Suggestions/ suspension products to improve Ranger ride and comfort

[tothemax]

Help Pls - Looking for suggestions/ suspension products to improve Ranger ride and comfort.

Few weeks after getting my new Ranger, my old spine & disks are telling me that they can no longer tolerate the road vibration that driving around in an empty pickup generates. I feel every bump pretty severely in my neck. (Ahh the joys of getting old.. at least am on the right side of the grass for now.)

For now, I had to limit my use of the truck until I can figure something. Unless I can figure a different suspension system, I will most likely have to trade it in for something with a less harsh ride. I do not carry anything heavy, just camping, hunting and fishing gear. Was looking for truck to camp in and carry camping and outdoor gear. Was fine during the test drive, just over time, my neck and spine started talking to me.

Most of the issues come from the rear leaves springs... so I looked at Sulastic Shackles as many use on other truck models to improve harsh rides generated with unloaded rear leaves springs suspension. However as of now, Sulastic does not appear to be making shackles for the 2019 Ranger. Also have looked into Bilstein shocks but they also do not make them for the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Ideally I can find both shackles for the rear leaf springs and comfortable shocks to limit the road vibrations and pain in my neck so I can keep the truck.

If anybody on this forum has any ideas on products currently on the market that can soften the ride on the 2019 Ranger, please let me know.

Any and all recommendations welcome.

Thank you

Sponsored

 

[Mark Lally]

JP

If you're referring to the harshness of the ride, a new set of tires might do the trick, I installed a set of Kumho Crugen HT51 's and saw a large improvement in the harshness of the ride; it's hard to beat the price on these tires also. (make sure you get the 110 load rating)
If you're referring to the bouncy ride, that seems to be a harder issue to tackle (for me at least). Contrary to what might be intuitive, raising the air pressure about 2 psi might help you.
I installed a set of FOX 2 shocks in the rear without any noticeable improvement. Others have installed front and rear Eibach shocks and have reported a huge improvement. A cheap fix might be to put a couple 80lb bags of sand in the bed behind the rear axle if you can stomach carrying around dead weight.

 

[808matt]

Drive faster and get to destination sooner! Lol jk. Maybe try to do something with your seat. Lumbar support or even a seat cushion

 

[tothemax]

JP

If you're referring to the harshness of the ride, a new set of tires might do the trick, I installed a set of Kumho Crugen HT51 's and saw a large improvement in the harshness of the ride; it's hard to beat the price on these tires also. (make sure you get the 110 load rating)
If you're referring to the bouncy ride, that seems to be a harder issue to tackle (for me at least). Contrary to what might be intuitive, raising the air pressure about 2 psi might help you.
I installed a set of FOX 2 shocks in the rear without any noticeable improvement. Others have installed front and rear Eibach shocks and have reported a huge improvement. A cheap fix might be to put a couple 80lb bags of sand in the bed behind the rear axle if you can stomach carrying around dead weight.

Mark, Thank you for chiming in.. I might try the sandbags until I can find better suspension options a way to dampen the leaf springs. What I really need are some Shackles for those leaf springs to tame the rear. Many have posted huge improvements while using the Sulastics to take the initial jolts out of the bumps. A good vid showing how they work

 

[RANGER_MARC]

Help Pls - Looking for suggestions/ suspension products to improve Ranger ride and comfort.

Few weeks after getting my new Ranger, my old spine & disks are telling me that they can no longer tolerate the road vibration that driving around in an empty pickup generates. I feel every bump pretty severely in my neck. (Ahh the joys of getting old.. at least am on the right side of the grass for now.)

For now, I had to limit my use of the truck until I can figure something. Unless I can figure a different suspension system, I will most likely have to trade it in for something with a less harsh ride. I do not carry anything heavy, just camping, hunting and fishing gear. Was looking for truck to camp in and carry camping and outdoor gear. Was fine during the test drive, just over time, my neck and spine started talking to me.

