Help With My Boat

[Jake24]

Best ride & handling of any truck I've owned...period.
Compare IRS to leaf springs...no contest.

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[Henry Ford]

Lastly, I think the worst suspension problem with the Lightning is wash-board conditions. The harmonics are tough to overcome (Unless your trying to shake a martini).

The Lightning handles washboard much better than any truck I've driven. The solid axle on most trucks simply isn't capable of keeping the tires in contact with the ground in those conditions.

I think people complaining about the Lightning ride either haven't driven a regular truck recently thus have forgotten what the experience is like or have never driven a truck.

 

[RickLightning]

The Lightning handles washboard much better than any truck I've driven. The solid axle on most trucks simply isn't capable of keeping the tires in contact with the ground in those conditions.

I think people complaining about the Lightning ride either haven't driven a regular truck recently thus have forgotten what the experience is like or have never driven a truck.

This ^^^

 

[Zprime29]

My wife was worried about ride quality when I said I wanted to buy a truck. Now she prefers it over the Honda Pilot. A second note, went light off-roading along with my brother. He took his big Ram (spec'd for towing) and me in the lightning. My parents swapped half way and both agreed that the lightning was hands down more comfortable to be in. My brother gave me some grief about going too fast on the rough road. I told him it didn't feel very bumpy, truck was planted and no one in the cab was complaining. I have limited experience in trucks but I have zero complaints about the ride in this thing. Comfort is a little subjective, so I get it. Just thought I'd share my experience.

 

[roddiaz1]

The Lightning handles washboard much better than any truck I've driven. The solid axle on most trucks simply isn't capable of keeping the tires in contact with the ground in those conditions

You’re absolutely right, “Henry”, the Lightning rides much better than any other pick-up stock truck of that size.
I am comparing the Lightning to large SUVs like the LandCruiser, Grand Wagoneer, Lexus 570, Range Rover, etc.; I should have made that more clear in comments. I’m comparing a $90k vehicle against other $90k vehicles of similar size.

Fair or not fair, thats what is going on in my mind.

 

[Henry Ford]

An unladen truck is oversprung so it makes sense that a load would result in a better ride. When comparing similarly loaded trucks a Lightning will ride better than an ICE equivalent due to the independent rear suspension, which keeps the tires more in contact with the road, and the low center of gravity which reduces side-to-side jostling.

 

[Henry Ford]

You’re absolutely right, “Henry”, the Lightning rides much better than any other pick-up stock truck of that size.
I am comparing the Lightning to large SUVs like the LandCruiser, Grand Wagoneer, Lexus 570, Range Rover, etc.; I should have made that more clear in comments. I’m comparing a $90k vehicle against other $90k vehicles of similar size.

Fair or not fair, thats what is going on in my mind.

Yeah, not exactly apples to apples. $90k is entry level for the vehicles you mentioned and fancy-boy level for a Lightning.

As I mentioned above my wife's Navigator rides only slightly nicer than my (fancy-boy) Lightning. It has the benefit of active air suspension with cameras that scan the road ahead and adjust accordingly. With 500lbs in the bed the Lightning just might match the Navigator. It might not, but you get the idea.

 

[roddiaz1]

You calling me a Fancy Boy?!?!

 

[Tkageals]

Agreed it would help slightly but I've driven trucks my whole life and the Lightning corners the best of any of the stockers I've owned. I find the float most noticeable on the Lightning when hitting a bump or dip in the road. A decent shock upgrade would dampen that along with damping the bounce from speed bumps.

Yeah....for a large vehicle, roll is pretty minimal in turns. Also, people in this thread keep mentioning "comfortable". Yeah....the suspension is comfortable....it's soft and absorbs bumps well. However, any dip in the road taken with any speed at all produces a bounce that feels way under damped. I mean, it bounces 3 times just on the hump backing out of my driveway! If it just had better rebound damping, I would be happy.

 

[Tkageals]

It's a truck that actually rides better than any other truck.

Most, if not all trucks have a higher rear end to allow for loading the truck box or trailer and maintaining a level ride.

If you don't use the truck for truck stuff then there are many leveling kits available.

It's a truck, very few people are tracking trucks, not to mention its incredibly heavy.

Yeah....agree. However, a little rebound damping would go a LONG way!

 

[RickKeen]

That independent rear suspension REALLY handles well when towing.
Handles a #6500 lb boat likes its not even back there. Normally a trailer pushes the back of a light truck around a bit. The Lightning stays planted.

 

[Tkageals]

Eibach does have a kit for the Lightning. I think you can set the front Eibach shocks to a small lift to level the truck a bit. Search this forum - there are several threads on it. For the higher rear end - this is designed with the suspension to support cargo loads and tongue weight for trailering. If you don't plan on loading it or towing, some have "levelled" the truck with a small lift in the front but at some minor impact to the range (full alignment needed to straighten everything with the new ride height). Anything beyond the above gets into a different price range.
I'll probably do the shocks at some point to dampen the floaty bounce but will leave the pitch as it is since I load and tow a bit.

According to their own website, that kit is only for trucks with the extended range battery. I assume it's tuned specifically for the weight of those trucks. That does seem odd as I would assume MOST F-150 Ls don't have the extended range battery. Anyway.....that's what their website seems to indicate.

 

[Tkageals]

I realize everyone will have different opinions, but this is something I'll never understand. One of my favorite things about the Lightning is how soft it rides. It's way more comfortable than a typical truck. I only wish the suspension was even softer. And as for the floatiness, I like it as well, it gives a relaxed feeling to the ride and it reminds me of my 79 Lincoln.

As for the rake front to rear, it did bother me a bit at first, but when I realized that it meant it wouldn't sag excessively if the bed was ever loaded up or a trailer hitched up, I didn't really mind it so much anymore. I load my bed up with gear often and to me the idea of a truck where the rear is sagging lower than the front, is way worse than the factory rake.

EXACTLY RIGHT! It takes dips in the road like a '79 Lincoln.

The truck absorbs sharp bumps well and actually corners pretty good for fairly large, heavy vehicle. It's hitting the dips and crests in the road where you experience the bouncing. For me, the front should never bounce more than once on a bump. For example, when I back out of my driveway, the front end is still bouncing when I am 20ft or more from the bump. It takes 3 bounces before the dampers have the body under control. Again....I don't know much about trucks. The suspension just feels way under damped to me. This is like going over a speed bump in a parking lot. How many bounces does it take before the body is under control. My preference is ONE! FWIW....I don't really notice the rear bouncing/floating, just the front.

 

[Tkageals]

This from :14 to :17!

What causes a car's suspension to feel bouncy or unstable? (youtube.com)

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