Seat in my truck is killing me

[horseylady]

Our 2006 Dodge dually 4x4 has very stiff suspension. The ride is better when towing fifth wheel but still very rough. Had shocks replaced, new tires, which help a little. Planning to put more air in air bags but may make it worse and raise truck too high for trailer.

Has anyone found a way to soften the ride. I have bought several expensive cushions but I need something for the entire seat, thick and cushiony, maybe with air. I have lower back problems anyway but, unless I'm driving, it kills me.

We are getting ready to go from coast to coast in a few weeks and usually can only do two days in a row because of my back.

We bought this truck new and it only has 80,000 miles, can pull anything, no problems, and great fuel mileage and, at our age, we are not interested in truck payments for a new truck.

Thanks,
Pam

[Gdetrailer]

transamz9 wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
Nothing short of replacing the one ton truck for a 1/2 ton truck is going to "fix" a stiff ride..

You have had this same vehicle for 80K + miles, should have noticed this from day #1 of ownership...

I would suggest if you are running full sidewall pressure while unloaded then lowering the pressure SOME WHILE EMPTY ONLY will go a long way in making a firm ride a bit softer, BUT it still has 1ton SPRINGS and they are stiff.

While it may be possible to slip softer springs on the vehicle then you are going to risk overloading those springs when loaded.. A catch 22.. You can't have both worlds (Caddy ride when empty AND 1 ton hauling)...

It IS a truck and heavy haulers DO ride harsh especially when unloaded.

I have to disagree a little. My truck may not ride like a Caddy but it does ride as well as a 2WD half ton after my suspension upgrades. My suspension will also handle as much as any factory 350/3500 (10,000# capacity). I can also level my fifth wheel front to rear, air up tires and such, run an impact to remove wheels and lower the tailgate to below my waste on my 4X4 Ram to load stuff in the bed and I am short.

To make a one ton ride softer you would HAVE to replace the STIFFER high rate springs with LOWER and softer spring rates. Then to allow for heavy loads you would HAVE to add on stuff like air bags.

This to me is just plain stupid.

You buy a one ton for the hauling, not the ride.

Its YOUR truck and money but at the end of the day you have a crippled hap haphazardly modded suspension which one part of it fails and you are going to be limping it home. Air bags DO go bad, air lines do break and depending on them to carry the load with lesser springs just may not not be able to carry the full load..

While you and others may like your mods, the truth is once you start modding the suspension it is no longer rated to handle or carry the load the manufacturer listed.

My suggestion is if the ride is that bad, then you have just two alternatives.

One, replace truck with a CAR for DAILY DRIVING and leave the truck for HAULING ONLY.

Two, replace the SEAT by either having an Upholstery shop rebuild the seat with new and added cushions or replace the seat with a newer softer one from a car...

[transamz9]

Gdetrailer wrote:
Nothing short of replacing the one ton truck for a 1/2 ton truck is going to "fix" a stiff ride..

You have had this same vehicle for 80K + miles, should have noticed this from day #1 of ownership...

I would suggest if you are running full sidewall pressure while unloaded then lowering the pressure SOME WHILE EMPTY ONLY will go a long way in making a firm ride a bit softer, BUT it still has 1ton SPRINGS and they are stiff.

While it may be possible to slip softer springs on the vehicle then you are going to risk overloading those springs when loaded.. A catch 22.. You can't have both worlds (Caddy ride when empty AND 1 ton hauling)...

It IS a truck and heavy haulers DO ride harsh especially when unloaded.

I have to disagree a little. My truck may not ride like a Caddy but it does ride as well as a 2WD half ton after my suspension upgrades. My suspension will also handle as much as any factory 350/3500 (10,000# capacity). I can also level my fifth wheel front to rear, air up tires and such, run an impact to remove wheels and lower the tailgate to below my waste on my 4X4 Ram to load stuff in the bed and I am short.

[thomasmnile]

Are you uncomfortable due to the truck's seats not providing adequate support to your back or is the issue you are being beat to death by the rough ride of the truck's suspension? Your post doesn't clearly identify the problem.

As posted by others, air ride seats for a pickup are an option if you can find them. For some reason there are plenty available for Ford/Chevy, not too many for Ram, and I have looked at a lot of websites.

I agree the seats of a Ram in that model vintage leave much to be desired for comfort; I have an '05 3500 longbed. The two largest shortcomings I have noted are poor low back support (that 'dial a rod' adjustment in the seat back is a torture device), and the seat bottom itself is not long enough to adequately support the legs above the knee; kinda numbs out your legs after riding awhile. I purchased 1 1/2" dense furniture foam (not visco-elastic urethane), cut it to size, peeled off the seat bottom upholstery and placed it between the molded OEM seat foam and the upholstery. This elevated me in the seat which gave me more, but not perfect low back support (I have a 3 level lumbar fusion and a healing thoracic compression fracture).

The only other suggestion I have is to check in your area and see if there are any truck customizers/upfitters that sell and install truck seating. Some of the custom trucks and haulers I have seen at the big RV show in Tampa had extremely nice aftermarket seating with massage, heat, and pneumatically operated bolsters for the hip and lumbar area. Felt like I was sitting in a fighter aircraft. They look like something you would find in a high performance sport coupe but they were incredibly comfortable to sit in. It might set you back a grand or two, but would probably be the best $ money you could spend to make the ride comfort of a truck comfortable. Good luck and I hope you find an affordable resolution.

[Gdetrailer]

Nothing short of replacing the one ton truck for a 1/2 ton truck is going to "fix" a stiff ride..

You have had this same vehicle for 80K + miles, should have noticed this from day #1 of ownership...

I would suggest if you are running full sidewall pressure while unloaded then lowering the pressure SOME WHILE EMPTY ONLY will go a long way in making a firm ride a bit softer, BUT it still has 1ton SPRINGS and they are stiff.

While it may be possible to slip softer springs on the vehicle then you are going to risk overloading those springs when loaded.. A catch 22.. You can't have both worlds (Caddy ride when empty AND 1 ton hauling)...

It IS a truck and heavy haulers DO ride harsh especially when unloaded.

[Cummins12V98]

Drop your air pressure to 45 in the rear when not towing. When loaded weigh your TV's axles and use weight/inflation chart to determine proper inflation. Example on my RAM dually I run 60 in the rear with 4,500# pin weight. Bilstiens will help a lot. Get the yellow and blue ones from Genosgarage.com. Also air bags will help even out the bumps. I run mine at 30psi loaded, it does not change the ride height at that psi but does help with the jarring.

[donn0128]

Do a search for air ride seats. Might not be cheap, but truckers have used them for years with great success. I read recently about them being offered for pickups somewhere

[2oldman]

Link air ride. You're probably beating the tar out of your 5er too.

You might be able to find a well-used Class 8 tractor with air ride everything.

[VintageRacer]

You can get air suspension seats that are designed to fit into pickup trucks, you would need an air compressor on board. You can get cushions like these: http://www.hammacher.com/Product/Default.aspx?sku=83682&refsku=81485

They are very similar to medical gel cushions for wheelchairs or bedridden people to prevent pressure sores. You can get full air suspension for your truck. You could get the truck weighed with the fiver on, to see what the axle weights are, and probably find you could reduce the front spring rate, that would remove a lot of jarring. At the same time you would be able to consult a pressure/load table for your tires to find out what tire pressure would be appropriate - the factory pressure is always to support the maximum gross axle weight rating, and you are probably no where near that.

Brian

[jason4598]

Make sure your tires are not over inflated for the weight you are carrying.

[ScottG]

Short answer is there's not much you can do. Installing Bilstein shocks will take the sharpness out of things like expansion joints though.