scottmoyer

I find that I keep comparing my '18 XLT 4x4 Crew Cab Sport to my old 2006 Silverado because that's the last truck I owned and I loved my truck. I need help with understanding things on the Ford side. My Silverado was a crew cab Z71 4x4. The Z71 had heavier shocks and skid plates, like the FX4. I upgraded the shocks to Bilstein's all the way around and cranked the torsion bars to level the truck. It road very smoothly and was firm on corners, much like a large sports car.

The XLT seems softer around corners. Granted, I didn't buy the FX4 version, but is there something different in the springs between the FX4 and the non FX4? The shocks shouldn't affect body roll, but is there something else the FX4 has that the non FX4 doesn't that will make it corner flatter? Will replacing the stock shocks with Bilstein 5100s do anything for the handling, or will they just affect the ride quality. Do I need a sway bar? I like the way the Silverado handled for all those years and I would like to stiffen the XLT to be similar, or better. Any advice is appreciated.

scottmoyer

So, there have been 162 views of this and nobody has an answer for me? Or even a suggestion?

Martian

What's the weight difference between the two trucks in question? That can affect a lot. I bet the coil and leaf springs are the same part number.

scottmoyer

The Silverado was about 5300 pounds and the F150 appears to be around the 5000 pound mark,

rbraughn

I believe the shocks do have an effect on the body roll.

Florida_F150

The off-road sub-forum gets very little traffic compared to the other forums. The 2015 - 2018 subforum would probably get you lots of answers. I'd repost there...

Stage3Motorsports

Start with replacing the rear shocks with an Icon or Fox 2.0. This will eliminate the roll and dancing that the bed does. Then, bilsteins or a coil over up front will really help out.

tomjv

I wrote this so many times . . .

The F150 is over sprung and under dampened in the rear. The front units (springs and tubes) match eachother, but they are insufficient "strength" to support this truck.
The result is the rear end bounces all over the road and the front end "plows" or understeers moderately.

Fix #1: Replace the rears with Bilsteins or Fox 2.0 units. This cheap and easy mod is a MUST for all F150 owners! It will fix the rear end bouncing. It won't fix the front end plowing. In fact, it will accentuate it.
Fix #2: Bilsteins all around. This will fix most of the problems and satisfy most people. Bear in mind you have to pay labor to rebuild the front struts and you won't have a stiffer spring(which is needed IMHO).
Fix #3: Install a quality set of 2.5" units all around. This is the most expensive, but you'll get a top quality custom tuned setup. You can spend a bit more(still) and get adjustable units too. Adjustability is great. You can make the units more stiff then the non-adjustable units or way soft.

I, of course did #1 (Fox 2.0s), then later #3 (Icon non-CDCV up front and CDCV rears). I'm very happy with my setup and highly recommend it. The ride is more firm then stock, but not harsh or noisy. You'll feel more of the smaller bumps and less of the bigger ones. Off road or unpaved roads, you can go wild. Of course you'll have better braking and towing capabilities as well.

As you can see, this is all a matter of taste and driving expectations. If you drive high speed twisties, you'll LOVE what I have. If you like to tool around with no special purpose, you likely won't notice much and the extra firmness may annoy you.

Roll Bar? Rear anti-roll bar or sway bar will improve cornering and towing performance. It will NOT effect the firmness of the ride. It will NOT help with the rear end bounce. While the this is cheaper then a full suspension, (IMHO) it offers the least bang for the buck. I'd do this LAST if you still have money to burn.

Lastly, you can guess I don't agree with those who ascribe to the belief "it's a truck, it's supposed to ride like that". If you do your research, you can make any car ride great. It's not cheap though.
TomJV