Rough Hard Ride = What???

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, okay I have asked this before some of my rougher ride is because of no door panels and headliner etc.

My front end seems reasoanbly tight, springs okay new shocks.

My 47 seems to ride hard and somehwat rough on the gravel roads and rougher pavement railway track etc.

Now what is athe leading cause of rough ride in our cars, is it king pins, control arms, body mounts, just trying to see what I may need to correct next spring. BTW the interior will be done by spring, that will help with the noise , but not rough hard riding.....Fred

[Reg Evans]

Are you ridng on hard old bias plys or nice soft radials ? Too much air pressure maybe ?

[Frank Elder]

Sounds like you would benefit from the shock relocation kit.

[55 Fargo]

Hi Reg, radials Good Year but a sorta SUV style, maybe they are a little hard, inflated to 30 lbs....

[55 Fargo]

Sounds like you would benefit from the shock relocation kit.

Thought about this, but not sure it would make a huge difference, if other things ae going on, it would help with that boat folat thats for sure, and better handling....Fred

[claybill]

been reported that 30-34 lbs in radials is best.

bill

[55 Fargo]

been reported that 30-34 lbs in radials is best.

bill

Thanx Bill, got 30 to 32 range in mine, but not sure what my hard ride is about, would very tight or seized king pins cause this?.....Fred

[RobertKB]

Are you sure you are not just comparing it to modern cars. My '48 has a different feel and ride to anything new. It feels more "choppy". It has new king pins and good shocks.

[55 Fargo]

Are you sure you are not just comparing it to modern cars. My '48 has a different feel and ride to anything new. It feels more "choppy". It has new king pins and good shocks.

Hi Robert, no I realize it will not ride like my 2005 Caravan on these roads.

The ride is more choppy thats for surer, it is more of a vibration, I can feel in the body going down the gravel roads. Wish you lived near by, could let you drive it and see what you think....Fred

[55 Fargo]

My current tires are, Good Year Wrangler RT/S, P 205 75 15s, made in the 51 st week of 1997, they have 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch tread depth.

These tires are old, and should be replaced, but not sure thay are the harder ride cause....Fred

[55 Fargo]

Just tried the Greybeard method of jacking up front end, and moving tire out at bottom, where there is play from the wheel bearing, tried to move the tire inward at the bottom, no play, which indicates tight king pins.

I have tested the king pins before, they hae no real play, the tie-rod ends are fine too.....Fred

[Norm's Coupe]

Fred,

For the best ride with radial tires, I'd recommend putting the maximum amount of air allowed by what the tire says. I discovered that with my old 95 Lumina Van. That was a nice riding van but...........when the tires got a few pounds low on air, you could feel every bump and crack in the road. Plus, it did transfer more noise then. Fill the tires to 35 lbs and it was a quiet smooth ride again.

Now, it's just the opposite with bias tires.

[55 Fargo]

Fred' date='

For the best ride with radial tires, I'd recommend putting the maximum amount of air allowed by what the tire says. I discovered that with my old 95 Lumina Van. That was a nice riding van but...........when the tires got a few pounds low on air, you could feel every bump and crack in the road. Plus, it did transfer more noise then. Fill the tires to 35 lbs and it was a quiet smooth ride again.

Now, it's just the opposite with bias tires.[/quote']

Hi Norm, on these tires it states 44psi max, now this a little high isn't it, I increased the psi from 30 to 35 psi, :)made a big differecne in ride.

I also was lower on air on the right front buy about 8psi:o, just checked the tires about 3 weeks ago, but it's been cold.

These Wrangler RT/S tires rate at 44 psi max, that seems likea lot, but I guess there really truck/SUV tires aren't they, new Wallyworld radials:D next year too, I like Blackwalls, or narrow whilte walls....Fred

[55 Fargo]

Just drove 8 miles each way to town to the local Tim Hortons, to pick-up a can of coffee. Nothing like Timmies (Canucks know what I mean), an old car ride, and cool weather, car ran great all the way, electrical system must be fine, headlights on, heather motor fullblast, dash light too, signals when necessary, life is good, the ride is better with more air in the tires.....