'Screw handling in the mountains...
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,558
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From: Eastern TN
'Screw handling in the mountains...
Well, I just got back from vacation in the Smokies. (Gonna' be getting a new windshield, as mine now has a 2 foot crack in it. Thanks a lot, Allied Van Lines !!!) 
I spent a lot of time with my 'Screw in the twisties and thought I would share my impressions of the handling.
First off, I stayed in the same area as I did a few years ago when I had my '98 S-Cab F150. I did not have any suspension upgrades on it, and I remember vividly how poorly it handled - especially if driven fast. Although the trucks aren't identical, the roads driven were and it makes for some interesting observations:
1. The rear sway bar makes it possible to drive fast into some pretty sharp corners and still feel like the truck is under control. Forgive me for not knowing the proper handling terms, but now my 'Screw feels like it stays "pointed" in the right direction, kinda' like when you corner on a motorcycle.
2. The Edelbrock IAS shocks definitely handle pavement imperfections way better than the stock shocks. Along with those fast corners, the pavement often had little "ripples" that make the tires skip across the lane. The 'Screw stayed composed over those imperfections and made them more of a noisy annoyance than anything else.
3. I have to say that I believe my 'Screw also handles better because of the 18" wheels and the Kuhmo tires wrapped around them. The tires have a HUGE contact patch compared to the stockers, and they provide amazing traction, even in the rain. Highly recommended.
Anyway, my brother has a 2002 1500 Silverado with the 4.8 engine (company vehicle, he's a F-150 man too). We drove from Florida to Tennessee following each other and had a chance to compare the performance of the trucks. (This is not a bash session on the Chevy, just observations)
On the flat highways of Florida, he was able to keep up with me quite well. Although I could out accelerate him, the 1500 did do pretty good once it was rolling. From a standing start he didn't have a chance.
Once we got into western North Carolina the torque advantage of the 5.4 really started showing itself. On a particularly mountainous section of I-26 near Asheville, his 1500 was a dot on the horizon. He later told me that he had his pedal to the floor and the truck would only hold about 70 mph up the incline. I had set the cruise control at 75 and the only thing that happened was she had to shift out of overdrive to keep the speed up. I then killed the cruise and stepped on it to pass a slower moving semi. She down-shifted and I ran it up to 90, waiting for it to run out of steam. I think it would have pulled to 100 or more, but I didn't think it was safe even going 90 so I let off.
Once we were in Tennessee, we had a chance to drive the little roads that twist their way up into the mountains. Again, the 5.4 proved that torque is king when moving a heavy truck. I could out-accelerate him on any road, at any incline, from any starting speed.
As far as handling, I could leave him at any time just by pressing the gas. The 'Screw is capable (I think) of going into the corners way faster than I feel comfortable going. The Kuhmos' traction is almost unbelievable. Not once did I make them break loose in a corner and they never exhibited any signs of distress.
All in all, I am VERY pleased with my 'Screws' handling. It is amazing how much better it is over stock.
However, I must say that the brakes could use a little more oomph...
BTW, I averaged 18.2 MPG on the highways, from Florida to Tennessee and back. I really thought the mountains would drastically affect the mileage, but on the Interstate the difference was so small I could not accurately measure it. Most of the trip was on cruise control, set at 75 MPH with the air on and about 800 lbs. worth of people and luggage. The mileage is accurate, as I verified my speed with my GPS and laptop.
An interesting note: With the 285-60-18 tires, my speedometer is now exactly accurate, up to about 70 MPH. After that, it reads about 1 MPH slow up to 78, when it is 2 MPH slow, and so on. With the stock tires the speedo was off around 3 MPH at 70. Just another observation...
I spent a lot of time with my 'Screw in the twisties and thought I would share my impressions of the handling.
First off, I stayed in the same area as I did a few years ago when I had my '98 S-Cab F150. I did not have any suspension upgrades on it, and I remember vividly how poorly it handled - especially if driven fast. Although the trucks aren't identical, the roads driven were and it makes for some interesting observations:
1. The rear sway bar makes it possible to drive fast into some pretty sharp corners and still feel like the truck is under control. Forgive me for not knowing the proper handling terms, but now my 'Screw feels like it stays "pointed" in the right direction, kinda' like when you corner on a motorcycle.
2. The Edelbrock IAS shocks definitely handle pavement imperfections way better than the stock shocks. Along with those fast corners, the pavement often had little "ripples" that make the tires skip across the lane. The 'Screw stayed composed over those imperfections and made them more of a noisy annoyance than anything else.
3. I have to say that I believe my 'Screw also handles better because of the 18" wheels and the Kuhmo tires wrapped around them. The tires have a HUGE contact patch compared to the stockers, and they provide amazing traction, even in the rain. Highly recommended.
Anyway, my brother has a 2002 1500 Silverado with the 4.8 engine (company vehicle, he's a F-150 man too). We drove from Florida to Tennessee following each other and had a chance to compare the performance of the trucks. (This is not a bash session on the Chevy, just observations)
On the flat highways of Florida, he was able to keep up with me quite well. Although I could out accelerate him, the 1500 did do pretty good once it was rolling. From a standing start he didn't have a chance.
Once we got into western North Carolina the torque advantage of the 5.4 really started showing itself. On a particularly mountainous section of I-26 near Asheville, his 1500 was a dot on the horizon. He later told me that he had his pedal to the floor and the truck would only hold about 70 mph up the incline. I had set the cruise control at 75 and the only thing that happened was she had to shift out of overdrive to keep the speed up. I then killed the cruise and stepped on it to pass a slower moving semi. She down-shifted and I ran it up to 90, waiting for it to run out of steam. I think it would have pulled to 100 or more, but I didn't think it was safe even going 90 so I let off.
Once we were in Tennessee, we had a chance to drive the little roads that twist their way up into the mountains. Again, the 5.4 proved that torque is king when moving a heavy truck. I could out-accelerate him on any road, at any incline, from any starting speed.
As far as handling, I could leave him at any time just by pressing the gas. The 'Screw is capable (I think) of going into the corners way faster than I feel comfortable going. The Kuhmos' traction is almost unbelievable. Not once did I make them break loose in a corner and they never exhibited any signs of distress.
All in all, I am VERY pleased with my 'Screws' handling. It is amazing how much better it is over stock.
However, I must say that the brakes could use a little more oomph...
BTW, I averaged 18.2 MPG on the highways, from Florida to Tennessee and back. I really thought the mountains would drastically affect the mileage, but on the Interstate the difference was so small I could not accurately measure it. Most of the trip was on cruise control, set at 75 MPH with the air on and about 800 lbs. worth of people and luggage. The mileage is accurate, as I verified my speed with my GPS and laptop.
An interesting note: With the 285-60-18 tires, my speedometer is now exactly accurate, up to about 70 MPH. After that, it reads about 1 MPH slow up to 78, when it is 2 MPH slow, and so on. With the stock tires the speedo was off around 3 MPH at 70. Just another observation...
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,558
Likes: 3
From: Eastern TN
Forgot to mention 1 thing in the Ford vs. Chevy arena: My brother's truck gets significantly better gas mileage than my 'Screw.
Both trucks have 25 gallon tanks, and I was getting about 450 miles between fill-ups.
He was going over 600 miles between fill-ups, which worked out to about 24 MPG.
I guess the lower power engine does have 1 advantage...
Both trucks have 25 gallon tanks, and I was getting about 450 miles between fill-ups.
He was going over 600 miles between fill-ups, which worked out to about 24 MPG.
I guess the lower power engine does have 1 advantage...