Most of the issues come from the rear leaves springs... so I looked at Sulastic Shackles as many use on other truck models to improve harsh rides generated with unloaded rear leaves springs suspension. However as of now, Sulastic does not appear to be making shackles for the 2019 Ranger. Also have looked into Bilstein shocks but they also do not make them for the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Ideally I can find both shackles for the rear leaf springs and comfortable shocks to limit the road vibrations and pain in my neck so I can keep the truck.

If anybody on this forum has any ideas on products currently on the market that can soften the ride on the 2019 Ranger, please let me know.

Any and all recommendations welcome.

Thank you

Help Pls - Looking for suggestions/ suspension products to improve Ranger ride and comfort.

Few weeks after getting my new Ranger, my old spine & disks are telling me that they can no longer tolerate the road vibration that driving around in an empty pickup generates. I feel every bump pretty severely in my neck. (Ahh the joys of getting old.. at least am on the right side of the grass for now.)

For now, I had to limit my use of the truck until I can figure something. Unless I can figure a different suspension system, I will most likely have to trade it in for something with a less harsh ride. I do not carry anything heavy, just camping, hunting and fishing gear. Was looking for truck to camp in and carry camping and outdoor gear. Was fine during the test drive, just over time, my neck and spine started talking to me.

Most of the issues come from the rear leaves springs... so I looked at Sulastic Shackles as many use on other truck models to improve harsh rides generated with unloaded rear leaves springs suspension. However as of now, Sulastic does not appear to be making shackles for the 2019 Ranger. Also have looked into Bilstein shocks but they also do not make them for the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Ideally I can find both shackles for the rear leaf springs and comfortable shocks to limit the road vibrations and pain in my neck so I can keep the truck.

If anybody on this forum has any ideas on products currently on the market that can soften the ride on the 2019 Ranger, please let me know.

Any and all recommendations welcome.

Thank you

Hey, J.P., I hear what you are saying about the Ranger's ride being tough on the spine. The harshness and bouncing had me thinking about trading my beloved Lariat in sooner rather than later. I am sort of getting used to it now but keep researching solutions. Many people have suggested carrying dead weight in the rear of the truck in the form of sandbags, etc.; or increasing (or decreasing) pressure in tires, but I find those approaches do not address the root of the problem--and they have consequences of their own (reduced mileage, tread loss, etc.) A lot of guys have improved their Ranger's ride considerably with new shocks and lift kits from Icon, Fox, etc., and now Ford itself is getting in on the game with a Fox-branded kit (shocks front and rear, front coil-overs). I was apprehensive about aftermarket changes to the driving geometry, not to mention the prospect of losing the Ford warranty protection that I paid dearly for at purchase, but now that a Ford-branded and Ford-installed solution is available, I thought, why not try it? (Ford Performance has it listed, but you have to order and pay in advance for it at the local dealer.) So I plan to purchase the kit and have my local dealer install it just as soon as it is available, which will be on October 18th, they claim. Changing tires is another good idea, as some members have suggested. After checking Consumer Reports, I discovered that the stock ATM Hankooks on my FX4 Lariat have good ratings overall but score poorly in both "ride comfort" and "road noise." Depending on the results that I get from the Ford/Fox lift kit, I may go a step further and replace the stock Hankooks with Pirelli Scorpion ATRs, which carry the same overall rating but score much higher in the two categories most important to people with spinal issues: "ride comfort" and "noise." So, for me, I love my Ranger, and I have hopes of finding a street ride that I can live with in the near future. I hope that things work out for you as well. Regards, Marc
OVERALL SCORE
66
Hankook Dynapro AT-M

Price: $139
Shop

85,000
OVERALL SCORE
66
Pirelli Scorpion ATR

Price: $158
Shop

60,000

 

[RoadBoss]

I would start by adding some weight for now. I've noticed it makes a big difference in my truck whether I'm loaded up or empty. It seems like they designed the suspension to be able to handle a load, so it ends up being a bit too firm when empty, on rough roads at least.

also this truck seems to be powerful and heavy duty enough that a few hundred pounds in the back doesn't seem to have much effect on fuel mileage or acceleration/braking.

also I have one of these in my truck, and it really helps support my neck. really allows me to rest my head without feeling like I'm leaning too far back.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Soft-Car-S...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[DHMag]

My .02....

