Can a Super Duty ever ride like an F-150 unloaded?
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2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
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Can a Super Duty ever ride like an F-150 unloaded?
Looking at F-250/350s for towing a 10,000 lb travel trailer & other farm related things but daily driving on highways & gravel roads in Manitoba. Test drove a 2022 F-350 that rode very stiff — was advised to drop tire pressure which helped some. Curious whether with the right springs, shocks, and tire pressure an F-250 or F-350 can approach F-150 Tremor ride quality unloaded, or whether that's just not realistic given the heavier suspension design especially the heavier F-350 front. Also seen mentions of Sulastic shackles and Carli/Deaver progressive leaf springs as options — has anyone gone that route specifically for daily ride improvement rather than lift or off-road use? Interested in real world experience, not just theoretical — particularly from anyone who dailies their SD without a load most of the time. Lastly, does it make any difference between 2017, 2019, 2022, F-250 or F-350 when softening the ride?
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,898
Likes: 185
nope F150 will always ride better because of IFS. I have had both SD's and F150 for years. I can take both on a gravel road next to our property in CO and the SD will beat the stuffing out of you. Then take it in the F150 and it's a completely different ride. The road in front of our house has shifted and has large ridges and imperfections. Hit it with the F350 and you will be thrown around. Believe it or not the F150 handles it better than our Escape. Going up the 800' gravel road to our house, let go of the steering wheel on each truck. The F350 wheel jumps all around. F150 way better.
After going back and forth between both trucks I finally decided to have both. The F350 is 90% used for towing, the F150 is for everything else that you just need a pickup bed for.
BTW on the F350 I run 65 up front and 75 rear when not towing. Still rides rough. I think my '20 SD does ride better than my previous SD's because they softened up the springs that year but still nothing like a F150.
Also make sure your F350 doesn't have the heavy duty front springs.
After going back and forth between both trucks I finally decided to have both. The F350 is 90% used for towing, the F150 is for everything else that you just need a pickup bed for.
BTW on the F350 I run 65 up front and 75 rear when not towing. Still rides rough. I think my '20 SD does ride better than my previous SD's because they softened up the springs that year but still nothing like a F150.
Also make sure your F350 doesn't have the heavy duty front springs.
Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 53
Likes: 20
I run 47 psi in the front ant 44 psi in the rear. Unloaded and not hooked to a trailer or heavy load in the box. It will not ride like a 150 but is very respectable with those pressures. Forscan will eliminate the TPS warning.
Mine is a 2020 F250 XLT 6.7L. I'm unloaded 95% of the time so adjusting pressures in not a hassle for me.
Mine is a 2020 F250 XLT 6.7L. I'm unloaded 95% of the time so adjusting pressures in not a hassle for me.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,428
Likes: 728
From: Wisconsin
My truck (in sig.) rides better than an F-150 in my opinion, 35" tires @45 psi, Fox 2.0 shocks.........rides like a dream and it gets a lot of compliments about the ride. I have ridden many F-150's and I know the difference.
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 304
Likes: 208
Yes....when one of the OEM's decides to do a all new "clean sheet design" for their 3/4 to 1 ton trucks.
Independent air adjustable suspension, coils, on all four corners. They could likely command an extra 25k in pricing IMO.
Independent air adjustable suspension, coils, on all four corners. They could likely command an extra 25k in pricing IMO.
Last edited by Black Buzzard; May 21, 2026 at 06:44 PM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,879
Likes: 2,366
They cannot ride or drive as good as the half ton and I don't want them too; electric rack and pinion and independent suspension is fantastic. but not on an HD pickup.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 994
Likes: 367
From: Republic of Texas
I am a Sailor long removed from our U.S. Navy.......
That said, I feel on the verge of being sea-sick in my dads super sleek computer controlled 1/2 ton.
I like the stiffer rides.
That said, I feel on the verge of being sea-sick in my dads super sleek computer controlled 1/2 ton.
