Edelbrock Performer IAS or Bilstien Shocks?

[BIG BOB]

Been looking for new shocks for the "White Obsession" which is a daily driver, hope to have a Travel Trailer soon. I don't want to have to worry about adjustment with the Rancho RS9000's so I looking at the Edelbrock Performer IAS or Bilstien shocks.

Which shock do you recommend? What are your personal experiences with these shocks? Is there another shock I should be considering?

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<font color=blue>"WHITE OBSESSION" 99 Quad Cab, White, SLT, 4x4, 5-sp, BD 2LO kit, 3:54's, Raven cap (cab high), Rhino liner, Stainless Nerf Bars, Stainless Rocker Panels, Tow package, Valentine One, Uniden PC78LTW CB, Hadley Bully Air Horns, HX-40 Turbo, HOT Power Edge, PE EZ, Bully Dog Stage III injectors, South Bend Ceramic Puck Clutch, Psychotty Air Induction, Braided SS Fuel Lines, 4" Jardine Exhaust (Love the deep throaty sound), Bar II Brush Guard with KC Daylighters and Fog lights, Ultra-lite guages with blue bulbs. </font>

<A HREF="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1086000&a=9265455&f=0" TARGET=_blank><font color=red>New Pictures of my "White Obsession" and Dyno Run</A></font>

<A HREF="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1086000&a=9815423" TARGET=_blank><font color=green>BD Dyno Days 10/28/00</A></font>

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NRA Life Member! (Need to protect our rights and FREEDOM!!)<font size=-2>

[This message has been edited by BIG BOB (edited 05-27-2001). ]

 

[EMDDIESEL]

I have used Bilstiens on my last 4 cars. They are great shocks and i will be putting them on my Ram soon. The ride is nice, makes the truck feel like a sportscar on the highway. They have a lifetime replacement warranty too. I dont go off roading so i dont know how they handle off road.
I have only rode in a vehicle with Edelbrocks once, so i really cant say anything about them good or bad.

 

[John]

Hey Bob, I have had the Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks on my Ram since about 3k mi. (Aug. '98... just after they were released for our application). I REALLY like the way they perform. Like the Bilstien shocks, the IAS shocks are a mono-tube, high pressure gas shock. I have had Bilstein's on previous 4x4s and cars. Excellent shocks, as are the Edelbrock IAS shocks... both in performance and quality. What lured me to the IAS shocks is the patented IAS valving which REALLY makes a difference over the rough stuff.

If it wre me, I'd go with a another set of the Edelbrock IASs although, you can't go wrong with Bilstien.

BIG BOB, if you are not in a hurry to re-shock your Ram, you can borrow my Edelbrock IAS shock video. . it better explains the technology and attributes. I can either send it to you or hand it to you in person the next time you are over here. Your choice. #ad


..... skip the Rancho 9000s (or anything else made by that company)

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John Treibel
'98. 5 2500 QC 4x4 Sport, Glasstite Vision II, 285 BFG A/Ts on M/T Challengers, Warn 4X Boards, Mopar fender flares & tow hooks, NW Custom s/s-rubber mud flaps and accs. , Mag-Hytec diff. cover & DD trans. pan, Edelbrock IAS shocks, Reese Titan V hitch, Jordan Research Ultima 2020 trailer brake controller, SPA gauges (3), Dynamat, '00 Sport grille and headlights/PIAA Super White bulbs, "special" Brite-Box, PIAA Dual Sport 900 aux. lights, BD exh. brake, Amsoil Dual Remote Bypass w. trick billet block adapter and Aeroquip Teflon-s/s hoses, Optima Yellow Tops, DD3s and DD TTPM, Aeroquip AQP s/s fuel hoses, tricked out Cummins valve cover, tricked out Banks High-Ram and 14 cm2 (wastegated) turbine housing, ATS 3-piece exh. man. , Banks 4" dia. s/s exh. sys. , DTT 93% TC, DTT custom tuned VB, BD modified trans. front pump (enhanced by DTT), Air Bulldog induction hood (with NACA ducts), plus MANY other trick modifications

COMING ATTRACTIONS: break out those sun glasses! Plus, BLACKOUT gets a "BIG GULP"

NRA Life (Patron) member

[This message has been edited by John (edited 05-27-2001). ]

