Do all HD pickups ride rough?

   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #1  

ericm979

Super Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
5,672
Location
Santa Cruz Mountains CA, Southern OR
Tractor
Branson 3725H Deere 5105
I haven't driven a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup since the '80s. My trucks have been 1/2 tons or less. I test drove a recent model Chevy 3/4 ton today. It was nice but I felt every bump. I realize the extra carrying capacity requires stiffer springs but it rode stiffer than I expected. Do all modern HD trucks ride like that? My Tundra's not smooth for sure but has more compliance. The Chevy had a tire pressure monitor and the tires were at 58-60. Do people lower the tire pressure when running unladen?
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #2  
Diesel? If the rear tires were at 60 without a load it'll make it ride rough, if you look at the door tag there is usually a loaded and unloaded tire pressure for the rear. Still going to be a rougher ride then a 1/2 ton, but lowering the rear tire pressure helps a lot.
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #4  
3/4 and 1 ton trucks not only have stiffer springs, they come with 10 ply tires with very stiff sidewalls - plus the tires are also aired up to 60 to 80 psi. I have both a 3500 and a Ford F150 and the difference is a noticeably better ride on the F150 - even though the payload of the F150 is essentially 2000 lb (1 ton!). Half tons are designed to give a better ride and it is very evident. On the other hand, that soft pillowy ride of the F150 makes for a white-knuckle ride when towing heavy or pulling a tall trailer that catches a lot of wind. Why I have the 3500.
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #5  
I haven't driven a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup since the '80s. My trucks have been 1/2 tons or less. I test drove a recent model Chevy 3/4 ton today. It was nice but I felt every bump. I realize the extra carrying capacity requires stiffer springs but it rode stiffer than I expected. Do all modern HD trucks ride like that? My Tundra's not smooth for sure but has more compliance. The Chevy had a tire pressure monitor and the tires were at 58-60. Do people lower the tire pressure when running unladen?

What are you looking for your truck to do? Any specific jobs or tasks you have planned?

I guess we all have a different seat-o-meter to measure from so ride is pretty subjective. I've driven solid front axle (SFA) 4wd trucks all my life so to me the difference of ride is very noticeable when a truck is is un/loaded, tire psi, springs and shocks. Someone who is used to riding in cars, suvs or any luxury vehs will take a much different view of ride.

My current trucks are a 06' 5.9l Ram 2500 4wd SBQC 192k with Thuren softride springs, Fox 2.0 shocks and stock rear leaves. The other is a stock 07.5 6.7l 3500 Short Bed Mega Cab 4wd w rear overloads and Bilstein 4600s and 262k. Both trucks ride great and I'd put them against any other out there.

Trucks these days have huge differences in equipment from coils, to leaves to Independent Front Suspension (IFS) to solid front axle (SFA). Ride is subjective.

As to your question, the trucks ride different. I can feel it with just an adult passenger and weekend camping gear on board.

When unloaded I ride both trucks' tire psi at 63front/57 rear. Loaded it's 63front/6e-65rear. Rear psi unloaded DOES make a noticeable change. I Cat scale my trucks every now and then. My 06 stock was 4500 front/2700 rear. Superlight rear so any change in balance/weight is noticeable. As is the psi. Think of it like ballast/balance/weight transfer in the tractor when you do adjustments to rear ballast, front loader weights or tire ballast. It all affects the handling. With a higher psi in the rear unloaded the truck tends to bounce around and skitter or grab tire groves. Not comfortable.

I'm a Ram/Cummins owner- always have been. There's lots of GM/DuraMax or Ford/Powerstroke owners have the same type of knowledge and driving experiences to draw from. I don't change/buy vehicles every few years. I don't have vehicle payments and I keep my vehicles for a long, long time. So, my perspective my be very different.

IMO the current/newer great riding trucks are why the work figures/expectations of trucks have decreased. If you think a modern truck rides rough, you might be disappointed in trucks altogether. My feelings are that modern trucks have gotten soft at the expense of capacity and broadening the scope of owners. This era of new trucks, of all brands, have gotten much softer than trucks of the past.

