Our teeth are rattling out of our heads...

[zeecarr]

Have you gone and driven another Expedition to see if it is the same? It sounds to me like there is nothing wrong with your SUV and you just expected it to ride smoother? Putting on Michelin or Pirelli tires might help a bit.

 

[Moeman]

I will chime in also, '22 SPP 304a, no CCD. the ride is really pretty terrible. (I'll go 4/10 on scale, I've driven f250's that are the definition of uncomfortable). the ride is planted though, I can entertain some spirited driving better than expected for 6k lb top heavy truck.

I've driven '23 and '24 limited exp with 20's instead of 22's and it does help somewhat, but nothing line a uniframe or crossover feeling ride. those are probably 5-6/10

mine has michellin tires, that did help, but on a scale of 10, maybe it moved it 1 notch.

this week I've had a 23 navigator with 22's and CCD, the ride is more subtle, I would say 6-7/10. it's more floaty, but shutters when you hit larger bumps, almost like the body is magnifying the impact and the suspension can only do so much.

My wife test drove a Navigator after experiencing the horrible ride of the Expedition to see if it would be worth stepping up to. Similar to you, she thought maybe a bit better, but definitely evident that the entire vehicle platform shares the ride problem. Hence, not worth giving up our 0% deal only to get into a higher payment, same poor ride, and more finicky electronics.

 

[Benztech]

I think the ride is fine in my wife's Max Stealth. This is our third- 2008 with 18s that i put 20s on, a 2018 with 20s and now her 23 with 22s. Honestly not much ride difference between each. I'm surprised by all the complaints- I mean it is a truck chassis, not luxury underpinnings like a GLS, X7, or Bentayga. Of course I drive a Nissan Titan so I guess it depends on what your reference vehicle is, but we have an Accord too and I'd rather drive the Expy especially on rough roads.

 

[rd618]

I think the ride is fine in my wife's Max Stealth. This is our third- 2008 with 18s that i put 20s on, a 2018 with 20s and now her 23 with 22s. Honestly not much ride difference between each. I'm surprised by all the complaints- I mean it is a truck chassis, not luxury underpinnings like a GLS, X7, or Bentayga. Of course I drive a Nissan Titan so I guess it depends on what your reference vehicle is, but we have an Accord too and I'd rather drive the Expy especially on rough roads.

The ride is fine, but worse than I would expect for 80-90k vehicle.
GLS and X7 are unibody, they aren't body on frame. Those will always ride better.
If you compare the Armada (70-90k), QX80 (80-110k), LX (80-110k), Sequoya (70-90k), Tahoe (70k+), Escalade (110k+), those are all body on frame vehicles. The Chevy and Fords ride the worst out of the bunch, arguably also have the worst reliability of the group too. (while the wagoneer is also better riding, the reliability is terrible, so I skipped it)
All I'm saying, ford can do better.

 

[dlcorbett]

If you have the 22s without ccd, thats unfortunate. Not only that, adding the tow pkg adds stiffer rear springs. I had an 18 expy with 20s bought new, no ccd, thinking I could add aftermarket, and I thought the ride was pretty firm then. At the time, it still rode well compared to contemporaries. A huge problem was that the body mounts werent good, allowing to much jitter and clanked on the frame on abrupt pavement breaks. My 20 nav i bought used with 65k miles was amazingly smooth, however, the body mounts were still a problem, and after 40k miles, The ride deteriorated greatly. I will always say, the 4th gens only ride good with the ccd, acceptable without compared to its peers when new, but you gotta do research. However, the 4th gens still use suspension components from 2007, so compared to new bof suvs or car based suvs, people will feel the difference more. I will say, I have driven the 5th gen expy and nav, and ford has def worked on the suspension, as they ride more competitively, atleast in the expys case. It still needs an air suspension option and it still has trucky jitters, but the ride is way more comfy than any 4th gen I've owned and my wife and I thought it was better than sequoia, armada-with/without air, wagoneer-no air, and tahoe-no air with mrc.

If the ride is that egregious, short term solution, add smaller wheels with good highway tires with a road force balance and alignment. However, long term, you will need to trade it for something more comfy. If you need the space and tow, gm, nissan, and jeep are your only true options, but they all ride superior to the 4th gen fords. However, the 5th gen fords ride great, so check one out if you havent. If you dont need to tow, another x7, gls, or gravity should offer enough space and offer better rides i assume. Maybe a durango as it tows pretty well, but I've never thought the durango rode better than any fs suv I've owned.

 

[GixxerJasen]

All I'm saying, ford can do better.

We could reuse this on a lot of threads.

 

[DieselMonk]

I drove for a short while a Toyota 4Runner Trail Sport with bigger tires on it. If you want to experience a rough riding SUV that’s one to go for. Make my non CCD SPP with HD trailer tow drives like a dream compared to that. I don’t find much difference between my SPP and an older Mercedes ML on 21” rims with airmatic. That rode rough too.