 

[Arcticat]

Bob, I am very happy with my adjustable Rancho 9000's. The adjustability is very nice when towing and will help you eliminate the bucking a heavy trailer can cause you to have. When unloaded you adjust the setting down for a softer ride, much softer than stock. There are many happy Rancho owners here on the board, and most will agree with me that they really shine when towing. The adjustment is something I don't "worry about", you will settle on the combination that suits you with relatively little trial and error, and after that changing the settings is a job that I can do in 60-90 seconds.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Big dittos on what Arcticat said about Rancho's.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I have the Eldebrock IAS shocks and I think they are crap. Way overpriced and ride too stiff. I haven't seen them adjust to different road surfaces either. Compared to a Rancho 9000 shock, the edlebrock looks like a car shock. Small body, small shaft. They look like a light duty shock. I will never buy them again.

What about the new KYB light truck shocks that are out? KYB makes a high quality car shock.
http://www.kyb.com/pressrel.htm



[This message has been edited by HEMI®Dart (edited 05-27-2001). ]

 

[Hammer]

Well my vote here is for the Edelbrock IAS,,I've heard the stories and ran them all(Bilstein's,Runcho's 5000 and 9000,Monroe's and Edelbrock) over the same terrain in similarly prepared trucks(our gang has all Quads 4x4's) and we all have the different taste's deal,,One thing we all concur on is the ability of the Edelbrock to OUTPERFORM the Runcho's in all terrain(and I'm not one who enjoys my truck in the grass at all,but I knuckled under and did it),,Size of the shock means absolutely nothing when it come to performance,engineering and valving does,,If that were the case,size that is,where would the shock size in racing be,,Come on now talk about a comment from out in left field here,,Go try to tell Karl Kinser the shocks on the sprint car are to small to work effectively and see the look you get,,I never was impressed with the Monroe's or Bilstiens due to the short shock life they have,especially under harsh conditions(towing or otherwise),,This will turn out to be a he said,she daid deal,the shock question,BUT for my money Edelbrock is the only way,cost does not matter,ride does... .

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98, Flame Red, Quad Cab, 2500, 4x4, 5spd, Autometer and Cyberdyne gauges,Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks,TST#10 plate,16cm housing, B-D Exhaust Brake,Timing Advanced,K&N,Totally Amsoiled,Cat Muffler and Silencer ring ALL M. I. A. ,A BOMBING IN THE PROCESS!!

 

[JohnE]

Hi Bob;
Say Hi to the better, I mean <em>other</em>, half... .

My truck is a 2wd extended cab long bed and completely different in vehicle dynamics from the Great White Obsession due to the IFS. I put on KYBs and they ride horrible unloaded, but are great when loaded to 8k or beyond. They still beat the factory units!! My buddy Randy (from October Dyno Days) has a 94 standard cab 4x4 and put on KYBs at the recommendation of Chuck at the <em>Shop</em>. He also has a set of airbags. That is a sweet riding rig on the highway. He has a Sunriver 9&frac12; slide-in, tows a 17' boat and the airbags were his answer to perfection.

I'm trailer shopping myself. A set of airbags is on the (wife approved) &quot;preventative maintenance list&quot; along with a TST plate and DTT TC & VB. Don't we got great wives?!!

Cheers;
JohnE

<small>I forgot to mention my wife has approved the &quot;preventative maintenance list&quot;. </font>

[This message has been edited by JohnE (edited 05-27-2001). ]

 

[Cooker]

Hammer,
I think we can all agree that the size of the shock has little to do with the quality or effectiveness of the shock. What it does have somrting to do with is it's strength. A smaller cylinder of the same material will be weaker than a larger one right? This is were size does matter. This would be especially important for someone who uses their truck for 4-wheeling or in heavy towing applications. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

-Ryan

 

[C Schomer]

I sure like the 9000's on my'BFD'for highway use. They do pretty good on an occasional washboard road too! Craig

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97 3/4Ton, 2WD, 5SP, #11 Plate, AFC kit, 14 Housing, AF942M Air filter, Super Silencer Thingy, Straight Thru Cat, 4"From Turbo, Airlift, Shortened Frame, Custom Bed, 24CKFS Sunnybrook, HEY FORDBOY POWERSTROKE THIS!

