Suspension HELP!
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Suspension HELP!
I have a 2000 f150 supercab with a 2.5" levelling kit in front and a 2" lift block u bolt kit on it to clear for my wheels and tires IT RIDES AWFUL!!!!!! I need new shocks I like the Skyjacker 8000 Nitro series I'm not sure exactly what I should get but I gotta get something soon cause it rides so rough its shaking my truck apart.... any help would be appreciated
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 28,203
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From: cairo,ga
Yep, the leveling kits for the 97-03 4x4's are just reindexed torsion bar adjustment keys. These are a bad idea, because.... well just read the first post again.
You have way, way too much preload on your torsion bars. Back off the preload and you will see a noticable improvement in ride. I know you don't want to lower your truck, but try backing off a little (even if you only loose 1/4 inch of height) untill you get an acceptable compromise between height and ride.
Also, you can just buy OEM length shocks.
You have way, way too much preload on your torsion bars. Back off the preload and you will see a noticable improvement in ride. I know you don't want to lower your truck, but try backing off a little (even if you only loose 1/4 inch of height) untill you get an acceptable compromise between height and ride.
Also, you can just buy OEM length shocks.
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 265
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From: Colorado
Sounds like your leveling kit has used up all the "droop" travel in your shocks. So when you go over a bump the suspension can't extend to follow the road and the whole truck has to drop. I had a Ranger with leveling coils and stock shocks for awhile and like you said, the ride is horrendous. I put shocks on my Ranger that had the same compressed length as stock but were longer when extended. That was a big improvement, the rest of the suspension geometry wasn't great but it worked ok.
I wouldn't put longer shocks on our trucks because of the suspension design. At 2.5 inches over stock the angles and stress on your balljoints and CV joints/boots are already pretty bad. They just aren't made to run at those angles all the time. If you put longer shocks on the truck it will let the suspension droop more which would help the ride, but will make the angles even worse. It also could give the front end enough down travel to make the upper control arm stop the limiting factor and I'm just guessing on this one, but looking at the control arm and that stop I would say you could bend the upper control arm if it's hitting the stop on a regular basis.
So what I'm trying to say (took long enough didn't it?) is that it would be better to back off the torsion bars if your tire package allows it or get a real lift kit.
I wouldn't put longer shocks on our trucks because of the suspension design. At 2.5 inches over stock the angles and stress on your balljoints and CV joints/boots are already pretty bad. They just aren't made to run at those angles all the time. If you put longer shocks on the truck it will let the suspension droop more which would help the ride, but will make the angles even worse. It also could give the front end enough down travel to make the upper control arm stop the limiting factor and I'm just guessing on this one, but looking at the control arm and that stop I would say you could bend the upper control arm if it's hitting the stop on a regular basis.
So what I'm trying to say (took long enough didn't it?) is that it would be better to back off the torsion bars if your tire package allows it or get a real lift kit.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,144
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From: Spring Hill, FL
X2... either lower the truck down, or lift it properly w/ either a body lift, or full suspension lift.
