2022 Lariat Supercrew - need help making it ride smoother

[JefffromNJ]

Had a 2018 Sport Supercrew shortbed that drove like a car and I want to get back that drive in my 2022 Lariat Supercrew Longbed.

Current truck:
4x2 supercrew, 157" wheelbase, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost, 18" wheels 265/60 R18 (standard on 4x2), Max Tow Package. Currently about 4000 miles on it with tire pressures all as the tires came.

I ONLY use the truck around a paved town and on highways, no four wheeling or commercial use. Once or twice a year, I'll rent an RV trailer (10,500 lbs) and pull it a few hundred miles. Other than that, local and occasional long distance drives of 600 miles.

On this truck, hitting a pot hole is a jarring experience, I really feel the drop. There is no issue with bouncing, just the jar of the tire hitting the hole. On my older truck, the feel was more "refined" and no sudden bone jarring bump when you hot the pothole, like a car.

I hear talk of Bilstein shocks sometimes helping and also was wondering if the 18" Hankook tires need to be swapped out, I really hated seeing them on the truck when I went to pick it up.

Appreciate peoples opinions and thoughts so I don't drop $1000 on tires or shocks to be told there's no way to get back that lovely feeling my 2018 Sport served up.

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[DT400]

Max Tow has an extra leaf and beefier rear axle. These two alone will make a noticeable difference.

Darrell

 

[JefffromNJ]

Max Tow has an extra leaf and beefier rear axle. These two alone will make a noticeable difference.

Darrell

Is the extra leaf and beefier rear axle making the drive rougher? If so, is there a fix?

 

[Porpoise Hork]

If the truck will rarely see unpaved roads then you can try going with road tires with a softer sidewall. You can also try going with a set of Bilstein 4600's as they are direct OE replacement.

The rear spring rates are not that much different between the Max Tow and regular rear suspension. If I remember correctly, the third leaf is more for preventing excessive sag when towing and right height than anything else.

 

[JefffromNJ]

If the truck will rarely see unpaved roads then you can try going with road tires with a softer sidewall. You can also try going with a set of Bilstein 4600's as they are direct OE replacement.

The rear spring rates are not that much different between the Max Tow and regular rear suspension. If I remember correctly, the third leaf is more for preventing excessive sag when towing and right height than anything else.

That's actually the bottom line question. I don't to throw $1000 on tires and also throw $1000 on new shocks if the fix is actually one OR the other. If the shocks would fix the problem, I would sooner replace them with the 4600's and hold off on the tires until they need replacing down the road. However, I would be bummed if I changed out the shocks and didn't fix the issue I have and then needed to drop $1000 to actually fix the issue.

 

[Pedaldude]

Here’s my partial experience with my own truck, which has a lighter empty weight and likely higher GVWR spring package.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...70r18-on-their-power-boost.10670/#post-216354

Hope that helps and good luck with your truck!

 

[JefffromNJ]

Here’s my partial experience with my own truck, which has a lighter empty weight and likely higher GVWR spring package.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...70r18-on-their-power-boost.10670/#post-216354

Hope that helps and good luck with your truck!

I read your write up of the Michelin Primacy XC 275/65R18 and then headed over to Tire Rack to check out the reviews. To be honest, the Primacy tire got a bunch of complaints relating to wet roads and traction. Living in NJ, this is an issue for me, especially in the snow and especially because I have 2 wheel drive.

My takeaway from your comment however is unchanged, that changing out the tires with the correct tire would resolve the harsh ride I'm currently experiencing without the need to change out the shocks. Is that what you were suggesting?

 

[Snakebitten]

I avoided commenting the first two times I viewed this thread. I didn't want to come off wrong. And I still don't.

Suspension/ride quality is subjective. Even more so on a pick-up truck that literally might need to fluctuate in weight by as much as 2000 lbs.

But most of the complaints I see are how the OEM F150 rides pretty much empty. And although an F150 can come in different wheelbases, with different factory spring rates, and different dampers(shocks), those that aren't happy with the ride quality empty mostly describe the complaints similarly. Especially the harshness of the rear suspension.

As discussed above, tires can definitely be part of the equation, but in my opinion the various oem tires Ford equips the trucks with,..... none of them would be the major reason for that rear suspension harshness. I think the trucks are considerably under damped. Both in the front and rear. But the rear steals the show when the bed is empty.

 

[JefffromNJ]

I avoided commenting the first two times I viewed this thread. I didn't want to come off wrong. And I still don't.

Thanks for the insight, people offering to help, never come off bad. I was thinking about changing out the Hankook 18s for a P tire, hoping the passenger ride (less harsh on bumps) will come with using a passenger tire. Maybe I'll reduce the PSI a bit first and see if that helps.

I assume you're suggesting the truck would run smoother if I tossed some cement in the bed, but for long term reality, that's not a good fix.

 

[FORDTEXAS]

On this truck, hitting a pot hole is a jarring experience, I really feel the drop. There is no issue with bouncing, just the jar of the tire hitting the hole.

a softer tire is only your option. a different set of shocks for sure won't help your case.

 

[Snakebitten]

Well, while adding some ballast to the cargo hold does usually tame the rear end a bit, I was actually making a case for investing in improved damping first. It's the lowest hanging fruit, in my opinion.

 

[JefffromNJ]

Well, while adding some ballast to the cargo hold does usually tame the rear end a bit, I was actually making a case for investing in improved damping first. It's the lowest hanging fruit, in my opinion.

That would be the 4600 discussion, which others, including fordhouston above, suggested would not help with this issue.

 

[Snakebitten]

Thus why I wasn't quick to give a differing opinion.

I "tuned" that sharp edge harshness out of my truck by addressing what I believe was inferior/lack-of high-speed damping. (not related to the speed the truck is traveling at, but rather a road irregularity that induces a RAPID movement of the suspension)

 

[Pedaldude]

My takeaway from your comment however is unchanged, that changing out the tires with the correct tire would resolve the harsh ride I'm currently experiencing without the need to change out the shocks. Is that what you were suggesting?

Sort of; my comments are neither an endorsement nor criticism of either tire. Mainly my observations of the two and how changing tires can result in a totally different ride quality with everything else being equal including tire pressure.

I’m sure that much of the difference between the two is from the thinner sidewall of the lighter tires. The Michelin also being eco rated must mean a compromise in traction under certain conditions.

Here in the desert Southwest, I can’t really speak for the Michelin’s snow/ice traction but they have been pretty good with heavy monsoon rains.

Had I been spending money on tires; it’s hard to say where I would go. It’s probably going to be a while before I need to make that choice, since after the Michelin tires wear out, the General Grabbers will be going back on.

If I were in your situation, I would find a set of take-off wheels or steelies and get a set of dedicated winter tires, while keeping an eye on their weight. That would be a quick way of seeing how much new tires change the ride before spending money on other modifications.

Shocks can make a big difference in the dynamics of the truck but won’t do a thing if you’re oversprung, which is pretty much always the case for an empty pickup truck. Stiffer shocks can help make up for being undersprung but only by so much.

It’s a simplification but springs are for absorbing road irregularities and the shocks are for damping them so that you aren’t bouncing down the road after hitting a bump.

Ballasting the truck does work, as it effectively softens the spring rate. I have a 90 pound rubber mat in the bed of my regular cab truck and it does better than one would think to lower noise from the aluminum alloy bed and make the bumps a bit less harsh.

The other option is doing nothing and getting used to the ride; which I have also found pretty effective

Good luck!

 

[Snakebitten]

I personally don't think Ford has oversprung an F150 in the 21st century.

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