 

[24V-DSL]

Bob... .

I have Bilsteins and would do it over.

I have a very bombed 97 Dakota, 4x4 with Edelbrock IAS with approx. 65K on them. From day one I thought they were pretty "unremarkable" for the almost $70 ea. cost. #ad


The Bilsteins went on my new truck after driving it 250+ miles to have a comparison to factory. The Bilsteins brought an immediate... . #ad


BTW, I have no experience with either shock off road or towing..... these trucks are just part of my "recovering hot-rodder" therupy.

I

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White 2001. 5 2500 ST, SWB, 4X4,QC, AUTO, 4. 10's, LSD, 285/75/16 On Weld Outbacks, PIAA 510's, Line-x, Tinted glass, Redline 85+, Blow-by-bye, RE-0880 & 25-0880,muffler fell off,level truck with 2" tuff country kit, Bilsteins at the corners, Di Pricol egt and boost, Mag-hytec "original flavor" transmission pan and Dana 70 diff. cover, Westin Step Bars,DTT TC/VB,yeee-ha,EZ, Custom Plate 24V-DSL

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I tried a set of Rancho 9000s in the back of my '98 QC LB 4x4 and was not that impressed with them. Yes, it was nice to adjust damping, but these shocks don't have any of the fancy inertia sensing technology and treat all bumps & conditions the same. On my 98 if I set them soft then they acted about the same as my junk 50,000 mile OEM shocks. . . soft ride but lots of axle bounding over bumps. So setting them to 3 or 4 helped dampen the axle motion but made it ride too hard.

I just put on some inexpensive Pro Comp 9000 shocks in the back of my 2001 and really like them. Got them for $32 apiece from Summit Racing. They cut down on axle hop on the freeway considerably and also the rebound/bucking effect of the back end when crossing RR tracks. The axle is much more controlled yet the ride is good. I can't wait to get them on the front tomorrow. These have a lifetime guarantee and are twin-tube 10-stage inertia sensing (although I'm sure they're no match with Edelbrock IAS). For the price they work great.

Vaughn

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'01 2500 QC Shortbed 2wd, 6-speed, 3. 54LSD, Cab & Fog lamps, Camper & Tow Pkg.
BOMBed: DD2 Injectors, PS Boost module, Amsoil air filter, straightpiped exh. , Aeroquip 3/8" fuel line w/tank mounted lift pump, AutoMeter Sport Comp gauges, Line-X'd, Amber turn signal conversion.

 

[Cooker]

This is obviously a "to each his own" topic. There is a guy at a shop up here that keeps telling me the Rancho's are junk and he swears by the Trailmaster SSV shocks.

The only problem I have with the non-adjustable shocks is that if you look in the MFG's catalog (I don't know if this applies to Bilstein or Edlebrock) the have the same part number listed for the 1500 as the 2500, including Cummins. How can a shock that is supposed to work good on a 1500 work well on a Cummins? Maybe the things is stiff as **** on a 1500?

Vaughn,
Keep us posted on how the front Pro-Comps work out. I'm curious to see how they handle the weight of the Cummins.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

<h2><Font color=red>Edelbrock</font> = <Font color= Blue>WhataCrock!!</h2></font>
Lasted aprox 3,500 miles on my <h6>Chebby Tahoe 2~door</h6> before I ripped 'em out and launched them into the $h!+ Can in complete and utter disgust. The ride for the First 1K miles was pretty impressive the way they reacted to different road conditions. anything after that though really was sour... "Caddilac" bouncing on the highway much like a blown and tired out shock (Try towing with a truck with such a shockingly short wheelbase to begin with and bad front shocks) which over time was enough to make ya sick, Brought em back and gave another set to me Same thing I had another set of Bilstiens that I did not hesitate to even put back on..... Do not go for the edelbrocks... . resist the marketing temtations.
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[HEMI®Dart]

John & Hammer,

I didn't know the reason behind Edlebrock's design of using a small body & shaft. I didn't see the older threads.

Now I know it was not just a cost cutting move, but a design trait of a mono tube design.

Thanks for educating me. #ad

 

[DieselDoghouse]

just my 2¢-have been running the IAS for just over a year, I agree this everybody who says they are stiff—don't mind that. I have found that the front ride is now much better with a 135 lb Warn in the bumper. Imagine what the ride would be without 'em!!

