need smother ride

[terrible]

I have a 09 stock FX4 Ranger. 50K Miles. I would like a softer ride on the road to help my aging bones & back. It has stock Rancho shocks & can anyone recommend good gas shocks that would go with the stock springs & provide a smother ride. Yes, I know its a truck, but would non-heavy duty shocks help?

 

[Lil-Pony]

if it has torsion bar you can uncrank them a little and drop the front an inch should ride more like a car then.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, de-cranking the torsion bars should soften the ride some, but will drop the nose a bit. It is basically the equivalent of installing softer springs in the front.

Installing the OEM non-Rancho shocks may get the desired result as well.

 

[ridgerunner]

Lower your tire's air pressure....that's what Ford used to recommend anyway lol. U could try swapping out your LT tires for P rated ones? Or get softer springs, shocks won't help much since they only handle the rebound. Have u thought about more padding for your seat lol?

 

[4x4junkie]

IIRC, the '08-'11 Rangers are already "de-cranked" some from the factory.

Shocks have huge effects on ride quality (and LT tires too, if that's what's on it).
My suggestion would be to look for stock-replacement type shocks for an XLT-model truck maybe (though make sure they are gas-charged. Non-gas shocks can be a little rough over bumps).

Another thing that'll smooth the ride a lot (especially at lower speeds) is disconnecting the swaybar. Know that this will take some away from your truck's handling though (body lean), so you might want to experiment with it before you decide one way or the other.

Also, if you adjust the tire pressure, don't go below around 30-35 PSI. Less than that will significantly affect your MPG and the life of your tires.