Our teeth are rattling out of our heads...

[SL0MAR]

1st post... tons of searching and not great answers...

Our ride is ridiculously bad. It has been since we bought it brand new. I think we were too dazzled by the cool screen to notice the stiffer ride on the test drive.

Seat of pants meter is the prissiest, coming from the cushiest highway rides... 2011 Sienna, then 2017 Suburban LT

1 wife, 3 teenage daughters... typically loudest protest during shark week.

Here's the specs.

23 Exp Max manufactured-8/23 -2 all original w/24K miles
GVWR 7720lbs
Limited
Equip group 302A
Max trailering
12 Spoke 22" 22x9.5J rims. Original Equipment
285/45R22 114H General Grabber HTS 60 original tires
No CCD that I can tell. Checked parts.ford.com, sticker and ordering guide (Really Ford?!?!?!)

Some solutions from other threads...

1. Air down. (Done, still sucks. 35 cold)
2. Change shocks, (no real answers. 5100s are reported to be harsher/adjustable Rancho for F150 only)
3. Get smaller rims 18/20 (anyone actually do this? Better?)
4. Aftermarket CCD? Haven't seen one.
5. Lift. Same or harsher?
6. Aftermarket Air Shocks
7. Get Michelin Defender tires

Bottom line, this is the family hauler. We thought we would tow, but never do. We drive around town in the nicest truck that feels like we're riding in a red flyer wagon. Help! Thanks.

 

[Calidad]

No details about the tires. Manufacturing date tire brand miles on the vehicle?

What other vehicle/s do you drive that have an acceptable ride quality? That would give us an idea of your seat of the pants meter.

Non CCD with 22’s? I have a 19 and I don’t think 22’s were on non ccd due to ride quality.

So figuring out if you have CCD or not is step 1. Its possible CCD is on your rig and not working correctly.

 

[SilverStealth]

We have a non-CCD and dropped wheel size from 22's to aftermarket 17's. We also installed Bilstein 5100s at the same time. I prefer the ride now. The 17's "mellowed" the sharp little bumps we'd feel through the 22's, as well as protect from curb-rash. The Bilsteins really dampen speed bumps, so it's very firm on the drop and not so floaty. Just know that installing any lift will generally stiffen the ride.

If you can, try to find some 18's off an F150 or Expedition for a less expensive test. Folks have reported better rides even going to 20's.

 

[DieselMonk]

Same as my non MAX SPP, non CCD. Quite a stiff ride, but does corners pretty damn well for a full size SUV. Drives like my GT500. Specifically anyone in the 3rd seat row is having the worst ride.

Bilstein 5100 is quite stiff again. Problem you are having is the HD trailer tow combined with SPP and not having CCD in that configuration. It has stiffer springs and swaybars and the 22” rims.

Go rent a MAX, no HD trailer tow, no SPP and non CCD like an XLT and feel the difference.

You can always start with 18” rims and tires, shocks, etc…

 

[fordperfaddict]

i will be keeping my eye out for used expeditions and similar miles as to what i currently have, with just the CCD option. who knows maybe ill get lucky and find one then noone will know i switched vehicles

 

[GixxerJasen]

3. Get smaller tires 18/20 (anyone actually do this? Better?)

Same size tires, smaller wheels. Definitely an improvement, but not a miracle. I went from 22's to 18's with about 0.5" taller tire I think. I have CCD on mine though, but it's about the easiest improvement you can make, but still spendy. That plus some improved suspension should help a lot.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

1st post... tons of searching and not great answers...

Our ride is ridiculously bad.

Here's the specs.

23 Exp Max
Limited
Equip group 302A
Max trailering
22" rims.
No CCD that I can tell. (Really Ford?!?!?!)

Some solutions from other threads...

1. Air down. (Done, still sucks. 35 cold)
2. Change shocks, (no real answers. 5100s are reported to be harsher)
3. Get smaller tires 18/20 (anyone actually do this? Better?)
4. Aftermarket ccd? Haven't seen one.
5. Lift. Same or harsher?

Bottom line, this is the family hauler. We thought we would tow, but never do. We drive around town in the nicest truck that feels like we're riding in a red flyer wagon. Help! Thanks.

Did you buy the vehicle new or used?

Was the ride bad during your pre-purchase test drive?

Miles on Vehicle now?

 

[Fizzy]

Our 2020 Plat has CCD, and even then on the summer 22s the ride is quite harsh. Not enough to do anything about it, but still.

When fall arrives and I switch to the winter 20s it's instantly noticeable how much smoother the ride is. The winters are also on dedicated winter rubber too (not all season, all weather, etc) which is much softer rubber compound. Maybe that helps some.

 

[wakeboarder]

Are any of the shocks leaking fluid? It could be a failed shock. On earlier years, the stock non-CCD shocks could start leaking after a few thousand miles.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

There's no one size fits all Expedition/Navigator. Even the Timberline and Tremor versions aren't particularly well suited for off-road travel, like on a logging trail. Since ours is a town vehicle, I'm OK with the 22" wheels coupled with the CCD. I've even added the stiffer Hellwig sway bars front and rear. Instead of wallowing around turns, ours corners like a much smaller vehicle.

