Adding weight to bed for ride quality

[Eighthtry]

On my 2014 F150 I added a rear sway bar, upgraded the front sway bar, used the Bilsteins on all four corners. The ride was much more controlled. he sway bar addition in the rear and the upgrade in the front worked astonishingly well, but it still rode like a much more controlled 2014 truck. 300 lbs definitely smooths it out.

When the wife commented that "It's a dam truck. What did you expect when you bought it?". I had to leave the room. No way was I going to admit she was right.

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[DT444T]

You guys think these ride rough???

 

[JumboJVT]

You guys think these ride rough???

Compared to what? Some of us have been in pickups for 60 years...some not. I have, but still don't think my '25 302A 157" ride is anything special. Acceptable, but not extraordinary.

 

[DT444T]

Compared to what?

A pickup truck. If you want smooth you probably don't need a pickup. Personally, I think my truck rides smooth as baby shit. If you want Cadillac ride quality, go buy a Cadillac.

They've made these trucks so smooth that they squat like some moron modder from the Carolinas when you hook even a 5000# trailer to them.

 

[MikeNH]

The OE shocks are absolutely trash. I have a 2024 STX I got new this summer and I changed the rear shocks out to Bilstein 5100s maybe a month ago and night and day difference. It was floaty and unsettled and now the ride is much more controlled. The OE shocks could be compressed with no effort so to me it is obvious they are way under-valved for the truck.

 

[Eighthtry]

Compared to 40 years ago, these are Cadillacs.

However, the best riding truck I have is a 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10. Factory torsion bar suspension. Added a front sway bar. 350 tuned port. 700r4 with 3.10 gears. It is a freeway/interstate/highway cruiser. At 2700 rpm it has climbed on that cam and will run 80 mph all day long. It carries nothing in the rear because it is stained and polyurethaned quarter sawn oak. So it will bounce some. I have never experimented with different shocks to further soften the rear ride.

 

[gagliano7]

I think my truck rides great. I also live in the terrible state of New York where there are plenty of pot holes. I was actually shocked how great it rides and handles.

 

[Old Hat]

This is the first truck I've owned but I've driven many others over the years, even for work. My '22 F-150 has the most comfortable ride out of anything I've driven. Actually amazed me on the test drive. Even so, adding some weight in the bed does make it even smoother.

I believe the factory tires and shocks contribute greatly to the smooth ride. Can changing rear shocks improve it when the truck is empty? Aren't they stiffer? I could see them helping greatly when loaded or towing, but when empty it seems like it would add to the rear end bounce over bumps.

 

[MikeNH]

This is the first truck I've owned but I've driven many others over the years, even for work. My '22 F-150 has the most comfortable ride out of anything I've driven. Actually amazed me on the test drive. Even so, adding some weight in the bed does make it even smoother.

I believe the factory tires and shocks contribute greatly to the smooth ride. Can changing rear shocks improve it when the truck is empty? Aren't they stiffer? I could see them helping greatly when loaded or towing, but when empty it seems like it would add to the rear end bounce over bumps.

Shocks control the motion of the spring. I can’t speak for all obviously but on mine, expansion joints and such would make the truck rock around like an old Caddy and if I hit a bump mid corner, the truck would get all out of sorts. Again, this is with less than 6k on the truck. I think the ride is fine now but it does not have the floating crap now. But to be fair, I changed to snow tires on 18” steel wheels at the same time and the stock ones will not be going back on as I have 17” Raptor wheels to mount come spring.

 

[Trainmaster]

Back in High School days, we'd grab a manhole cover from some decrepit part of town to weight down the bed in the winter.

Got hit once and watching the iron disk levitating - in slow motion - at the rear window cured me of the practice.

 

[Eighthtry]

Back in High School days, we'd grab a manhole cover from some decrepit part of town to weight down the bed in the winter.

Got hit once and watching the iron disk levitating - in slow motion - at the rear window cured me of the practice.

Levitating manhole covers. The good old days.

 

[Bryan Simon]

Compared to 40 years ago, these are Cadillacs.

However, the best riding truck I have is a 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10. Factory torsion bar suspension. Added a front sway bar. 350 tuned port. 700r4 with 3.10 gears. It is a freeway/interstate/highway cruiser. At 2700 rpm it has climbed on that cam and will run 80 mph all day long. It carries nothing in the rear because it is stained and polyurethaned quarter sawn oak. So it will bounce some. I have never experimented with different shocks to further soften the rear ride.

For passenger cars growing up, I primarily drove full size Chrysler products, and the pickups ranged from 67-77 Chevrolets.
At 18, I bought a new 79 C-10, 454/4spd/6200GVW. That truck has been the nicest riding truck I have ever been in (Still have it--parked it with 420-k on the clock in 2010).
The Ranger I bought in 2005--roughest vehicle I had ever owned. Within a couple of years, I bought a 98 K1500 5.7/5spd and the ride alone pretty much relegated the Ranger to a 'backup' vehicle.
my 21 Super 8' 4x4 has a ride somewhere in the middle of the 79 and the 98 and really the only drawback to that truck is there is no clutch pedal (My very first automatic trans pickup).

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