Soft or stiff ride?

[Cody Ray]

I spend about 90% of my time driving on surface streets. However I also do a lot of camping and traveling. This involves highway driving and unimproved forest service roads. I want to be able to confidently traverse easy/moderate off-road trails with my camping gear without feeling like I am in a rock tumbler on my way to work. A compromise between the two is what I am looking for. Currently thinking of using a long AAL in back to lift and prevent sag under load but using coil spacers up front to help maintain some stock ride quality, along with Bilstein shocks front & back. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!

 

[Cody Ray]

I know people like pics so here are a couple from my car port.

The only changes to this truck are a new radio/cd player and nicer floor mats.

Plan on using 235/75R 15 tire with stock wheels for now.

 

[superds]

I have a set of the lower end Bilstein shocks in the front of my '90 Ranger and love them. Maybe 5100 series? I can't remember, they are a few years old now and are the yellow ones that cost around $60/each. I would buy them again. I have Pro Comps in my rear but I wish I would have bought Bilstein for the rear as well (I thought by now I would have put a lift in and needed new shocks anyway).

 

[Bennybooster]

It would ride smoother id you replaced the AAL with explorer leaf springs

 

[DRanger024]

It would ride smoother id you replaced the AAL with explorer leaf springs

Not so true... I put explorer leafs in my truck and it rides like a lumber wagon. I dont mind at all because I usually have a cap on my truck which smoothes it out some, but without that cap you can feel EVERY bump. Springs were from a '91 4 door EB edition.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

IMHO, I wouldn't do an AAL in the rear. Not after I had one try to kill me when I was taking the rear axle out of a BII. AALs are usually very stiff and thick, so I knew it was in the pack. What I didn't expect was that when I released the U-bolts and was working the axle out.... BANG-CLANG! Center pin sheared and shot off like a rocket and the leaf springs exploded out from under the truck. Nope, don't think I'll be playing with those.

I've done custom leaf packs for my trucks, for my Ranger and choptop I've used various leaf springs to make the packs to suit my needs. BII springs are the softest, Rangers seem right in the middle, and Explorers seem to be the stiffest. So when I needed to build a pack for my Ranger (my DD at the time), I didn't want it to ride like an empty dump truck all the time, but needed carrying capacity since I didn't have my F-150 for a work truck at the time.

Started with a Ranger main leaf, then cut down a main spring out of another truck (IIRC it was a main for a dodge because I got them for free and didn't have any Explorer leafs handy). The key to making for a softer ride is to use the longest leafs possible - thus cutting down a main spring. Then I used the next longest spring I could out of a Ranger pack (IIRC it was the normal leaf below the main), etc. Built a 5-leaf pack and ended up having to use 4x4 shocks in the rear because it gave it a slight lift. Rode really nice down the road too.

 

[martin]

When you're going into the rough stuff, lower your tyre pressures and disconnect your sway bars. It'll make a huge difference, don't forget to air back up before you go back onto the highway.