Why is the Ride in the Back Seat of an F-550 So Rough, and is There Anything That Makes it Smoother

Updated 11/18/2024 | Published 04/09/2014

Question:

How can I eliminate or reduce the out of control stiff jumping of rear suspension which prevents using back seat for passengers? Do you offer a air bag suspension which solves the above problem?

asked by: Joseph R

Helpful Expert Reply:

The crazy rough bouncing of the rear suspension is due to the very high spring rate of the rear suspension. The very high towing capacity of your early model F550 is kind of a double edged sword in that you have the ability to tow way more weight than almost any other vehicle on the road, but the suspension is so stiff that when you hit a bump you really feel it.

The rear suspension of your truck was not designed for comfort, it was only designed for carrying a lot of weight. When your truck is unloaded it will never be comfortable unfortunately. What you are feeling is the suspension compressing slightly and then quickly topping back out, almost violently. The only real solution would be to always have enough weight in the bed of your truck to compress the suspension enough that its deep enough in the stroke that when you hit bumps it would not top out and create that jarring feeling.

expert reply by: Jameson C

Ellis

11/18/2024

Any idea on the minimum amount of weight to add to make the ride more comfortable? I figure I could add sand tube's while I'm not loaded, but am not sure how much.

Jameson C.

11/18/2024

@Ellis If it's a 550 it's going to be a challenge to get a smooth ride at all. But in a 350 we found that around 150 lbs made a big difference so I would assume probably like 300 lbs would make a decent difference.