Questions about rear leaf springs and hard ride

DrCharles

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My '93 F250 4WD rides really really hard when empty. I mean, bouncing off the headliner. My kidneys and fillings sure notice it on our potholed, washboarded dirt roads. It has the 6084 lb (GAWR) Sterling axle.

I checked the rear leaf springs and they are 4+1 leaves with 2-1/4" total thickness, and what looks like a stock 2" lift block. According to this table:

https://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf_Springs_Ford_F250_1980_1997_s/1870.htm

those are 2810 lb (each) springs, which should also be stock. The door sticker says spring code 94A but I can't find any info on that code.

I've noticed that the bed looks slightly twisted, too. The right rear sits higher than the left rear but there is no obviously broken leaf on the left side.

What else should I be looking for? Possibly frozen shocks? :dunno
thanks for any help.
 

noddaz

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Rides ok with weight in the bed?
Leave some bags of sand in the bed.
 

DrCharles

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Actually I haven't hauled anything heavy with it yet. Biggest load so far has been 280 lb of scrap metal ;)

I'm sure it will be smoother with a half-ton or more, but that also costs in terms of fuel, clutch and brake wear. Meanwhile I just try to get to paved roads as soon as I can!
 

gandalf

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I put 2500 pound overload springs on my '86 F250 in an attempt to make it handle better with the big cabover camper. That thing is heavy. Handling was still rather squirrley, but the ride was okay. Without the weight of that heavy camper in the bed, that truck rode like a proverbial truck. I might as well have mounted the axle directly to the frame, not bothered with springs.
 

chillman88

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There's a couple guys on here that SWEAR by bilstein shock absorbers. I plan on trying them but I haven't had the money.

My F350 rides pretty decent, but I haven't been on REALLY crappy roads, and mine's 2wd which means coil springs in the front.

Any idea how old your shocks might be? If they're more rust than metal I'd deem it worth changing them anyway.
 

DrCharles

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Those shocks very well might be original ;) And they're definitely not pretty.

I don't think I want to spend the money on Bilsteins either. What's the best bang for the buck... or at least second best?

Without the weight of that heavy camper in the bed, that truck rode like a proverbial truck. I might as well have mounted the axle directly to the frame, not bothered with springs.

That's what mine feels like! The previous owner had a gooseneck ball mounted in the bed, so I'm sure he abused it with heavy trailers, hay bales etc.
I'm thinking of getting a new pair of springs, perhaps the lighter 2400 lb to replace the crooked 2800 lb ones I have now.
 

DrCharles

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Most of the bouncing is from the rear. I had the rears at 55, lowered to 45 and although it was just a little better, not much. Think the fronts are still at 55, with that heavy diesel, batteries and TTB.
Tires are old "Mud Terrain T/A" 265/75-16.
 

david85

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How smooth a ride to you want? How much do you want to spend? You could always bag it (apologies for the annoying host):

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The only truck I drove that handled well on washboard was my 1986 F150. Soft springs, and much softer tires made that possible.

I'm reluctant to drop the pressure below 50 PSI because that is the lowest recommended on the pillar, but also because I frequently drive at 75-80 MPH. But if I'm honest, my truck is a bit of a pavement queen. Even on rare occasions when I did drive on dirt roads, the only real option was to slow down.
 

DrCharles

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How much? Not that much. In fact it's more than I paid for the truck ;)
Looks like nice hardware though.

My county has 1000 miles of dirt/gravel roads. I keep telling myself... low services means low taxes!
 

jpw

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Can try run without shocks for a couple days whether ride improves or gets worse it will help you with a direction to pursue.

worn out ( junkyard ) F150 springs will ride much better, can use most of old stiff spring pack as overloads as needed. They can be fairly quick to install and remove with some extra long ubolts and a couple extra spring plates.

Be careful modifications are a slippery slope, one often leads to 3 and 3 leads to....

But as a client once told me about a Turbocharger upgrade, this is my Vegas!

Some problems with F150 springs may be lower ride height, wheel hop / axle wrap, then the front will be be stiff :) that's a little bit harder to remedy ( traction / anti wrap bar & air bag$).

Simplest to load sand bags or to bolt some scrap plate to bed floor and unlikely you wild notice mpg or brake wear w/ 1k or so.

HTH

J
 

Clb

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Well my 93 runs 70 psi in the rears pullin a 5er....
Unloaded it is not bad at all cheap name brand shocks.
Now my 2x4 88 was a beoch unloaded .
Wasted suspension componnents will bring the suck.
Spring eye bushes,shocks are cheap, if the leafs are sagged and bouncin off the stops maybe try an add a leaf or junkyard bastardized diy packs.
My front ttb junk was flat sagged out new packs barley lifted it(ttb bushes need to be done to get the ride height back) 3/8" up travel will bring the suck also.
Hit the stickies and tech section for some reading, but the fix is gunna be $$$ spent and labor done on it.
 

chillman88

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I don't think I want to spend the money on Bilsteins either. What's the best bang for the buck... or at least second best?

I don't know if they have them for your F250 but I really liked the KYB MonoMax shocks I had on my Chevy. I found KYB "Excel-G" on clearance and put them on my F350. Not excellent but no complaints either. I think they are a pretty soft shock compared to the MonoMax.
 

austin92

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I mainly drive my 83 f350 but sometimes drive my 96 f150. Both single cab long bed. Both trucks I run 30psi rear unless I’m towing and I honestly can’t tell any difference in the ride. I also know nothing about the shocks on either of them but I do want to put bilstiens on.


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