Suspension honest opinions

Grumpy Bear · July 31, 2019

5 hours ago, econometrics said:

Doesn't the F-150 have a higher payload than the Silverado? Pretty sure it does. Yet it rides better... so, this argument lacks soundness.

No comparing Fords to Chevy's. Comparing Chevy Platforms to each other. Stay on task.

That said what you offer, in bold. is an opinion...opinions are not a fact thus that argument lacks soundness.

econometrics · July 31, 2019

19 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

No comparing Fords to Chevy's. Comparing Chevy Platforms to each other. Stay on task.

That said what you offer, in bold. is an opinion...opinions are not a fact thus that argument lacks soundness.

No, you may say the argument lacks validity on that basis. Opinions can most certainly be sound. They may not be valid, however.

rmkmb · July 31, 2019

1 hour ago, HondaHawkGT said:

What were the GVWR's of the trucks you test drove? Did they have 22" wheels by chance? The firmness or softness of a truck's ride is greatly affected by:

GVWR of the truck and its curb weight

wheel choice (22's ride very harsh)

shocks (twin tube are particularly known for their harsh ride quality)

Every truck is going to feel like a firm ride if you're coming from a Ram with a coil spring suspension. Ram sacrifices payload capacity for a softer ride. Put 1500 lbs in the back of the GMC and it'll ride close to level. Put that same weight in the back of a Ram and it'll look like a dog dragging its ass across the lawn.

I just know it was 20 inch wheels like mine.

You are spot on with the rams,I bent the coil springs on the three of them,

Cause of the weight loaded in the back,therefore the reason to buy a Sierra which are way better looking. Expected a difference in ride going to leafs springs but never to this extent. .I love the truck but damn...

KARNUT · July 31, 2019

Rim size doesn’t matter as much as the tire side wall and air pressure. My 94 Impala SS has 17s road rough. My 2006 Trailblazer SS had 20s and road rough. My 14 GMC had 20s road pretty good. It’s not the rim it’s the tire.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HondaHawkGT · July 31, 2019

45 minutes ago, rmkmb said:

I just know it was 20 inch wheels like mine.

You are spot on with the rams,I bent the coil springs on the three of them,

Cause of the weight loaded in the back,therefore the reason to buy a Sierra which are way better looking. Expected a difference in ride going to leafs springs but never to this extent. .I love the truck but damn...

The main issue is that GM has limited GVWR options. You can get lower GVWR versions of a 2019 GM truck but they make it hard to buy a loaded AT4 with a lower GVWR that would give that softer ride. Some guys don't want or need 1900 lbs of payload capacity so GM should have a spring rate option for guys that want it. GM seems to be pretty focused on max capability and ratings.

Edited July 31, 2019 by HondaHawkGT

MaverickZ71 · August 1, 2019

8 hours ago, bshort said:

Off-road doesn't mean highway speeds in dirt.

If off-road doesn’t mean dirt, where does it mean? Poser duty in mall parking lots? If you mean only rocky trails, then the Silverado Z71, AT4, and “Trail Boss” have woeful suspension articulation there as well, when compared to a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, Ford Raptor, Chevy Colorado ZR2, or Ram Power Wagon.

Edited August 1, 2019 by MaverickZ71

MaverickZ71 · August 1, 2019

4 hours ago, HondaHawkGT said:

You're overlooking the fact that the Ram had a 7100 lb GVWR and a PATHETIC 990 lb payload rating. Most Chevy Colorado's have a higher payload rating than that tubby POS. So much for its 10k lb tow rating. It barely has the payload capacity to handle the tongue weight of most bigger trailers. Or you're left choosing between pulling the trailer or hauling the family to the vacation spot.

The F-150 rode soft because it only had a 6,750 lb GVWR. The Silverado had a 7100 lb GVWR, a 1,590 lb payload rating and was riding on 22" wheels. Of course the Chevy was going to stand out as the roughest ride.

Do you want a TRUCK or do you want an overweight, truck-shaped car? Because the Ram does a better job as a car than a truck.

There’s an old oilfield/farm&ranch saying around here that says a 3500+ is a real truck, a 2500 is half a truck, and a 1500 is a quarter of a truck or a car with a bed attached. Guess a bunch of us are driving cars with beds, then.

Edited August 1, 2019 by MaverickZ71

HondaHawkGT · August 1, 2019

2 minutes ago, MaverickZ71 said:

There’s an old oilfield/farm&ranch saying around here that says a 3500+ is a real truck, a 2500 is half a truck, and a 1500 is a quarter of a truck or a car with a bed attached. Guess a bunch of us are driving cars with beds, then.

I bet the old farmers and ranchers never saw a bloated '19 Ram 1500 with a 7100 lb GVWR but an embarrassingly low 990 lb payload rating. Even they would point to the mattress springs on the rear suspension and say "well theres yer problem!". Just wait until they see the plastic upper control arms on the front suspension...

MaverickZ71 · August 1, 2019

37 minutes ago, HondaHawkGT said:

I bet the old farmers and ranchers never saw a bloated '19 Ram 1500 with a 7100 lb GVWR but an embarrassingly low 990 lb payload rating. Even they would point to the mattress springs on the rear suspension and say "well theres yer problem!". Just wait until they see the plastic upper control arms on the front suspension...

Once again, your brand bias makes you miss the point.

They haven’t made ElCaminos since 1987. GM had a golden opportunity in the last decade to import the Holden Ute as a GMC, but chose not to do it. So a lot of people are driving GM 1500 pickups for car duty and occasional light hauling or towing.

Most people driving a current ‘car with a bed’ won’t carry 990 lbs, let alone 1500+ lbs. Nobody cares about composite suspension pieces or military grade aluminum bodies in this day and age, as long as it performs. Besides, didn’t GMC just come out with a composite bed?

