2018 ford 350s bumpy ride!

[Avalon Fred]

AcquaMan may have hit the nail on the head! A heavier pin weight may cause the truck to ride smoother. Mine, with 2600 lbs certainly does. Not as smooth with the 5th wheel not on the back, but I wouldn't say it is harsh either.

[mwdilday]

Originally Posted by FL-mph21

yeah,
i have no problem[s] at all with smooth roads, but
i do get a little paranoid when i see a potential bump up ahead
[i think i'll get over it, eventually]

another [newbie] question: is it ok to use the Cruise Control while towing?
i'm going to guess it's ok...

thanks
marc

I have a 2017 Ford F-350 DRW diesel and I use the cruise control all the time while towing, even in the mountains. If your truck is a diesel then you probably would be ok. Not sure exactly what truck you have. The newer trucks are really upgrading their towing capabilities, features and technology.

[mwdilday]

Love the bounce (most of the time). Had a pickup truck of some sort all my life - my first vehicle was a 1973 Ford F-150 I bought new when I was 16 and I am 60 now. My 2017 Ford F-350 Dually Diesel bounces and reminds me it is a truck with no load in the back.

[bareftn]

[ Its Truck a F350 you wont get a ride like in a car

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by FL-mph21

i don't mind a somewhat bumpy ride while towing my 5th wheel,
but is there anything i can do to soften the bumpy ride, when Not towing?
[i guess i'm spoiled from years of driving a cushy sedan]

i read that i should leave the tire pressure alone [60 front 80 rear]
- but what about the suspension?

thank you
marc

No need to run 80 psi in the rear when not towing try 65 . also the 350 extra leafs don't do anything until you have the load that drops the rear to contact the overload springs . otherwise when empty it should ride the same as a 250 . the 80psi is whats giving you the bumpy ride . when towing you can go to 80

[danny4127]

If i do not run 80 psi in the back tires its sets off the sensor in the tire showing low air on my 3/4 ton

[Lins]

Originally Posted by danny4127

If i do not run 80 psi in the back tires its sets off the sensor in the tire showing low air on my 3/4 ton

I reprogrammed my 2017 to 50 front, 45 rear. I should have reprogrammed the rear for lower. You can't even legally have that much weight in the rear to need 80 anyway.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by danny4127

If i do not run 80 psi in the back tires its sets off the sensor in the tire showing low air on my 3/4 ton

Very stupid system . maybe different sensor . don't know if there programmable.

[rocco52]

I have a Chevy 3500 Crew Diesel SRW. I run 50 front and 40 rear while not towing. Tires have 23K on them and even tread measurements across. It makes a huge difference in the ride.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by rocco52

I have a Chevy 3500 Crew Diesel SRW. I run 50 front and 40 rear while not towing. Tires have 23K on them and even tread measurements across. It makes a huge difference in the ride.

Wow only 40 in the rear . even when my 2500 hd was empty i would run 60 tire ware was always great . now that i have tools loaded i run 70 still great ware .

[Lins]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Wow only 40 in the rear . even when my 2500 hd was empty i would run 60 tire ware was always great . now that i have tools loaded i run 70 still great ware .

What size are your tires? My tires are worn more in the middle from running 65 or higher. Now running 40-45 loaded or unloaded in the rear has evened out the wear.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Lins

What size are your tires? My tires are worn more in the middle from running 65 or higher. Now running 40-45 loaded or unloaded in the rear has evened out the wear.

245/75/16 at 70 and even 80 tire is wearing perfect . in fact have over 40,000 on the firestone trnasforce now and the tires other then tread being much less are wore even across . getting a new set of tires next week and looking at the Michelin defender of the same size and weight rating .

[Lins]

Originally Posted by MR.M

245/75/16 at 70 and even 80 tire is wearing perfect . in fact have over 40,000 on the firestone trnasforce now and the tires other then tread being much less are wore even across . getting a new set of tires next week and looking at the Michelin defender of the same size and weight rating .

Tire size is frequently not brought up when discussing what PSI to run. At 65 PSI, my tires (285/60R20) have about 460 lbs more capacity per tire than yours. Tire size is a big factor when figuring out what PSI to run. My tires at 50 PSI can carry the same load as yours at 65.

[rocco52]

My tires are LT 265/70/18. The load/pressure chart that I got from Michelin shows 2155 lbs at 40 PSI. At the scales with tools, gear and full tank my rear axle was 3400 lbs. So 1700 lbs plus 10% safety factor equals 1870. I figured I was good at 40 psi.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Lins

Tire size is frequently not brought up when discussing what PSI to run. At 65 PSI, my tires (285/60R20) have about 460 lbs more capacity per tire than yours. Tire size is a big factor when figuring out what PSI to run. My tires at 50 PSI can carry the same load as yours at 65.

Makes sense ! each tire and tire size has different ratings at different psi

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by FL-mph21

i don't mind a somewhat bumpy ride while towing my 5th wheel,
but is there anything i can do to soften the bumpy ride, when Not towing?
[i guess i'm spoiled from years of driving a cushy sedan]

i read that i should leave the tire pressure alone [60 front 80 rear]
- but what about the suspension?

thank you
marc

Hi, Voice In The Wilderness here!
Contrary to what all the armchair experts profess, you are correct in complying with what your owner's manual states.
I had an F250 that rode hard and installed a set of Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks front and rear. I drove around for most of a year with them all set on '5' (1 through 9 range) and didn't really notice any difference in ride. Then one day I changed them to '3' and ride took on a whole new character. Hard braking on washboard roads would still cause the truck to skitter badly, but driving over railroad tracks and such was much less jarring.
I'm getting close to new shock time on my current truck, and intend to put Rancho 9000's on it, too.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by wrvond

Hi, Voice In The Wilderness here!
Contrary to what all the armchair experts profess, you are correct in complying with what your owner's manual states.
I had an F250 that rode hard and installed a set of Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks front and rear. I drove around for most of a year with them all set on '5' (1 through 9 range) and didn't really notice any difference in ride. Then one day I changed them to '3' and ride took on a whole new character. Hard braking on washboard roads would still cause the truck to skitter badly, but driving over railroad tracks and such was much less jarring.
I'm getting close to new shock time on my current truck, and intend to put Rancho 9000's on it, too.

:roflb lack:

[Muzzledan]

I have heard that sulastic springs make quite a difference but they aren’t cheap, around $400.for a set.

[transmission_doctor]

Trade it in for a GM truck, the Ford's are WAY too trucky riding! Do a side by side ride comparison and see how much better the GM's ride.

Also as has already been posted, drop the rear pressures to around 50, no need for that much pressure if you are not carrying anything!@

[F40SPTS]

I air my tires down to 55 cold when not towing . I have a 2016 RAM 3500 shortbed crewcab 4x4cummins. Even at 55, the rear tires still ride on 70% of the tire and not completely on the ground. Runs smoother but still lets me know its a empty 1ton P/U.