Improving the ride on my 2001 F350?

Discussion
1

Looking for ideas to improve the ride quality on my 2001 F350 SRW.

It’s a SuperCab with an 8ft bed. I’m doing a full frame-off restoration with new floor pans, grinding and painting the frame, replacing cab corners, rockers, and supports, so I’m open to future upgrades.

The truck has a 6" lift with 35" tires on 16" rims, but I’d like to drop it down to a 4" lift. My thoughts are:

  • Adding traction bars to the rear axle
  • Swapping in F250 leaf springs or taking a few leaves out for a softer ride
  • Adding airbag assist for hauling equipment when needed

Anyone tried anything similar?

2

Have you thought about swapping in the front suspension from an '05? They switched from leaf to coil springs, which makes the ride much better.

3

Wil said:
Have you thought about swapping in the front suspension from an '05? They switched from leaf to coil springs, which makes the ride much better.

I thought about it, but how often would bushings need to be replaced? I like the simplicity of leaf springs. I’ve had death wobble issues with my ‘03 Jeep and hear it’s common on Fords too. Is it really that bad?

4

@Mal
Sold mine at 100k, so I’m not sure.

5

@Mal
Mostly heard about ball joints and control arm bushings going bad.

6

Wil said:
@Mal
Mostly heard about ball joints and control arm bushings going bad.

Good to know, thanks. Definitely something to consider.

7

Mal said:

Wil said:
@Mal
Mostly heard about ball joints and control arm bushings going bad.

Good to know, thanks. Definitely something to consider.

If you’re already doing a frame-off, I’d go for it. I used to have a ‘99, and the ride difference is huge with the ‘05.

8

Wil said:
Have you thought about swapping in the front suspension from an '05? They switched from leaf to coil springs, which makes the ride much better.

The ‘05+ axle swap is the way to go. My OBS on ‘05 axles rides really nice.

9

I have a '90 F350, a '06 F350, and a ‘07 F250 with HD springs. The coil spring front end is much nicer. If you keep the suspension tight, death wobble shouldn’t be a problem. My ‘06 has over 270k miles with no issues.

10

@Casey
Death wobble tends to happen with cheap lifts.

11

I like the leaf spring front for towing stability, but it rides like a brick when empty. Look into custom springs from Deaver Spring.

12

Zaren said:
I like the leaf spring front for towing stability, but it rides like a brick when empty. Look into custom springs from Deaver Spring.

Will do, thanks for the recommendation!