Extremely Harsh Ride

[Gacknar]

My 89 Ranger STX High-Rider regular cab with a 4" (Moded to around 6") suspension lift rides really, really, really harsh.

And I don't mean it rides like a truck. My 86 FSB with 9" of lift on 38"s rides like a truck. My 93 Explorer rides like a nice truck.

This thing rides like a go-kart.

I have never rode in anything that was this harsh. Not even my 89 Mustang with Saleen Auto-Cross race springs rides this harsh.

Wile I have lived with it for the last 10yrs, I am ready to do something about it. So first I need to know "Why" it rides this way.


I bought the truck with the lift already on it, but I believe the lift kit is from Trail-Master. It uses the drop plate for the pass side beam instead of a new bracket and the shocks had Trail-Master stickers on them. I placed coil spacers under the front coil because it had some serious rake to it. The rear looks like stacked blocks and an Add-A-Leaf. Rear shocks are the twin tubes that had the Trail-Master stickers on them when I bought the truck. Front shocks are ProComp ES-1000's.

Pics





I just found the spring rate calculator in the tech section and plan on using it to calculate the spring rates later.

So, why does it ride so harsh?
Is it the shocks?
The spring rate?
Or both?

[crawlin91]

Get rid of the stacked blocks and leafsprings and replace with some Chevy 63"s and/or belltech shackles.

Check your leaf spring bushings.

Check your ttb pivot bushings, radius arm bushings, and cab mount bushings for wear.

For the front maybe a softer coil designed to give the proper lift height instead of the TrailMaster coils.

[kryptonitecb]

Old shocks will cause a rough ride also.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

[Gacknar]

Some research is beginning to point to the shocks. Apparently ES1000's are a little stiff for an RBV.

[prerunnerwannabe]

Really? Huh, I was under the impression they are fairly soft.

[4.0B2]

those coil springs are to stiff is my guess.
go with an EB or XJ coil... or even the softer TTB option of (is it Skyjacker??).


getting rid of stacked blocks and putting in 63's will help your ride quality.

then address all your bushings. make sure they are good. body bushings. suspension bushings. so on...

[armadillon]

Are those wooden blocks in the back!? Oh dear lord please tell me my eyes deceive me.

Do you notice it in the front or back when going over a bump (speed bump). If it's the back that kills - agreed, do the chevy leaf spring swap or see if you can t ake a leaf out. Stacking blocks like that is...well, certainly frowned upon.

As for the fronts, the springs are most likely the culprit. Find the spring rate of your currents, then find some others that are mucho softer

[4.0B2]

what I just found out...

1. their lifts are WAY overpriced to not include a real drop bracket or shocks..
2. their front coils are the same as RC lift coils (445 ppi)
3. their warranty supposedly sucks.

so therefore, swap out your front coils will help a lot.. find something softer. lookup on here the XJ coil swap or look around in the tech library about flexing your TTB and you'll learn some good stuff.

[Gacknar]

Originally Posted by armadillon

Are those wooden blocks in the back!? Oh dear lord please tell me my eyes deceive me.

Cast Iron

Originally Posted by armadillon

Do you notice it in the front or back when going over a bump (speed bump).

Both, but the back literaly jumps off the ground on a speed bump.


I also don't want it too soft as it spends 90% of it's time on the highway.

[crawlin91]

TTB skyjacker coils give a decent ride that wont be too soft, I got the 6 inch coils and ran them with no swaybars on my daily driver, did great. Even on long highway trips through the mountains at 70mph+.



Chevy 63" leaf springs flex well underneath a Ranger because they are such a long spring. But they are used under much heavier vehicles that it will not be too soft. They come in two variations
-3 leaf plus overload
-4 leaf plus overload
I recommend the 3+, which will be a little softer, they are found underneath 2wd Chebbie pickups, I got mine out of a 98 I believe. Try them, if you need more lift pair them with the belltechs, you should at least be able to get rid of one of the blocks and will notice a great improvement in ride and handling. You have to move you front hanger but it is a pretty simple procedure and there is plenty of info on this site if you need it.

A pair of springs from the yard shouldnt run any more than $30-40, and the belltechs are reasonably priced too making this a fairly inexpensive option to fix the rear.

[Bennybooster]

Also get rid of your swaybars, that in itself will help quite a bit

[Gacknar]

I got the measurements for the front springs and ran them through the spring rate calculator. 13/16" x 4.5" x 10 active coils = 672lb/in

I double checked, the only thing I may have messed up on are the amount of "Active" coils. I would not consider the last wrap on each end of the spring as active since they are flat against the spring bucket and lower retainer. If I am supposed to count those it works out to 13/16" x 4.5" x 12 active coils = 560lb/in

This lift was on here when I bought the truck back in 2001, and from the looks of it, it had been on there for quite some time. So these springs probably date back to the early '90s.

And the back is even harsher than the front