I have a 2005 CC longbed lariat F350. Whenever I am on the highway it rides very rough. Shakes / bounces front to rear so much that it is almost impossible to hold a conversation with someone in the vehicle. My wife will no longer ride in the truck due to the severe bounce. On very smooth roads it rides fine at any speed, but on any highway (orange county Ca) I get the terrible bounce. My truck has the camper stabilization package and the 11500# GVWR package as well. I don't know if these additions make the ride more rough or not. I am taking to dealer for a ride along this week. Any help or comments in this area are greatly appreciated. I hope that this is not the normal ride for everyone else out there and that I am not just being some type of baby... Thanks for any input.

 

When you have a vehicle that is designed to carry a couple of thousand pounds in the back, it is not going to ride like a Lincoln when it is empty.

 

As Dave said, you have a vehicle that is a cargo mover, not a people mover. The only thing I can give you on this is try better shocks. Yes the springs are stiff, but better shocks can make all the difference in the world. Now, I've said this 1000 times, get adjustables. I put the Rancho 9000X's on my 250 and the ride was infinitly better. No more axle hop, no more teeth chattering, and it took highway bumps in stide. Plus when you load it up with a trailer, camper, cargo, etc, you can turn them up and still have the control. They were worth the expense in my case. If you want to get fancy with it, they have the in cab controller to do all the adjusting inside and on the fly. I wasn't a fan of the in cab, but I really was impressed with the 9000X's. I'd have put another set, but they don't have them for more than a 4" lift.

 

Hey, nice area RSM... But I hear ya on the SoCal freeways. You think OC is bad, try the I-5 between the Grapevine and Bakersfield, or the I-10 from Palm Springs to L.A.! Good thing you're a chiropractor, so you can re-allign yourself after the bone-jarring ride through either of these routes!

I caught enough grief (and it bothered me equally) from my wife and daughter about the "jack hammer" effect while driving some stretches of the freeways, so I ultimately bought and installed "Velvet Ride shackles" from Lord's. My truck is a 2002 F-250 2WD CC SD though, not a 4WD F-350 with the tow package. The shackles helped and made a noticeable difference, but the ride will NEVER be great, especially with the road conditions of SoCal freeways. I also switched out the rock-hard 235/85X16" tires (Load Range E,@ 80psi) to 285/75X16" tires (Load Range D, @ 50-60psi, depending). The softer sidewall and lower psi eased the feel of every pebble in the road and lessened the "jack hammer" effect as well.

Here's a link to contact LORD's. You can ask them if they make a kit for your truck or not. www.lord.com

Your best bet will probably be to look at your shocks, your tires, the shackles, and the reality of adding some weight (cement bags? or ???) on a permanent basis to the bed so the bed sags down into the shocks more forgiving range of action, in lieu of riding empty and toward the sprung end of their range of motion.

Sorry for your dissatisfaction with the F-350's ride, but there ARE solutions out there, and I'm sure others will chime-in (especially those who can speak to 4WD's thru experience)...

Best,
DS

 

DS, good recommendation on the weight. Forgot about that. I've seen guys go to local scrap yards and get 1/4" or 3/8" plate steel and put it in the bed. Doesn't take up any room, but put 500+ lbs in the back and it rides much nicer. Plus with that 350 with the PSD, you're not even making a dent in what it can carry / pull. Yes you will be carrying around extra weight, but it does smooth it out nicely. My 250 rides much better with my 600 lb Griz in the back. It will give you better weight distro as well, being that you have the PSD.

 

Thank you all for your input. I am glad to hear that it isn't just my imagination and that there are some "tricks of the trade" out there to help the situation. Do you think that changing out the front heavy duty springs that came as part of the camper stab. package, with the stock set will help the problem as well? I have heard of velvet ride before and will definitely be looking into them. Thanks again.

 

You have the diesel so the front probably isn't the problem. The added weight of the engine helps up there. It's the back end that usually jars you pretty good. If anything, I would start there, before I changed springs up front.

 

"Do you think that changing out the front heavy duty springs that came as part of the camper stab. package, with the stock set will help the problem as well? I have heard of velvet ride before and will definitely be looking into them. Thanks again.}[/QUOTE]

Yes, I do...so long as they'll hold the diesel motor ok.

I also called LORD's (800-458-0456, EST) and left a message inquiring about shackles for your '05 F-350 4X4. No call back yet, but call them yourself and find out if they're even selling them anymore. I hope they are, cuz they're a good product. One of the few upgrades to SD's that I've done where I felt it was money well spent.

DS

 

According to their website lord no longer sells velvet ride shackles

 

What tire pressure are you running front and back? I get the bounce ride every time the dealer decides to drop the tire pressure from 75/80 front/back. I reinflate them and you get a more solid ride, but not that damn bouncing and swaying.

 

I called about the velvet ride shackles and they are out of stock (BFG) is no longer making them. However, drivetrain doctors http://www.drivetrain.com/velvetride.html is going to be producing them under their own name in about 2-3 months. They are taking phone orders. I will be looking into them when they are out.