 2sets of radius arm bushings, 1 ibeam pivot bushing. I also owned a few chevies.
I live on a gravel road, only about 2miles from highway. GM trucks were constanly needing control arm bushings, idlers, and lower BJS,
TwinIBeams:72 F250, 78 F350, 79 F350, 2nd 72 f250, 70 f100, 79 f100, 79 f250, 82 f150, 81 f100, 72 F350 CC, 70 f250, 83 f100, 86 F150SC, 67 F100, 69 f100, 89 f250, and most recent68 M250 Mercury.
New ones: 89 F150, 91 f250,
GM 76 Gmc1500, 80 Chev 25, 75 Gmc Jimmy 2wd.
I spent more money on front end work on these 3 GMs in their short 4yr stay than all my other Fords.
If your road conditions are anything like THE GREAT WHITE NORTH you would appreciate the reliability and solid handling characteristics.
The only Ford I did not like handling on was my 96 F250 4x4 w/TTB on leafs.
I drove one that had front sway bars and it handled completely different .
OK maybe its been more than 12!!!!!!
Sorry about the rant. I've been off on Parental leave since July (MR MOM) back to work in Oct.
I live on a gravel road, only about 2miles from highway. GM trucks were constanly needing control arm bushings, idlers, and lower BJS,
TwinIBeams:72 F250, 78 F350, 79 F350, 2nd 72 f250, 70 f100, 79 f100, 79 f250, 82 f150, 81 f100, 72 F350 CC, 70 f250, 83 f100, 86 F150SC, 67 F100, 69 f100, 89 f250, and most recent68 M250 Mercury.
New ones: 89 F150, 91 f250,
GM 76 Gmc1500, 80 Chev 25, 75 Gmc Jimmy 2wd.
I spent more money on front end work on these 3 GMs in their short 4yr stay than all my other Fords.
If your road conditions are anything like THE GREAT WHITE NORTH you would appreciate the reliability and solid handling characteristics.
The only Ford I did not like handling on was my 96 F250 4x4 w/TTB on leafs.
I drove one that had front sway bars and it handled completely different .
OK maybe its been more than 12!!!!!!
Sorry about the rant. I've been off on Parental leave since July (MR MOM) back to work in Oct.
I have detailed pics in my gallery now.
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