FX4 Shocks
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2014
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FX4 Shocks
My new 2020 F350 Diesel CCSB has the FX4 package, but the shocks aren’t the white “rancho” branded Ford shocks, they are what I presume are the stock Ford Black shocks. Has anyone else seen this, is it a misbuild or did they finally give up on those shocks.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 208
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It wouldn’t matter what sticker was on the stockers...you’ll replace them earlier than you had hoped. Lousy shocks from the factory tuned for magazine reviewers instead of pullers. I have 20k on mine and am certain I won’t go more than 30k before they get replaced.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2019
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They ditched the faux Ranchos sometime in the 2018 model year. I also have the FX4 (2019)and have been wanting to see of someone could post the part number from the non FX4 rear shocks. Just to see if they actually are different. Ford still markets them as being offroad tuned.
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 400
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From: Queen Creek
Swapped out the stock black shocks with Rancho RS5000X's at 4600 miles. Also swapped out the factory steering stabilizer with Rancho at the same time. Night and day difference over stock even though I went with the 5000 series. Bilstien's, FOX, and Rancho 9000's seem to be popular around here.
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Yes, on my 2012 I went with Bilstein 5100’s at 3k miles, loved them, they were still great at 80k when I traded the truck in. I am waiting for Bilstein to release 5100 for the 2020, looking forward to getting them on the truck. Waiting for Firestone to release their airbag kit for the 2020 FX4 as well, had these on my 250 and they really came in handy towing my boat. I know my new F350 should handle the 800 lb tongue weight better, but I still think the airbags will be helpful. But I missed the fact that the white rancho’s had disappeared, so was surprised they weren’t on the truck.
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Learned my lesson on this last time. Shocks on the FX4 are terrible. Ended up replacing with Bilstein 5100. Next time I’ll just skip the FX4 and just order the skids plates by themselves and change out the shocks on my own.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2019
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Yes, on my 2012 I went with Bilstein 5100’s at 3k miles, loved them, they were still great at 80k when I traded the truck in. I am waiting for Bilstein to release 5100 for the 2020, looking forward to getting them on the truck. Waiting for Firestone to release their airbag kit for the 2020 FX4 as well, had these on my 250 and they really came in handy towing my boat. I know my new F350 should handle the 800 lb tongue weight better, but I still think the airbags will be helpful. But I missed the fact that the white rancho’s had disappeared, so was surprised they weren’t on the truck.
This guy has the Firestone airbags on a 2020. FX4 or not is irrelevant. He posted this over a month ago. I think around 7 or 8 min. he talks about the set he had installed.
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Joined: Mar 2014
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The Firestone guys list a conflict on their website, that they kits won't work with FX4. I asked them about it, they told me that the FX4 package has an odd jounce stop/tongue that juts out from the bottom of the leaf stack towards the middle of the truck. There is also a bracket on the top of the axle holding brake lines/cables in place and so they don't have a production kit that fits the FX4. They told the revised kit would be out end of February, but last time i checked with them that was looking like it would be delayed.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 100
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From: Texas
I also replaced my "tuned" black FX4 package shocks, around 14k miles or so. Wasn't terrible on a nice road... but any spec of dirt road, and they were just awful IMO.
Fox went on my 2014 F150 FX4, as well as my 2019 F250, no complaints whatsoever here!
Fox went on my 2014 F150 FX4, as well as my 2019 F250, no complaints whatsoever here!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 4,064
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The Firestone guys list a conflict on their website, that they kits won't work with FX4. I asked them about it, they told me that the FX4 package has an odd jounce stop/tongue that juts out from the bottom of the leaf stack towards the middle of the truck. There is also a bracket on the top of the axle holding brake lines/cables in place and so they don't have a production kit that fits the FX4. They told the revised kit would be out end of February, but last time i checked with them that was looking like it would be delayed.
Maybe the sticker is in the way too haha.
It will be interesting to see if for 2020, Ford somehow, and for some reason, made the FX4 equiped trucks physically different. Previously they were not.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 618
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I'd tow with the F-350 before wasting money on the airbags. You already paid for the extra leaf spring(s) to do that for you. Mine does quite nicely with 3500lbs in the bed from the 5th wheel.....without airbags.