Ride Quality?

[Floyd]

But Atlanta drivers are dumb. Just plain dumb! I can say this because I live here. I avoid driving to Atlanta like the plague, but in the metro areas where I live and work, people are selfish drivers or distracted drivers.

Some of the ridiculous behavior I get to suffer:
-Pulling out into the intersection while the light is green, then getting stuck in the intersection when the light is red blocking the intersection for everybody else.
-Sitting through light cycles playing on the phone.
-Cutting people off because it's more convenient.
(I had an un-marked Ford Ranger as my work vehicle, with police lights, sirens, radio, etc.. I got cut off while I was on my way home from work in a construction zone. The guy almost put me in the concrete barrier but panic braking saved the day. I pull the driver over and the guy says, "Well I didn't know you were a cop!" Too which I replied, "So it was okay to cut me off when you thought I wasn't a cop?")

I can't wait to move to the Caribbean!

I just make sure I have a full tank of fuel and a full Dr Pepper, then I just sit in traffic and stick to I-75.
I only buy fuel in rural areas.

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[Dr. Zaius]

But Atlanta drivers are dumb. Just plain dumb! I can say this because I live here. I avoid driving to Atlanta like the plague, but in the metro areas where I live and work, people are selfish drivers or distracted drivers.

Some of the ridiculous behavior I get to suffer:
-Pulling out into the intersection while the light is green, then getting stuck in the intersection when the light is red blocking the intersection for everybody else.
-Sitting through light cycles playing on the phone.
-Cutting people off because it's more convenient.
(I had an un-marked Ford Ranger as my work vehicle, with police lights, sirens, radio, etc.. I got cut off while I was on my way home from work in a construction zone. The guy almost put me in the concrete barrier but panic braking saved the day. I pull the driver over and the guy says, "Well I didn't know you were a cop!" Too which I replied, "So it was okay to cut me off when you thought I wasn't a cop?")

I can't wait to move to the Caribbean!

Instant Karma!

Driving 400 south near Alpharetta and there was a kid in a riced out Civic weaving through traffic like Fast and Furious. Left lane was occupied by a dark blue Impala with black wheels (not suspicious at all, right?) and the Civic guy rode right on his rear until there was enough of a gap in front of me to whip into my lane and zoom by. Of course the lights came on and my trip to the airport was a bit merrier after witnessing such justice.

 

[rang19ca]

Instant Karma!

Driving 400 south near Alpharetta and there was a kid in a riced out Civic weaving through traffic like Fast and Furious. Left lane was occupied by a dark blue Impala with black wheels (not suspicious at all, right?) and the Civic guy rode right on his rear until there was enough of a gap in front of me to whip into my lane and zoom by. Of course the lights came on and my trip to the airport was a bit merrier after witnessing such justice.

I bet the Civic had a fart can and a formula 1 wing.

 

[MrAnalog]

The problem is not roll stiffness, but roll damping. My FX4 corners flat (stiffness), but if I hit a bump on one side, the truck will rock 4-5 times before settling down (damping). Depending on the road, it can be nauseating. I test drove the FX4 and the 4WD, and found them both to have the same problem.

I'm not an expert on shocks, but I believe that the valving is the problem.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I bet the Civic had a fart can and a formula 1 wing.

Nope, just the fartpipe.

And of course the tires that looked like this /---\

The way he was driving I'm guessing the wing fell off at some point.

 

[mustang marty]

Is this problem exclusively a 4WD issue?
My 2WD STX SuperCab doesn't exhibit any ride quality issues.
I'm guessing the things which make the 4WD better suited to off pavement also make it less suited to on road performance.
What say you all?

I own the same truck model you have . Just notice when driving in dark headlight projections vibrate all over the place on the slightest bumps . So I assume front shocks suck ? Or are the leafs causing this ?

 

[Racket]

Having read through this and chuckling a bit - and thinking of my experience after 6+ months of mixed driving - for my personal ride I would like to get some type of sway bar improvement up front, some different shock treatment in the back and different tires/pressure adjustments to tweak things. My Lariat has replaced a sedan and is my daily driver but I want/need that truck functionality.

The bonus is the somewhat 'hot rod' capability that this truck has as a bonus while I try to convince myself of what an economical long term value it's going to be.

Who am I kidding? ? I really enjoy my little truck.

 

[Floyd]

I own the same truck model you have . Just notice when driving in dark headlight projections vibrate all over the place on the slightest bumps . So I assume front shocks suck ? Or are the leafs causing this ?

I really haven't had that problem on my truck, but that does remind me of my 2001 Ranger which had the driving lights mounted in the plastic valance below the bumper, I had to add bracing back to the core support to solve the ridiculous wobble of the lights. Perfect solution! That wasn't a chassis issue.
Are you running 35PSI all around? I actually run 37PSI cold on 17" Bridgestone Duelers.

This is actually the first Ranger which I have owned which I didn't feel the need to improve both stock tires and shocks upon delivery.

