What the #$%^ is wrong with my Ranger?

Cerwin D. Vega

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I did not pick up on this during the test drive.

The drive quality is horrid. Every little bump on my daily commute is magnified. Bumps i never knew existed rock the truck side to side and whip my head back and forth. My head has become an energy dissipation device. This is as bad if not worse than previous generation Ford Rangers I have owned. I need help in figuring this one our, or i may have to chalk it up as a POS and trade it in; good frigging grief!

XLT Supercab 4x4 Sport

Yes the tire pressure was taken care of by the dealership I dropped it further from 38 to 30 psi.
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I did not pick up on this during the test drive.

The drive quality is horrid. Every little bump on my daily commute is magnified. Bumps i never knew existed rock the truck side to side and whip my head back and forth. My head has become an energy dissipation device. This is as bad if not worse than previous generation Ford Rangers I have owned. I need help in figuring this one our, or i may have to chalk it up as a POS and trade it in; good frigging grief!

XLT Supercab 4x4 Sport

Yes the tire pressure was taken care of by the dealership I dropped it further from 38 to 30 psi.

Something definitely doesn't sound right with your truck. I would take it to the dealer and potentially compare it to other ones they have on the lot.
 

tgRanger

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Something definitely doesn't sound right with your truck. I would take it to the dealer and potentially compare it to other ones they have on the lot.
Exactly.. go back to the dealership, see if they have any on the lot, most do now and take it for a drive. You’ll know then and there what your next move will be.
 

chasvs

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I don't think it's anything special about your truck. The suspension on my 4x2 Lariat Sport is a bit bouncy and a bit more active than my 2017 Tacoma TRD OR 4x4. It's a bit more lightly sprung (or maybe it's the shocks) but it does provided for a lively ride over bumps, That said, it's no POS and I love it overall!
 
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mike

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I did not pick up on this during the test drive.

The drive quality is horrid. Every little bump on my daily commute is magnified. Bumps i never knew existed rock the truck side to side and whip my head back and forth. My head has become an energy dissipation device. This is as bad if not worse than previous generation Ford Rangers I have owned. I need help in figuring this one our, or i may have to chalk it up as a POS and trade it in; good frigging grief!

XLT Supercab 4x4 Sport

Yes the tire pressure was taken care of by the dealership I dropped it further from 38 to 30 psi.
It's been mentioned elsewhere, especially in the suspension forum that this truck "wallows". I feel it as well. Some folks here are looking to install sway bars and maybe some upgraded shocks to tighten it up. I've just learned to drive it slower and smoother. There is enough annoying about this truck that I doubt I'm keeping more than 2 or 3 years so just going to deal with all the quirks.
 


WLFPIR8

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I've come from a Subaru WRX. This truck is def a better ride than the car, and not as tight as my fathers Honda Pilot. Honestly, I have the exact issue, all the bumps I felt with the WRX are gone. lol
 

Msfitoy

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That doesn't sound right. You didn't mention what type of road conditions you travel on. I find my Ranger riding exceptionally well compared with my wife's Explorer. It feels light and reactive compared to her truck's bloated feel. The only time I experience something like what you describe is when I take a short cut off the parking lot curb:giggle: Though I'm running 285s at around 35psi.
 

NOVA_Ranger

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After 4k miles mine seems to ride more like a SUV than a truck. Not sure what you have going on but I wouldn’t describe mine as riding rough, especially for a truck. Good luck!
 

Maltese

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I found going to a heavier tire, Load E, made the truck calm down a whole lot. Also it drives way better when loaded, because it is a truck. Also, what is your tire pressure, I found 33 to be to low, but above 40 to be too high. Another thing that helped was to go with a higher psi in the front than rear to make the truck a little more comfortable.

I've had to do similar "tuning" to my wrx to get it just right for my conditions as well as every other vehicle I've run.
 
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Cerwin D. Vega

Cerwin D. Vega

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Well thank you for all of the replies. All road types; even slow speed in parking lots.

I took it to the dealership. They are looking at it. During the test drives I found the tested trucks to be as described in reviews. This is different.

On the way home from the dealership just now driving my wife's truck over the same types of streets I find her truck to react to the bumps and dips in a manner where the energy does not get transmitted to my head. Sure my head moves, but it does not feel like the end of a whip. Not trying to exaggerate with that comment, just trying to explain the final roll is at my head, where in all other trucks the final wave of energy occurs before my spine and head, and the movement of energy through my body is considered secondary by me.

I have driven 4 different trucks over the same roads over the last several years. At work I drove either an f1-50 or a ram for the past 12 years, I have driven my old Colorado and my wifes Canyon over the last several years. I know how trucks drive and feel. Loaded and unloaded.
 
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Floyd

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what tire ? what pressure? 4WD?
 

User79

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Mine was fairly bouncy for about 500 or so miles then it started to smooth out. I'm at 2500 miles now & it does much better over the bumpy sections of road construction I drive through on a daily basis. It still has some bounce but nothing close to annoying or head rattling.

The Colorado/canyon on-road handling is rated better than the ranger by most critics so it may never be what you are use to but it does sound like smthg is wrong with yours.
 
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Cerwin D. Vega

Cerwin D. Vega

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Well i am happy to say i have found a way to get some relief. I put a clamp on the left side of the seat back to squeeze the side wing compressing it enough that the seat side wings are no longer snug against me. This allows that energy from the sway and suspension to better dissipate before it gets to my head and is now tertiary; as it should be. With the other things that i am going to implement toward ride quality, I should be ok.
 

Floyd

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Well i am happy to say i have found a way to get some relief. I put a clamp on the left side of the seat back to squeeze the side wing compressing it enough that the seat side wings are no longer snug against me. This allows that energy from the sway and suspension to better dissipate before it gets to my head and is now tertiary; as it should be. With the other things that i am going to implement toward ride quality, I should be ok.
I love the seats in my TC,... they are narrower and firmer and have more pronounced bolsters than the Ranger.
The Ranger feels like a luxury car in comparison, a bit cushy with just enough side support.
Mine tracks very well considering that it is not actually a sports car.
It has the smoothest ride of any Ranger ever built.
This whole thread is perplexing to me and for the most part is contrary to my experience on every point.
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