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Best ride quality for concrete highways

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crawlex

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Interested in 2500 and 3500 owners perspectives...

Here in Colorado we have a lot of segmented concrete highways. The ride quality of my 19 2500 is pretty rough in these areas, it causes a slight hopping sensation in the cab as the truck rides over each segment of concrete...

I am considering trading my 2019 2500 in for a 2021 3500. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for improving the ride quality on concrete highways specifically via suspension modifications for either the 2500 or the 3500.
 
My 3500 HO with air leveling is all stock. It rides on par with my old 04 2500. Lowering the tire air pressure down helped the ride quite a bit (learned how good that worked on my Jeep). I'm running 60 in the front and 50 in the back unless I'm towing. Cheapest, most effective thing I've done for the ride quality. When I picked it up from the dealer on a hot day and checked it down the road, all four tires were pushing 90 lbs!
 
I read somewhere that the Thuren rear track bar alleviates some of the 2500 hop. I have no experience with it but it was on my dream list b4 covid and possible cp3 swap was on radar.
 
Montana freeways are all segmented too and I am amazed at how nice my 2020 power wagon feels. it is better than my jeep wrangler was or our CRV.
 
crawlex said:
Interested in 2500 and 3500 owners perspectives...

Here in Colorado we have a lot of segmented concrete highways. The ride quality of my 19 2500 is pretty rough in these areas, it causes a slight hopping sensation in the cab as the truck rides over each segment of concrete...

I am considering trading my 2019 2500 in for a 2021 3500. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for improving the ride quality on concrete highways specifically via suspension modifications for either the 2500 or the 3500.
Click to expand...

Bilstein shocks in the back helped a lot as did 420 lbs of sand in the bed. Next up is the rear Thuren track bar kit.
 
crawlex said:
Interested in 2500 and 3500 owners perspectives...

Here in Colorado we have a lot of segmented concrete highways. The ride quality of my 19 2500 is pretty rough in these areas, it causes a slight hopping sensation in the cab as the truck rides over each segment of concrete...

I am considering trading my 2019 2500 in for a 2021 3500. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for improving the ride quality on concrete highways specifically via suspension modifications for either the 2500 or the 3500.
Click to expand...
When I ordered my 3500 I went longbed, standard 18” wheels with the standard a/s tires and air suspension. I hoped that combination would yield a good ride quality. I’m pleased and am in Colorado as well.
 
crawlex said:
Interested in 2500 and 3500 owners perspectives...

Here in Colorado we have a lot of segmented concrete highways. The ride quality of my 19 2500 is pretty rough in these areas, it causes a slight hopping sensation in the cab as the truck rides over each segment of concrete...

I am considering trading my 2019 2500 in for a 2021 3500. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for improving the ride quality on concrete highways specifically via suspension modifications for either the 2500 or the 3500.
Click to expand...
In my experience going from a 2016 2500 to a 2020 3500 (both SB CC with factory air), small bumps are noticeably worse on the 3500. I think that is to be expected with the rear suspension differences of coils vs leaf springs.
The first thing I've done for that on my 3500 was to go to larger tires and smaller rims (295/70R18" instead of the stock 20"). That has made a huge difference on the frost heaves we have here in the winter time. I would say the 3500 now rides close to the 2500 but while it's a guess, I think the 2500 may still have had a bit of an edge.

IMHO, if you don't like the ride of the 2019 2500, I think you will be disappointed in a new 3500. If ride quality is your biggest priority and you don't haul or tow heavy, likely better to look at a 2500 with aftermarket suspension as well as the tire and rim "downgrades"; maybe upgrade your 2019? Or perhaps look at the Power Wagon as they are sprung softer for more off road bias.

hth
B
 
How about northbound Parker road, between 470 and Arapahoe Rd? If I'm in my Rubicon, I unlock the swaybar:D and pretend I'm off-roading.
 
