Ride firmness adjustment without using sport mode?

[F150craycray]

Guys,
Is there a way to firm up the ride without using sport mode, don't want the higher revs.
It's a bit too sloppy for me currently.
100% stock, hoping I can do this without mods

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[hotrodmex]

Guys,
Is there a way to firm up the ride without using sport mode, don't want the higher revs.
It's a bit too sloppy for me currently.
100% stock, hoping I can do this without mods

Does your Tremor have CCD? If you don't have the active dampers from CCD, then the drive modes change nothing for you in the suspension. You'd have to buy new shocks.

 

[F150craycray]

I assumed it had CCD due to having the TMS
Is there a way to check?

 

[Snakebitten]

Yes.
Do your rear shocks have a square surround?

If so, you have active damping and you actually do get a little more damping in Sport. However, disappointingly I know of no way to get that additional damping in Normal mode.

 

[F150craycray]

Awww no they do not, I'll try & get used to it as I don't really want to change the shocks
Thanks for the replies

 

[Snakebitten]

I know how you feel but it might be the lowest hanging fruit there is to help you enjoy your truck far more.
The oem rear damping on the F150 is for test drives. It suckers the folks that have never owned a truck before into the "wow, this doesn't ride like my grandpa's truck did"

But in the real world of railroad crossings and irregular road surfaces, those shocks just can't handle the solid rear axle behavior.

Takes literally 20 minutes to install some Bilstein 5100's in the rear. And for the price of those it's an incredible value equation. It'll still be a solid axle leaf spring setup, but the whole thing will feel so composed compared to the double bounce sloppy compression/rebound you experience now.

Probably more than you wanted to know. Lol

 

[F150craycray]

LOL, no that's great. So installing the Bilsteins doesn't change anything else about the truck just firms the ride?

 

[Snakebitten]

The oem shocks are analog. The truck is completely unaware of them.
If you held one in your hand there'd be nothing impressive about it. A black metal cartridge with a steel rod stickin out of it.

The Bilstein would look very similar structurally, except silver and an anticorrosion surface. Inexpensive, as stated. The same 2 bolts you removed to drop the oem shock out of the mount are put back into the Bilstein.

1 wrench. 1 Socket.

The difference? The whole rear-end of the truck becomes much more composed. Surer of itself. A single response to a bump or hole, instead of that sloppy double bounce of each abrupt impact you feel now.

Remember, it's the spring that actually suspends the truck. The shock is what "dampens" the spring from over-responding. The oem F150 rear leaf springs are under-damped. Notoriously, in fact. For several generations now.

 

[F150craycray]

Ok, thanks, I'm doing it!! Great information truly appreciate it

 

[Snakebitten]

Just so you know, you will be joining many many thousands of F150 owners that have done the same. Very established upgrade. This old man didn't share new news.

 

[F150craycray]

Wonder why the factory didn't use better shocks

 

[dmac]

Wonder why the factory didn't use better shocks

FYI, i would get Bilstein 4600's if you aren't planning on lifting or leveling. Those are optimized for the stock ride hight, while the 5100s are for trucks with higher ride height than stock.

 

[F150craycray]

Ooh thanks, I bought my 22 Tremor with 900 miles on it, I'm starting to think the previous owner did something to lessen the rake as it doesn't look as much as some of the before pictures posted here

 

[Snakebitten]

FYI, i would get Bilstein 4600's if you aren't planning on lifting or leveling. Those are optimized for the stock ride hight, while the 5100s are for trucks with higher ride height than stock.

While I agree that if you plan on a mild lift, the 5100 can accommodate it and the 4600 can't. But the 5100 absolutely is compatible with oem height.
Also the 5100 has the zinc anti-corrosion coating.
However, the valving is a little firmer on the 5100 than the 4600 and with stock wheels and tires you might find the 4600's a bit smoother on road.

Both are wonderful upgrades

 

[F150craycray]

Excellent information

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