Poor ride quality/Bouncing around

[Bobalos]

Truck question/issue:
As most of you know, I have a 99 Ram, 2500, 2x4, Cummins, Auto. it is up @ 230,000 miles now so Ive replaced just about every consumable on it a couple of times now.

 

I have noticed the last year or so, it bounces down the freeway now. the faster I go the worse it gets. it only happens on Concrete (not on blacktop) & not all concrete, just some.

 

This really seems like this is a shock problem. However I have replaced the shocks (that were not that old) with new ones & the problem is still there. I used to have Bilsteins on there & the previous 2 sets were also Bilsteins. being as its a 2x4 I dont have a lot of options on shocks..........

 

A few years ago I had A-Arm bushings & ball joints replaced, recently I took it to a "truck place" & had Pittman & Idler Arms replaced (& an alignment done). As I suspected that made no difference.

 

The Tires are semi new, & the "truck place" did re-balance them to see if they were out of whack & they were not. So that did not help either. Im still not ruling out the tires...

 

I took it to someone I respect & he looked @ it & did not see anything out of the ordinary. The only thing that looks even a little wonky is these springs.

 

I have a 50 gallon fuel tank in the bed up against the cab. I put 50 gallons of fuel in it (350 Lbs, including tank & pump) & that does not make any difference.

 

1. Could these clamps (on the spring packs) getting lose cause a spring rate change enough that this could cause the problem?

2. on one side the springs are starting to splay out & they are not all in alignment any more (see in circles). should I try to fix that or just leave it alone?

3. One of the springs is moved enough to wear into the clamp, should I try to fix that?

4. Should I just go out & buy a new truck for Christmas??? LOL.

 

 

thanks
Bob.

[Dieselfuture]

The only way your leaf springs would move like that is if your u-bolts were getting loose. Not sure if I would try tighten them up, they may end up snapping off. If they don't look rusty you may give it a shot. And I would make sure your bolts are tight that hold shocks down. Bilstein are good shocks.

[IBMobile]

 

2 hours ago, Bobalos said:

I have noticed the last year or so, it bounces down the freeway now. the faster I go the worse it gets. it only happens on Concrete (not on blacktop) & not all concrete, just some

 

You live in the same county I live in and drive the same roads.  I 've experienced the same thing when driving on different sections of freeways around here.  I attribute it to the lane being beat to death and the road surface uneven by the heavy trucks usage of the road.  I think you drive on interstate 8 more than I am but that road east of El Cajon is bad.   My truck bounces like crazy on north bound interstate 15, just north of the San Diego-Riverside county border and south of the U S Border Patrol checkpoint when I'm in either of the two right lanes.

The right south bound lane of 15 just south of highway 76 was tore up and repaved 2 years ago because it was so bad. 

 

 

[Bobalos]

2 minutes ago, IBMobile said:

 

 

You live in the same county I live in and drive the same roads.  I 've experienced the same thing when driving on different sections of freeways around here.  I attribute it to the lane being beat to death and the road surface uneven by the heavy trucks usage of the road.  I think you drive on interstate 8 more than I am but that road east of El Cajon is bad.   My truck bounces like crazy on north bound interstate 15, just north of the San Diego-Riverside county border and south of the U S Border Patrol checkpoint when I'm in either of the two right lanes.

The right south bound lane of 15 just south of highway 76 was tore up and repaved 2 years ago because it was so bad. 

 

 

Agreed.  & some parts are worse/better than others.  the thing is that it is getting worse.  the amount of bouncing is getting worse on the same section of road & its now bouncing on parts that it did not used to bounce on before.  its VERY much like the shocks are worn out or the tires have flat spots...  

 

7 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

The only way your leaf springs would move like that is if your u-bolts were getting loose. Not sure if I would try tighten them up, they may end up snapping off. If they don't look rusty you may give it a shot. And I would make sure your bolts are tight that hold shocks down. Bilstein are good shocks.

Im with you on that.  I almost loosened them up & tightened them back down & thought "what if one of these 20 year old bolts breaks......... how am I going to get to work".  LOL.  

 

I thought the first set of Bilsteins was good, the second set did not last for **** & they gave me a TON of **** about their warranty.  that is why I bought the monroe's (or whatever is on there now).  

I would really like to try another set of tires on the truck to see if that might be it.  I need to talk with my neighbor & see if I cant borrow the wheels/tires off of his Chevy.  

 

[NIsaacs]

How much air are in the tires? They appear to have too much, looking at the wear mark in the picture.

[Bobalos]

I have tried everything from 40 to 80 at it does not make any difference to this problem & only a slight difference in overall ride quality.  I have to make sure to air them down when Im not towing, because they will wear out the middles if I dont.  I normally tow @ 70.  

 

Bob

 

I appreciate any insight folks.  I have tried a bunch of things to figure this out & am coming up stumped.  It appears to be getting worse..........  

 

 

[dripley]

I 40 out here in NC had some sections that were poured concrete in sections maybe 30 or 40 feet long. The settled over the years differently and made for a very bad road. The road would beat you to death in thise sections. Arkansas was worse when I first worked out there. Fortunately all those stretches have been redone. But they were harsh on the arse and the truck.

Edited December 19, 2018 by dripley

[Blueox01]

8 minutes ago, dripley said:

I 40 out here in NC had some sections that were poured concrete in sections maybe 30 or 40 feet long. The settled over the years differently and made for a very bad road. The road would beat you to death in thise sections. Arkansas was worse when I first worked out there. Fortunately all those stretches have been redone. But they were harsh on the arse and the truck.

The quality of the road matters, out in central NE on I-80 they used recycled tires in with the asphalt, you can hear the tire noise drop the second you hit that 22 mile (i think) stretch, can barley hear tire noise vs running on the other sections of road. Drive US 81 between Concordia KS and when it turns into I-35  north of I-70 you better have a strong stomach because you bounce so much, your head hits the roof of your truck. I just always blame the "big Trucks" (sarc)

[IBMobile]

Push come to shove we can set up a time to drive my truck over those spots and see if there is a difference in ride.