I think if you purchased a pickup truck that was right for you, and you drove around for it a while, you wouldn't even notice the ride. You just have to get acclimated, like changes in seasons.
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #6  
Well our 2019 F350 4WD SRW LB CC rides much smoother than our 2006 version did yet has a higher payload and tow capacity. This is achieved with different spring rates and more use of the secondary/helper spring pack in the rear.
I would say it rides better than 1/2 ton 4WD pickups of 20 years ago.
It has a lot more sag when the Toyhauler is put on the hitch until the Weight distribution bars are installed.
PSI is 60 front 80 rear for max capacity, I often run 60 frt and rear when I know I'm not hauling or towing anything for a little better ride empty.
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #7  
Yes 2500/3500 and up trucks ride rougher than the 1/2 ton trucks.

However, the newer trucks ride much better than those same class trucks of the mid 80s and earlier.

My 97 GMC K3500 rode really well for a one ton I thought.

However, now I have a 2500 Ram that I really like the way it rides due the the rear coil springs. The front is not as good at take bumps as the GM independent front suspension, but unhooking the front sway bar made it less harsh.

Air pressure and the load range E tire both cause a harsher ride. I don’t run the factory setting of 60psi front & 65 psi rear rather I run these psi’s 40f/45r. If you look up load tables for my tires my settings will still carry my +2800 pound payload rating, but if I was going haul or tow heavy I raise the psi back to the factory spec.

This causes the TPMS to stay on unless you change the settings as my preferred psi’s are less than 20% of the factory settings. To fix that you have to use a programmer tool like JScan/AlphOBD (alpha maybe spelled wrong).

There are suspension modes that can also help with the ride, but I am not familiar them and some may compromise load capabilities.

Ram also has rear air ride in their 2500/3500 trucks. I think I would only select the 3500 version as it has both leaf and air bags where the 2500 is just air bags in the rear.

The 3500 versions ride on the air bags until loaded down and then the leaf springs engage.

I have heard good things about the Sulastic shackles for rear leaf spring trucks.

I wank to try some softer bump stops from SuperSprings their SumoSprings (SSF-302-40) these are the fronts, but they have them for the rear too.
These engage a bit sooner and thus lessen the harshness of the engagement. I think this will help low speed harshness for me.
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #8  
My 2006 ram 3500 rides better than my 92 d250. The modern ones are borderline Cadillacs

My 1994 f350 is the roughest riding truck I've ever ridden in or owned.
 
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #9  
I haven't driven a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup since the '80s. My trucks have been 1/2 tons or less. I test drove a recent model Chevy 3/4 ton today. It was nice but I felt every bump. I realize the extra carrying capacity requires stiffer springs but it rode stiffer than I expected. Do all modern HD trucks ride like that? My Tundra's not smooth for sure but has more compliance. The Chevy had a tire pressure monitor and the tires were at 58-60. Do people lower the tire pressure when running unladen?
What was the configuration? A reg cab rides like a ox cart. A crew cab is noticeably better.
I have a 2020 Ram 5500 crew cab 4WD and it actually rides pretty nice. My wife and I drove it on a 1,000 mile trip and about 1/2 way through the trip she said “I’d travel anywhere in this truck”.
I keep my tires slightly deflated. 95PSI is recommended, but I run 85-90 in the rear tires and 80 in the front tires when not towing.
When towing really heavy, I’ll run 95 in the rear tires.
 
Last edited:
   / Do all HD pickups ride rough? #10  
My 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 HD rode like a tank. Dropping the tire pressure from 60 psi to 40 when not hauling helped a bit. I've owned 3 other HD models over the years and they all rode rough.

I don't haul heavy loads anymore, so I replaced the HD with a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. Big difference! Now on long trips, I don't have to stop every hundred miles or so to screw my butt back on.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

AGT H15R Excavator (A41852)
AGT H15R Excavator...
2010 WILCO T/A DRY BULK TRAILER, S/N 1W9AB3920AM257094, 1000 CF CAPACITY, (A40519)
2010 WILCO T/A DRY...
2011 Kubota ZG222 mower (A39160)
2011 Kubota ZG222...
1995 INGERSOLL RAND SD100D 84" SMOOTH DRUM ROLLER, S/N 141336, CANOPY, HOUR METER READS 3896 HRS (A40517)
1995 INGERSOLL...
Frontier RC2084 3pt 7' Mower (A39161)
Frontier RC2084...
2012 John Deere 7130 (A39160)
2012 John Deere...
 
Top