Maybe this is just me, but does anyone else think the TBAR setup on 99-02 is just complete garbage? I feel like I am asking too much of the truck to ride normal.

Angles are good on the tie rods/cvs, tires are brand new, same with wheels.

I replaced everything under the entire truck of the front suspension (tie rods, end link bushings, shocks, cv axles, wheel bearing/hubs, driver side UCA, etc) and the truck just still rides like trash. It has been aligned, and is smooth on normal pavement, but damn I can feel the truck going over pebbles, and any crack in the road.

I'll be replacing the ISS and green bearing this week, but it's more than that. The whole truck just isn't smooth at all. I know it's a truck, but man.

I'll eventually put the coil overs on, but I was just fishing for opinions.

/rant

 

I was ready to recommend coilovers till the last line. You already know. I do believe the the OE shocks are too short and cause some harshness, I had longer Bilstien 5100s for a while and they helped. But don't waste time and money on them if you're going to swap.
I love mine and cant imagine going back to the Tbars. My bars and hardwear actually went to the scrap yard 7 months ago.

 

What was the ride like on yours before, and now after with the coil overs?

I had a coil over setup on my old 2000 reg cab that DBRODS installed, and it rode like a dream. I am hoping this will be somewhat the same..

 

Mine is amazing. I must have forgotten how it originally rode. I cranked the bars just enough to fit 33/12.50/17s shortly after buying it. I drove it that way about 4 years. just last year I dropped the front back to about stock and lowered the back 2" on Eibach springs when I went to a 285/50/20. It really showed the rough ride and suspension slop on Charlotte, the run in the hyperlink in my signature actually. I backed off at 107, it had a lot more to go but the front felt horrible. That was the clincher and I contacted Atomic on here shortly afterwards. Now its a few inches lower in the front on his brackets and another inch out of the rear. I love driving it. It handles
as a friend said "like an 80s sportscar". And rides smooth. I smile throwing it at twisty country roads and my 70 year old Dad likes how easy and smooth it drives when he comes to town and borrows it.

 

Torsion bars ride like *** period

 

Lower your tire pressure some.... If your feeling every bump, crack and pebble you ate either way to sensitive or your tires are severely overinflated for the vehicle... I am running 35" d load range tires and if i put tire pressue at the max inflation for the tire (50psi) i have exact feeling you're describing, however if i drop them to 32-35 psi, it makes a world of difference, even with the 6 shocks i have on the front...

 

Did you replace the progressive dampeners? The rubberized foam things that sit between the frame cup and the LCA. If they're old/missing/shot the ride will be like ***- new ones will make the ride tighter but you'll feel small bumps less.

 

If you really want to make it bad, put on some limiting straps set for the track. You will literally get beat to death by anything but a perfectly smooth road.

 

Yeah I think the coil over setup is going to be just great and will really change the ride.

It just blows my mind how they thought that was a good ride when designing it. But, technology does change over time, and has gotten better of course.

I'm at 40psi right now, I will bring it down a few psi and try that.

I didn't think of that, good advice. I will most likely forgo that and just put those coilovers on LOL

haha I can't imagine it riding any worse. But I am sure I can get some more poor quality out of it. I'll be following up soon with the measurements to get the new setup on

 

As these trucks age the rides will get worse and worse as the bars wear out. I installed a kit on a truck yesterday that the bars were so worn out I didn't even need the removal tool to remove them, just took the bolt out and pushed out the holder thing with my finger.