 

[CDNRabbit]

Is it just the stiffness of the suspension, or is it something more? I have a 2022 SPP Max, non CCD, with the HD tow package. I find the ride horrible. Lots of vibration even on smooth pavement, and it’s easily unsettled. I'm not complaining about harshness over bumps, that’s expected. It rides a lot better on my winter 18s, but it’s still not great. I've replaced the summer Generals with Continentals, and I’ve done an alignment and road force balancing. Next step is replacing the sway bars. Not sure what else to do except to start replacing bushings and suspension components.

 

[Moeman]

We came from a BMW X7 which ended up being a buy-back due to quality problems. At the same time decided we wanted more space so opted for a 22 XLT. We went from the smoothest ride to one that I can't believe an OEM released as a ready for production vehicle. I think what you're feeling is resonance in the frame or body - impacts from the road (can be little or big) take way too long to dampen out? We didn't notice it so much either during the test drive, but it's really insanely bad. The entire family wonders how the vehicle can be vibrating so much on what appears to be a smooth road. To be clear, this is not wheel balance. It's resonance. Ours came with 20" wheels and I have read that the Hankooks are horrible for impact harshness. We ended up buying aftermarket wheels and went a little taller on tire profile, different brand. Not much improvement. I've tried airing down the tires quite a bit. Also not much improvement. Just begrudgingly living with it at this point. Can't believe my 2016 F150 has a better ride than this piece of garbage.

 

[chuck s]

Lack of sidewall is the issue. The bling 22" wheels probably look kool though.

Your tires are the same circumference (and OD) as my OEM 275/65R18 which have a 7 inch sidewall height compared to your 285/45R22 5 inch sidewall. The extra 2" sidewall height makes for a smoother ride. You could put my wheels/tires on your SUV and speedo, ABS, etc wouldn't know any difference. My tires are also P-metric (passenger car) tires not LT (light truck) which also helps.

Don't need an engineering degree to notice that going from a 22" to 18" wheel (or v.v.) -- 4" diameter difference -- and with the same circumference and OD tire there's gonna need to be 2" more or less sidewall to make up for the 4" diameter.

Ideally you could borrow a set of wheels and tires like mine and see how the SUV rides. Expensive solution but guys are always looking for bling wheels so what you have has some value.

-- Chuck

 

[rd618]

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.

 

[SL0MAR]

Thanks for all the comments and tips! Ultimately, we test drove a bunch of Suburbans and even a Yukon XL with all the bling "air ride". It showed us 2 things. 1. Yes, Ford just rides harder and 2. You have to drive over every bump in the crapiest parking lot you can find during a test drive. Bottom line, we know what to look for in our next ride. If we still can't stand it for the next 3 years, we'll go to 18" wheels. Ebay shows em for 495 a pop, but also lists our being 22's for 895. I'd probably just reach out to the company for a swap. Thanks again, all, for the discussion!!!

 

[ranger22]

I have a timberline and I think the ride is spectacular. It was decent when i first got it, but after the King coilovers it just glides down the street. Anyone that rides with me is just amazed at the ride. Not sure what’s different about yours, but I wouldn’t simply give up on Ford.

Someone mentioned BMW above, I refuse to buy another BMW because they ride so bad.

 

[Shakeandbake]

I got a Timberline with 18s, and the ride is pretty harsh too. I just chalked it up to a Ford thing. I did remember the non-air Suburbans/Escalades I test drove were better. We got tons of bad roads around our dealers.

 

[SL0MAR]

25001-182A 2018+ Ford Expedition 4WD 2.5 Front Coilover

King OEM performance kit custom tuned to provide your Ford with unparalleled levels of performance and ride quality. Each kit has been subjected to punishing real world testing to develop the optimal

kingshocks.com

These ones?

 

[Mr Big]

General Grabber HTS 60 tires are probably the issue. Don't make the mistake of changing rim sizes, unless the hoopty look appeals to you. IMHO 22s make the Expedition look elegant and sporty at the same time, while changing lanes and making turns are tighter with less leaning. I have 285/45 R22 wheels with Michelin Defender tires. It rides as smooth as glass and handles very well. Once I learned about how smooth the ride is and 60,000 is nothing for these tires, I put them on all my vehicles, both business and personal.
Check out this video: Michelin Defender Review

 

[rd618]

General Grabber HTS 60 tires are probably the issue. Don't make the mistake of changing rim sizes, unless the hoopty look appeals to you. IMHO 22s make the Expedition look elegant and sporty at the same time, while changing lanes and making turns are tighter with less leaning. I have 285/45 R22 wheels with Michelin Defender tires. It rides as smooth as glass and handles very well. Once I learned about how smooth the ride is and 60,000 is nothing for these tires, I put them on all my vehicles, both business and personal.
Check out this video: Michelin Defender Review

I have these Defenders and replaced the HTS 60's. They are an improvement, but not nearly as smooth as 20's, the extra 2" of sidewall does make a meaningful difference.