Suspension - Ride Quality

[raw92378]

I live in Washington, DC and if any of you have been here you know that the streets here are horrible. I love my X ('97 Sport 4.0 SOHC), but I need to have a smoother ride when traveling around the city.

Also the X tends to slide when turning if I travel over a bump. It also occasionaly leans to the left (never predictable), about an inch lower than the right loaded or unloaded.

Can anyone give me some recommendations on what to do to improve my ride (smoother - less bumpy ride). Are there any products (shocks, leafs, sway bar, etc.) that will be better than others for this?

Thanks.

raw92378@aol.com

 

[X~FACTOR]

It's time to get new shocks. Do a search on Edelbrock IAS, Beilsten, Gabriel VST, Monroes, and there are others I can't think of right now.

Sway bars on the otherhand won't help in smoothing out the rough roads. They just help you corner better.

Leaf Springs, hmmm, I read once that if you take a leaf each from both sides, it'll give you a softer ride. I don't know anyone here who has done that though.

 

[raw92378]

Thanks for the response....

Would you recommend on manufacture over the other? What about Edelbrock IAS vs. Monroe shocks - is there a big difference? Also is this a job that is I can complete myself or will the entire truck need to be lifted?

Thanks again!

 

[InspectoRob]

I bought Gabriel VST's last year. They were easy to install in theory, but the bolts were real corroded and sheared off etc. etc. and it became a pretty involved job in the end.

I bought the Gabriels for 3 reasons:
#1 - Price ($20 each at pep boys)
#2 - Guarantee, they have a lifetime replacement guarantee
#3 - They are basic gas shocks with variable valving - similar to the $80ea. units, but with less pressure and a softer ride than most of the hardcore units (bilstein,KYB etc.)

The ride is firmer than my old, useless, worn out shocks (had 170000 miles), but pretty good on rough roads as you described. One thing though - they rust on the exterior, so if you want "pretty" shocks, go with someone else, or maybe paint over them before installing.

One more thing to try, run your tires at about 30 to 35 psi.. More or less depending on the type & brand etc.. You may want to start by 5 psi below the amt. printed on the side of the tire and then in a few days drop a few more if it didn't help enough. Do not go too low! and make sure they are all equal. This will lower your "performance" on road and lower your gas mileage and tire life slightly, but it is a trade off for the smoother ride. For highway or if you find it "wallowy" at all, you should restore tire pressure to amt. on side of tire.

Rob

 

[InspectoRob]

It also occasionaly leans to the left (never predictable), about an inch lower than the right loaded or unloaded.

Usually the right is lower due to the torque of the driveshaft.
The original gas shock on the left may be shot, but the right one still has some charge. New shocks would fix that problem. Also check your left leaf spring and bushings very carefully for cracks or damage. If either of these are the problem, it would really cause the unstable handling.

Rob

 

[raw92378]

thanks!

 

[Rhett]

raw923 there is a ton of comparisons between Edelbrock IAS and Monroes here, do search for them. Both will outperform stock shocks in both ride quality and handling. My experience with Edelbrocks (2 1/2 years) is that they are firm and are good in the handling department but somewhat lacking in the ride quality area. Keep in mind--the front suspensions of my truck vs. your truck are quite different so any comparisons there are probably off. I hear few complaints about Edelbrock IAS from 2nd or 3rd Generation (95+) Explorer owners.