I love my new FX4. Its the dark blue I wanted with the charcoal interior I wanted. Its rides smooth on the higway, but can be a stiff ride on the back roads! I can feel every crack and expansion joint in my back.

I've dropped the tire pressure from 40 to 38lbs, but don't want to go much lower for fear of improper tire wear.

Is there a way to soften the ride? Could I just change the shocks?

And don't say I should have purchased another model, this is the only one I wanted!

 

ok.... You should have realized before you purchased that the FX4 package is the OFF ROAD package. Being an off road package you automatically get a couple of things 1) 4X4, which rides stiff-er than a 2wd, 2) if you look in the product brochure it says that the FX4 will come equiped with "off road" tuned shocks, which even with no prior knowledge I would hope that by reading "off road tuned shocks" someone would think "maybe these things are designed to absorb big nasty ruts and bounces" which would mean they are designed to be firm.

 

Drive it nice and slow on the back roads, better gas mileage and a smoother ride all in one.

 

So you probably don't want to hear "you should have bought a car then either"?

 

Isn't 35 the max PSI on the tires anyways, you might be able to go a little lower and get a little better ride.

 

Yea, the stock tires are set at 35 psi max. It's specified on the drivers door jam.

 

as i sit here and read through alot of these post on here, i notice people complaining so much about little stupid things, only in our wildest dreams could we ***** out the perfect vehicle that fits our individual needs and wants.......... off road shocks, with the comfort and smooooooooth ride of a luxury car Hell will freeze over before i see the day when something like that comes out.

Heres to the FX4

and heres to the futuristic smooth riding Off road shocks

 

Read your driver's door jam sticker for recommended tire pressure. I bet it says 32psi. That will help some. Next, replace the shocks as pretty much anything is better than F-150 OEM shocks. Maybe Rancho RS9000x that let you adjust how firm you wnat the ride.

 

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FX4 has the stiffest shock set up, if you arent going do be doing heavy offroading (with your offroad edition F150) then maybe you should think about new shocks that arent as rigid. Or like previously mentioned go with adjustables. IMO based on your post, I dont think you need adjustables, just go buy some squishy caddy shocks.

 

Want to smooth out the off-road ride? Go faster. The shocks on the FX4 are "tuned" for high-speed (by that I mean harsh bumps that make the shock's shaft move at a high speed) dampening. The only way to make the shock compress faster is by hitting the bumps harder. If they're just little backcountry road cracks, then you'll need to do triple digits to smooth it out. Try it and tell us how it works. (Just kidding.)
If you want a smooth ride, then you probably should have bought another m-----, oops.

 

Am I the only one who doesn't seem to understand why an "OFF ROAD" suspension package needs to ride like a floor jack? Last time I checked, "off road" generally meant "off of paved (smooth) roads." To me, that would mean that this type of suspension package should actually ride better in crummy conditions. For as long as I've ordered the ORP / FX4 package though (on my '95, '97, '99 and current '02) trucks though, it's been a "stiffer shock" package. Fortunately, this means that a simple shock swap makes a ton of difference. By the way, I buy the package mostly for the looks.

As far as "driving faster" off road to get things to smooth out, I think you'll find that all that will do is destroy your truck faster. One has to remember that as much as Ford (and we) like to think the ORP / FX4 package is a rugged / back woods suspension package, it's mostly just a macho cosmetic package. Yup, the springs are the same.

So, if your FX4 rides too stiff, just change your shocks to something either manually adjustable, factory tuned for softer ride, or automatically adjustable (like Edlebrock IAS) and you'll be much happier. That's what has always worked for me. Enjoy your new truck too!

 

Offroad = stiffer shocks to allow for more clearance, less body roll and less of a chance of bottoming out. You want to raise the body with the wheel do it doesnt droop and hit something. Therefore the shocks are stiffer to prevent you hitting something and causing your wheel to go through full articulation and bottom out.

 

My understanding is that the FX4 has different shocks, that's it (as far as suspension goes). Buy a set of 'regular' shocks and you should be set. Have the same ride as my Lariat, which is smooth, but nowhere near mushy or soft. Just right if you ask me...but I wouldn't mind it being a little stiffer. I personally enjoy the sports car stiffness.

 

EddyG88,

I somewhat agree with your logic, but having ridden in a real, live off road buggy, the ride was surprisingly soft. This was accomplished with a ton of wheel travel by the way. The reason for the soft ride? To help both the car and driver survive a long race. Stiff just kills stuff.