Shake it up

MrBalll said:

Nice that you will be doing them all. Really hoping this fixes your issue once done.

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Same here. Not gonna lie though I have my doubts.

Replaced all the body mounts and radiator mounts. So far it's main benefit is the ease in which the doors and hood close. I think some body roll was eliminated but need more time behind the wheel to confirm. As of this moment I don't feel a change in ride comfort. Maybe there will be a change after they break in. I will post back.

Just a comparison of old vs new mounts.

When I felt no change to the ride quality after replacing the body mounts I started to think again about my problem. Dampening. So I applied ample pressure to the front end to see how the shocks rebounded. There was very little movement. I did this with two people so I know I had a problem.

What did help the ride quality was raising the torsion bars by four turns. When I pushed down on the front end this time the truck felt less stiff and more fluid in its movement. I wouldn't say leaps and bounds but better. The jouncers now look like they are just touching the lower control arms. I didn't think it did much at first (I raised them without supporting the vehicle) but after a 30 mile trip I believe they adjusted and I have never had a better ride on the FDR. Anyone around here can attest to what kind of junk road that is.

I need more time behind the wheel to confirm this. The ride isn't perfect but a improvement is more then welcome right now. I will update later.

I was pretty frustrated after changing the mounts and feeling no difference in the ride quality. So I went ahead and purchased another set of front shocks. KYB Excel-G 344381. They are a twin tube design so they should be softer and based on customers reviews most are generally happy with them. Plus the price was right.

I currently have ACDelco OEM monotube shocks installed. They were pretty stiff when I tried to compress them by hand initially especially compared to the Bilstein's I removed. I am no shock expert so I am not sure how that affects their dampening ability.

I haven't decided to give them a try just yet after the success I have had with adjusting the torsion bars. I will update when I do.

This sucks. Sorry to hear mounts didn't help.
Will be patiently waiting on info for your new shocks.

So far adjusting the torsion bar has made the biggest difference. I am not constantly cringing when I am about to hit a pothole.

This week I am going to tackle the torsion bar crossmember bushings.

Any updates? I'm curious to know what it is.

Tahbro said:

Any updates? I'm curious to know what it is.

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I replaced the torsion bar crossmember bushings. No change. Something is loose. Can't figure it out. Was thinking about new torsion bars but that may be a waste of $450 and I may go full coil over from Atomic.

Tahbro said:

Any updates? I'm curious to know what it is.

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Changed the front shocks to the KYB's and I am happier about the comfort/dampening they provide. I could tell that there would be an improvement after pushing down on the front end to test the shock give. The OEM fronts had no give at all unless I stood on the bumper and jumped up and down. I would guess they will continue to improve after breaking in.

Recent parts changed:
Steering gear
Inner/outer tie rods

Manifold exhaust leak fixed:
Dorman manifold clamp