I want to smooth out my ride...

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MrJLR

Built, not bought
FABO Gold Member
Joined
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Location
Menifee, California
1968 Barracuda
Rebuilt suspension 2 or 3 years ago with all new Moog components.
New stock leaf springs
Bilsteins on all 4 corners

I just want it more cushy.....not quite like a Cadillac - but close!
I don't autocross or drive nuts.....
I DO like long awesome drives up the coast, around town, etc...

Just seems like every bump wants to shake my teeth out!

Any suggestions?

Jeff
 
drop 5psi in each tire. that alone makes a big difference. I had an F250 that felt like it was on wooden wheels until I dropped the pressure from the suggested 50psi to 45'ish
 
drop 5psi in each tire. that alone makes a big difference. I had an F250 that felt like it was on wooden wheels until I dropped the pressure from the suggested 50psi to 45'ish
Hmmm....not a bad idea.
I actually usually run them a couple pound hard....

Jeff
 
heck in my FV I can feel a difference in just 1-2psi, but then again the car only weighs 850lbs :)
 
do you have sway bars on your car? They will help reduce the feel of bumps some and help going around corners to for a nice level smooth ride of the body
 
do you have sway bars on your car? They will help reduce the feel of bumps some and help going around corners to for a nice level smooth ride of the body
I have a front sway bar but not on the rear.....

Jeff
 
It's those new fancy pants steel radial tires all y'all are running these days.
Get yourself a nice quality set of bias-ply and it's smooth sailing brother!
 
nothing against Bilsteins shocks, but I find them to be a very firm shock to use. I believe the pressure in them is around 360 psi, to help stop the aeration of the fluid in the shock witch helps with dampening and fade. I've had friends remove them and replace them with KYB shocks and found the ride to be better. Just my 2 cents worth!
 
Ya....I was wondering if the Bilsteins could be part of the problem. .....

Jeff
 
Yeah. Throw those good for nuthin but bein stylish shocks in the garbage. If you want it to ride soft like stock, find some old style hydraulic (non gas charged) shocks for it. You can still find them if you look.

I know. Here comes the flames.
 
You are correct Rusty.On smooth roads my improved suspension was indeed nice!
...but most of our roads are dreadful so i took the Bilsteins off.
Ride is acceptable now on the rougher roads.
 
Yeah. Throw those good for nuthin but bein stylish shocks in the garbage. If you want it to ride soft like stock, find some old style hydraulic (non gas charged) shocks for it. You can still find them if you look.

I know. Here comes the flames.

Dang things were expensive but I can keep them on a shelf...
I think between tire pressure and the shocks, I might be heading in the right direction.

Jeff
 
Dang things were expensive but I can keep them on a shelf...
I think between tire pressure and the shocks, I might be heading in the right direction.

Jeff

Sometimes less is more. It's all dependent with what you want. Bilstein makes a fine product. But they can be harsh in a street environment. I would try the tire pressure first, though. Sometimes that can make a huge difference depending on where you have them set. Also remember too, the pressure on the side of the tire is for MAX load. 9 times out of 10 you're not at the max. I always go by what the vehicle says and adjust from there if I need to. Usually the vehicle specs are far below the max for the tire. For instance, most P metric tires have a max of 35 PSI spec. That's at max load. A lot of times the car on which they are on specs air pressure between 28-32 PSI, so there can be a pretty big difference. You wouldn't think you could feel the difference in 3 PSI, but I promise you can.
 
Sometimes less is more. It's all dependent with what you want. Bilstein makes a fine product. But they can be harsh in a street environment. I would try the tire pressure first, though. Sometimes that can make a huge difference depending on where you have them set. Also remember too, the pressure on the side of the tire is for MAX load. 9 times out of 10 you're not at the max. I always go by what the vehicle says and adjust from there if I need to. Usually the vehicle specs are far below the max for the tire. For instance, most P metric tires have a max of 35 PSI spec. That's at max load. A lot of times the car on which they are on specs air pressure between 28-32 PSI, so there can be a pretty big difference. You wouldn't think you could feel the difference in 3 PSI, but I promise you can.
I'm going to try this first....it's free and obviously the easiest thing to try!

Jeff
 
Lol......!

Aint funny, steel belted radials do ride rougher that 4 ply nylon tires, think about it , steel belts slapping a sharp pot hole versus a cushiony nylon tire , Just dont hit too big a pot hole too hard w/ the 4 ply !
Same thing w/ the stupid rubber band tires on big tall rims , no cushion in the sidewalls , the more sidewall the better the ride..
Unless u like to corner carve .
 
I have a dumpster at my house, send me those bilsteins (I’ll cover shipping) and I’ll dispose of them properly. I’m sure the “great” state of California doesn’t want them in their landfills anyway. :D
 
Car was originally a /6.....I believe they are original.

Jeff

I'm no expert, but maybe th mismatch with the small bars along with the Bilstein shocks is working against each other. My car isn't near done, but I took advice from @72bluNblu and went with 1.03 bars, Bilsteins and stock HD 6 leaf springs.
 
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