Can't deal with the bouncy ride anymore after two weeks with the Mach-E. What do I do?

[Kamuelaflyer]

That's why I went ahead with the purchase in the hopes that it was an issue that could be corrected and that's why i have taken such an interest in this thread.

It'll be interesting to see what comes up for this. I know there's been talk here about various strut (etc) changes in the aftermarket. It would be worth seeing what can be done.

We don't have people in the back seat often and most of the time it's just me in the MME so I don't have that feedback. Plus, roads out here are, with one exception, all asphalt. The one exception is a 4 mile stretch of road done in concrete about 8 years ago as a test. So I don't experience the concrete section lifting that is very common elsewhere, and the asphalt potholes get filled fairly quickly and roads resurfaced reasonably often. All of those factors just add to the perspectives we all have.

Good luck in your quest for a better ride.

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[Cnote]

It'll be interesting to see what comes up for this. I know there's been talk here about various strut (etc) changes in the aftermarket. It would be worth seeing what can be done.

We don't have people in the back seat often and most of the time it's just me in the MME so I don't have that feedback. Plus, roads out here are, with one exception, all asphalt. The one exception is a 4 mile stretch of road done in concrete about 8 years ago as a test. So I don't experience the concrete section lifting that is very common elsewhere, and the asphalt potholes get filled fairly quickly and roads resurfaced reasonably often. All of those factors just add to the perspectives we all have.

Good luck in your quest for a better ride.

Yeah, normally don't have folks in the back seat either but I gave a lot of rides when the car was new and there was definitely some commentary on the bounce. We have concrete and asphalt here so I get a nice mix of road surfaces, and while our roads are not as bad as Michigan per say, there are plenty of complaints so I'm sure that exacerbates the issue.

I am so tempted to change to air bag suspension because that should be something available now and offer the most comfort/adjustability, but I really don't want to deal with the maintenance that entails. I'm hoping that we get options for some new coil overs since those can be adjustable in various ways.

Thanks for the well wishes!

 

[RockwallRick]

Me and my Wife did 1500 miles of test driving before we bought our car! We absolutely love the ride on the MME!!! Just got back from a 20 mile country cruise and can’t wait to take it out again!

 

[Ken Josing]

I know where your coming from. My Premium RWD ER has the bouncy ride in comparison to our other vehicles. But after 4,500 miles we don't notice the bouncing as being a problem. We just enjoy the vehicle as it's a winner. Yes with five aboard it does ride better and thought something was wrong. When riding along with the "T" cars, we see all models (SY3X) bouncing as well. Nothing is prefect, you can complain about anything. Just enjoy knowing you have a great EV in comparison to others.

 

[dtbaker61]

I know where your coming from. My Premium RWD ER has the bouncy ride in comparison to our other vehicles. But after 4,500 miles we don't notice the bouncing as being a problem. We just enjoy the vehicle as it's a winner. Yes with five aboard it does ride better and thought something was wrong. When riding along with the "T" cars, we see all models (SY3X) bouncing as well. Nothing is prefect, you can complain about anything. Just enjoy knowing you have a great EV in comparison to others.

I think a lot of 'bounce' comes from the seats.... I am ditching them and swapping out with some Corbeau A4 as soon as they arrive.

 

[Pushrods&Capacitors]

Is the regular (non performance pack) GT expected to have the same suspension as the current select/route 1/premium model?

No. No Ford Mustang GT has had the same suspension tune as a base model and the Mach E will be no different. The springs will be stiffer, the shocks/struts will tuned for tighter bound/rebound resistance, and the anti-roll bars will likely be larger diameter. It is possible that the base GT setup will be very similar to the 4X tuning but it will be stiffer.