 

[young dude co]

If you have the 22s without ccd, thats unfortunate. Not only that, adding the tow pkg adds stiffer rear springs. I had an 18 expy with 20s bought new, no ccd, thinking I could add aftermarket, and I thought the ride was pretty firm then. At the time, it still rode well compared to contemporaries. A huge problem was that the body mounts werent good, allowing to much jitter and clanked on the frame on abrupt pavement breaks. My 20 nav i bought used with 65k miles was amazingly smooth, however, the body mounts were still a problem, and after 40k miles, The ride deteriorated greatly. I will always say, the 4th gens only ride good with the ccd, acceptable without compared to its peers when new, but you gotta do research. However, the 4th gens still use suspension components from 2007, so compared to new bof suvs or car based suvs, people will feel the difference more. I will say, I have driven the 5th gen expy and nav, and ford has def worked on the suspension, as they ride more competitively, atleast in the expys case. It still needs an air suspension option and it still has trucky jitters, but the ride is way more comfy than any 4th gen I've owned and my wife and I thought it was better than sequoia, armada-with/without air, wagoneer-no air, and tahoe-no air with mrc.

If the ride is that egregious, short term solution, add smaller wheels with good highway tires with a road force balance and alignment. However, long term, you will need to trade it for something more comfy. If you need the space and tow, gm, nissan, and jeep are your only true options, but they all ride superior to the 4th gen fords. However, the 5th gen fords ride great, so check one out if you havent. If you dont need to tow, another x7, gls, or gravity should offer enough space and offer better rides i assume. Maybe a durango as it tows pretty well, but I've never thought the durango rode better than any fs suv I've owned.

You've mentioned this numerous times now about how the '25 model year rides better (I've separately inquired you about it once before too). I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else about the suspension upgrades nor about the supposedly superior ride quality (I personally didn't notice the difference but the roads weren't bad where I test drove).

I've already bought a '24 so it's water under the bridge and I'm not complaining about the ride, besides in 3rd row lol. Just wanting to know for certain that this superior ride/suspension in 5th gen is objectively true.

 

[Fastcar]

Folks, I gather your talking about the "ride". I gotta point out that your driving a damn truck, not a cushy soft car! It will ride hard, cause that is what it does.
Currently I'm driving a 2024 SPP 304A 4x4 3:73 gears. I have the tires at 43 lbs cold. It rides hard, not harsh. It handles well and my wife loves it. Smooth as glass @80mph do I notice when going across a joint in the road, of course. It is a truck it's how it is with a 4x4 drive truck. You want to feel hard, drive a vette with the Z51 non adjustable suspension. After a 1,000 mile trip I was ready to sell it. Enjoy it for what it is.

 

[dlcorbett]

You've mentioned this numerous times now about how the '25 model year rides better (I've separately inquired you about it once before too). I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else about the suspension upgrades nor about the supposedly superior ride quality (I personally didn't notice the difference but the roads weren't bad where I test drove).

I've already bought a '24 so it's water under the bridge and I'm not complaining about the ride, besides in 3rd row lol. Just wanting to know for certain that this superior ride/suspension in 5th gen is objectively true.

Oh no, when did you write me? My bad im usually good at responding to quote replies and private messages but sometimes the app won't tell me.

As far as engineering, ford did say they changed the mounts and suspension connection points (slightly lower) to help tune the shocks better. I havent driven one without ccd, so i dnt know what the active or platinum without it drive like. As far as the ones we did drive, every single one drove like a dream, and all did a very good job at bump absorption and harshness control. To compare to the 4th gen, those were tuned to be somewhat firm, especially without ccd. The 25s are opposite, they are tuned very softly, almost to mimic an air suspension. There is 2 main critiques I had, which the air sprung trucks probably fixed(except armada/qx80). 1. Its still jittery, and the 24in wheels exasperated it greatly. On smooth roads and highways, you don't feel it as much, but on back roads or pattered pavement, you def do. It sucks because, outside the vibrations, you don't fell what's happening underneath you. The 22s are a bit better at hiding this. 2. The body control on back roads is somewhat lacking. It sways and rocks a good bit when the road undulates, but id take that over harshness and jarring. Overall its a good compromise, and you'd have to drive on a lot of backroads to rele feel the difference btw it and the tahoe or wagoneer. I do think they jitter slightly less though. Of note, we drove a black label navigator, they come with the tow pkg as standard. Most of the expys we drive didnt have it. Without the tow pkg, the ride is a ways softer. Also, the max rides firmer than the shorty.

