I have the FX4 Super Crew, BF Goodrich tires. These are P tires and have a max. pressure of 35 psi. the door pillar says to run 35 psi front and rear. A LT tire, load range C, will have a max pressure of 50 psi, the only time you would run max pressure(rear) is when you would be hauling a big load. My truck has a shaking feeling in the front end over rough road surfaces especially going 15 to 40 mph.

Geo032 does your truck ride better or worse with the Daystar kit?
I was thinking about installing just the bottom half of the kit so I wouldn't stress out the cv boots as much.

 

I've always run the recommended 40 psi in my 18's. They are pretty smooth.....for a truck. Maybe this truck it SO smooth and quiet it is lulling me into forgetting that this is a TRUCK.

Personally I prefer a stiff suspension. Nothing worse than some mushy setup that feels great on the straightaways but gets out of shape in tighter handling. In other vehicles, such as motorcycles, there is a tradeoff between ride comfort and handling capability. In general, the better handling vehicles have stiffer setups, and transmit more road chatter into the rider/driver. I don't know why these trucks should be any different.

 

Welcome to my world everyone! I've been having all the problems you have been having since day 1 when I picked it up from the dealer! No matter what I do, or check, or recommend, the dealer can't find anything wrong with my truck. When I hit a bump, the bump just travels throughout the entire cab. In my opinion, this truck is NOT living up to all the claims of its commercials.

Check out my thread at: https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...hreadid=143547

 

A few clues are beginning to come together as a coherent picture of this bed shake/rough ride issue, at least as it relates to my truck, an XLT Screw with 17" Generals at 34-35 pounds of air. I have made a definite connection between the very visible bed shake over sharp bumps (e.g. expansion cracks, potholes) at slow speeds (say, 15-25 mph) AND the repetitious, resonating shake pulsing through the cab. The observed BED SHAKE is identical in frequency and intensity as the shake felt in the CAB and seat-of-the-pants. The two are one and the same shake coming fron the same source. IMO that source is rear suspension related, perhaps having to do with the new rear spring and shock tuning. It's damn well not frame flex...that shaking of the bed and the related reverberations fed through to the cab has got to be related to the suspension dynamics. I wonder if there's a fix...different shocks? Redesigned springs?

The real mystery is why some of us suffer the problem and others don't, even with the same model truck?

 

noticed the ride getting a little bumpy around 50 mph

 

If you've got a resonating shake in the truck you need to get the tires balanced. That's a Vibration. It has nothing to do with the suspension. A vibration is caused by a moving part. Driveshaft, wheel, etc.

When you hit a pothole, or a sharp bump, you're gonna feel it. The truck gives feedback to the driver. The aluminum A arms help with this. Feedback is a GOOD thing. It helps you feel the road and know when you're tires are slipping and what the trucks doing. It's not set up like a race car where every little bump is harsh, but it's not a dead/mushy suspension either like you'd find on a car. This is definitely a truck.

Bad handling and harsh suspension is obviously not a characteristic of this truck. Most reviews rave about the handling and ride quality. It's probably what won it the Motor Trend TOTY award. Plus I have one myself and know how well it rides and especially how Great it handles turns.

Vibrations are not a characteristic of the truck. If you have a constant resonating vibration that's bad enough to shake your bed you need to take it to the dealer and have it taken care of. My guess is you have a rear wheel out of balance, or possibly all 4.

TVFD, did you drive the truck before you decided to purchase it? You're other thread is a vibration issue.

That's fine if you just don't like the feeling of this truck. I believe Chevy has a softer set up in their suspension. Handles straight bumps maybe better but not the turns IMO. Perhaps that's what you're looking for. Something I personally don't want myself. Maybe a SUV would be better for you. Their suspensions are softer yet. Maybe a Car...

 

BHibbs...I appreciate (really) the effort you put into your reply. It was well related to vibe issues. However, the problem experienced by several of us is not a vibration issue nor is it an issue of ride quality (I order all of my cars with sport/European suspensions because I prefer the firmer ride/control/feedback characteristics). Also, the problem identified in this thread seems to be confined to the rear suspension only. Very simply, when the rear suspension is 'activated' by a sharp bump, the rear of the truck reacts causing a very visible bed shake lasting one-two seconds that oscillates through the frame/cab at the same frequency/duration. You can duplicate this problem by a forceful rap on the bumper corners below the taillights.

I remember riding in Buicks many years ago (the soft, marshmallow-suspended ones of the 50s) that often reacted similarly in misguided attempts to provide a 'luxury' ride. As to the F150, it's certainly not an issue of soft ride or wimpy shocks. I suspect, in my case and others, some combo of characteristics in the rear leading to the problem. Incidentally, the problem went away when I loaded the bed assisting a neighbor's move.

 

My SCrew handles really well for a truck. I do get that entire-body shaking after going over a good-size bump, and it does appear to radiate thru the body starting from the rear...but I've attributed this to the live-axle. Isn't this a characteristic of a live-axle, as compared to a four-wheel independent suspension of the type found on many smaller cars and most all sportscars?

In any case, it doesn't bother me at all. This truck is very capable over bumpy roads, for a truck.

 

I have a 04 F150, 4x2. I have the same problem - the bumps are killing me, and getting my last nerve. My truck has 25,000 miles on it. I trade a 98 F250 4x4 in on this - the 98 rode alot better!!! We have got to figure this problem out.

 

Wow ..way to bring back a thread...Who are the people on this thread?
At least your search button works

 

ha ha..yeah i did a search...was a solution ever found

 

Wow this is an old one.

 

Yep I going to bump it again because this is ridiculous! Ive well this truck had this over reaction to every little bump ever since I changed out the Continental tires. I wore out a set of Capitols tolerating this ride and now I have switched to OEM 20" FX4 ALLOYS and Cooper Zeon ltz tires and new shocks and struts... horrible feeling to have the same shaky bumpy ride at any speed over 35 mph. I can't believe how bad it reacts to the interstate even in the smoother lanes.
I havnt given a lot of thought to it but today was the maiden journey, all the new parts and with a new used Century cap on, and I looked back at the right front corner of the bed/cap and saw the infamous bed shake Im now reading about! It's bad !
Im still reading search results but theres not much newer than 8 yr old threads

 

Some had a big piece of cast iron fastened with rubber isolated bushings up on top of the rear frame rails under the bed to tune some shake out ..... my '07 does.

I wonder if .....

 

Counterbalance parts, good suggestion, im going to check that out I also wonder ...neoprene bed bushings(?)
It was wild actually seeing how the bed shakes by watching the topper out the back window
that motion is really on the static scale òf the type of bump Im feeling. There are lots of great suggestions and thoughts like aluminum control arms, coilover suspension etc.i.e. the differences between 97-03 and the 04-09. Those may come into play in some intances of weight transfer bouncing but Im thinking this diving board effect heh flapping bed is my culprit, now magnified with the mass of a fiberglass top.