What are the best shocks???

[Sandifer]

I have a '95 reg cab 3500 2wd with 190K miles and I think the original shocks are ready to be replaced. What is the best shock out there?

 

[ASTAR]

Hands down, Bilstien.

 

[RAMN4EVR]

Bilsteins, silver&blue, two thumbs up.

 

[Todd G]

I think Bilstein's are the best unloaded by far. Many like the Rancho 9000's for their adjustability when hauling heavy in the back.

 

[EricBu12]

Any shocks out there that have like an air charge so you can bump up the level? I had a long time ago, some HD Helper shocks that had like an airbag built in. able to take like 5 to 50# of air. anythhing like that out there?

 

[jrobinson2]

Any shocks out there that have like an air charge so you can bump up the level? I had a long time ago, some HD Helper shocks that had like an airbag built in. able to take like 5 to 50# of air. anythhing like that out there?

With the load it takes to settle these trucks I dont think transfering weight from the springs to the shock mounts would be a good idea, I have seen two 3500s with the rear upper shock mounts torn out of the frame crossmember.



Jared

 

[y-knot]

Your question is simple enough, but there is no simple answer. What is the perfect shock for me, may be a nightmare for you. It's more like what is the perfect shock for my truck and my style of driving? I think most on this site lean toward the Bilstien line of shocks, they make very good shocks that seem to last and keep their settings. While I would venture to say that the Bilstien are mostly popular because of copy cat buying, that still doesn't take anything away from how they perform. Truth is, most folks don't really look to deep into the subject, nor do they have much experience dealing with the many different brands available now days. In just the last year or so we have gone Thur a Shock Explosion, their are many new shock builders to chose from and most of the older and well known shock builders have released new models. A new trend is High End shocks, what was strictly race shocks several years ago is now common place on many trucks that see every day driving chores. You can still get the common OEM replacement shock which is the 5100 series for Bilstien, 5,7 or 9000 series for Rancho, but now days your choices do not end their. Bilstien has several levels of performance shocks, they have the 5150's, 6100's and 7100 series,and the all new 9300 Black Hawk, all or at least most of them can be had with remote reservoirs. The new Rancho's are the 9000RX and the 9000X which has an remote reservoir. New comers like Pro Comp have the ES3000,ES9000, MX-6 and their Pro series with reservoir. Other shocks include Robby Gorden's line, Edelbrock, Donahue Racing, King, Sway-away, KYB, Koni And Torico.

As the average Joe gets use to buying better shocks, the industry will see more and more new shock manufacturers get into the market. Now that there are plenty of people willing to lay down several hundred, and in some cases several thousand dollars for up graded replacement shocks, the market which was once limited to the few, will now support this boom in race shock technology. This is good, what 5-6 years ago would have cost thousands is now available for hundreds, and the variety and availability are at a all time high. This market of new shocks has changed so much, I would recommend you take the time and evaluate just what it is you would like your new shocks to do, search the many different manufacturers and styles of shocks, and educate yourself before the next purchase. Then and only then will you be able to find the Perfect set of shocks for both you and your truck.

 

[moparguy]

Way to go y-knot.



I can't say what the best shock is for any given application. I do like the Rancho 9000s I installed about 100k ago. I run the front on 3, the rears on 4 or 5 when pulling the backhoe or horse trailer. If empty, 1 or 2 on the rear makes for a nice ride.



Since I've got the heavy duty suspension my truck sets up higher than some so it's easy to change the setting on the rear, just lean over the duals and turn the knob.



I'd buy Rancho's again for the adjustability and ride.

RJR

 

[John - K5AWO]

Y-not,



that was a good reply. My only thought on this subject is that with limited funding, most of us can't afford to try out different styles or brands.



We have to "get educated" hopefully by other's comments and try to read between the blarney in the advertisements.



For me, I need soft on the down side and firm on the rebound side. But that is for city traffic. I just aired up my tires for a vacation trip at the rating on the sidewalls.



Results on that was immediate:

1. more control

2. much harsher ride

3. excellent highway action

4. p. . s poor city performance

5. tire imbalance became much more noticable

_____this even though they were just balanced.



So, I need to get the balancing beads or throw in some antifreeze,

AND, I need better shocks. The brand and age of what I have is a guess, no labels in existence on them.



I like the look of the Bilsteins, seem to be well made, but then so are a lot of the others.



In addition to all that you mentioned, it seems that we need to categorize the dollar amount we are willing to spend, and THEN go shopping for what we want.



2 cents...

 

[Tony T.]

I have a '95 reg cab 3500 2wd with 190K miles and I think the original shocks are ready to be replaced. What is the best shock out there?

