Hey everyone just an observation..... I was installing a Readylift SST kit yesterday. During the install of the shock extender it fought me like hell to get it lined up. I just could not get the shock bolt lined up after bolting in the lower extender mount. After about 10 minutes I just decided to pull the shock out get the bottom bolts in and the reset the shock. This was not recommend in the instructions but it should have been, very easy and faster and no fight!

Anyway, while removing the shock you have to compress it a little...... I was expecting a little more resistance from the shock than I got. Then the passenger side shock took almost no effort to collapse and it didn't even rebound on its own. I had to pull it to extend it back in the upper mounting hole.

This is a 2015 platinum with 32k miles...... From this I would have to say the shocks should be replaced but I am surprised with the little mileage.

Anyone else need to replace their shocks early? If so what did you buy and was it a noticeable improvement in the ride?

 

15000 and had the left shock replaced because it was leaking - F450

 

Stockers are really garbage. I went with Rancho 9000s.

 

I must like the crappy ride because for my last three trucks I have never replaced them.

Took the rears of my last truck loose to test them and I could not get them to retract and extend by hand worth a darn. So I left them. I suspicion that my current truck/shocks are fine.

 

I guess its hit or miss.....I would never of had them off to look at them anyway. It was just because I was there doing the lift that I even touched them. However I should not have been able to move them with such ease and the fact that the front right would not even rebound is proof enough they are done.

I will look into some replacements.

Superrangerman, how are those Rancheros? Did you notice a better ride? I am not looking for a caddy ride....this is a big heavy truck and I always thought it rode pretty good. I just want something as good or better if possible.

 

I carry a Lance that weigh's over 4000 lbs in the bed..I can tell you after many years of travel across the country and back road camping and using only Timbrens as an add on for this use the stock shocks are fine for me..I had Rancho 9000's years ago for years..from 2003 to 2010...They rusted out fast and the adjustments didn't work in short order. Plus they didn't give any better ride. My 2011 6.7 F350 had 125k on the original shocks and carried my truck camper many thousands of miles not to mention towing a snow machine trailer all over the East coast.
P.S. I've been owning pickups for 50 yrs for my work and any other pickup use one can imagine. This latest Ford is the "cat's meow".

 

Super placebo effect when I replaced them twice on my 2011 F250 first with Skyjacker M95s and then Fox 2.0s. Only found out how much stiffer the truck road when I test drove my 2016 F450 and it felt like a Towncar. I actually like the ride of my F450 better with the Rancho oems. Not going to change them unless they start to give me problems out of warranty....

 

Hmmmm interesting...., iron cobra, do you know what Model ranchos come in your truck? I obviously have a problem with one shock however driving it down the road I would have never known. It feels like it always had but as I described it's got a problem. To me I would think and after market shock would be better than OE.

I've read a lot of good and bad on the adjustable rancho 9000 however I read a lot of good reviews on the 7000's and I may go that route. I'm not in a hurry since the truck seems to ride the same. However now that it's lifted a little I am gonna put on 35x12.50's and the extra weight may make it worse.

Time will tell.

 

factory rancho's ( I have them too) are just motorcraft rebranded.

 

Yes, unfortunately, the stockers are complete garbage. I replaced them on my '08 F350 and put in Rancho XL9000's and the truck rode like a dream. I already had once replaced on my '15 F350 because it puked out all it's fluid already and I suspect the rest could be compressed by my 6yr old son. The factory Rancho's are as mentioned, just Motocraft shocks with Rancho stickers on them. I plan to change all mine out to XL9000's again once work picks up and I have some disposable cash. I know on my '08 it was the best money I spent on that truck.

 

I actually prefer the stock Rancho's over the Rancho 9000's. The 9000's I had got maybe ~20k miles and they were toast. I put the stock Rancho back on my truck and the ride was so much more controlled and didn't wobble all over the road. I currently have 86k miles on my truck and have ~66k miles on the stock shocks and all is good.

 

Do you guys ever adjust the Rancho 9000s? If set to full stiff, it will ride like a buckboard, if set to full loose it will wallow like a Chris Craft in quicksand. So the ride is bad - with what adjustment?

Also, keep the receipt and if you think they are gone, they will send you some new ones - they are guaranteed forever. The adjustment rusting seems to be a problem back east, the 17 year old ones on my '99 are still perfectly functional here in California. Going to replace the stock ones on my '15 at 530 miles - and keep the receipt. Adjustability makes all the difference between empty and the 3600 lb camper in the back.

 

I was blaming my '14 F350 platinum poor ride on a lot of things but when I replaced my shocks with fox 2.0 it was unbelievable the improvement

 

Ditto... pick ANY substitute, and replace the oem before you hit 500 (yes 500) miles. You will be amazed at the improvement. I use Bilsteins, but pick anything other than oem. Been true on Fords since FOREVER!

 

Yes, the stockers are terrible. I had unexplained cupping on the front tires. I blamed it on the crappy oem contenentals. Replaced them and the new tires started to wear immediately. Three alignment inspections as well as a Ford dealer inspecting the entire front end couldn't offer a solution. Finally, as a last resort after reading about the terrible shocks here I replaced the fronts with Bilstiens. Amazing difference and the tire wear is now perfect. The oem shocks had no return at all, and when compressed there was a "dead spot" about where normal ride height should be. There was no resistance at all there, in either direction. That's my story.