I've got about 90,000 miles on my 2018 gas F-250 and have a 3 week trip coming up next month and want to get ahead of maintenance.

Everyone recommends the Bilsteins 5100s but they aren't offered for stock height trucks. I've been looking at Rancho shocks but there isn't much feedback about them.

What are y'all using?

Thanks in advance.

 

There's tons of options really and just depends how much you want to spend lol. Rancho, Fox, KYB, King, Carli and Bilstein 4600s for stock height and of course Motorcraft.

IMHO can't go wrong with Bilstein's or OEM and if you're looking for a better towing experience you can upgrade your overload springs bump stops. This upgrade is worth every penny!

https://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Sus...250+Super+Duty

 

On my F150, I put the 5100s on the rear, did not change the rear height. I am very pleased with them. I would have done the 4600s but couldn't get past the ugly colors.

 

So Bilstein doesn't make 5100s for a stock 2018 F250?

 

5100’s are generally for lifted trucks. 4600’s are generally for stock height. Same valving technology, just different packaging

bilstiens ride nice but are expensive. Rancho RS5000’s ride nice and are much less expensive. Gabriel Ultra’s ride nice and are much less expensive.

My go-to shock right now is the Gabriel Ultras. I have never been disappointed on anything I’ve used them on. I’d describe it as an OEM-plus type ride. They are stiff enough to control bounce without being harsh at all.

my 2014 expedition got the bilstein 5100’s set to stock height. They rode nice but I had over $1,400 in them after getting them installed. They rode really nice for the first 75,000 miles then started to decline. At that price point, it was not getting them again and I ended up trading it off for other reasons (it had 175k on the clock and around 90k on the bilsteins). They are good, and they ride nice, but not $1,400 nice.

my 2006 expedition had Gabriel ultras when I sold it. With 200,000 miles on it and new ultras it drove better than my brand new work truck (no joke). That was what sold me on them as a quality unit.

id look at the Gabriel ultras. In my experience they ride as nice as the bilsteins but cost a lot less. You aren’t giving up much in ride for the cost. They ride really nice.

monroes are all trash IMO. Even their high end Reflex don’t ride good. They are stiff enough but the valving is very harsh IMO. The sensatrack line ride ok but it is very old technology and they are soft in the middle. They stiffen up at the ends but the middle of the shock travel is just soft by design. The OESpectrium line is what you put on to get it sold. They are better than blown out shocks, but that is it IMO.

the KYB excel line is a lot like the Monroe reflex. They are stiff but harsh. Used them on my 2006 expedition before the Gabriel’s and on our Subaru. They don’t knock your teeth out but you know when you hit a sharp bump - they are just harsh. Both of them got the Gabriel ultras after the KYB’s and the difference was night and day.

Serving suggestions.

our 2004 is wearing Gabriel ultras. It has made it ride as good as it can for the rib-cracking lumber wagon that it is.

 

5100's on my Excursion 2WD when we had it and they were great.

When it came time for my '12 F250 KR FX4, which is essentially immediately off the lot for the factory Rancho's, I opted for Rancho 9000's which are adjustable. Not impressed. Not enough rebound control even on stiffest setting and it rides a like a lumber wagon. I bought them for better towing, and they didn't deliver much. My main gripe is porpoising in the front. Not enough rebound control, yes, but I also think the truck is under sprung to begin with (it's had rear air springs from the beginning). Not towing, set on softest setting, they do fine. I've had them about 40,000 miles, probably more. They also get difficult to adjust if left for a period of time. Too much of a PITA for the results. I'm towing a 34' TT at about 9000lbs.
I'd like to hear others' opinion running these shocks, maybe I'm missing something.

I'm itching to go back with 5100's but can't justify the cost vs. what I have.

 

After I posted , I looked up the 9000's again on Rancho's website and found this bit of humor about the adjustment ****. That's kinda telling.

To keep the **** in proper working order, follow these tips:

• Rotate the **** at the base once a quarter or season to keep all parts moving.
• Another option is to pack the **** with a silicone-based grease.
• If you need to replace the ****, lightly tap your hex key socket (1/8") to make sure the hex key is set in the bolt. This makes removing the shock **** easier. NOTE – Take care when removing the ****; if there is internal damage or excessive corrosion, it could cause gas and pressurized oil to leak past the valve pin assembly.

 

I'm surprised you got that many miles out of the OEM shocks.

I have the Rancho 9000XL shocks. I put them on within 5,000 miles of the purchase of the truck brand new. My wife put in a vote for new shocks when we drove over a rough section of highway near our house. There was a good improvement with the Rancho shocks, enough that my wife noticed. It's handy to be able to dial back the shocks from a stiffer towing setting for an easier ride when unloaded. When my steering stabilizer failed while on a trip I increased the setting on the front shocks and that was a good enough fix until I got back home.

The adjustment **** on my shocks still works after 40,000 miles. I've done no maintenance on it other than changing the setting between towing and unloaded.

If it hadn't been the Ranchos I would have gone with the Bilsteins. I had them on my prior truck and they performed very close to a set of shocks that cost four times as much. If money wasn't an issue, Fox is the way I would go.