Just curious to know if anyone else has experienced the terrible bunny hopping on wash board roads with they truck. I could be going maybe 40km/h and still start sliding sideways down a dirt road. I know the main reason this is bad in my truck because of the HD stiff shock in the back+the little weight in the back+the short wheelbase+the larger M/T tires=a hair raising experience at 80km/h!

 

What is a HD stiff shock? Is that the factory trash?

If so, get some real shocks. that will help TONS! Get some ranchos, they work offroad!

We had a cabin that was on a 35 mile dirt road and it was nasty in the summer with washboard about 20 of those miles. You learn that good shocks are the key! Second, if that does not solve the issue, lose 5 pounds of pressure in the tires. Should make a world of difference there.

One last thing, learn to drive it also. NEVER brake on washboard, always before especially on a corner. otherwise the rear end will swing on you. Fun if you are playing around, not fun if you are not.

 

The HD(heavy duty) shock absorbers come with the 4x4 off-road equipment group, mostly for heavy payloads or towing heavy loads. Softer shocks would definitely help alot. Funny that they include the stiff shocks in the 4x4 package which should require a plusher absorber, and not with the tow package. When I do get into a fish tailing situation I just let off the throttle and steer into the slide, and try not to oversteer to much. Braking would obviously be a big mistake! I tend to test my truck alot on icy conditions in the winter, just to get myself familiar with those situations.

 

Wash board ripples on curvy dirt roads are pretty bad in most vehicles with leaf spring rear suspension. Better tires, shocks, different tire pressure and weighting the bed can help, but the very simple rear suspesnion design is a big part of the problem, IMO.

Although I've never tried one, a Panhard rod should make a big difference in keeping the bed centered over the rear wheels.

Don't know if anyone makes one for our trucks, but a Panhard rod is a tube with bushings on each end; maybe 4' to 5' long. One end mounts to the frame on one side of the turck, and the other end to the axle housing on the other side of the truck, parallel and in back of the rear axle. For the body to move side to side over the axle, it would have to stretch or bend the Panhard rod. The bushings allow the Panhard rod to move up and down with the suspension.

 

I live way out in the sticks so I drive washboard roads more than most. I to had the same problem with my truck w/the stock shocks. I then replaced my stock shocks with Monroe Reflex shocks. There was an improvement but it still is pretty rough. The trick to washboard roads is to drive really fast over them, its not as rough.