 

[John]

Cooker, when I ordered my Edelbrock IAS (Inertia Active System) shocks JUST after they were released for our application (Aug. '98), these shocks only fit 2500 QC/CC 4x4 Rams with either the CTD or the V10. PERIOD... NO OTHER combination!

Hemi, you know Dam*ed well why the diameter of the Edelbrock IAS shocks is smaller than than any of the LOW pressure gas shocks (we have debated this MANY times before on this BB). For other members, all HIGH pressure gas shocks utilize a MONO tube design, whereas Rancho 9000s etc employ a TWIN tube, LOW pressure gas/oil design. That is the very reason you install the Edelbrock IASs and the Bilstiens upside down... because they are more effective in this position (i. e. , less unsprung weight). The cheaper, low pressure gas/oil shocks CAN'T be installed inverted as they won't work. Another thing about low pressure "gas" shocks, the gas is ONLY used to keep constant pressure on the oil (which performs ALL shock damping functions), to reduce oil aeration. In other words, a crutch for a low technology, outdated design.

I agree and disagree with Hemi on his stiffness assessment of the Edelbrock shocks... here's why; I replaced my OE shocks at about 3k mi. with the IAS shocks. As my OE shocks were still relatively new, I didn't see a marked increase in stiffness on normal road surfaces... but I saw a major difference the very first time I drove over a set of train tracks and some potholes (a daily occurance). If a person was to upgrade to the IAS shocks after considerable miles on their OE shocks well, you get the idea.

One thing is for sure, after having driven most of these shocks, the IASs perform so much better than the rest while going over potholes, railroad tracks etc. (due to their patented IAS valving), it's not even funny. Really!

In regards as to how a shock works with a load in the bed such as a camper, if the load is allowing the truck to sway all over the place (and the shocks are not defective), other suspension upgrades must be addressed. . NOT the shocks. "Dial-up" type shocks should not be a crutch for a deficient suspension (i. e. , the air SHOCK mentality syndrome... this is not to be confused with air bags).

ToolMan, as for the remark about Edelbrock's marketing of their IAS shocks, Edelbrock didn't even design the patented IAS valving, Don Richardson of Ricor did. Edelbrock purchased this technology from them (and has exclusive rights to it). I would market it heavily myself. It's not like Edelbrock came up with some marketing gimmick that doesn't work. To repeat myself, the IAS valving works better than ANYTHING else on the market over rough surfaces. PERIOD.

 

[John]

Originally posted by Cooker:
A smaller cylinder of the same material will be weaker than a larger one right?

Cooker, didn't you mean to say stronger instead of "weaker?" A smaller diameter cylinder made from the same material (i. e. , same material alloy, same gauge thickness) will be stronger (to a degree... dependent upon the actual size disparity of the two cylinders).

Cliff?

[This message has been edited by John (edited 05-28-2001). ]

 

[Hammer]

Ya know,,One thing in these posts are for sure,its like ice cream flavors we all differ here as with that to,,One thing I can not get out of my head tough is the rough ride complaint,,One would wonder how many guys are running around with improper tire pressures(too much air when not towing),,the other thing here is this,If ride is what you seek,why not but a friggin car?,,I mean these are the best **** truck and engine combo's going and they are 3/4 and 1 ton trucks,so,why cry about the ride?,,Certainly they were not engineered for the ride,but,to haul WHATEVER we wanted to and where ever we wanted to go,,GO FIGURE,rough ride SHEESH!!!! Edelbrock IAS,the only shock...

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98, Flame Red, Quad Cab, 2500, 4x4, 5spd, Autometer and Cyberdyne gauges,Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks,TST#10 plate,16cm housing, B-D Exhaust Brake,Timing Advanced,K&N,Totally Amsoiled,Cat Muffler and Silencer ring ALL M. I. A. ,A BOMBING IN THE PROCESS!!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Well I got my Pro Comp 9000s put on the front and they're a major improvement over stock. I wouldn't say they're any Edelbrock IAS but I think you can't go wrong in the "bang for the buck" category. The front of my truck was getting to the ol' Cadillac ride and these shocks have taken care of that. The biggest question is, how well will they work after a few thousand miles??

Vaughn