The shocks don't dampen the spring rebound well enough. I've found on rockauto, when looking at shocks, it specified standard suspension or special suspension. They are also different from 2wd and 4wd.

 

[t4thfavor]

I know it's probably overkill, but I'll be looking at the Icon adjustable kit around the time I'm due for my first set of tires.

Aaaand now I've just seen the fully displaced Fox 2.5 setup and now I'm torn...

 

[SilverXLT6]

OP, Eibach rear shocks cured my 2019.
Next is new tires, Michelin or Firestone H/T, my factory Bridgestones ride rough.
EDIT: 1/19/2022 - Got new Michelins today, much nicer ride than the stock Bridgestones!
The combination of Eibach rear shocks and Michelins turned my truck into a normal riding truck!
Big difference.

 

[Todd Chapin]

I have the ebach 2.0 coilovers in front and shocks in back on my fx4 ranger. Improved ride albiet a bit firmer but handles bumps better and alot less bounce. I was interested in lifting my truck for larger tires and more clearance.
If I wanted just a smoother ride and better dampening I would have probably gone with Bilstien 5100 series.

 

[bentroia]

Upgrading shocks to a model that is matched to your needs (smoother ride with oem config) can help. Maybe talk to a Fox tech and have a specific convrrsation with an expert.

Tire pressure, then maybe a tire change may help.

Some core work can help too. Hydration is key for disks and joints as well. Stretching, making your core stronger and purposeful activity to make your back stronger may help too. Planks can be a great tool for this.

The tremor rides pretty smooth at oem config (multi leaf pack, fox, general load c 265 tires) IMHO ... This subject is so subjective - we need data not opinions..

Best wishes for you getting control here.

 

[GreenCreekDucks]

This is why I went to the Tremor..... I know not everyone can afford that but, when I drove an FX4 and Regular Lariat the ride was horrible.... The Tremor package made the difference for me with the fox shocks and such... .. 51 here and things hurt.. LOL !!

 

[Mr. Yuck]

I know that this is an old thread but by switching from 265/65r17 hankook dynapro atm to 265/75r16 hankook dynapro at2 non E-rated the ride was WAYYYY better. Thats right going down to a 16" rim off a tacoma. 16.7% increase in sidewall doesn't sound like much but it is a HUGE difference in the cab. I also lost 5lbs per wheel which makes it accelerate like a rocket despite the 32 vs 31 in leverage disadvantage. Toyota rims stick out 1 more inch and can be had for cheap as everyone gets fancy wheels. There are some people on etsy that make caps that say ford if you are curious. They usually weigh between 22-25 lbs a piece. By having the larger size tire and smaller rim, your impact for smaller bumps is negated more easily by sidewall flex. The tires by hankook in this size weigh only .74 lb(weird i know) more and cost less $163 a piece here in HI. This is a very reasonable way to gain in every department. Rides better, more traction(even more noticeable when aired down since the length increases dramatically), spaced 1" out and, cheap/easy to find tires that don't weigh a ton and can be found anywhere. This is where i would spend my money and it wouldn't have to be much. Like i said, people damn near GIVE away stock tacoma wheels with tires on them.

 

[Todd Chapin]

If there had been a Tremor option in 2019 I would have bought it. But I have a "baby" tremor now thanks to Eibach, Icon and Cooper?

 

[RANGER_MARC]

If there had been a Tremor option in 2019 I would have bought it. But I have a "baby" tremor now thanks to Eibach, Icon and Cooper?

Hey, Todd, when you say thank "Icon," does that mean that you put their multi-rate leaf springs on your Ranger? Like you, I would have got the Tremor option in 2019 if that had had one back then, but I have since improved my Lariat's ride by putting in the Ford (Fox) Performance Leveling kit and changing out the stock Hankooks for Falkens. I am pretty well satisfied with the ride now but it is still rougher than I would like, and I am considering adding the Icon leaf springs to the mix. I would appreciate any advice that you (or other members) could give.

Sponsored