Ride Quality Complaints

[wanted33]

Unless some has owned a '79 F-250 with like a million miles on it I really can't hold much stock in the opinions of how the Ranger rides. I know from experience. The Ranger is a truck, not a Lincoln. In my old feable mind I think much of the complaints are from some that have never owned a truck until Ford brought the Ranger back, and they expected it to ride like their Camry. I can understand that, and I undersatnd Ford could have done a bit better with the shocks. I will say it is a bit stiff of a ride, but nothing I didn't expect. But, on the highway the ride is quite impressive.

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[Joeiconic]

What areas are wanting for improvement in your opinion? I think there are four general categories of bump and dip handling. Those are (1) fast bump dampening, (2) slow bump dampening, (3) fast rebound dampening, and (4) slow rebound dampening.

I think that fast bump dampening might be stiffened in the rear to improve ride but the issue really is the weight of the rear axle is almost impossible to manage because the frame is the next weakest link. The whole truck literally shakes if the rearend starts bouncing. However, if the frame were stiffened maybe the rearend could be better controlled?

I replaced the front and rear shocks with Bilstein 5100 and I have observed less nose dive on braking, less body roll in cornering, and faster and more cushioned rebounds over undulations. I didn’t “hate” the stock ride, but the 5100’s are a big improvement, IMO.

 

[Racket]

I did the Eibach upgrade and switched to Michelin's and the ride is notably better. Have had two front alignments done - first time after the struts, second after the tires. It's great for the freeway, now I'm considering stiffer end links on the front swaybar and seeking a bushing upgrade. Don't need cornering stiffened so much on an unladen truck but it may help in traffic.

Truck wheelbases are long and I believe shocks and tires have a lot to do with ride quality.

 

[grizzly]

Unless some has owned a '79 F-250 with like a million miles on it I really can't hold much stock in the opinions of how the Ranger rides. I know from experience. The Ranger is a truck, not a Lincoln. In my old feable mind I think much of the complaints are from some that have never owned a truck until Ford brought the Ranger back, and they expected it to ride like their Camry. I can understand that, and I undersatnd Ford could have done a bit better with the shocks. I will say it is a bit stiff of a ride, but nothing I didn't expect. But, on the highway the ride is quite impressive.

Yup

 

[rydfree]

Unless some has owned a '79 F-250 with like a million miles on it I really can't hold much stock in the opinions of how the Ranger rides. I know from experience. The Ranger is a truck, not a Lincoln. In my old feable mind I think much of the complaints are from some that have never owned a truck until Ford brought the Ranger back, and they expected it to ride like their Camry. I can understand that, and I undersatnd Ford could have done a bit better with the shocks. I will say it is a bit stiff of a ride, but nothing I didn't expect. But, on the highway the ride is quite impressive.

Totally agree but I came off a '07 King Ranch and my '91 ranger with well over 300k miles so I was quite surprised at how well the new Ranger rides . My wife has been in Mercedes SUVs since '89 and she doesn't not like the ride

 

[WingShot]

Like others have said, I have no complaints about the ride quality in my Ranger with the Tremor package. And of more significance, neither does the Princess. If you like the truck otherwise, and are facing a loss all ready, might be worth swapping out the shocks and maybe the springs. See what difference that makes. Several options along those lines that people are happy with.

 

[JohnnyO]

Countless users have bemoaned the stock ride quality and I honestly don't get it.

(1) I find that the ride is very complaint, except the usual complaints about the rear end jutter over bumps and dips. However, this hasn't been too bad in my experience.
(2) My crew cab 4x4 Ranger STX has a 1,531lb cargo capacity which I think is plenty.
(3) In the land of OZ, the a crew cab 4x4 Ranger has a * * 2,150 lb * * cargo capacity and their auto journalists claim the ride is good. They don't have the F-150 or super duties there so that explains the payload difference.

What gives? Are Americans just overly sensitive to ride quality? The Ranger's rear axle isn't as planted as my ATS's with magnetic ride control, but I can feel the reflectors on a highway in the ATS where in the Ranger you wouldn't know you've hit one.

Agree 100%.
My take is that many owners came from cars where the ride and handling is different. Also a lot of people got FX4's that ride like crap. I purposely got an STX for a number of reasons, ride quality being one.
Since 1999 I've had three Rangers ('99, '02, '20) and two Sport Tracs ('05, '08). By far the worst was my '02 Ranger Off-Road Package, the shocks were as big as my calves and it rode like a cement mixer. My '99 XLT got t-boned by someone who ran a stop sign, lease was almost up anyway so I left it at the dealer's body shop and went home in the '02 Off-Road. A week or so later I hit a ripple on a brick street and the truck rocked so hard that I smacked my head against the door frame in the same spot I did in the accident and had to hit the brakes because my vision went white for about five seconds and I couldn't see.
My '05 Sport Trac's shocks were way too soft, everybody complained about them on the boards at the time. At about 12,000 miles I replaced them with Monroe Sensa Tracs that were vastly better.
No complaints about the ride in my '20 STX. Mentioned to the salesman that I didn't really want an FX4 based on past experience and he said "Smart move".