 

[mustang marty]

I really haven't had that problem on my truck, but that does remind me of my 2001 Ranger which had the driving lights mounted in the plastic valance below the bumper, I had to add bracing back to the core support to solve the ridiculous wobble of the lights. Perfect solution! That wasn't a chassis issue.
Are you running 35PSI all around? I actually run 37PSI cold on 17" Bridgestone Duelers.

This is actually the first Ranger which I have owned which I didn't feel the need to change both stock tires and shocks upon delivery.

I am running 30 psi in all four . In my old ranger , I could could corner at 40 mph no problem in town driving . This 19 version I am not sure of yet . I flew around my corner street and the brakes ( driver controls ) braked me right down . AT THE TIME I SAID WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT !

 

[Floyd]

I am running 30 psi in all four . In my old ranger , I could could corner at 40 mph no problem in town driving . This 19 version I am not sure of yet . I flew around my corner street and the brakes ( driver controls ) braked me right down . AT THE TIME I SAID WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT !

Check your door card and maybe increase your tire pressure? Mine recommends 35 on all corners(2WD).

 

[TexasTruck]

We had an FX4 for about 8 months before getting involved in a crash and totaling it. The FX4 is pretty bouncy especially when towing, but then the shocks are designed for off road use. We replaced our original with a 2 wheel drive and the ride is much firmer but not harsh. The 2 wheel drive handles the tow load quite a bit Better with less bounce Than the FX4.

I agree with Jerry here. Our Ranger is also 2WD that replaced my wife's '14 Jeep JKU. I was hesitant on the 2WD, mainly because of resale value (she doesn't offload). We test drove an FX4 (a few times) and while my wife didn't notice, I could feel more roll and jousting on uneven/whoop-de-doo roads above 25MPH than the 2WD; all traits of the different suspensions. You could swap the springs/shocks on a 4WD for a stiffer ride, but that sorta defeats the purpose of that suspension. Ford added Live Valve adjustable shocks to stiffen the ride on the 19/20 Ford Raptor now, I wonder why.... have you ever seen a Raptor towing a load.... the wider stance helps with stability with that "Cali" nose high look ;-)

I did hookup our boat (~4000lbs) to checkout the Ranger towing on a 5 mile circuit. Apples and oranges, but the 2WD Ranger rode better than my '18 F150 FX4. My FX4 has way more bounce with the same boat. All subjective to your seat-o-pants meter, but I hope this helps.

 

[Glocker]

I agree with Jerry here. Our Ranger is also 2WD that replaced my wife's '14 Jeep JKU. I was hesitant on the 2WD, mainly because of resale value (she doesn't offload). We test drove an FX4 (a few times) and while my wife didn't notice, I could feel more roll and jousting on uneven/whoop-de-doo roads above 25MPH than the 2WD; all traits of the different suspensions. You could swap the springs/shocks on a 4WD for a stiffer ride, but that sorta defeats the purpose of that suspension. Ford added Live Valve adjustable shocks to stiffen the ride on the 19/20 Ford Raptor now, I wonder why.... have you ever seen a Raptor towing a load.... the wider stance helps with stability with that "Cali" nose high look ;-)

I did hookup our boat (~4000lbs) to checkout the Ranger towing on a 5 mile circuit. Apples and oranges, but the 2WD Ranger rode better than my '18 F150 FX4. My FX4 has way more bounce with the same boat. All subjective to your seat-o-pants meter, but I hope this helps.

I think my situation is great because I'm coming out of a 22 year old 5.0 Explorer. The FX4 Ranger is a huge improvement!

I can't wait to tow my boat with it!

 

[TexasTruck]

I think my situation is great because I'm coming out of a 22 year old 5.0 Explorer. The FX4 Ranger is a huge improvement!

I can't wait to tow my boat with it!

Wow! I thought I had the last one on the planet I had a '91 with a six and a four speed, drove it for 220K miles.... When you go to tow with your Ranger, you'll notice right off the bat, when you leave a stop, it just goes off the line. The combination of the 1st and 2nd gear (very low in the 10 speed tranny), the low end torque with the 2.3L, puts the torque curve right where you need it for towing. Even on the ramp, it just pulls the boat right out.

 

[Tangent]

The stock suspension is very soft and "bouncy" to the point where "The Ranger Bounce" was a thing.

This is to give it a more comfortable ride on roads. It sucks, but its not anything HUGELY detrimental.

I'm going to upgrade to the Fox Stage 1 kit when I get the spare cash, specifically to get rid of that bounce. You hit a wavy part of the highway and it's borderline a safety hazard.

 

[outdoorphotog]

The stock suspension is very soft and "bouncy" to the point where "The Ranger Bounce" was a thing.

This is to give it a more comfortable ride on roads. It sucks, but its not anything HUGELY detrimental.

I'm going to upgrade to the Fox Stage 1 kit when I get the spare cash, specifically to get rid of that bounce. You hit a wavy part of the highway and it's borderline a safety hazard.

Just out of curiosity what air pressure are you running?

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