If you want a good ride buy a 1/2 ton real trucks ride rough a good set of shocks will remove some road shock but your not on baby springs so it will be a harsh ride just lower your tire pressure when not hauling and live with it
 
Wavy concrete is apparently a thing, I researched it when I bought my camper and kept porpoising while I was dialing in the WDH. There are few problem roads I saw guys talking about, Denver and Birmingham seemed to be mentioned fairly often. The freeway where I live is new concrete and pretty wavy, to the point the city made them come back in and grind some sections down. My storage lot is on that road and it really screwed with me thinking I had my hitch set up wrong every time I pulled off the lot for a test drive.

The rough ride is the resonance of the truck riding the waves in the concrete. Like a boat in choppy water, the fix is to change speed so your wheelbase and the waves are out of synch. A different wheelbase would solve it too but that's a big guess. Suspension and/or weight is not going to do much for that. My 1500 bounced in the same spots my 2500 bounces.
 
Frank said:
Wavy concrete is apparently a thing, I researched it when I bought my camper and kept porpoising while I was dialing in the WDH. There are few problem roads I saw guys talking about, Denver and Birmingham seemed to be mentioned fairly often. The freeway where I live is new concrete and pretty wavy, to the point the city made them come back in and grind some sections down. My storage lot is on that road and it really screwed with me thinking I had my hitch set up wrong every time I pulled off the lot for a test drive.

The rough ride is the resonance of the truck riding the waves in the concrete. Like a boat in choppy water, the fix is to change speed so your wheelbase and the waves are out of synch. A different wheelbase would solve it too but that's a big guess. Suspension and/or weight is not going to do much for that. My 1500 bounced in the same spots my 2500 bounces.
Click to expand...

Better dampening will definitely help.

Even my relatively inexpensive Bilstein 5162/5160 shocks helped a lot on several sections of I-25 in Denver. The drive home from the dealership (even after reducing my air pressures to 65 psi from 85 psi) was teeth rattling.

The next fix was several hundred pounds of sand I use as winter ballast. This helped some.

Lastly, switching to 18" wheels with 37" tires (at 45 psi) from the factory 20" wheels and 33" tires 9 (at 65 psi) was a huge improvement. My new tires have a higher load rating at lower air pressures than the Transcrap tires.

IMHO, 20" wheels and relatively low profile tires are not appropriate for an HD truck and the factory shocks are significantly underdamped for the spring rates these trucks come with.
 
Carli suspension on the 3500? They make a kit that is compatible with the factory air system as well if you're not just the rear leafs

Thuren is another option if you dont have factory air.

The easiest and cheapest is probably what was mentioned above with the smaller wheels and bigger tires. A 17 or 18 in wheel with a 35 or 37 will make the ride better. (37's may require a re-gear if towing heavy and or frequently)
 
My solution was to get the heck out of Colorado, problem solved! ;)

I don't have much more to add. Weight in the bed, lower tire pressure, more tire, etc. are all good suggestions. I don't believe changing just the shocks will buy you much, there just isn't a whole lot of movement to dampen in the suspension unless you have some sort of load on it.
One thing worth mentioning is if you start going down the route of changing the suspension (Carli, Thuren etc) be aware that some of those systems will definitely give you a better ride but may also compromise you payload rating so keep that in mind if you use your truck to tow a lot.

.
 
I’ve owned two 2500s and now have a 3500. The 3500 rides a lot more harsh than the 2500s did, unless you really need the extra payload and towing capacity, I would stick with your 2500 and do what you can with the tires and suspension setup.
 
Squatch said:
I’ve owned two 2500s and now have a 3500. The 3500 rides a lot more harsh than the 2500s did, unless you really need the extra payload and towing capacity, I would stick with your 2500 and do what you can with the tires and suspension setup.
Click to expand...
And for those that just want a 3500, rebadge a 2500 if it makes you feel good.LOL!
 
Sure, and just take a sharpie to the door labels while you're at it! o_O

B
 
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