 

[docarter]

Agree 100%.
My take is that many owners came from cars where the ride and handling is different. Also a lot of people got FX4's that ride like crap. I purposely got an STX for a number of reasons, ride quality being one.
Since 1999 I've had three Rangers ('99, '02, '20) and two Sport Tracs ('05, '08). By far the worst was my '02 Ranger Off-Road Package, the shocks were as big as my calves and it rode like a cement mixer. My '99 XLT got t-boned by someone who ran a stop sign, lease was almost up anyway so I got the '02 Off-Road. A week or so later I hit a ripple on a brick street and the truck rocked so hard that I smacked my head against the door frame in the same spot I did in the accident and had to hit the brakes because I lost my vision and saw nothing but white for about five seconds.
My '05 Sport Trac's shocks were way too soft, everybody complained about them on the boards at the time. At about 12,000 miles I replaced them with Monroe Sensa Tracs that were vastly better.
No complaints about the ride in my '20 STX. Mentioned to the salesman that I didn't really want an FX4 based on past experience and he said "Smart move".

The only thing that the FX4 gets you is terrain management, which can be added for less than $100 with Forescan. My 4x4 STX with a rear locker has steel skid plates on everything underneath.

 

[Dgc333]

Since 1975 I have owned 6 pickup trucks. My 2021 Ranger Lariat Tremor is by a wide margin the best riding of all of them. The Ranger is even better than the 17 Mustang I traded for it in all but broken pavement and rail road crossings. That can be attributed to the independent rear suspension the Mustang has. All solid axle vehicles I have owned have not handled broken pavement as well as an independent rear vehicle.

 

[JohnnyO]

The only thing that the FX4 gets you is terrain management, which can be added for less than $100 with Forescan. My 4x4 STX with a rear locker has steel skid plates on everything underneath.

Sorry, not totally correct. FX4 includes different shocks, more skidplates for the power steering, transfer case, and fuel tank, and locking rear axle in addition to the trail control/terrain management. The locking axle is optional on any Ranger but they only have the small skidplates up front and one conveniently located so you have to remove it to drain the oil. My STX 4x4 does not have skidplates on the transfer case, power steering, and fuel tank.

 

[docarter]

Sorry, not totally correct. FX4 includes different shocks, more skidplates for the power steering, transfer case, and fuel tank, and locking rear axle in addition to the trail control/terrain management. The locking axle is optional on any Ranger but they only have the small skidplates up front and one conveniently located so you have to remove it to drain the oil. My STX 4x4 does not have skidplates on the transfer case, power steering, and fuel tank.

I'd have to look again but I know my Ranger has an oil pan and steering rack skid plate with the rear locker. Not sure on gas tank or transfer case but the transfer case doesn't sit very low so you'd bottom out on the subframe first or rip the exhaust off before you hit the TC.


Still, $420 for the locker versus $1300 for the gas tank skid plate and TM?

 

[wanted33]

Totally agree but I came off a '07 King Ranch and my '91 ranger with well over 300k miles so I was quite surprised at how well the new Ranger rides . My wife has been in Mercedes SUVs since '89 and she doesn't not like the ride

That's it Benny. It's what we get used too, and adapting to a chance takes awhile.

 

[JohnnyO]

I'd have to look again but I know my Ranger has an oil pan and steering rack skid plate with the rear locker. Not sure on gas tank or transfer case but the transfer case doesn't sit very low so you'd bottom out on the subframe first or rip the exhaust off before you hit the TC.


Still, $420 for the locker versus $1300 for the gas tank skid plate and TM?

Correct, all 4x4 Rangers (and maybe 4x2's, I don't know) have a skid plate for the steering rack and oil pan. The FX4 gets you extra ones for the t-case, gas tank, and power steering pump. If I was getting one to seriously off-road I'd go without the FX4 but with the rear locker and add a better suspension and ARB skidplates on my own.
My 4x4 STX does not have a rear locker, I would have got one if I'd ordered it, but it was a 2020 I got in April with 5000 miles and it was 95% of what I would have ordered anyway including the color and too good a deal to pass up. I don't go off-roading anymore anyway, I just have a 4x4 for getting around in the winter and slippery boat ramps. I got around fine in my old Sport Trac for 13 years without a limited-slip (was no longer available) and with 4x4 and traction control. Frankly in deep snow I'd turn the traction control off because I didn't like the way it jerked you around.

 

[McLeadslinger]

Ride quality is subjective.

I thought my FX4 rode pretty good. That was until I went with Eibach Pro adj coilovers and shocks. Now it feels amazing

 

[SOHK_Alumni]

The only thing that the FX4 gets you is terrain management, which can be added for less than $100 with Forescan. My 4x4 STX with a rear locker has steel skid plates on everything underneath.

Not sure about that: FX shocks and at least on my wife's, different rear springs accompany the other more obvious FX4 features.

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