And this thread is about ride quality. Certain models of cars with beds ride better. The Rams are known for good ride quality, as judged by Four Wheeler, Truck Trend, Car & Driver, and others. The OP wants a better ride in his GM 1500, as do most of us. Otherwise, your logic would say p1ss on the ride quality and just buy a 3500 and tattoo your payload and tow ratings on your forehead for everyone to see, because that’s all that matters in a “truck”.

PS. Enquiring minds on GM Trucks.com want to know; if you’re such a apparent GM fanboy that you fondle yourself while reading GM Inside News, why is your handle HondaHawk?

Edited August 1, 2019 by MaverickZ71

HBKidJr · August 1, 2019

5 hours ago, HondaHawkGT said:

Do you want a TRUCK or do you want an overweight, truck-shaped car? Because the Ram does a better job as a car than a truck.

I mean, maybe I’m in the minority, but yeah I want a truck-shaped car. Or atleast the option to have it.

I can’t be the only person here that doesn’t pull many trailers or haul 10,000 pounds of cinder blocks. I pull the occasional trailer with a lawn mower on it or the yearly load of mulch or dirt in the bed.

I’m not saying all trucks have to suffer to have a soft ride, but there’s no reason that the other manufacturers can offer the various options but GM can’t. Same as the fuel tank sizes. They’re so damn restricting.

HondaHawkGT · August 1, 2019

43 minutes ago, MaverickZ71 said:

Nobody cares about composite suspension pieces or military grade aluminum bodies in this day and age, as long as it performs. Besides, didn’t GMC just come out with a composite bed?

That's a very liberal use of the word "composite" in describing the Ram's upper control arms. They're made of plastic that's reinforced with an extra thin piece of steel to give the plastic structure and increase its strength enough to maintain its shape. It's weak. So weak that the Mopar 2 inch lift kit actually requires replacing the stock control arms with strong parts. But hey Ram saved some money on the control arms and slightly improved the ride quality.

49 minutes ago, MaverickZ71 said:

Once again, your brand bias makes you miss the point.

They haven’t made ElCaminos since 1987. GM had a golden opportunity in the last decade to import the Holden Ute as a GMC, but chose not to do it. So a lot of people are driving GM 1500 pickups for car duty and occasional light hauling or towing.

That's what the Colorado and Canyon are for. Not to mention the Suburban, Tahoe, and Yukon fit that bill. There's no reason to water down the Silverado with a Silverado Lite. If GM thinks there's a market for it, I wish them luck. Just don't call it a Silverado or Sierra 1500.

54 minutes ago, MaverickZ71 said:

PS. Enquiring minds on GM Trucks.com want to know; if you’re such a apparent GM fanboy that you fondle yourself while reading GM Inside News, why is your handle HondaHawk?

What's wrong? Did I hurt your feelings when I criticized the poor Ram? You can tell when you're losing the argument when you resort to accusations of "fanboyism" and personal insults instead of actually engaging in the debate.

bshort · August 1, 2019

3 hours ago, MaverickZ71 said:

If off-road doesn’t mean dirt, where does it mean? Poser duty in mall parking lots? If you mean only rocky trails, then the Silverado Z71, AT4, and “Trail Boss” have woeful suspension articulation there as well, when compared to a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, Ford Raptor, Chevy Colorado ZR2, or Ram Power Wagon.

Think you missed the "highway speeds in dirt" part.

Grumpy Bear · August 1, 2019

8 hours ago, econometrics said:

No, you may say the argument lacks validity on that basis. Opinions can most certainly be sound. They may not be valid, however.

Didn't say your opinion wasn't valid. It's yours. Said it wasn't a FACT. To be a fact it would have to be true without exception. It isn't. Now move on.

Grumpy Bear · August 1, 2019

5 hours ago, MaverickZ71 said:

If off-road doesn’t mean dirt, where does it mean? Poser duty in mall parking lots? If you mean only rocky trails, then the Silverado Z71, AT4, and “Trail Boss” have woeful suspension articulation there as well, when compared to a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, Ford Raptor, Chevy Colorado ZR2, or Ram Power Wagon.

He didn't say off road doesn't mean dirt. He said it doesn't mean GM was implying it would handle HIGHWAY SPEEDS in the dirt. I've ridden in a BAJA bug that would take 1 foot moguls at highway speeds and not spill your coffee. OEM isn't in that market. King is. As far as the OEM's are concerned "OFF ROAD" is a marketing term that means 'looks like it could'. Honestly, it doesn't do that either. It won't handle tar snakes.

This thread looks like an argument looking for a place to spill blood...not a discussion.

:seeya:

Edited August 1, 2019 by Grumpy Bear

HondaHawkGT · August 1, 2019

6 hours ago, HBKidJr said:

I mean, maybe I’m in the minority, but yeah I want a truck-shaped car. Or atleast the option to have it.

I can’t be the only person here that doesn’t pull many trailers or haul 10,000 pounds of cinder blocks. I pull the occasional trailer with a lawn mower on it or the yearly load of mulch or dirt in the bed.

I’m not saying all trucks have to suffer to have a soft ride, but there’s no reason that the other manufacturers can offer the various options but GM can’t. Same as the fuel tank sizes. They’re so damn restricting.

Only one manufacturer specializes in soft rides. If you want a pickup that rides like a car and you dont care what kind of payload rating your truck comes with, your only option is to buy a Ram since only Ram sells half-tons with a coil spring rear suspension. If you dont tow anything, I dont know why you would care about fuel tank sizes since a 5.7 Hemi will guzzle enough additional fuel to negate any range advantage a larger tank could offer.