Just traded my 17 longhorn with air suspension for an 18 southfork longhorn on a killer deal. Was getting a little concerned with air suspension as seemed to be getting harsh and was feeling a lot more road vibration than used to and live in the north and hearing to many stories about cold temp issues. Also rode stiffer when cold. That being said purposely looked for one with coils. That is what I bought and on drive home from dealer, about 130 miles was not very happy with coils. On a bumpier road that have driven with 17 my 18 would hit road seams and shake and never really recover before next one, they were close together. From everything read and heard the coils were supposed to be the next best thing or almost equal to air suspension. Do any of you feel your coils ride well rough, feel a lot of bumps and vibration? Seriously thinking of getting my 17 back if this the way coils ride. A bit irritated and confused. Talked to service manager and he said he had driven both as demo vehicles for awhile and said that the coils much smoother in winter and better in long run. Also said that on vehicles he had did not notice a lot of difference in the ride of either except winter cold. Anyone not like there coil ride? Any input?
2018 rough ride
- Thread starter Fieldoc
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Riccochet
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Did the wheel size change as well? My '13 Laramie with 20" wheels was a lot more plush of a ride than my '17 Sport with 22" wheels.
sniman
Junior Member
I have a 17 ram 2500 with the coils, and it’s the worst riding 3/4 ton truck I’ve ever owned. No give in suspension at all. On the other hand rides great with the fifth wheel camper hooked to it. I had 700 lbs in the back over the winter and it helped.
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HitchHiker
Senior Member
I can say that my 2018 RAM 1500 6.4 bed with air suspension rides much smoother and handles road imperfections much better than my 2012 RAM 1500 5.7 bed with coilovers ever did. I had issues with road hop and wobbles/steering wheel lurches on certain large bumps and road imperfections in my 2012, especially on certain roads and highways that I take on a regular basis - i.e I know exactly which bumps caused my 2012 to become unsteady on its feet. In the 2018, going over the exact same roadways, no problems, no hop, no wobbles whatsoever. Granted, my 2018 also has the longer wheelbase with the 6.4 bed, but I think it's mostly the air suspension as compared to the coilovers.
lobsterbake
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I have a 2500 on order and found the 2500’s I test drove with the off road package were much less jarring than a 2500 without the package.
Did you check the air pressure? If you have 20's then 39 PSI is the recommended pressure per the door sticker. Most new trucks fresh off the lot usually have way to much. I run 37 in mine for a little softer ride. They might wear out faster but it really helps the ride.
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Often I've considered a HD Ram. I don't "need" one but they sure look tough. My number one reason not to make the jump is ride quality. I just like how the 1500's ride like a Cadillac.
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I had a 2016 Ram 2500 for towing a 5th wheel. We decided to park the 5th wheel and not tow any more. I could not wait to dump the 2500 for a 1500....the 2500 ride was like a battle wagon. Awful.
The 2017 1500 rides pretty good, but it is still a truck. I road tested a Silverado and a f150 before I bought the 2017 Ram, and I think the Ram rides the best of the three. My neighbor has a 2018 f150 and said he did the same road testing that I did and he preferred the ford's ride....each to their own.
The 2017 1500 rides pretty good, but it is still a truck. I road tested a Silverado and a f150 before I bought the 2017 Ram, and I think the Ram rides the best of the three. My neighbor has a 2018 f150 and said he did the same road testing that I did and he preferred the ford's ride....each to their own.
BTD07
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I never really noticed it being too stiff of a ride, its a truck afterall. However my mom drove it for the first time when she was in town visiting as I wanted to see her drive it for fun (she gets nervous driving even a full size SUV), and the first thing she mentioned was how rigid it felt. But thats what I want out of the truck, I want to feel like I am stable and planted vs. a cushy ride. The interior is comfy enough for me to feel like I am getting the best of both. I havent driven the air rides but I just would never get one so coils for me with Bilsteins up front. Still need to add the rear..
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Yep, my 2018 2500 CC ride is much firmer than our 07 1500 mega cab. Expected that trade off for better towing. The factory or dealer tire pressure was at 100PSI. Followed the door sticker pressure. Reducing the tire pressure in the 8 or 10 ply tires makes a difference. Have 4000 miles and have noticed that the ride is not as firm as new. The suspension is breaking in.
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I like the firm/stiff ride from my 2500 4x4. It’s got the solid front axle and coils. The ride reminds me of the 70’s & 80’s long wheelbase 4x4’s back when trucks were trucks
I Love My 2018 RAM 2500HD 4x4 6.4L. USMC (ret)
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I agree, the factory shocks are what they are. I replace the factory shocks on all my trucks with Bilsteins at about 10-15k miles. Will that dramatically improve the normal 2500 ride??? Probably not.
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