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Repalcement Shock suggestions


chris4x4gill2

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I am looking to replace my worn factory shocks on my truck. It is an 05 FX4 6.0 crewcab.

I'd say usage is about 50/50 loaded vs unloaded. What shock would you recommend that would work well when hauling a trailer but also give a decent unloaded ride?

I have been looking at the Bilsteins, not sure if the 4600 or the 5100 series would be best. From reading I have seen that people say the Monroe Reflex gives a very rough ride? Anyone have recommendation on one brand over another?

The factory shocks on the FX4 package are Rancho, but I've been told they were just "branded" as Rancho for Ford and not one of their true shocks. Not sure on how accurate that is.

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I just installed KYB shocks and pretty happy with them. IF you want something a little heavier, you can go to the KYB Mono series, but they do ride a touch rougher supposedly.

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From what I have found, the factory OEMs are more expensive than the actual Rancho's which are said to be superior. I am seeing people speak very highly of the ride improvement by going to the Bilsteins, but of course they are on the higher end price wise.

8 minutes ago, Falko said:

I just installed KYB shocks and pretty happy with them. IF you want something a little heavier, you can go to the KYB Mono series, but they do ride a touch rougher supposedly.

what series KYB's did you go with and what type of truck did you put them on?

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1 hour ago, chris4x4gill2 said:

From what I have found, the factory OEMs are more expensive than the actual Rancho's which are said to be superior. I am seeing people speak very highly of the ride improvement by going to the Bilsteins, but of course they are on the higher end price wise.

what series KYB's did you go with and what type of truck did you put them on?

I went with the Gas adjust mono tube. I know there is another Mono they make which is red and is a bit stiffer. I didn't want/need a stiff ride so I went with the gas adjust. I put them on my Avalanche. They were like $55 a corner from Summit.

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I need to replace the rear shocks on my Tahoe again. I had them replaced a few years ago and then had them warrantied when they were leaking, but now they are leaking again. I have no idea what brand they are, but this time I will pay some attention to what is being put in.

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Something to think about when looking at aftermarket shocks ( or any part), Ford or any OEM has about 100 times more design engineers working on this the aftermarket guys do.  Also, an OEM won't purchase a part from a vendor until the vendor uses it in his own aftermarket product for a year or two to flush out the problems.

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Bilstein is what I always replace my factory shocks with, trucks always ride better and they last longer than other brands I have tried.

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17 hours ago, MadMan said:

Something to think about when looking at aftermarket shocks ( or any part), Ford or any OEM has about 100 times more design engineers working on this the aftermarket guys do.  Also, an OEM won't purchase a part from a vendor until the vendor uses it in his own aftermarket product for a year or two to flush out the problems.

Yes, and they also have 100 times more bean counters working to keep costs low and profits high. There is a reason there is a strong market for alternative components. I am not saying all OEM are not good and all aftermarket are better, but there are usually aftermarket offerings that are far superior to the OEM components.

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I think the main thing if going with after market is to find someone with the exact same truck that has used them for more than just 10-20k. My experience in the past with some of the recommended brands - kyb in particular has not been positive, however that was on a small suv.

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I agree. but I figured I would get some good input here as well since most here use their trucks in a similar fashion. The recommendations I have been getting on the Powerstroke forum have been Billstein 5100 or Fox 2.0 depending on cost tolerance and the Ranchos running a distant third. Suprisingly - or maybe not - a lot of trucks on there never see a load though, so weeding out those is important too.

I've pretty much decided on the Bilstien 5100s. There is a group buy on the Fox 2.0s over there that I asked for a price on, but as high as those typically run that's probably not going to cut the price down enough to make them a contender.

1 hour ago, Falko said:

Yes, and they also have 100 times more bean counters working to keep costs low and profits high. There is a reason there is a strong market for alternative components. I am not saying all OEM are not good and all aftermarket are better, but there are usually aftermarket offerings that are far superior to the OEM components.

This is pretty much how I was going to reply.

The OMs have to walk a fine line between cost and performance. With cost being the trump card. Ford's engineers are going to spec a minimally acceptable component that works with the suspension and then bid it out and award to the low bidder.

 

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I talked to an auto engineer once and it was amazing how much emphasis is placed on the initial test drive when designing and featuring a vehicle. I remember him telling me that the tires chosen for a vehicle have to be quiet and good riding. Longevity and performance is a second thought. Most other components were similar in nature.

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27 minutes ago, Falko said:

I talked to an auto engineer once and it was amazing how much emphasis is placed on the initial test drive when designing and featuring a vehicle. I remember him telling me that the tires chosen for a vehicle have to be quiet and good riding. Longevity and performance is a second thought. Most other components were similar in nature.

Factory tires definitely tend to suck.  Had pretty decent luck with factory shocks and struts though.  I think that the prevalence of 100K warranties has forced them to step up their games on some of the factory parts

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3 hours ago, chris4x4gill2 said:

The OMs have to walk a fine line between cost and performance. With cost being the trump card. Ford's engineers are going to spec a minimally acceptable component that works with the suspension and then bid it out and award to the low bidder.

 

This is a good thing, right??

Edited by MadMan
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For the average purchaser, yes. But I think it means there are better alternatives available on many parts.  My problem is figuring out what those better options are.

Just spoke to one distributer, he recommended the Monroe Reflex as comparable to the Bilstein 5100's. The Monroes are about $25 cheaper per shock, plus they have a $50 rebate. So, all said $150 savings for "comparable". Trying to get more info on the Reflex now.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, chris4x4gill2 said:

For the average purchaser, yes. But I think it means there are better alternatives available on many parts.  My problem is figuring out what those better options are.

Just spoke to one distributer, he recommended the Monroe Reflex as comparable to the Bilstein 5100's. The Monroes are about $25 cheaper per shock, plus they have a $50 rebate. So, all said $150 savings for "comparable". Trying to get more info on the Reflex now.

 

 

Couple things

1) Look at rockauto for pricing

2) The Monroe Reflex that I put on my sons old 98 Grand Cherokee lasted about 6 months before they started rusting to pieces.  Granted it is a different vehicle, but they were junk in his case (but cheap)

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11 hours ago, chris4x4gill2 said:

The recommendations I have been getting on the Powerstroke forum have been Billstein 5100 or Fox 2.0 depending on cost tolerance and the Ranchos running a distant third. Suprisingly - or maybe not - a lot of trucks on there never see a load though, so weeding out those is important too.

I have seen switching from Rancho to the Bilstein's stop the 'Death Wobble" on the Powerstrokes.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I went with the Bilsteins. Definitely an improved ride. Still rides like a truck, but going over bumps and potholes is much smoother now instead of a hard jarring hit like before.

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