Best shocks for comfortable luxury feel?

[robertcladner50]

How can I make my 2020 Ford f150 smoother?

 

[Roger350]

How can I make my 2020 Ford f150 smoother?

Are you running 20" or 22" wheels? If so, sell those wheels and tires and get some 17" or 18" wheels with taller sidewall tires. Most trucks with 20" wheels or larger pay a ride penalty for the bling.

If shocks are the way you want tp go, Bilstein are very good shocks. I would get ahold of their technical support/customer service, tell them the particulars of your truck, and what you want - better than factory ride, and let them suggest the best product they have to meet your needs.

 

[robertcladner50]

Thank you for your help, Roger350.

 

[Bryan Simon]

Are you running 20" or 22" wheels? If so, sell those wheels and tires and get some 17" or 18" wheels with taller sidewall tires. Most trucks with 20" wheels or larger pay a ride penalty for the bling.

If shocks are the way you want tp go, Bilstein are very good shocks. I would get ahold of their technical support/customer service, tell them the particulars of your truck, and what you want - better than factory ride, and let them suggest the best product they have to meet your needs.

I kind of agree with this.
So many are not aware the tires are an important part of the suspension.
Taller sidewall tire will always be smoother to your hiney than a low profile tire.
I have 245/75 8 ply on my old Chevy. Max air at 80 psi.
Rides like an old Lincoln with 35
Only slightly stiffer with 55——-where I normally keep them
At about 70, the ride starts getting hard—never gone over 70

Those tall sidewalls absorb a LOT before it even gets to the rest of the truck parts.

 

[Rgwinn]

So, the problem is that the Truck (most Trucks) has a rear leaf spring/solid rear axle configuration, as compared to say a Navigator which has independent rear suspension with air ride.

The Truck will never ride like a Navigator. However; you get the ability to haul stuff.

I do think modern trucks ride way better now than they ever did in the past, it’s just not their strongest feature.

 

[GABAR]

Most if not all trucks will ride smoother just by having some weight in the bed.

Believe it or not, they make sand bags just for your complaints / desire.

With that being said, sure, you can change the shocks but more than likely they’ll give you a stiffer and more firm ride compared to the stock shocks.

The Bilstein 5100’s that you posted via a picture is a very popular choice and they carry a lifetime warranty.

Is your 2020 F150 a 4X4?

 

[Knickell]

I’m going to second and third Roger and Bryan.

Simply put, going down to a smaller wheel size, means a larger (taller) tire is needed. Obviously, rubber is much more forgiving in absorbing road imperfections than the steel or aluminum of a wheel is.

 

[Tireman]

I’m going to second and third Roger and Bryan.

Simply put, going down to a smaller wheel size, means a larger (taller) tire is needed. Obviously, rubber is much more forgiving in absorbing road imperfections than the steel or aluminum of a wheel is.

true, you will get a softer ride with the 18 inch, but the 20 inch wheel is going to handle better. It’s kind of a trade off.

 

[Knickell]

true, you will get a softer ride with the 18 inch, but the 20 inch wheel is going to handle better. It’s kind of a trade off.

Ahh, very good point I neglected to mention!

 

[Roger350]

true, you will get a softer ride with the 18 inch, but the 20 inch wheel is going to handle better. It’s kind of a trade off.

Anyone driving a pick-up around corners hard enough to notice a handling difference between 18s and 20s should have bought a Mustang instead.

And what you lose in handling by going to a taller less stiff sidewall is offset by the reduction in unsprung weight that is easier for the shocks and springs to manage.

And that reduction in rotating weight will also allow the truck to accelerate and brake better, and increase your fuel mileage.

Of course all of those benefits will be about as negligible and hard to detect as that reduction in handling from the taller sidewall...

 

[GABAR]

Take a look at the side wall on the 18 & 20 OEM tires on the F150.

There’s not much difference in the two and anyone saying that the ride is very noticeable between the two are fooling themselves.

 

[Roger350]

Take a look at the side wall on the 18 & 20 OEM tires on the F150.

There’s not much difference in the two and anyone saying that the ride is very noticeable between the two are fooling themselves.

Which is also why I asked the OP if he had 22" wheels, and suggested 17" or 18" wheels as replacements.

 

[johnday]

Bilsteins as stated, are popular, work well, and reasonably priced, and most are happy with them. There's a "but" thrown in there though. If you like to keep all parts of your truck looking good, you'll be disappointed after one northern winter. The shock bodies are steel with a very poor coating on them, can you say corrosion? I had one set on my '17, and on my '20, I went back to aluminum bodied shocks.

 

[hardlymoving]

For my 2017 F150 I threw two 70 lb sandbags in the box behind the wheel wells and it helped, I transferred the sandbags to my 2021. Both F150's came with the 18" wheels. Have noticed that when I added an extra spare tire the ride improved somewhat more. Driving with no weight in the box results in a jittery ride, in my experience adding a little weight smooths things out somewhat.

 

[spud_41]

Bilsteins as stated, are popular, work well, and reasonably priced, and most are happy with them. There's a "but" thrown in there though. If you like to keep all parts of your truck looking good, you'll be disappointed after one northern winter. The shock bodies are steel with a very poor coating on them, can you say corrosion? I had one set on my '17, and on my '20, I went back to aluminum bodied shocks.

Had them on my F-250 and after two winters you'd think the shocks were ten years old. I was not impressed, very stiff ride too.

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