Bed Bounce Discussions

[jan kohlmann]

Originally Posted by mainliner

do you work for csi Miami?

No, the US Army.

[pedro66]

I just got an 07 long bed 5.7 4x4 and on certain stretches of freeway at about 55 to 65mph it gets on a real bounce, so bad infact it will bounce stuff out of the cup holders. if I drive faster its not so bad but costs on tickets.

Its not 100% the road surface as I have driven this way to work for years and never in any of my previous trucks (none as long as this one) had it so bad.

I am thinking its the long bed with no weight in it, its done it since day one is there anything I can do to decrease the effect.

Other than that I would not go back to my previous Chevy.

[Art64]

Give it some time for the suspension to settle down or "break-in." I don't know exactly what term to use here for the suspension. But after a few months of use, the suspension will soften. I have an 06 V6 reg cab and that thing bounces off like there's no suspension at all. Super hard, the suspension won't give or compress when I'm driving over speed bumps and dips. My stock battery's acid is spilling from the vents because of too much bouncing. Hard to keep the truck to run straight on the freeway. Always wandering. SO I put 150 Lbs of gravel in the back next to the cab. I drove it like that for a few months and now the suspension is normal. It compresses when I go over speed bumps and dips. Much more stable on the freeway even at high speed or windy conditions. Now , Don't need the extra weight on the back and removed it. Go off roading on some uneven terrain. Work out that suspension. You don't have to go fast off road. Just make sure the suspension gets a work out. Put some weight on the bed. Do this often. If it doesn't soften the suspension, then go back to Chevy.

[hinkleid]

Just keep your quad in the back like me. I don't have the long bed though. TOOOOOOOOOO Long for me, I wouldnt be able to park.

[zzrguy]

I had the same effect on my standard bed DC but if seem to have settle down with time How high are you running your tires I have mine pumped up to 40psi to keep from cupping a crowning

[Tundraman55]

Check your rear tire pressure. Some dealers have a habit of filling the tires to max psi so they don't go flat while sitting on the lot prior to being sold.

[willy]

Originally Posted by pedro66

I just got an 07 long bed 5.7 4x4 and on certain stretches of freeway at about 55 to 65mph it gets on a real bounce, so bad infact it will bounce stuff out of the cup holders. if I drive faster its not so bad but costs on tickets.

Its not 100% the road surface as I have driven this way to work for years and never in any of my previous trucks (none as long as this one) had it so bad.

I am thinking its the long bed with no weight in it, its done it since day one is there anything I can do to decrease the effect.

Other than that I would not go back to my previous Chevy.

Pedro, Funny thing is I guessed you lived in Vegas before I ever looked at your stats. I lived there for a while, and live just a few hours north of there now and visit my parents in LV quite often. I would guess you're talking about the section of I-215 west or east bound near the junction with I-15??? Let me know if I'm correct.

With that stretch, and others like it around town, the concrete was poured in sections that are near the length of longer wheelbase trucks, or at least that's my guess. It's almost unnoticable in big cars or regular sized trucks, but in longer trucks it's very noticable. First time I noticed it was when I was driving one of my work trucks for the first time, which was an F-350 crewcab longbed 4WD. The truck bounced up and down so bad that I actually got off the freeway and inspeced the axles and suspension. It wasn't until I found nothing wrong with the truck and realized that it rode fine on other roads that I realized the problem wasn't the truck, but the length of the concrete sections.

Try paying attention to what roads your on and if they're blacktop (poured continuously) or concrete (poured in sections). I'll bet that's all it is. If so, then the only solution is to take other roads or ignore it.

Let me know what you think, as I'm curious now.

[pedro66]

Yes your 100% on all counts, guess I will avoid and see how it goes

Thanks For All The Replies

Originally Posted by willy

Pedro, Funny thing is I guessed you lived in Vegas before I ever looked at your stats. I lived there for a while, and live just a few hours north of there now and visit my parents in LV quite often. I would guess you're talking about the section of I-215 west or east bound near the junction with I-15??? Let me know if I'm correct.

With that stretch, and others like it around town, the concrete was poured in sections that are near the length of longer wheelbase trucks, or at least that's my guess. It's almost unnoticable in big cars or regular sized trucks, but in longer trucks it's very noticable. First time I noticed it was when I was driving one of my work trucks for the first time, which was an F-350 crewcab longbed 4WD. The truck bounced up and down so bad that I actually got off the freeway and inspeced the axles and suspension. It wasn't until I found nothing wrong with the truck and realized that it rode fine on other roads that I realized the problem wasn't the truck, but the length of the concrete sections.

Try paying attention to what roads your on and if they're blacktop (poured continuously) or concrete (poured in sections). I'll bet that's all it is. If so, then the only solution is to take other roads or ignore it.

Let me know what you think, as I'm curious now.

[GoodCop]

All longbeds I've owned had some bounce unloaded. Always dumped a couple bags of sand in the bed and that took care of it.

[willy]

Originally Posted by pedro66

Yes your 100% on all counts, guess I will avoid and see how it goes

Thanks For All The Replies

Too funny! Well, at least you now know it's not your truck! That section of hwy sucks. Good ole NDOT hard at work I guess.

[jliltd]

My father used to have a flat elevator weight he would bolt underneath the bed on his 1/2 pickups for ride quality. That's also accomplished with the Toyota acessory called "ShurTax All Weather Traction". It's an easy way to add weight in the bed and is basically a big water bag:
Toyota Tundra - Truck Accessories

If it were me I'd probably just throw some sandbags in the back (like Art64 did). If you drive around unloaded all the time just leave them back there.

And it does in fact take a little time to break in the suspension on a new vehicle. Instead of loading the sand bags you could also go on one good trailer tow trip (i.e. 4,000lb loaded bumper pull trailer).

[willy]

Originally Posted by jliltd

Instead of loading the sand bags you could also go on one good trailer tow trip (i.e. 4,000lb loaded bumper pull trailer).

Yet another good reason for a road trip.

[mustang67408]

Originally Posted by willy

Pedro, Funny thing is I guessed you lived in Vegas before I ever looked at your stats. I lived there for a while, and live just a few hours north of there now and visit my parents in LV quite often. I would guess you're talking about the section of I-215 west or east bound near the junction with I-15??? Let me know if I'm correct.

With that stretch, and others like it around town, the concrete was poured in sections that are near the length of longer wheelbase trucks, or at least that's my guess. It's almost unnoticable in big cars or regular sized trucks, but in longer trucks it's very noticable. First time I noticed it was when I was driving one of my work trucks for the first time, which was an F-350 crewcab longbed 4WD. The truck bounced up and down so bad that I actually got off the freeway and inspeced the axles and suspension. It wasn't until I found nothing wrong with the truck and realized that it rode fine on other roads that I realized the problem wasn't the truck, but the length of the concrete sections.

Try paying attention to what roads your on and if they're blacktop (poured continuously) or concrete (poured in sections). I'll bet that's all it is. If so, then the only solution is to take other roads or ignore it.

Let me know what you think, as I'm curious now.

You are 100% correct Toyota BIG WIGS have even been out here and have agreed that is the NDOT problem w/ concrete fwys. My buddies F350 Dually does exactly the same thing. It is the wheel base vs the concrete sections.

I-10 near Pomona Calif does the same thing.

[Gary45]

It feels like every f******g freeway in Los Angeles is like that.

[hinkleid]

Originally Posted by Gary45

It feels like every f******g freeway in Los Angeles is like that.

That is why many Californians are all moving here to Boise, Idaho in droves. I wish they would go back! Its like a plague.