Hi guys,

It's time for new shocks on my 2000 F-250SD. My truck is used exclusively for towing and has a scant 48K on the clock. Can I get some recommendations on a few different type of shocks? Have been looking at the Monroe Gas Magnums as they seem to be a reasonable price but I would appreciate comments from the knowledgeable people on this forum.

I'm retired and on a fixed income so dollars are important. Please keep that in mind if you recommend a particular brand, I can't afford $150 per shock. I'll do the install myself but I will confess I have little knowledge of what is good and what isn't.

The trailer I tow is a 31' Travel Trailer weighing in at about #9400 when fully loaded. Currently running Michelin LT265/75R16 tires. The truck is a Super Cab short bed, 4X4 and of course has the V10 with 3:73LS and a full Banks Kit.

All comments are welcome, thanks in advance.

Les

 

Les I understand your income but with shocks there is only one brand. Bilstein. They may cost twice that of a Monroe/Rancho but you get 5 times the shock. Best bang for the buck and you will wonder why you didn't put them on years ago.

 

I respectfully disagree with Stump. I had been running Rancho 9000 adjustables on my rigs before the Ford with good results. Since the factory shocks were pretty bad I put the Bilstein on my F250 fairly soon. Good shock when running empty, not enough when the 5er was in tow. Quickly got worse as they broke in, although they didn't change much if any after break in. This summer I bolted on a set of the 9000s. Much better in my opinion. Crawling under the rig to change settings is a pain but once you find what works they can be left in the same stting for both towing and solo without much comprmise. About the same price as the Bils.

As ussual, your results may vary.

 

i understand your budget situation!! i've had to put tires, springs, and shocks on. i searched and found a deal on the tires, had to order the springs from 4wheel parts, adn now i'm searching for shocks.......

the best i've ran across so far is ProComp ES1000's and ES3000's which average about $115-130 for all 4. here's and ebay link ( eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices )

here's a place that i've bought suspensionn parts from before, and had REAL GOOD customer service too. Lift Kits, Leveling Kits, and Shock Absorbers - Suspension System Specialists! - Top Gun Customz

hope that helps some.

 

There are two ways to go.

Non-adjustable and adjustable.

If you go to both extremes, driving empty, and driving fully loaded/towing, an adjustable, in my opinion is a MUST.

 

I put Bilsteins on my 2003CC 4x4. Bought through Summit racing and although more than the Monroes I think they do fine. I only 4x4 when needed in the snow or sand, rarely in the woods. Tow a few times a year at 10k lbs (1000 or more miles when I do) and they handle fine. Cant compare to others than stock and even there the stock were shot so its not a fair comparison either. From researching the threads it appeared Bilsteins had a larger fan base.

 

After 104,000 miles on the OEM's I recently put the Monroe Gas Magnums on mine. They're working fine for me.

 

Shocks are all about the valving thats in them. With the Rancho 9000's you you can adjust the valving stiff enough to contoll a heavy load. I have had two sets of 9000's and have had 5000's. They are made by Monroe and are better than stock. They just ride way too harsh. If you soften up the 9000's then you are too loose to control the rig at speed. If you stiffen them up to controll the rig at speed you bounce, skip and slide on the small studder bumps. You can get the dash adjuster but .... Bilstein on the other hand has tech support. You call them and tell them your load and they can recomend the shock with the perfect valving. Unlike Monroe/Rancho they actually contoll a load but run soft when you need it. You need to do more work like research and a phone call but in the end there is nothing like a perfectly sprung and shocked vehicle. It is so worth the time, effort and money to get it right. Tires last longer ,mileage goes up and you get there faster smoother and safer. You want dirt cheap then you cannot beat that pro-comp deal but those in the know all refer to them as pro-crap. They are a rebadged monroe so if thats what you want then thats the best price. Others refer to them as the "white" shocks. They are all white like Rancho,procomp.ruff country ect ect and all come from the same place with a different sticker. The OP is hualing a heavy load and will greatly benifit from the expertise of a real shock company. Bilstein. They are freaking magic but you need to understand and get the proper valving. 99% are not willing to do that so a "white" shock is for them. The 9000's then would be the way too go and don't be afraid to set those thing on almost the stiffest setting with that load. They make a big difference in controll when you get the setting right. Set them for freeway speeds and lean towards the stiff side.
http://www.bilsteinus.com/contact.php

 

Thanks a ton for all the information guys - I'll look at all you recommended and then make a decision on "bang for the buck" and balance that with what we can afford... This forum and all it's members are the greatest for the advice and knowledge base you all offer...

