Make my truck quieter and ride smoother

[randall555]

I want to make my truck ride quieter and ride smoother . I want to make it as quiet and smooth riding as i can . So if i changed out the stock everything and went with a 383 chevy 700 r4 trans and a 205 divorced transfer case then take out 2 of the lower springs front and rear with spring over front and rear flip would this make it ride much quieter and smoother . Or should i just go with a different frame from a 3/4 or 1 ton with engine trans and transfer case and stock axels from a doner truck . Basically just set my body on the complete lower frame and with all the parts from something like a 20oo and up . Im just so tired of all the clunk bang pop clunk rattle squeak of my truck . And i really hate no power steering and no auto transsion on and off road . I do like the stock axles and dont really have any issues with them and have custem made rims for them ( 16 x 12 ) from marsh with 39x16.5 pit bull rockers and dont want to change them . And for the 5.87 gears in the stock axles with the overdrive in the 700 r4 and the 39 in tires i think this will give me enough top end because i dont plain on going over 60 to 65 in this truck . And while im on here i just put in 2 new seats in the truck . I took out either gladiator or wagoneer seats that was in it . The seats that i put in was from the new mrap trucks and made by ggs and these are really great seats and are they heavy . They have a air ride shock in it and they can be un zipped and taken off the padding and washed this is after you take out a few bolts but they are very easy to get to and takeout . I put the black ones in but i think i will go with the tan ones because i bought a bunch of them . So if any one wants a set let me know .

[ray steadward]

39" pit bull rockers don't scream quiet and smooth to me....When you get it to where you want it, maybe custom springs would be the best solution? seems easier than a chassis swap. Bedliner,or lizardskin, or carpet everything would help with some noise

[randall555]

Its not really the tires were the noise is coming from . The real noise is the transmission and the transfer case . It roars when in 1st gear and 2wd and only going 5 mph and it gets worse from there . Wanted to hear from some of the guys who have changed out the engine transmission and t case so they could tell me if this problem got better and by how much and was it worth it . Or should i just skip this and go with a complete lower swap from a 2000 and up truck of the frame engine springs transmission t case and new rubber bushings ? Want to keep the stock axles but i would like disk brakes front and rear .

[Von]

I'm running a 350/700r4 and the rest is stock. My truck has steadily gotten quieter and smoother as I've done stuff to it... but I've accepted the fact that it will never be what most people consider "smooth" or "quiet". But I have no idea what a tip top M715 rides like so maybe SOME day...

I went through both axles and replaced all the bearings.. except for the carrier and pinion bearings in the front, they were still good... I think that helped more than anything else I've done. They were pretty toasty.

Ditching the hard top and going to a canvas top reduced the noise level a lot too.

Swapping to Ford 390/T18/divorced NP205 later on. I think the transfer case swap will get rid of most of the remaining driveline noise, then I'll worry more about body noise.

But the cab is basically a steel bucket. All the noise and vibrations are amplified and transferred directly to your noggin. Some kind of lining or insulation like Ray suggested is required. And body bushings. I haven't gotten to that on mine.

... was it worth it? Hell yeah. It's my truck, I love my truck.

[militarypotts]

To a lot of us older guys who drove these trucks in the service, it's everything you mentioned that brings back the memories for us. Your endeavor seems quite extreme just to get a less noisy truck. Me personally, it's stock all the way. With that being said however, it's your truck and good luck in your build.

[Barrman]

Remove the top. That lets a very large amount of the noise out.

Lower your air pressure. If you run most of the time empty, try 20-25 psi at all four corners. It will make a huge difference in ride quality.

Those are the cheap and easy ways to get quieter and smoother. After that is all about how much you want to spend. Np200 output relocation, np200 replacement, t98 replacement, engine swap, insulation, power steering, leaf pack reduction, heavy ballast in the bed, etc...

[Subybaja]

. Or should i just skip this and go with a complete lower swap from a 2000 and up truck of the frame engine springs transmission t case and new rubber bushings ? Want to keep the stock axles but i would like disk brakes front and rear .

Wat? If you're going to do a body swap onto a newer chassis, why on earth would you then swap the original axles under it? The only, single thing the stock axles have going for them is they're original. Weaker, limited (non-existent) aftermarket, weird bolt pattern... Well, I guess if you have really nice wheels, that last would be a reason.

My truck is body-swapped onto a 95 F350. With 4" lift springs, it rides like a dumptruck. Apparently the '99+ Fords had much softer, longer springs, and that's a fairly common upgrade for older Fords. So, you might get the softer ride you're looking for.

Yeah, Dynamat the cab.

I've got a fiberglass hardtop, because Alaska. I'm surprised to hear that a soft top is quieter! After driving ragtop dune buggies for years, I'd take a hardtop any day. I've never had a soft top seal air out worth a darn, and the canvas flapping at 65mph can be deafening. Hmm...maybe soft tops are quieter at 35-40mph? That I'll buy.