As far as competition is concerned, the armada is too firm for us. The truck tries to mimic a sports car, which I wouldnt want in a truck. The coils are softer, but with air, though its absorbent, the body moves like a sports car, quick choppy exaggerated movements. The sequoia felt like a pickup truck, which makes sense since its the closest to its truck based roots. Still a smooth rider, but the back end moves around more than the others. I still haven't driven a gm with air, but I have driven every variant otherwise. The best ride is the escalade with mrc. The 25 tahoe with mrc is very close to it. It was very absorbent, but somewhat floaty and nautical. The wagoneer on coils is also a bit stiff, but with enough compliance to prevent harshness. However, the grand wagoneer was very plush, and has a better low speed ride than any other peer. It also felt like it had the most rigid body.

With all that said, ride is very objective, and people have different tastes. I like controlled cush, or balance between cornering and compliance. Some people like the tough but confident ride of the 4th gen. However, for a family car, I would want a softer setup. Even my nav could be somewhat harsh on some bumps, but I did like that it was more controlled and stable than my dads escalade. The new expy solved this problem, to the point that where we were close to getting one. If you haven't def drive one. But drive everything to make your own opinions.

 

[DieselMonk]

Folks, I gather your talking about the "ride". I gotta point out that your driving a damn truck, not a cushy soft car! It will ride hard, cause that is what it does.
Currently I'm driving a 2024 SPP 304A 4x4 3:73 gears. I have the tires at 43 lbs cold. It rides hard, not harsh. It handles well and my wife loves it. Smooth as glass @80mph do I notice when going across a joint in the road, of course. It is a truck it's how it is with a 4x4 drive truck. You want to feel hard, drive a vette with the Z51 non adjustable suspension. After a 1,000 mile trip I was ready to sell it. Enjoy it for what it is.

Exactly.

 

[young dude co]

Oh no, when did you write me? My bad im usually good at responding to quote replies and private messages but sometimes the app won't tell me.

As far as engineering, ford did say they changed the mounts and suspension connection points (slightly lower) to help tune the shocks better. I havent driven one without ccd, so i dnt know what the active or platinum without it drive like. As far as the ones we did drive, every single one drove like a dream, and all did a very good job at bump absorption and harshness control. To compare to the 4th gen, those were tuned to be somewhat firm, especially without ccd. The 25s are opposite, they are tuned very softly, almost to mimic an air suspension. There is 2 main critiques I had, which the air sprung trucks probably fixed(except armada/qx80). 1. Its still jittery, and the 24in wheels exasperated it greatly. On smooth roads and highways, you don't feel it as much, but on back roads or pattered pavement, you def do. It sucks because, outside the vibrations, you don't fell what's happening underneath you. The 22s are a bit better at hiding this. 2. The body control on back roads is somewhat lacking. It sways and rocks a good bit when the road undulates, but id take that over harshness and jarring. Overall its a good compromise, and you'd have to drive on a lot of backroads to rele feel the difference btw it and the tahoe or wagoneer. I do think they jitter slightly less though. Of note, we drove a black label navigator, they come with the tow pkg as standard. Most of the expys we drive didnt have it. Without the tow pkg, the ride is a ways softer. Also, the max rides firmer than the shorty.

As far as competition is concerned, the armada is too firm for us. The truck tries to mimic a sports car, which I wouldnt want in a truck. The coils are softer, but with air, though its absorbent, the body moves like a sports car, quick choppy exaggerated movements. The sequoia felt like a pickup truck, which makes sense since its the closest to its truck based roots. Still a smooth rider, but the back end moves around more than the others. I still haven't driven a gm with air, but I have driven every variant otherwise. The best ride is the escalade with mrc. The 25 tahoe with mrc is very close to it. It was very absorbent, but somewhat floaty and nautical. The wagoneer on coils is also a bit stiff, but with enough compliance to prevent harshness. However, the grand wagoneer was very plush, and has a better low speed ride than any other peer. It also felt like it had the most rigid body.

With all that said, ride is very objective, and people have different tastes. I like controlled cush, or balance between cornering and compliance. Some people like the tough but confident ride of the 4th gen. However, for a family car, I would want a softer setup. Even my nav could be somewhat harsh on some bumps, but I did like that it was more controlled and stable than my dads escalade. The new expy solved this problem, to the point that where we were close to getting one. If you haven't def drive one. But drive everything to make your own opinions.

You're good my man. It was in a thread, and you actually did respond. It was just a very brief convo both ways.

That's interesting. Do you recall where you happened to see the Ford announcement about the suspension upgrades? That might've potentially swayed my decision on a 24 vs 25. The lack of eLSD in 25 was the deciding factor previously. If the suspension/ride is objectively better without compromising handling, it would've been a much tougher decision weighing the pro/con.

