As a lot of you can see from my scattered posts, I have been doing some upgrading to my 2016 XLT CC 4X4 F250.

I have swapped to 4.30 gears
Added Cooper ST MAXX 275/70 18 tires
Currently researching switching out seats to leather

And lastly I am on to the search for shocks. The factory shocks are just terrible in my opinion. I am going to replace and looking at Bilstien 4600, 5100, or a Rancho offering.

I am really leaning towards the 4600's but really don't know much about shocks other than what on read on their websites and on here. Any feedback or experiences or suggestions?

 

5100's are good shocks, I have not run them on a F250 though..No experience with 4600's so I really can't say for sure..

As for suggestions King or Fox...

 

85% of my driving is town/freeway, 5% towing, 10% dirt/logging roads....Because of this I am really heavily leaning on the Bilstien 4600's... 4 wheel parts has a set of four for $251 and free shipping.

 

I'm more than pleased with my Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks.

 

Get the 4600's, I changed out my stock POS shocks the night I brought my '16 F350 dually home. Major upgrade and that price you got is a damn good deal. One thing, as you probably know, the Bilsteins are gas charged so you better have them lined up with the lower stud when you cut the strap......... or it's a b-----h getting compressed back up. Good luck

 

Fox 2.0 IFP

Hey Long Haul. Ya ever notice how everyone on FTE seems to stick to the low end aftermarket shock offerings? Yet the shocks are the most important component of the suspension for improvement in ride quality?

 

Yeah everybody has different needs and budget I guess..

Next time around I'm gonna give King a shot.........I almost put them on my Jeep the reviews from fellow Jeep owners were all really good..

Mike

 

Hey Fordblueheart .....cute comment, maybe some of these guys on FTE can't afford to buy or don't think they need to spend a ton of money on your personal favorite shocks. The Bilstein 4600 have been around for a long time and seem to be a very good long lasting shock. I've used them on several trucks and they worked just fine for my application.

 

I'm happy with the 5100's on my '11. Levelled with those shocks and an aftermarket rear stabilizer makes for a real nice ride imo. Laden or empty.

 

It is a joke that a 50-60K truck can't come with better shocks from the factory.

 

I went with the 4600s. Big upgrade over the factory "fake" Ranchos and BDS shocks that came with my leveling kit.

They're stiff, and that's what I wanted. I have 6000# front coils, the 7000# rear pack that was the highest rated that came on SRWs in 2007, and now very stiff shocks. It rides somewhat hard (compared to my DD Ford Focus) but it doesn't sag, bounce, or roll through corners.

 

From my understanding, the insides of the 4600's and the 5100's are very much similar. The biggest difference is the 5100 support lifted trucks and look cooler and the 4600's are strictly stocker replacements.

Linky:
Bilstein 5100 vs Heavy Duty 4600 - Shockwarehouse.com

 

I ordered the set of 4600's through 4 wheelparts.com....$251 for the set plus about $12 of tax - excited to get the stock shocks out of there.

It is very frustating to buy a $44k new truck and have to replace shocks right away. My buddy bought a new 2016 Duramax HD 2500 CC LB 4X4 and that thing rides like a Cadillac.

 

Don't get your panties in a bunch new guy. No one said anything about what someone can afford. It's just an obversation as to what is recommended here and what is talked about the most. Nothing to do with knowing what someone's budget is.
There's no doubt that the Bilstein 5100s are the most recommended brand and model here. I always assumed that it must be the best riding, most capable shock for our trucks, hands down. The Rancho 9000s are a close second for a recommendation. I had never even heard of King shocks or Fox (for our trucks) for that matter. Definitely didn't know anything about Carli Suspension.
Now that my stock Ranchos with 164,000 miles on my 10 year old truck are performing less than I would prefer, I started researching what's out there and how much it costs. I always thought that a reasonable price for 5100s was in the $300 range. Looking at what shocks do to ride quality, work performance(tow/haul) and tire longevity, I knew that spending a fraction more was well worth the investment for how I use my truck.
I ended up purchasing off the shelf Fox 2.0 IFPs in a group buy. If I didn't have a set budget and I was strictly going off of overall performance, I would have spent a lot more. Shocks are far more important to the functionality of your truck versus just about any "common" mod we do here.
The OP just spent a bunch of money on tires, wants leather seats in his new truck and wants to swap gears in the rear end. So I don't think budget is his number one concern. In fact it's probably a disservice to him to recommend any specific model without understanding what his needs and expectations are.
I think we're leaving a lot of potential behind by following the cookie cutter recommendations sometimes presented on forums in general. It's good to step outside the box and stray from what the sheeple recommend sometimes.
It looks like both the OP and cyncwby both have a lot more money than I ever will to spend on a truck. I'm sure you'll both be happy with your new trucks.

 

Oh yeah, I paid $40 more per shock for the Foxes.