next after Upper Stableloads? Jittery ride on rough pavement

[LosAngeles]

Hi all - we have a 2020 F350 SRW gasser crew cab, 8’ bed…. and a 2020 Hallmark 9.5’.

We and fully loaded the whole rig weights 11,300 lbs

On smooth pavement the ride is very, very good. We have the Upper Stableloads
and the highest Ford leaf springs are very slightly engaged always.
(and we do NOT want to get Lower Stableloads under any circumstance)

However on mediocre paved roads the ride is pretty “jittery” for lack of a better word.

If I was to do something to try to smooth out the jitters when on rough paving (hopefully without making the very good ride on smooth pavement any worse!) … what would the next step be?

Thanks.

 

[Wango]

Hi,
i have a similar setup, and also use stable loads. I have them on all of my superdutys that have had campers.
Not really sure what you mean by jittery, but can tell you that from personal experience weight or lack of could be a problem.
My current setup would ride a little light in the rear end if the camper wasn't fully loaded.
When it was time to change shocks, i went with adjustable ones so i could make changes according to road conditions and weight.
My daily/work truck is a 2016 dually and empty that thing will kill you on corrugated surfaces.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[LosAngeles]

Thanks

The camper is always on.... and I believe it is pretty evenly loaded. (I should dig up the scale measurements... i recall it was pretty even front to back)

Someone very knowledgeable suggested and recommended Sumo Springs.. I am thinking that SumoSprings on the *front* would help smooth out pavement bumps. Makes sense to me.

and we have StableLoads on the rear and we LOVE how it rides on smooth pavement, (just like a big car) so I don't want to remove the rear StableLoads.

thanks.

 

[LosAngeles]

Update: the author of this review is Mellow Mike and he seems to really know Truck Campers.

He was skeptical about front SumoSprings but read the review

And how our rig feels I think it is worth the $200 to buy them on the front. . Really easy no drill install

https://www.truckcamperadventure.com/sumospring-installation-report-and-review/

 

[WillTheThri11]

How did it ride at that weight without the stableloads? Were those really necessary on the F-350?

Sounds like you have the weight carrying capacity figured out to your liking but damping is the issue. How old/worn are your shocks?

Also keep in mind dampers are meant to keep the tires on the ground not necessarily to make the ride more comfortable for the passengers. Digressive-valved shocks get a lot of good reviews on passenger ride quality but I think the linear shocks are better at staying connected to the ground.

 

[LosAngeles]

How did it ride at that weight without the stableloads? Were those really necessary on the F-350?

Sounds like you have the weight carrying capacity figured out to your liking but damping is the issue. How old/worn are your shocks?

Also keep in mind dampers are meant to keep the tires on the ground not necessarily to make the ride more comfortable for the passengers. Digressive-valved shocks get a lot of good reviews on passenger ride quality but I think the linear shocks are better at staying connected to the ground.

For reasons I can't go into.. I'm not able to change the shocks at the moment

it is a 2020 F350 so shocks are new.

The rear upper StableLoads went on when the camper did... and no need for me to remove them....as on good pavement the rig is pretty great.... so I have not driven it without them. No need, i think.

The front is a little "loose" and the mildest + softest (blue) SumoSprings would always be a little engaged in the front (I measured, and spoke with them twice) and so far i think they may be the best next step, to slightly soften / dampen the front end.

Mellow Mike's Truck Camper review of the Sumo Springs was very positive... especially on the improvements the same blue (softest) SumoSprings made.

thanks

 

[WillTheThri11]

OK, so it's actually the front end that feels "jittery" or you can't tell if it's the front or back?

Keep in mind sumo springs are springs not dampers and the two do entirely different things for your suspension. I would think Sumo Springs would only be a consideration if you thought you were bottoming prematurely or if the travel of the suspension during compression were excessive. Keep in mind those will act like a progressive spring....the bigger the bump, the harder they will kick back on rebound. This makes the shocks do more work. In simple terms, shocks slow the springs down, springs determine ride height and suspension travel characteristics

The camper has likely added very little weight to your front axle. I don't think Sumo springs would do a whole lot on the front axle without additional weight up there. Firestone (or other brand) airbags will give you the adjustability of all the different sumo spring options in one (albeit more expensive) package. I'd strongly suggest going to a truck scale if you haven't already to determine how much extra load you actually have on the front (and rear) axle.

Have you tried using 4wd even when you don't think you need it on these roads? I've found that 4wd makes the vehicle feel much more planted, smooth and under control even on decently graded dirt roads.

 

[LosAngeles]

.....The camper has likely added very little weight to your front axle. I don't think Sumo springs would do a whole lot on the front axle without additional weight up there. ...... I'd strongly suggest going to a truck scale if you haven't already to determine how much extra load you actually have on the front (and rear) axle....

Incorrect. The camper has added a substantial amount of weight to the front axle.

As I mentioned above: "The camper is always on.... and I believe it is pretty evenly loaded. (I should dig up the scale measurements... i recall it was pretty even front to back)

 

[Beach]

Have you tried adjusting tire pressure?

 

[LosAngeles]

Have you tried adjusting tire pressure?

Nope... i run the tires at what Ford suggests. I prefer to do this.

and ... from how it feels when cornering on pavement, it does not feel, to me, that different tire pressure would make things any better.

thanks though.

 

[rubberlegs]

I think the Sumosprings have a little damping. Not like a shock absorber of course, but also not like steel springs. Anyway you need to weigh each axle before doing anything. On our much smaller setup, all extra weight is on the rear axle. If your weight is too far back, you might even be unloading the front.