I just bought my first truck ever. 97 4.2L 48k miles. It seems to bounce at 40+ miles. I haven't driven it faster than 50. Will someone answer my questions?

1) Do all first time truck owners feel the same? I am going to have wheel alignment checked tomorrow.

2) Tire pressure is 30 (front) and 35 (rear) on LT235-85-16 tires. Will a little more air take care of the bouncing?

3) I crawled under to lubricate ball joints for the front. To my big surprise, I found only one lube-able joint on the idle arm. All others had no nipple, just flush. ! Am I mistaken?

4) Do the rear have ball joints, too? Childton's manual does not list any for the rear.

Thank you for your help.

 

It's normal if you feel some choppiness in the seat of your pants with this truck design.

1)Shocks are the first place to look for bounce. Tire wear and pulling would indicate alignment problems.

2)LT tires make the ride rougher than passenger's "P" tires. This is not an area that should contribute to bouncing. I like to run a 2 pounds less in my rear tires because the back of the vehicle is lighter.

3)There are just the 2 zerk fittings on the idler arm up front.

4)If you mean the rear suspension, there are no ball joints or grease fittings. It is a simple live axle mounted to 2 leaf springs.

 

Thank you for the reply. The truck came with 4 new tires (but without spare tire). No pulling yet. Local PepBoys' alignment machine has been out of order for 2 days (where I get all my cars checked).

Will reduce pressure from 2 rear tires.

I missed one nipple. Thank you. Will check the idler arm more carefully.

Thank you.

 

Max is right. factory shocks will allow significant bouncing. In other words, they suck LOL.

 

You're welcome !

 

Hello paker,

Do you ready have LT235-85-16 tires if you do get ride of those suckers. They are made for a 3/4 or 1 ton truck and are very very stiff. I know you said they are new but they don't belong on an f150. If the shocks are original or very old get new shocks as well.

 

MM, unless you had said 2 grease nipples on the idler arm, I would have never noticed the second one sticking out from a metal base. Thanks.

RKJ, I plan to change out the shocks this weekend.

Getting rid of the tires: Do you think the stiff tires will damage the front suspension? What if I keep the air pressure low?

Thanks.

 

paker,

I don't think stiff tires will damage you suspension they will just make for an uncomfortable ride. Most tires in the LT235/85-16 size have a max pressure around 80-85 PSI. To set them at 30 PSI is probably much lower than the manufacture would recommend for normal street driving and may not be safe. Also a LT235/85-16 tire has a 10 ply side wall your stock tires are usually 4-6 ply this is what makes them have a softer ride.

 

RKJ,
Thanks for the info. I will have to live with the stiff tires until they wear out.

MM,
No grease would go in through the second nipple that's sticking out from the metal base. Does that mean it's full?

Replacing the front shocks: Should I support the vehicle in the middle so that the lower control arm gets no loading?

Thanks.

 

Remove the zerk fitting from the idler arm, attach your grease gun to it, and see if grease goes through it. If it does, reinstall it. Give your grease gun another try and pump firmly.

To install your front shock: Put your jack under one side's frame in the normal jacking position. Jack it up a little to give you the necessary space to remove the top nut and bushing first. Then, run the jack up higher until that wheel is off the ground. This will create enough space to remove the shock from under the lower control arm without it hitting the ground. Feed the new shock in from underneath with the shock extended, making sure to feed the upper rod threads through the upper mount. You may need to adjust the jack down to properly install the upper bushings. Don't over-torque the lower bolts and don't over-tighten the upper bushings. Firm up the upper bushings, then slowly tighten them as you watch the bushings squeeze out. Don't squeeze them out beyond the outer washer edge.