I'm a new owner of a 2000 model (30k), it's in great shape but the suspension is too soft for my tastes, and the truck rolls in corners more than I would like it to. I'm pretty sure that I need to add a rear anti-sway bar (recomendations?) and I'm wondering if the ride can be firmed up with shocks or if I'll have to do something with the leaf springs.

Could the OEM shocks be wasted at this age / mileage? The truck does have a trailer hitch but I have no idea how much towing it has done.

When I try to search for performance shocks I see mostly high performance "off-road" shocks. I really need recomendations here. Can I install OEM shocks intended for the lightning or is aftermarket a better idea?

Am I going to have to lower the truck to get decent handling or can I do a serious amount of improvement w/o lowering? I like the stock ride height but I do understand the effects of a high center of gravity.

Thanks for this and any other ideas / recomendations!

Chris

 

if you want handling search for tim skeltons website on the lightning section here.

I'd advise a 2/3 or 3/4 drop, qa-1 shocks, and new sway bars for ultimate handling. Goodluck

 

yeah go to www.timskelton.com and give that a good reading. the ride is a totally subjective issue so soft for you might be too hard for someone else, or vice versa. But if you're looking for real performance in the corners... maybe swap in an IRS unit like ruslow? thats extreme though, and maybe not necessary. Another option is to look at a kit, either Roush, or the HOtchkis TVS. The TVS comes with front and rear swaybars, front coils, rear leafs, and i beleive shocks. The roush kit doesn't include swaybars. However Hellwig makes some relatively inexpensive sway bars (and from what i hear, no experience with them though, is that they work really well) another thing to consider for the rear would be a panhard bar... i'm hoping sTan (ruslow) or tim skelton will chime in though because they are infinitely more knowledgeable about it than me. Hope this helps.

 

hey cdagnolo, is your HD supercharged? or is it the ex-cab version? i'm not sure of the year they switched from ex-cab to 4 dr. the stock L suspension would work, but aftermarket stuff would be better. It really all depends on how much $ u want to spend. if it's not a big issue, get a roush or hotchkis tvs kit, both are good from what i've read about them. if you're just wanting some shocks and maybe only lower it 1"-2" front/back or similiar, you could get some bilstiens from hotchkis/roush (or 01+ L bilstiens) and get the FRPP/groundforce kit and a hellwig sway for the rear if you don't want to spend a chuck of change. BTW the roush/hotchkis kits will run you 800-900 bucks i think, something like that. oh, and the hotchkis/roush bilstiens are just valved a bit stiffer than the stock L shocks if you were wondering what the diff is. just my .02

peace

 

Easy Fix, Hotchkis TVS and 58'' Torque Arm Traction Bars. The bars will reduce your lateral roll problem and give you a better hook-up.

 

Thanks to all so far, more input is great too! I have some homework to do and you've given me some direction.

snip:Easy Fix, Hotchkis TVS and 58'' Torque Arm Traction Bars. The bars will reduce your lateral roll problem and give you a better hook-up.

Would this be a setup w/o a rear sway bar or would it work in addition to the rear bar?

Also, how important is the lowering in the pursuit of better handling (I don't need it to corner like my Miata, I mainly want firm / controlled ride and a bit flatter cornering.

Thanks again,
Chris

 

Im pretty sure thats the ex-cab version, the s/c versions came out in 01, im like 99 percent sure.

 

Ford put out the supercharged HD in 02-03. The 00-01 HD just had a 5.4L

 

Clonetec is correct of course, 02 was the first year HD w/ forced induction.

 

Lowering the CG is critical, both to the actual handling and your perception of the handling. The higher the vehicle sits, the more a given degree of sway is felt (the crow's nest effect).



In my experience, increasing the spring rate has produced the most palpable changes in the handling. But, given the same spring material, shortening it increases its rate. So lowering kits usually give both a firmer ride and lower CG.

Also, lowering has a more dramatic effect on transitional handling (short, quick turns) than on steady-state handling (sweepers). With the truck sitting up high, it has more work to do to rapidly get the weight transferred from side-to-side.

I can run pretty well on a high-speed road course, but a good driver in a Vette would spank me every time on an autocross. I am as low as I can get without a c-notch, but I'm still like an 18-wheeler compared to a "real" sports car.

I think that you would be happy with the Hotchkis kit. I think the Hotchkis rear springs (at least the old stiffer ones that I have) are a little too stiff on a Lightning, but with the extra weight of the HD, they should be about perfect (my truck rides MUCH better with a few hundred pounds in the bed).

Next, shocks. QA1s seem to be the best (maybe only) choice for a stiffly sprung Lightning. Your stockers will last for a few thousand before the stiff springs trash them, so you have a little time.

Then add thicker antisways (Hotchkis or Hellwig), and you will be well on the road to exceptional handling -- for an overpowered farm implement, that is.

Even if you have the money to do it all at once, I would still install one thing at a time. This will allow you to evaluate the effect of each change as it happens.

But all of this assumes good rubber. With the severe understeer that the Lightning has, the grip of the tires will ultimately determine how fast you can get through a corner without running out of road.

Ayrton totally tricked out his H-D rear suspension Check it out.

 

Damn, i was soo close too hehe. Well thanks for correctin me, i wont make that mistake again!