My X too bouncy and rough on the road

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Wassa everyone, ok, first of all I have a 98X Eddie Bauer Series that I just bought 2 weeks ago, now I've noticed since this past Friday my truck tends to bounce to much on the road. It's like it can't touch a pothole or a bump on the road cause my X will go all bouncy and my head will to.

What can be causing my X to be to bouncy and rough? I just had the upper ball joints changed last week since I took my truck to "Just Tires" to check the alignment on it and they told me I couldn't do an alignment cause of the upper ball joints. I had them fixed and got the wheel alignment and balance on the wheels. But my ride is still bouncy. If anyone has had this kind of problem let me know....

........ I noticed driving my dads '02 Dodge Durango R/T feels waaaaaaaaaay smooth on the road and a very nice response on the road. I wish I could smoothin it out like my dads ride.

Aight Peace

 

[aldive]

You might want to replace the shocks.

 

[Greddy X-Plorer]

Yeah, i said that to myself to but I asked my dealer if I needed new shocks and they told me no that the shocks were fine. I don't know what else could be the problem. Any other suggestions?

 

[msmith65]

FWIW, tires affect the ride and handling significantly.

Do you have all-terrain tires? I do, and they're hard as rocks.

I plan to switch to something milder because my X never goes off road, and we almost never have snow here.

 

[spta97]

Don't trust the dealer. How many miles do you have? My 2000 AWD had 30K and my shocks were shot. Try the bounce test - bounce on each corner for a few times and see how many bounces it takes to stop once you let go. It should bounce right back - otherwise you need new shocks. If it does bounce back, the shocks may still be bad.

If you are a DIYer on a budget go to Autozone and pick up the Gabrial VSTs (also called Ultras). They are $100 for the set and if you are handy you can bang it out in an afternoon. I did that on mine and my ride changed dramatically. I no longer fear potholes the way I used to.

The other thing to check is your tire pressure. I run at 35 PSI which is kinda high and rougher because I want tire life and better gas mileage and handling. The factory I think is 30 which will help the roughness but not the bounciness.

Also, try not to compare it to the Durango. I hate to say it but the Durango has a much nicer ride. I leased one in 99 and it was much smoother than the X is on the road. I really like that truck but mechanically it was a big POS that left me stranded on several occasions.

 

[msmith65]

I drove a Durango before buying my Explorer. The Durango seems to be a heavier vehicle; it certainly gets lousy gas mileage. But it does ride smoother. Alas, I couldn't find one in my price range, as they're all too new.

 

[Greddy X-Plorer]

msmith, I have Michelin MTX, which came with the ride when I bought it. I though the same thing to about maybe the tires being rough as well. I just don't want to spend on new tires knowing that my tires are still in good condition

spta97, I have 75K on my X, I will go to AutoZone later this afternoon to get those shocks. Yeah, the Durango is a much nicer ride, I drive my dads Durango once in a while and what a HUGE difference. Even though it eats gas like crazy but it's response on the accelerator is awesome and the rumble on the motor sounds like a pure dodge, I love driving it a lot, also my dads got the R/T version the 5.9L engine, it's hooked up, from chrome rims to leather seats and a nice wine red. ;o)

 

[tweakedlogic]

You might want to go and get your tires checked for roundness. while your there, have your shocks changed. it couldn't hurt. and for $100 you can't justify not doing it.
I've had my truck two weeks and the shocks are going on Saturday. My new tires amplified the fact I needed them.