Thanks again

Les

 

That has NOT been my experience with the 9000x's. I soften them up for around-town driving, and stiffen them up for heavy loads or long highway trips.

When I stiffen them up, even empty, on the highway, I love the control, and they do NOT cause my truck to skip or slide. Yes, they feed a lot of bounce back into the frame, but it's not at all uncontrollable in harsh conditions.

Maybe we have different springs

 

Not my experience at all. The yellow Bilstein that now are taking up landfill space were no better than the 9000's in any way. The Rancho 5000's I tried quite a few years ago were pure crap. Waaaayyy too soft, no control.

I also agree with Art. Even set too stiff for the job at hand they don't cause any other problems.

You are 100% right when you get the suspension including shocks, springs, tires, and air bags if you have them tuned to work well together it is a great feeling.

 

You all experianced the things I have. If you get a shock based out of the suspension companys books then you will get a generic application and a shock that is the proper lengh to just bolt up. Once you start looking at the part numbers to decipher the valving you will find that a valving speced for an F150 will be on the shock they want to sell for a F350. Jeeps wind up with 3/4 ton Chevy shocks and ride like a lumber wagon. It is so worth your time ,effort and research to call these companys and find out about valving. I buy shocks based on the mounting ends, lenth and the particular valving. Bilstein has the knowlege base for motor homes as well as E350, 11,000# Sportsmobiles and big rigs so they can tell you based on load what valving is needed. Once you get them they will have a sweet spot that is say plus or minus 5k and a white shock will be plus or minus 2000. Thats a big part of the difference.
Here is the sad part...Dirtbikes and Moutain bycycles have adjustable suspension. On my old Honda XR400 for example you get to fool with all of these adjustments. Rear preload and sag based on adjustment and spring rate, rear compression dampening and rear rebound dampening. One click on the adjusters can make a difference if you spend a little bit of time understanding whats happening. It's a little complex but not rocket science. Same type adjustments for the front but you can also change weight of fork oil and height of fork oil.
Now we go to a suspension company and buy a lift kit for our truck. Since there are only a couple of factorys that make springs and shocks you wind up with what they can get. What you get is horrible except for just driving it down the road. For example on my XJ the stock coils are 160lbs and every lift kit company sells a 180lbs coil. There is not a Baja or Jeepspeed racer in the world that would run close to that. The very lightest they would run on a smooth grass track is a 280 lbs spring with 350 being common. Poor guy spends his cash on a lift kit to go off road and unless he is going 5mph his rig is a POS. Same with shocks. Add a winch and a big tire and it's even worse. I'm telling you, a pathetic cluster is what they are selling as a proper suspension components. Sad thing is 90% of the so called suspension company reps could not tell you the first thing about spring rates or shock valving. Ask them for yourselfs. All they will tell you is weather or not it will bolt up. Then go to the catolog and ask yourself why they recomend the same shock for a crown vic and a Pinto or C2500 P/U anda light jeep CJ. A pick-up shock on an motorhome ect ect. They sell what bolts up reguardless of the valving in most all cases. It really is that bad and IMHO only a phone call to the reps that understand valving will yeild impressive results. Sorry for the rant but suspension and shock companys are *****s for selling what they sell as proper components. All of them and even Bilstein has a shock or two that says will fit but is the wrong valving. You need to call the number on the link I gave and give them the weight of the rig and what it will be used for. If you get a turd call back or call the other number. If you do this it will wind up being the best modification you have ever done to a vehicle.

 

Rep sent, I could not agree more.

After the diffrence they made in both my CVPI and E350 in every condition you can imagine either being put through, I have no plans of ever using any other shock.

 

I've had very good experiences with the Monroe Reflex. It's the same as the Rancho RSX, and is a low-cost alternative that is actually a good compromise on just about eveything-including cost. I can't think of any other shock that does as good of a job in every manner that's anywhere near the cost. I've had them on my old '98 F150, and they're still on there with around 230K miles of use now, my current work truck F150 with nearly 200K miles of use, and just put them on our Excursion. I put Bilsteins on the Navigator, and have Bilsteins on the Tbird. They're good, but they're expensive, and IMO-unless you're looking for absolute "over-the-top" performance out of a shock-they're too much money to spend on a shock.
JL

 

Hey Johney this may sound crazy but I sold my 1998 F150 4.6L just north of you in Arkansas with Rancho RSX shocks on it. That was 10 years ago. Did you buy it with those shocks on it and was it tan with a few 1.5" holes drilled in the airbox? It's possible??? I don't think Rancho offers the RSX anymore but it was great on that truck. That whole truck was great!