I like the stiffer rides.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,331
Likes: 292
From: Laramie, WY
My '20 F250 supercab shortbed gas is on Carli springs all around, 35" tires at 40 psi on 17" wheels, but still have stock shocks (haven't decided which way to go). It rides nice enough but it is firm. Not as plush as a half ton. Eventually I'll have a little camper on it and good shocks. If it's still overly firm I'll likely remove a leaf from the pack. I bought it for the drivetrain, frame, and axles but don't need HD capacity. I'm hoping to dial it in eventually but don't expect it to be as comfortable as a similarly equipped lighter truck like an F150.
More Turbo
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 742
Likes: 332
I have no issues with my 19 F250 running 55 psi front and 45 psi rear using Bilstein 5100s. Sure its stiffer than my old 17 F150 but I can now safely tow my 31' TT and that's all that matters. Gotta sacrifice a little ride for a lot of towing capacity.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 10,162
Likes: 1,373
From: Chaz
Get an F250 with the basic 3 spring pack that comes on the 10,000 gvwr. Base front springs. That makes a huge difference. Diesels ride better.
The best riding shock so far for me has been the RS7MT.
Drop the tpms settings to 50 in the rear and lower up front depending on the motor.
They ride pretty good like this.
The best riding shock so far for me has been the RS7MT.
Drop the tpms settings to 50 in the rear and lower up front depending on the motor.
They ride pretty good like this.
Cross-Country
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 91
Likes: 50
From: Southern California
Level and Great Ride
I have had 4 F150's and it is hard to match the ride with an F250 and still not de-rate its Capabilities. That being said, Here is what I have done that works pretty close.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 309
f350 with Carli Pathfinder, 35"x12"18 Falken Wildpeaks. Rears at 70 PSI and fronts at 50 PSI. I don't have the progressive rear leafs yet, those are next year. That said, the ride is night and day to factory, especially on those darn expansion joints. Even on the reflectors that seperate lanes. I could probalby drop the pressure a bit more in the rear without triggering the TPMS light, but haven't gotten around to how far down I can go.
People are literally shocked when they ride in my truck for the first time. So maybe not a good a half ton, but you can get these things vey comfortable with some effort.
People are literally shocked when they ride in my truck for the first time. So maybe not a good a half ton, but you can get these things vey comfortable with some effort.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 970
Likes: 449
From: Adirondacks
Something must be wrong with my F250, or maybe something was wrong with my two F150s. Maybe it is just me. My F250 rides better than my last F150. F250 has stock snowplow springs and stock rear springs, 35x18 tires at 55/40, and Fox shocks. Last F150 had 34x18 at 45/35. Both SCSB gas. I liked that F150 a lot. Even my girlfriend likes my F250 ride better. The only problem with my F250 is it has me thinking I will never go back to a 150.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 1,585
Likes: 1,117
Good info so far;
- yes, ride is subjective and I, like many others, prefer the firmer ride of a HD truck over the wallowy, marshmello ride of a half ton.
- No, nothing you do to a Superduty will make it ride "cushiony" as an F150 and if you could, you'd negate most of the advantages to having a HD tow vehicle in the first place. A plush/pillowy soft ride and good towing performance are mutually exclusive.
- Heavier diesels ride better and so do longer wheelbase trucks; my F350 DRW diesel 176" WB truck rides better than my F350 gas, SRW, Supercab LB.
Dave
- yes, ride is subjective and I, like many others, prefer the firmer ride of a HD truck over the wallowy, marshmello ride of a half ton.
- No, nothing you do to a Superduty will make it ride "cushiony" as an F150 and if you could, you'd negate most of the advantages to having a HD tow vehicle in the first place. A plush/pillowy soft ride and good towing performance are mutually exclusive.
- Heavier diesels ride better and so do longer wheelbase trucks; my F350 DRW diesel 176" WB truck rides better than my F350 gas, SRW, Supercab LB.
Dave