Ram 2500, any help for washboard roads?

[davinski]

'03 GM 3/4 ton diesel here. Washboards still suck with the IFS AND you get the added benefit of destroyed suspension components at an accelerated rate. I've been trucking the kids into 30 and 31 for late cow the last 4 weekends. The roads suck. I get up earlier to budget time to go slow. Or dress really really warm and take an ATV.

ETA - Coopers have been unimpressive. I have cut several down through the tread blocks on gravel. Goodyears duratrac have held up pretty well.

Yeah, we cover some of the same country. Years ago, it was just divide rd that would shake out your teeth. Now, it's pretty much every gravel road around here. More traffic, more lifted rigs, more speed, more me getting older and grumpier are all factors I think. Job security for both front end shops and dentists!

I was going to call Springworks this week and see if they've worked/recommend Carli, Thoren, or others and if I need to sell a kidney to turn the project over to them.

I've been just kind of just guessing at the psi drop, been going down to 60 or 50. I found this thread that really geeks out into a rabbit hole about tire pressures, might play with that a bit more in the meantime.

Optimizing suspension for washboard?

I really haven't done much "off roading" this year but our last camping trip of the year took us to the SW region of Utah near Bryce Canyon (we camped at Kodachrome Basin State Park.) One of our "day trips" was a drive out to the slot canyons along Hole-in-the-rock road in Grand Staircase...

expeditionportal.com

Optimizing suspension for washboard

Thanks, everyone, for all the feedback.

 

[buck137]

'03 GM 3/4 ton diesel here. Washboards still suck with the IFS AND you get the added benefit of destroyed suspension components at an accelerated rate. I've been trucking the kids into 30 and 31 for late cow the last 4 weekends. The roads suck. I get up earlier to budget time to go slow. Or dress really really warm and take an ATV.

ETA - Coopers have been unimpressive. I have cut several down through the tread blocks on gravel. Goodyears duratrac have held up pretty well.

I've had the same thing happen with the duracraps I have on my 2500 Ram. I'll be lucky to get 30k out of them, and this last year, I've had to have them fixed six times because of rocks puncturing them, and two have cut sidewalls, so I'll be replacing them really soon, but they do have great snow and ice traction when they were newer, except they're louder than the Toyo MT's I replaced them with, and this is after I rotated them every 5k miles too.

 

[buck137]

Yeah, we cover some of the same country. Years ago, it was just divide rd that would shake out your teeth. Now, it's pretty much every gravel road around here. More traffic, more lifted rigs, more speed, more me getting older and grumpier are all factors I think. Job security for both front end shops and dentists!

I was going to call Springworks this week and see if they've worked/recommend Carli, Thoren, or others and if I need to sell a kidney to turn the project over to them.

I've been just kind of just guessing at the psi drop, been going down to 60 or 50. I found this thread that really geeks out into a rabbit hole about tire pressures, might play with that a bit more in the meantime.

Optimizing suspension for washboard?

I really haven't done much "off roading" this year but our last camping trip of the year took us to the SW region of Utah near Bryce Canyon (we camped at Kodachrome Basin State Park.) One of our "day trips" was a drive out to the slot canyons along Hole-in-the-rock road in Grand Staircase...

expeditionportal.com

Optimizing suspension for washboard

Thanks, everyone, for all the feedback.

During the hunting season, I run my tires at 50 for fronts and 45 for rear on my Ram, it helps a lot.

 

[Big Slick]

You could always rent a blade and fix them....

 

[DegsinWisconsin]

I like my 2015 Ram 3/4 ton with the 6.4 hemi. But the washboard gravel roads around here that I'm on for hunting, camping, and scouting are absolutely killing me. Airing down the tires and 4wdHi helps a bit, but not much. I was thinking about putting money into new tuned shocks, maybe some spring work, and it's time for new tires anyway. I'm pulling my camper (bumper pull) or enclosed ATV trailer about half the time, so I was thinking air springs for that. But, I'm no gear head by any stretch, so I'd just be going to a local shop, explaining my problem, and hoping for the best. I don't really want to get rid of it for a split front end GM. But if the work above turns into a giant bill, that might make more sense.

I traded my diesel out for this one and am glad I did, I definitely don't tow enough to justify that. My Cooper tires have not held up well, I've got about 25k on them and they're all crumbly, with your bare fingers you can pick a 1/2 inch square cube off any of the four of them. They're not wearing down with respect to tread depth so the local shop was no help with warranty options.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

One of my buddies has an air bag suspension kit on his Chevy truck. He can adjust the air pressure from in the cab. It’s really nice, especially when he’s pulling a big trailer.

