My truck is F250-7.3 2002 and I replaced all four shocks when I got the truck five years ago. I put KYB Excel up front and cheaps on the back. One day at a light a guy yelled and said your shock is busted. Sure enough one rear had the piston rod snapped. So I got another set for the back looking for large diameter rods. The roads in Ontario where I live aren’t great and the truck rode rough, especially when empty.
This past year I took it for a very long drive through the USA and way down into the West coast of Mexico. So if the roads in Ontario are rough then by comparison those are glassy smooth for what I drove in Mexico. The back bounced like crazy, dangerously at times. Friends said I should add weight and that would help alot. I got three 50kg bags of ‘granito’ white crushed granite. I asked for bags of sand but the Mexican asked why would we put sand in bags? Anyway for those not familiar with driving around in Mexico you wouldn’t know about the numerous Police and Army roadside spotchecks and I can say the anF250 with a hard tonneau attracts their attention. The bags really did control the bouncing and the police and army guys really were curious about the three large heavy bags of white powdery stuff, but all was good and we carried on.
In my free time in Mexico, which I had lots of I looked into shocks and learned two brands that have promise, Bilstein 5100 and KYB Monomax. I chose the Monomax as those seemed best suited for the RWD.
Without making a long story even longer the Monomax totally transformed the composure of the back end, even empty it’s planted and broken pavement doesn’t cause the axle to hop. Darn, if I knew then what I know now I would have done it a long time ago. The new Monomax shocks for the front arrived yesterday and Saturday those go on.
I got the rear shocks from Tire Rack and the part number is discontinued but they had eight left in stock at a 35% discount.

 

I have really liked the Bilstein 4600 HD (yellow and not 5100) on my tow pig truck for the past 9 years. Bilstein says the 5100 (silver) are for lifted trucks and that is why I went with their 4600 HD.

The "best" is a very subjective and difficult question to answer.

 

I have and like Fox 2.0 adjustable reservoir shocks. They make the ride as smooth as one can reasonably expect from a leaf-sprung vehicle.
https://www.shocksurplus.com/product...xoCxcsQAvD_BwE

 

wow... them be too rich for my blood and i love slinging money at projects that i should not be messing with...

edit: i installed the bilstein 5100 series last year and they work well, but i was comparing them to a set of stock shocks that were original form the factory... YMMV

 

Bilstein 4600

 

I've run Rancho 9000, Bilstien 4600, Bilstien 5100, Fox 2.0 and King 2.0 on various vehicles.

From now on if I actually want something to ride nice, I'll got straight to Fox or King, nothing smaller than a 2.0. A 2.5 or 3.0 would be even better, but you need pretty deep pockets to justify those.

 

Dayum.

Now we finally learn what the "k" in @kbeefy stands for.

King Beefy!

 

Haha... well, it's actually because my first name is Ken, and my last name rhymes with beefy.

 

I totally agree with this...I'm running Fox on my truck but have King coilovers/ shocks for my project. The Bilstein resi shocks are pretty good though too.

 

Bilstien makes some really nice shocks also, I've just never seen them on anything I could afford.

 

Just installed rancho adjustable on mine. Swapped out my 24 1/2 year old ones.

All it does it haul the camper, Setting 8 in the rear, 6 in the front. and when i unhook and run around town, They don't ride rough either.

either my old ones were beat, HA. or the ranchos are fantastic. Feels great

 

I have the 9000x on my f350. When I have the camper on I turn them all the way up, unloaded all the way down.

They do make a pretty noticeable difference.

 

Best shocks are the ones that fit the individuals budget and they are satisfied with them