Unless your front shocks have been changed recently, I'd start there before replacing those front springs. A good set of heavy duty front truck shocks should take care of the bouncing.

 

Quite possibly misfire. Let it do it a lot, then try looking for pending codes. It seems very difficult to trip a CEL for misfire codes on these trucks.

 

I honestly didn’t know the truck has front shocks until I started looking up parts. Never saw them actually went out and looked just to be sure. Also the shaking at around 45-50 has disappeared. I did blow the fuel rail out and it has had a good bit of injector cleaner and fuel system cleaner ran through it though.

 

You need front shocks for sure. I had a Ford F250 that they were so bad, you couldn't run over 45 mph without the bounce getting so bad you couldn't steer. On the converter, I've never seen a bolt in one before. I would assume it had a hole and it was a fast, cheap way to plug it. When I worked in the asphalt refinery part of the plant where I worked, we used water softeners a lot and the tanks would sometimes get holes. I'd whittle a piece of wood down then hammer it into the tank to stop the leak until a regular repair could be made. Some of your shaking could have been flat spots on the tires.

If your reader will normally read ABS codes, if it can't read them, it may be from the reason the light is lit. It could be expensive component failure or it might just be a bad or stolen fuse. Just go after the problems one at a time and eventually you should have a pretty decent truck. Maybe do a "Farmer Chic" paint job like I do. I've painted trucks flat black, olive drab and even safety red.

 

Would just some cheap Monroe or autozone shocks work for awhile. Hate to buy quality shocks and the truck not prove itself. Going to replace ball joints and everything else under the front but im about to start driving it 20 miles all highway to work. Hate to put Good shocks on and trans or something go out.

 

I've used mostly Monroe for nearly 50 years. Unless you're racing off road, like the Baja 1000, you just need a rebound damper. Monroe is fine. If the fronts are bad, once you start driving it and it drives out okay, replace the back ones too.

My father always told me when you buy a used car, figure on brakes, tires and battery. While you're under there, check the rubber flex hoses for cracks and dry rot.

 

If you want it to ride decent for awhile, please use a decent quality heavy duty truck shock. Doesn't have to be the most expensive shock, however, you tend to get what you pay for.

 

Got the new front shocks on today. Definitely the bouncing issue. Both shocks were shot. Also there weren’t any bushing on the top. Just two metal washers. May try and get the rear ones done this weekend. I believe ball joints will be the next purchase. Got a knocking coming from the right front. Put close to 200 miles on it so far.

 

Glad the shocks fixed your front bounce issue. Not at all uncommon for the shocks to be shot in the front from the rough roads & potholes.

 

I noticed the ac compressor sounds like it kicks on and off randomly. Figure it’s the low psi switch. But when I accelerate a little more than normally it quits blowing. I’ve read the tread on it. Also the cruise doesn’t work. The light blinks occasionally when trying it. Assuming I gotta find a vacuum leak somewhere from what I can gather from the threads. Looks like a common one is under the battery. I popped the hood and just took a quick look earlier and noticed this electrical connection that looks like it’s been cut off…? Does anyone happen to know what this was for? It’s on the front of the battery box area towards the headlight.