I don't know that there's a huge difference between a Fox or King if you go with a 2.5" diameter shock for both with similar features. Their prices will be very close also. Tuning / Valving and spring rates that are a good fit for your application are probably more important than a specific brand once you decide what level of performance/features you want your shocks to have.

 

I suspect only if you change the springs too, otherwise a set of 2.5's or better are kind of wasted on too stiff rear leaf packs and stiff front coils. So honestly you are going to spend like $6000 compared to $600 but yeah, I bet you will like it.

 

All done front pass side was a bear took over 2 hour to get the top nut off as the bottom was stripped and kept spinning the shock. Now need to order the front stabilizer.

 

I've never seen em at $6,000. But been wrong before. Some folks tell me a King will go longer before requiring a rebuild (vs Fox). I have no hard proof though.

 

I agree. There's only so much the shocks can do without changing springs or suspension geometry. But, better shocks are better shocks at the end of the day.

 

I think he meant that would be the total cost for upgrading other suspension components, not just swapping the stock shocks out for aftermarket stock-length shocks.

I copied below what would be a pretty typical build for a 4.5" lift. It comes out to around $8k for parts only.

$12k once you add the bumper.

Then the bumper needs to be powder coated and everything needs to be installed.

Then at the low end, $1.5k for wheels and $2k+ for 37" or 38" tires.

It would be more for people that want to use a sway bar either buying after market end links for the stock sway bar or an aftermarket sway bar but I'm going to go without a sway bar on mine.


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King is no better than Fox. The performance depends on how they are valved. They're both good shocks.

 

They both need regular rebuilds they are both very good products. As mentioned just doing a set of 2.5s while better doesn't take advantage of the full improvement they can offer when properly paired with the rest of the suspension. When I build my Carli "Backcountry" kit it is $6-7k. That is the only way I would bother stepping inot that high performance of a shock. Otherwise just get Fox 2.0's with resi's and call it a day on your stock suspension. Bilstein also makes a resi shock the 5160 that would be a couple steps above stock. Those are only double the price of a regular set of 5100's or Fox 2.0's Going to 2.5's is a waste of money unless you do all the mods to support them.

 

That is when you grab that shock body with a big channel lock pliers and use and impact on the top nut... I would have sawzalled the shaft before fighting it that long. Glad you got them in!

 

I used visecrips I was about to cut it but busted my saws all blade awhile ago and had not replaced lol.

 

Ok makes sense. I had bud with f350 w deavers etc rode like a dream. I can't go that high. Stock height w upgraded shocks and ss this time.

 

Deaver makes a leveling height replacement spring pack also

 

The stock shock was stuck? Do you have a cut off wheel to assassinate the shaft? I look forward to putting Bilsteins on, I hope it isn't too ornery of a job.

 

All four of mine were installed on the ground, no lift, no tire removal, no turning of the wheels in under 45 minutes...

The front stockers like most cheap twin tubes has a nut molded into the upper body of the sock so you can hold it from turning while you remove the top nut. I used the impact to loosen the top nut then pushed a 13/16 wrench over the "nut" and went back to removing the top one with the impact. If you strip the "nut" because it is just the soft sheet metal of the shock body, you could spend some time fighting it. You wont likely get a cutting wheel in there anyway. sawzall blade could be snuck in there pretty easily if needed. Installing the 5100's requires that you insert an allen wrench inn the threaded rod and tighten that top bolt with a wrench. That is the most tedious part of the job IMO/ Generally nothing difficult about this at all.

 

That sounds tolerable. I have a lift that will hold a Super Duty. I know that is cheating, but if I have a marathon day installing shocks, a B&W gooseneck, and airbags, it eliminates a lot of bending and crawling.