Well all suspension is new, hd springs in back, all new energy suspension brand bushings throughout the front end, new shocks (Gabriel ultra)
It sits better, it don't wallow anymore, rides ok to me, but my wife is saying "it rides like a lumber wagon. Don't ride All that bad to me, but I'd rather drive a 3/4 ton truck anyday over a Lincoln Town car, largely because of the way they ride.
I hate a mushy ride.

 

Did you go with the rubber bushings, or polyurethane?

 

All poly on the front, whatever ATS put in my new springs and shackles. I have a as etc of poly bushings, new in the box for the rear leafs but wound up not using them because I put new springs on instead. I'll put them in my 99 Dakota.
I didn't think that energy suspension had a line of rubber bushings, all they offer is poly, only choice is what color do you want.

 

Does it drive better than it did stock? Ride any different?

 

In my opinion it's much better than before. Ride, handling, etc. I thought I had said that earlier on the thread, I know that I meant to, if I hadn't.
The wife isn't happy with it being stiffer though, "your opinion may vary"

 

Mine is already a 3/4 ton truck, so "cushy ride" isn't anywhere in the description. But, I would like to tighten things up a bit.

 

yeah I see what kind of truck you drive.... and will say that against my advice my son just bought one. 99, cab and 1/2 with the "suicide style" back doors on the cab, short bed V10.... I suggested NOT buying it because the steering wasn't right and the body had been repainted, many patch panels put in and very poorly. I have never used Panel Bond, but I think this thing had more Panel Bond than metal replaced....
well not to go off track but yeah he bought it... and when he brought it over to put up on my lift I saw that somebody had put these huge washers onto the tie rod ends UNDER where they go thru the spindle, (the nut is on top) and the cotter pins on those tie rods were the only things on the frame and suspension with absolutely NO rust..... I guess those need replaced and it was somebody's attempt to "tighten them up"....
and next weekend I get to replace all the steel brake lines on the thing whether I want to or not.... that part I did tell him about when I went back with him for his "2nd look" at this truck before he bought it.
"huge pile of receipts" with it impressed the kid.... but when I saw what that folder of receipts contained, I wasn't impressed (receipts for paint and Panel bond, paperwork from original buyer when it was bought new, was about it) I told him not to buy it..... once it was in my garage I saw a whole lot more shoddy bodywork than what I noticed, when I told him to "keep looking".

But yeah, the work I did on the Durango did tighten things up, quite a bit. I didn't get to drive that thing when new (and as slowly as road feel and handling goes away over the years, probably wouldn't remember how it drove 18 years ago anyways) but I would venture a guess that yeah, it is a whole lot tighter and more responsive than it was when new. I was a front end alignment guy back when these things were new, and I remember thinking that these things drove pretty well at the time as I got to drive quite a few of them back then... after the ball joints that would be bad after very low miles were replaced, that was. The shop I was at would do several ball joint and alignment jobs that got farmed to us from the local Dodge dealer, we'd charge them $750, they would charge $1500 to the customer/ whether we did the whole job or just the alignment after they put the parts on.... but I don't remember the steering being this tight and responsive even then. (but again it was a few years ago) The urethane bushings in the front certainly have a lot to do with that.

I noticed a big improvement after the back springs and shocks, but before the front end work// but there was still a little bit of wallowing, that seemed to come from the back (probably 20-25% of what it had been with the original springs but definitely still there) that feeling is definitely gone now with the front end work done and fresh alignment done..... I probably said this above but Im not going thru the thread now, to see....

 

I just bought ATS standard duty leaf springs for my 2000 Durango. I don't do much towing or hauling with it and was afraid that the heavy duty springs would have too stiff of a ride

I am also doing the torsion bar/shackle iift along with KYB Monomax shocks I need to replace bushings also - it is helpful to see what you have done

ATS was great to deal with, and their prices are very good and delivery was quick

I intend to install next weekend I am hoping I can bust the bolts loose - the springs and shocks are original and so have 20 years of corrosion

 

Even if I had gone with the standard replacement springs I'm glad that I went with the urethane bushings throughout the front end.

 

Which bushings did you replace in the front end? Did you replace the control arms and/or bearings or just the bushings?Bushings are next on my list. My Durango squeaks a lot and also wanders a bit.

So so far I have replaced the front body mounts and this week I am replacing the leaf springs and shocks all around.