Appreciate all the details! I was only ever looking at Ford because only GM (and variants) and Jeep offered the large SUVs with comparable cargo to minivans (Armada/Sequoia have no cargo). And Ford was the least problematic lol.

 

[dlcorbett]

The New Ford Expedition Is Here! Is The Price Increase Worth It? Tough Questions Answered!

( https://www.alltfl.com/ ) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! Welcome back to TFL Talkin' Trucks podcast!...

youtu.be

This was the only video I remember upon debut where the engineer stated they made changes to the suspension.

I was skeptical as most people were because it didn't seem like ford could do anything better to make the drive better, but they found a way. I will say, the Navigators ride is a small bit from class competitive, the expedition is a lot closer and exceeds its peers. This hurts me because I've always been a navigator kind of person and i adored the 4th gen nav, to include the one i owned. The 09 nav i had is still one of the best cars ive ever owned.

 

[SL0MAR]

Folks, I gather your talking about the "ride". I gotta point out that your driving a damn truck, not a cushy soft car! It will ride hard, cause that is what it does.
Currently I'm driving a 2024 SPP 304A 4x4 3:73 gears. I have the tires at 43 lbs cold. It rides hard, not harsh. It handles well and my wife loves it. Smooth as glass @80mph do I notice when going across a joint in the road, of course. It is a truck it's how it is with a 4x4 drive truck. You want to feel hard, drive a vette with the Z51 non adjustable suspension. After a 1,000 mile trip I was ready to sell it. Enjoy it for what it is.

I didn't put in my original post that I also drove a 2018 F150. That truck rode like a dream compared to this and could tow way more. So yeah, it's a "damn truck"... but way shittier ride than my 18... but back to my question... any new solutions you can offer? Aside from 18" hoopty wheels and possibly suspension upgrades (king/bilstein) I haven't heard any.

 

[rd618]

I didn't put in my original post that I also drove a 2018 F150. That truck rode like a dream compared to this and could tow way more. So yeah, it's a "damn truck"... but way shittier ride than my 18... but back to my question... any new solutions you can offer? Aside from 18" hoopty wheels and possibly suspension upgrades (king/bilstein) I haven't heard any.

There are only 3 things that will affect the ride that you can control
- suspension components
- tires
- wheels
Unfortunately the ride itself is a combination of all that plus the frame rigidity, body mounts, and frame/body shape and design.

 

[Fastcar]

I didn't put in my original post that I also drove a 2018 F150. That truck rode like a dream compared to this and could tow way more. So yeah, it's a "damn truck"... but way shittier ride than my 18... but back to my question... any new solutions you can offer? Aside from 18" hoopty wheels and possibly suspension upgrades (king/bilstein) I haven't heard any.

I take it that the ride changed from the time you test drove it to now that you find it so horrible. I'm sure that you test drove it or kept it overnight before you purchased it and found the ride just fine or you wouldn't have bought it. So what changed on the truck? Wheels, tires or suspension?? I ask because nobody would knowingly buy a truck as horrible as the one's that I read about every day here.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Hoopty wheels = better ride
Ghetto wheels = harsh ride.

Pick your poison.

 

[mgmgrand]

Yes suspension is key as we came from A 21 odyssey with a soft suspension but it had low profile tires so it wasn't that great on crappy SC paved roads. Tires make a huge difference in ride quality and the expedition has a nice suspension with independent rear linkage so it should ride smooth.
The problem here is that people want a fancy look with a large 22in rim.

I have a 24 expy max platinum and the ride was pretty harsh with the 22s and the crappy general grabbers. The main problem with the grabbers were that they were a 45 sidewall height at 114t load index.

Now I found a pair of F150 take offs with Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires in a 275/65r18 with a 116t load index. I went down in rim size and increased my sidewall height. The ride feels like your floating on a cloud, the tires just soak up the crappy roads and small potholes and bumps. Yes I have CCD but I had the same suspension with the 22s and I FELT everything, even the wife complained saying the van rode smoother.

Sidewall height makes a huge difference, your tires are apart of your suspension too. I don't plan to tow anything heavy so I don't need a stiff 10ply tire and now we enjoy a very plush ride.

 

[Fastcar]

I have the same tires and wheels on our 2024 SPP. Same size tires and wheels. It rides nice for our needs. Of course we have driven 4x4 trucks for over 40 years in different configurations. Speaking for myself As I said in another post I'm bewildered by those who purchase these things and then complain about the ride. I don't get it. Not at 80K +.

 

[CDNRabbit]

For myself I'm not complaining about the truck handling and stiff ride. I even expected the bounce in the back end, can't be setup for towing and comfort at the same time. My complaint is the constant shaking and vibration even over generally smooth roads. Tracking is a little squirrely and it's also getting worse.

I'm willing to spend on upgrades to improve the ride, but the basic setup for a truck that cost me more than 100k cad should be better..