 

[brocksw]

I drive a half ton pick up and replaced the entire suspension at 75k miles, also gave it a 3" lift and threw 35x11.5" tires on it. This includes front coil overs, UCAs, rear shocks, rear shackle. There is a day and night difference driving on washboard roads here in ND. It's almost unbelievable the difference it makes. The nice thing about good shocks/coilovers (depending on how they're valved) is the faster I go, the smoother the ride gets. As soon as I get over about 40 mph the washboard turns into nothing but an audible vibration...the bark is worst than the bite.

 

[mtmuley]

I drive a half ton pick up and replaced the entire suspension at 75k miles, also have it a 3" and threw 35x11.5" tires on it. This includes front coil overs, UCAs, rear shocks, rear shackle. There is a day and night difference driving on washboard roads here in ND. It's almost unbelievable the difference it makes. The nice thing about good shocks/coilovers (depending on how they're valved) is the faster I go, the smoother the ride gets. As soon as I get over about 40 mph the washboard turns into nothing but an audible vibration...the bark is worst than the bite.

Get out in the mountains and try a steep uphill washboard. mtmuley

 

[PrairieHunter]

Slowing down makes it worse unless you go really slow. The 10-40 MPH zone is the one to avoid.

I've always wanted to have a trophy type truck for road hunting, that's the kind of suspension for bad roads. Long travel with air bags. LOL

The road up top Rob Roy is a killer for suspensions and steering parts.

 

[huntn100]

Only way I know is to slow down. In regards to tires - in my experience the BFG KO2’s are head and shoulders above the others. Pricey but worth it - I use mine hard and still get 75,000 miles out of them.

This is My experience as well, I had a 1998 Land Cruiser and every October I drove the same 45 mile long dirt road to get to my 1st rifle season area. over the years I had BFGs and Bridgestone Dura tracs. The BFGs were considerable better on the washboards. I now have a Silverado with BFGs, they seem to be on this truck as they were on the Land Cruiser. But really washboards are just unavoidable and a small price to pay to be out on the land and getting to were the hunting is good! Just my personal experience.

 

[zach_destroys]

I'm not a chevy guy by a long shot, I love my ford's. But the work trucks supplied to me have always been 3/4 ton chevys and they are the smoothest riding pickup I've ever been in. Doesn't matter the road, they are more comfortable than the competition. I'll still keep buying ford's though.

 

[hank4elk]

Been dealing with my local road to the hwy for 12 yrs and the washboards have gotten worse here. Road is one of the few all weather with gravel,but they used small rock. With a recent influx of newbies it's washboarded constantly now. County grades it but too many fast drivers now. 40-60+...dumb.

I drive 30-40 with 65 in the 80lb 10 plys on both my F-150 & Tacoma. I get out of the way of the idiots and will pay them back by leaving them in the ditch as I drive past some day....and wave.

The gravel cuts are a pain on the tires,no getting around that. But at least I can get to the hwy. The unpaved state road alternative is as bad with washboards,but impassible if wet & muddy.
2 years is all I can get out of any tire I or anyone I know here has gotten.

Just got Cooper STmax and the feel like truck tires,solid. Work great on snow & muddy road,graded or washboarded into muddy potholes....by the A-holes....lol

Paradise has a cost away from the masses. Cheap in the long run is all I can come up with.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Slow down. Washboards suck in any kind of vehicle.

Yep.

Speeding down those roads, even in a rig that can handle it, only makes them worse. Doesn't show much respect to the people who live in the area if I do that. I gotta admit the local ranchers seem to be the worse speeding culprits. I always slow down and get over so I'm not spraying the oncoming fancy new truck and stock trailer with gravel. Wish they would reciprocate.

 

[manitou1]

There are roads in WY so washboarded I can't exceed 10mph in a half ton truck without going sideways.

 

[hank4elk]

Been living with 12 mi of gravel county road to pavement and the last 2 years so many folks have moved in to the old subdivisions,finally, it's constantly washboarded now. The nearby state road is dirt & worse,11mi. & often impassible.
The gravel is small & cuts,rockbreaks most tires quick. I see folks flying down a road I used to rarely ever see anyone on.
I get 2 years out of a tire here. Any tire. Just coughed up for new Cooper STMax to replace cut up,worn out tires.
I go 30-40mph with 60lb in the 80lb 10 ply tires I use on both my trucks now. F-150 & Tacoma.
At least I do have a pretty much all weather road,washboarded or not. I just get out of the knuckleheads way. I'll leave them in the ditch someday while I wave as I drive past....
Still can't see a house from here and elk are my most common visitor. Trade off for NM remoteness & beauty.