Hello,
It's time for me to upgrade my shocks on my 1992 f250 5.8l 2 wheel drive. I'm going to use it for a small amount of heavy towing (5000+ lb 2 or 3 times a month) and very little offroad anything. It will not be a daily driver, but i want it to be a bit more comfortable when i do drive it. I've been reading up about shocks and what to do, but it's been confusing the heck out of me . Any advice or help would be great, I just want it to ride a wee bit smoother, and I know very little about suspension work. Thank you

 

I've been happy with my bilstein 5100's . Quite a noticeable improvement over any other shocks I've used over the years . I don't know why I didn't just spend the money on them earlier really .

 

I use Bilstein 4600 shocks. I'm a big fan. I tried cheap shocks. They were a waste of money, leaked oil in a few months and the ride was trash within a year. I've pounded the 4600s for over 2 years and they're still like new. The ride is quickly damped, not bouncy/lazy.

 

I asked this exact question a few weeks ago. Since I've done some research and I'm gonna go with the Bilstein 4600's that Boarding suggests. You can get a set of four for 299 shipped from shox.com. Thats what I'm gonna go with.

 

I had a look at those, they are pretty expensive but ill give them a go when i get the pocket cash. Thanks all for the replies

 

I had a look at those, they are pretty expensive but ill give them a go when i get the pocket cash. Thanks all for the replies. Quick question though, ive never done anything with suspension work at all, if i get a set of 4 of those i can just pop the old ones out and put those in? Or does it require anything special?

 

I would make sure the rest of the suspension is set before putting shocks in it if you're on a tighter budget. Check axle pivot bushings, radius arm bushings, ball joints, sway bar bushings, tie rod ends. If that all checks out, then spring for the shocks. I think a stock setup in good shape will do you more good than high end shocks with worn bushings. I paid 280 shipped at eshocks.com a few years ago. The front shocks are easy, rear shocks tend to fight you a little more and the lower mounting bolts are more often rusted solid to the shock eyelet (cut the bolt).

Edit: I see you said you're new to syspension work. Suspension work isn't particularly complicated but it can be bull work and fight you. Heat and breaker bars are the usual suspects. It can be expensive to have others do so if you're able bodied and willing, you can learn a lot and save cash.

 

Alright, I had a look and it all looks decent, for a 25 year old truck anyways, but I don't know what it should look like. The truck actually runs very nicely for its age, probably better than most. It sat for about 10 years and i put about 2 months of work into it to get it running again. It runs well, I just want it to feel a bit smoother, would there be something I need to look out for? Would something be better than shocks? I'm getting new tires and that should help a bit too.

 

If bushings don't look dry rotted and cracked (or even missing) I think you're okay to proceed with new shocks and expect a ride improvement. Yes, new tires can do wonders for a trucks ride/performance. See what you think with fresh shoes, play with pressure too. My truck drives empty really well at 35psi, and when loaded is more stable at 50psi. Empty at 50 is harsh and loaded at 35 is mushy.