 

[Pushrods&Capacitors]

Question for those complaining of the “bouncy” ride: Are you referring to quick upward motions after going over bumps? Just curious because in our overnight test drive I felt the 4X had very controlled, taut, rebound damping tuning of the shocks/struts. Additionally. A long 117.5” wheelbase combined with relatively tall sidewall tires (225/55) is usually a recipe to tame bounciness/hobby-horsing.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Question for those complaining of the “bouncy” ride: Are you referring to quick upward motions after going over bumps? Just curious because in our overnight test drive I felt the 4X had very controlled, taut, rebound damping tuning of the shocks/struts. Additionally. A long 117.5” wheelbase combined with relatively tall sidewall tires (225/55) is usually a recipe to tame bounciness/hobby-horsing.

Not really... At least for me, the concern is with roads that aren't perfectly smooth and flat causing a slow, undulating up and down swinging motion. This is nearly any concrete road, and some asphalt roads if they are at all wavy.

Here in Phoenix, some of our surface streets are wavy while many are not and are fine, but some of our freeways and all of the freeway on/off ramps are concrete so they are part of the poor, bouncy experience.

Going over speed bumps is mostly fine in the Mach-E. There are a bunch of them in our parking lot where I work. I have to go over them more slowly than I did in the Fiesta, but it's ok.

I think it's fully unrelated to this issue, but I have to make right turns into certain shopping plazas much more slowly in the Mach-E than in any car I've previously owned, because traction control brakes wheels aggressively/early. At least this can be fixed in software though, whereas the suspension seems to require a hardware change.

 

[woody]

Tire pressure is a big deal. When I got my MME the tire pressure was 49 PSI. 10 PSI above the recommended and it rode very rough and bouncy. After taking the tires down to 39 the MME rides much smoother. I lost no notable efficiency.

Tire pressure ALWAYS makes a difference. Lower pressure = smoother ride. Higher pressure = rougher ride and more efficient energy usage .. In town, everyday use - probably lower pressure. Road trip with less bumpy roads - better higher pressure with better efficiency long term.
Think rain or snow or high wind resistance. May have something to do with resistance or physics or some such rot!
Your choice.
What works for Joe may not for Moe.
Fun either way.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I haven't watched it yet, but this just popped up on Sandy "It just need's snap fasteners Instead" Munro's youtube page. Maybe something of interest in it?

 

[Burnsy8787]

See! This is what I truly want and need from my First Edition! I don't understand what could be going wrong. Sure, roads in Chicago aren't amazing, but, surely, it can't just be the road quality making this happen. My 2017 Explorer was incredibly smooth and, yes, I know this is a sportier and very heavy vehicle, but seeing people like you noting that your experience with the MME has not been bouncy has me wondering what the heck is going on. I literally feel like I am driving in a see-saw and my wife commented that she had a bunch of neck discomfort when we got home from a 10-mile drive this evening from the south side of the city to the north side. I so want this car to be a success with my family and overall, but I can't have us constantly car sick either and I need to figure out what can be done about it.

Funny you say you're in Chicago because I experience the same thing and I think it's mostly related to areas with bad/wavy roads.

I do not have a bouncy ride on most highways but there are stretches where it is very bouncy and I never experience it in other cars.

I've put 2k miles on mine and it's really limited to certain roads and was not a problem at all making an 8 hour drive to the ozarks.

 

[Cnote]

I haven't watched it yet, but this just popped up on Sandy "It just need's snap fasteners Instead" Munro's youtube page. Maybe something of interest in it?

Thanks, I've been scouring videos about the suspension whenever I can find them. One video that was really interesting is from CJ Pony Parts and talks about how the suspension is somewhat similar to ICE mustangs, so that should lead to options.

 

[cyb593]

Found this video on YouTube. You can see the bouncing at lower speeds on this video if you look at the lights.

 

[dtbaker61]

I didn't buy the mach-e to have a 'smoother and more relaxed ride'.... besides, this dude is driving on the wrong side of the road anyway. Seriously, I like tight and responsive, and like how sensitive the car is to accelerator.

for people who find it 'bouncy', I guess that's why there is 'whisper mode' ?!

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