Ride quality on Ranger *head bobble sensation*

[YaBoiNewton]

Makes sense.

My milk truck rides like shit when it's empty. And a bit better when loaded.

But a brand new unloaded Ranger rides worse than a brand new unloaded milktruck. And that is not right at all.

Oh damn I don't have the luxury of experiencing that side-by-side comparison lol

Overall vehicle size is another consideration. How big is the milk truck in comparison to a typical midsize truck?

Wheel spacing/axle length will have a big effect on how much the how much the chassis tilts over any given bump. Maybe the milk truck just doesnt move as much?

Sponsored

 

[D Fresh]

Oh damn I don't have the luxury of experiencing that side-by-side comparison lol

Overall vehicle size is another consideration. How big is the milk truck in comparison to a typical midsize truck?

Wheel spacing/axle length will have a big effect on how much the how much the chassis tilts over any given bump. Maybe the milk truck just doesnt move as much?

Not sure on weight or wheelbase specifics. But these are stepvans that based off of 1 ton truck chassis. Basically F-350 duallies with a box on them.

I'm betting that available articulation has a lot to with it.

 

[BS67]

Just ordered a set of Bilstein 5100s for the rear of my '22 XLT. Got 'em from 4wheelonline. They were $174.99 with free s/h and no tax. Used promo code 10OFF to drop the price to $164.99

 

[Cabose-1]

Makes sense.

My milk truck rides like shit when it's empty. And a bit better when loaded.

But a brand new unloaded Ranger rides worse than a brand new unloaded milktruck. And that is not right at all.

Thing is very much like a milk truck, a ranger is a truck, made to work, not be an empty family car. But......heres the butt monkey.......we have made trucks into family cars and want them to run smooth empty. Our fault, not the trucks. Put 500lbs in the bed and enjoy the caddillac ride!
Thats something that gets left out a lot.

 

[D Fresh]

Thing is very much like a milk truck, a ranger is a truck, made to work, not be an empty family car. But......heres the butt monkey.......we have made trucks into family cars and want them to run smooth empty. Our fault, not the trucks. Put 500lbs in the bed and enjoy the caddillac ride!
Thats something that gets left out a lot.

I see your point.

But personally I think it adds to mine rather than refute it.

The reason most dislike the factory suspension is that it's too soft. Too focused on a good ride over small bumps and expansion joints. In my opinion, the factory set it up to be "Cadillac smooth" and that's not what anybody who buys a truck for a truck wants.

With a good aftermarket suspension these trucks will ride properly both loaded and unloaded.

 

[MikeyB]

First thing I noticed when I took my truck for a test drive was the bouncy, swaying feeling especially at the rear. Replaced all 4 shocks/struts with Bilstein 4600's. Night and day difference in ride quality. The truck feels stable, but not harsh. Even my wife complimented on how nice the Ranger rides with the Bilsteins.
I read, and I could be wrong that the 4600's and the 5100's have the exact same valving, piston size, etc- only that the 5100's are the way to go if you plan on lifting the truck.
I don't plan on lifting mine

 

[Motorpsychology]

Without going through all 96 previous posts, do those of you with this head bobble thing have 2WD or non-FX4 suspension? My 2021 w/FX4 doesn't do this. The ride is somewhat harsh when empty, but well damped, no bouncy-bouncy and no side-to-side shimmy.

 

[MikeyB]

Without going through all 96 previous posts, do those of you with this head bobble thing have 2WD or non-FX4 suspension? My 2021 w/FX4 doesn't do this. The ride is somewhat harsh when empty, but well damped, no bouncy-bouncy and no side-to-side shimmy.

Mine is a '21 Lariat 4X4, standard suspension

 

[YaBoiNewton]

Without going through all 96 previous posts, do those of you with this head bobble thing have 2WD or non-FX4 suspension? My 2021 w/FX4 doesn't do this. The ride is somewhat harsh when empty, but well damped, no bouncy-bouncy and no side-to-side shimmy.

I test drove Fx4 and non-FX4 4x4 on the same day and felt the same wobble. Everyone has it, some are just more sensitive to it. This is likely their first truck or their first midsize truck. Stiff suspension and relatively short axle length make for a lot of passenger movement.

Passenger cars wobble less because their suspension allows for more individual wheel travel. An unladen F150 wobbles less because it has a much wider axle and some basic trig shows the vehicle articulates less over any given bump than a midsize with a shorter axle.

It's also a pretty tall vehicle, so the cantilever effect on the spring mass might be exaggerated here compared to maybe a Tacoma or Frontier with a much smaller cab.

The list goes on and on...

 

[LostMy65]

First thing I noticed when I took my truck for a test drive was the bouncy, swaying feeling especially at the rear. Replaced all 4 shocks/struts with Bilstein 4600's. Night and day difference in ride quality. The truck feels stable, but not harsh. Even my wife complimented on how nice the Ranger rides with the Bilsteins.
I read, and I could be wrong that the 4600's and the 5100's have the exact same valving, piston size, etc- only that the 5100's are the way to go if you plan on lifting the truck.
I don't plan on lifting mine

Could we get some more posts from others regarding the 4600s vs the 5100's?
I did find this:
https://www.shocksurplus.com/pages/bilstein-4600-vs-5100-series-the-lowdown

 

[Azhang253]

Don't have a ranger yet, but whatever Chevy did on the Colorado Z71, that truck rides really, really nice (IMO). Not wobbly at all. Test drove one when I was looking for a Ranger to test drive. The Ranger ride quality in my test drive vehicle was pretty laughable, I remember thinking to myself "hmm this truck needs to 5100s."

 

[BS67]

So, replaced the factory rear shocks yesterday on my XLT with the Bilstein 5100s. I have to say......what a difference in ride and handling. I thank everyone who posted in this thread with the upgrade! That convinced me to replace them!

 

[Deleted member 15875]

You won't find a better place to spend $200 improving your ride than Bilstein 5100s in the rear.

HERE is an extensive thread detailing the Bilsteins.

If just the rear, the Eibachs are also highly recommended.

I have the 5100s front and rear on my truck and the ride transformation is extremely impressive.

Touch base with Frank on here @Stage3Motorsports

They are a forum vendor and all my dealings with them have been top notch.

Frank is great. Spoke to him the other day. Super helpful and willing to answer my questions.

 

[Deleted member 15875]

So, replaced the factory rear shocks yesterday on my XLT with the Bilstein 5100s. I have to say......what a difference in ride and handling. I thank everyone who posted in this thread with the upgrade! That convinced me to replace them!

Will you be doing the front as well?

 

[BS67]

Will you be doing the front as well?

I don't think so anytime soon. I really wanted to get rid of the rocking motion and the rear shocks did it nicely! Overall ride was much improved with the switch to the Bilsteins!

Sponsored