WORN SHOCKS?????????

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Dec 28, 2009 | 09:51 AM

#16

aldridgec

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Joined: Mar 2002

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From: Wake Forest, NC

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamebuster

Try pushing down on the corners of your rig individually, if it comes right back and stops your shocks are most likely still good if it continues to bounce a little they are shot.The harder you can bounce it the better to get a good idea. Easier for a large person than a small one with these stiff springs.

This is really tough to do and not a good guage of shock performance on a day to day basis. The normal travel range is small and will get worn on shocks, while the total travel may still be good. Bouncing the corners will show if there is gross wear or they are completely broken, but not really if they aren't doing as good a job as the used to, or that a set of new shocks would. My truck (and I am a big guy) wouldn't bounce more than one time, but new shocks made a huge improvement.

Dec 28, 2009 | 11:51 AM

#17

msgtg

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From: Rural WV

Chris...what kind of milage would you expect from a set of shocks that see mostly interstate roads? Minimal off-road (one day per month to traverse bad fields), light towing.

Joe

Dec 28, 2009 | 12:06 PM

#18

aldridgec

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Joined: Mar 2002

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From: Wake Forest, NC

I would realistically expect 30 to 50k before replacement would show an improvement in ride quality. This really seems to vary widely, and is very subjective. In years of doing this, I haven't had a car long enough to guage how long shocks last, and customer inquiries don't show enough to deduce patterns. A theory is off road would cause more even but harder wear (seals or pistons would be more susceptible to abuse issues as well as fluid break down if it becomes heated during offroad use) while the highway use causes acute wear that is most noticeable on smoother surfaces (narrow range of poor control from wear in a narrow range of travel in the shock).

Dec 28, 2009 | 01:50 PM

#19

msgtg

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From: Rural WV

Thanks Chris. My 03 F-250 has a touch over 100K on it...and I'm sure I'm still riding the factory originals. In the past 30 to 45 days, I've been thinking that the ride isn't as smooth and quite as it used to be and that maybe I need to look into shocks.

So far, I've very fortunate. I just replaced the factory batts about a month ago...but only did so as a precaution against the cold temps that just showed up. I'm still running the original Donaldson filter...the indicator is just now showing about 25% (I've got the new filter in the storage room waiting for the right time), my original hubs are still working nicely (as proven during the last snow storm when I used the truck to pickup stranded motorists along the interstate to take them to the emergency shelters). The shocks lasting this long doesn't surprise me based on everything else on the truck. AND TO BOOT...this is one of the real early 6.0s...like number 812 off the line! Talk about getting a lucky truck!

Thanks again Chris. I'll start looking into shocks now.

Joe

Dec 28, 2009 | 05:42 PM

#20

conger

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Joined: May 2006

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From: Edmonton, AB.

Quote:

Originally Posted by msgtg

Chris...what kind of milage would you expect from a set of shocks that see mostly interstate roads? Minimal off-road (one day per month to traverse bad fields), light towing.

Joe

I can't say about the Procomp ES9000's that I have on the truck now since the levelling kit only went on last summer. I put 50K km on the last set of these that I put on the truck and they were in great shape still. What I can say about the OEM rancho's that came with the truck was that at 32K km, they were completely worn out. When going down a road with any uneven pavement at all, My SD would roll and drive like a drunk horse. When I pulled the shocks off, only one of the rear shocks had any damping action left. The others were nothing more than springs. I would think you could get a 100K out of a quality set.

Dec 28, 2009 | 05:57 PM

#21

msgtg

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Joined: Feb 2007

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From: Rural WV

Like I said...I think I just got a good truck! She is bone stock except for a set of C-Betrs and honestly I don't see any reason to go messin with a good thing! I bought her with 34K miles on her back in Feb of 2007...as of Dec of 2009, she has 101,460 miles on her.

I take good care of her...and she returns the favor! I can't ask for more than that!

Joe