1997 - 2003 F-150

Smoother ride

Old Aug 17, 2010 | 10:22 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by Stephen87
well I am gonna go ahead and replace my ball joints and tie rods since I have not touched them since we bought the truck in '98 and all of the rubber boots(I think thats what they are called) are all rotting away and falling apart
if it hasn't been touched in 12 years.... that would be a good place to start
 
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Old Aug 18, 2010 | 01:31 AM
  #17  
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I am a person of the principle,"if it aint broke dont fix it..." rule
 
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Old Aug 18, 2010 | 01:47 AM
  #18  
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I say.... after 12 years, all the bushings, grease pods, tie rod ends, etc., etc. are plum wore out (or dry rotted) and should be replaced before something breaks.... possibly causing a front wheel to collapse... and kill you or someone else. Hence, the term Preventative Maintenance. just my opinion tho
 

Last edited by Red02FX4; Aug 18, 2010 at 01:52 AM.
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Old Aug 18, 2010 | 02:15 AM
  #19  
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Yep I am gonna be doing all that stuff this next paycheck, but the wheel hubs I have are still good since I replaced them both within a year
 
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Old Aug 18, 2010 | 02:25 AM
  #20  
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Check your sway bar links to see if they are intact. Would probably be the cheapest, and most unrecognized fix, causing the body to 'roll' more than it should.

Everytime I get under my truck, I am also assessing the condition. I ain't takin' noooo chances
 
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Old Aug 18, 2010 | 02:44 AM
  #21  
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I need to start, what caused me to change the wheel hubs was I knew they were loose and oneday I was driving home and I saw someone pulled over and the tire had fallen off of the vehicle hub and all
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 11:44 PM
  #22  
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It seems that my 2003 4.2 2wd F150 ext cab with brand new shocks and tires handles cornering awesome, but the bumps or rough surfaces just hit hard with bone jarring effect. I was wondering if its to light of a vehicle? Coil springs, and leaf springs suspension seem heavy duty. I have 16" 265/70's.. It glides down the road til u hit a bump, rr track forget it jars u to the bone.. any help?
 
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Old Apr 28, 2013 | 01:22 AM
  #23  
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you need to check your front end for any play
 
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Old Apr 28, 2013 | 04:19 AM
  #24  
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You want your F-150 4x4 to ride smooth? The easiest way would be to load the rear axle. Put around 400 lbs. in the bed, and it'll soak up bumps like a car.

Poly bushings and the Bilstein shocks we all buy don't really soften the ride but instead control body motion.
 
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Old Apr 28, 2013 | 10:30 AM
  #25  
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The OP hasn't posted in this thread in almost 3 years.
 
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Old Apr 28, 2013 | 03:36 PM
  #26  
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go air ride!
 
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Old Apr 29, 2013 | 07:31 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by jethat
Fords are rougher then Chevy's, more truck like. Chevy even 4 wheel drive trucks are smoother because they use a lighter almost car like front suspension. I had a 92 Chevy and it drove like a car.
Which partially explains their shorter and less capable work value. An F-150 is a real truck - learn to love it.
 
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Old May 8, 2016 | 09:30 PM
  #28  
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Thumbs up Suspension

I have a 1999 ford f150 4x4 and I have all new front end parts and rancho shocks got load range E tires it's really smooth but bumps aren't my friend would like to know about any suspension kits or something I can do to soften the torsion bars some
 
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Old May 8, 2016 | 10:16 PM
  #29  
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It's the tires. It isn't going to ride soft with those tires. I have stock size 265/70x17 Michelins P tires on my truck and it rides fairly soft, but not as soft as the 2000 Scab XLT that I previously owned. Ford puts stiffer springs in the FX4.
 
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Old May 8, 2016 | 10:21 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Roadie
It's the tires. It isn't going to ride soft with those tires. I have stock size 265/70x17 Michelins P tires on my truck and it rides fairly soft, but not as soft as the 2000 Scab XLT that I previously owned. Ford puts stiffer springs in the FX4.
Is there any kind of kit that I can get tho that can give me a better ride? Like an off road suspension kits or something
 
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