Not trying to be a smart ***** here, but you got 190K miles out of the OEM shocks, thats a pretty good return. Wonder who makes the OEM. . You might check on them again.



Tony

 

[rluft]

Wow, 190,000 miles on OEM shocks. I tend to think that OEM shocks, in general, are of poor quality. I am running Rancho 9000's, set to 3 on front and either 1 empty or 5 loaded on rear, and I really like them for their adjustability. Another option that I used on a Toyota pickup were Edelbrock IAS which handled very well, surprised me how well. I ran Gabriel air shocks on my 1500 Dodge which I would air up to 75psi to level the truck when I pulled my trailer, made the truck handle the load well but probably not needed for the 2500. In fact, my 5th wheel pin weight puts me slightly over the GVWR and it doesn't sag in the rear. It does settle on the overload springs. Can't go wrong with Bilstien's. I bet any shock you put on will feel better than what you have now.

 

[RustyJC]

I have no doubts that the Bilstein is a fine shock, probably built better than the Rancho 9000's, but for our application the adjustability of the Ranchos lets me snug the truck down tight when towing our HEAVY 5th wheel and ease back on the damping for a comfortable ride when running empty.



As we say in Texas, "Horses for courses". The best shock for you depends on how you want to use your truck.



Rusty

 

[jrobinson2]

I ran the OEM shocks to about 45,000 then a set of 5 speed adjustable Rancho's to a little over 90,000 before installing the T-rex King system. When I removed the Kings to be revalved I needed something to run until the Kings got back, I checked both the OEM's and Rancho's that I had saved and the OEM shocks were in FAR better condition than the ranchos. The front Rancho's had nearly 2" of movement before any dampening at all and one had a tight spot you could hardly push through, I think the OEM are a higher quality shock than the Rancho's, they just don't have the dampening characteristics some of us like. The Rancho's were a big improvement in stability with the camper on but I think I should have taken advantage of the lifetime warranty about once a year.

Jared

 

[Hohn]

There's a good chance those stocker were shot at 25K and he just ran them that long.....

 

[jwilliams3]

Have Rancho's on the Green truck.

El Junko!

 

[wyosteve]

My . 02. On my 01, I put Rancho 9000's all around at 22k miles. At 67k, the front Ranchos were shot, i. e. no dampening at all. The rears were still good. I put Bilsteins on the front. When I traded the truck at 106k, the Bilstein's were still good in front and the Ranchos in the rear were good also. I'll soon be getting new ones for my 04. 5 and will do the same. Rancho's in back for adjustability and Bilsteins up front for longevity.

 

[jwilliams3]

I kinda like these OEM shocks.

Once they go I am going to another set of OEM or Bilsteins.

 

[y-knot]

I tend to think of the OEM shocks as throw-aways, they are usually the cheapest shock the manufacturers could find. Only exception is when they offer OFF-Road Packages, and include brand name shocks like in the Ford F-4 package they use Rancho, or the Chevy Z-71 package where they use Bilstien 5100's.

I have had the pleasure(?) of running alot of different shock packages on several different makes. I have used Rancho products several times , but never had any luck with their shocks. They have always failed due to leaks, and both times were under 12K miles. These newer RS9000, RS9000X, and RSX series I suspect are made a little better, I have not heard too many complain of leaks, or poor performance. I installed the Bilstien 5100 shocks several years ago on my Dodge, they were nice at first but failed with less then 6Kmiles. I replaced them with Bilstien 5150's, and they have been great. They perform like a shock should, limiting the rebound but easily compressing to absorb the bumps. I only have about 3-4K miles on these, but so far they are doing a great job. I will not be able to give a long term report, as I have already purchased 6 Fox shocks w/ remotes and plan on installing them this spring.

When most people talk about replacement shocks, I think they mean shocks with a purchase price of 50-60 each. For this money the Rancho RS9000 and RSX series shocks along with the Bilstien 5100 series and Edelbrock RSA shocks are all a good choice. I would stay away from Skyjacker, Pro Comp, Super Lift, and Fabtech for shocks, they might make great lift kits, but not shocks. The reason the offer shocks in the first place is their is a great markup in shocks, and offering them in their respected kits increases their profit. I also would not be afraid to venture out of the Norm, and try some of these above listed shocks. They are all name brand and quality shocks, and just might give you the ride you want. I got a bad set of Bilstien but it did not keep me from trying some of their other shocks. If by chance you decide to take it to the next level, and are willing to spend 100-140 per shock, their are some really good shocks available, many with remote reservoir. Some offer custom valving and the ability to re-build, but as with anything the better shocks with more options cost the most, many starting in the 180's and go up from there.

The 5100 form Bilstien, not much of a picture but you can see the Yellow bottom part of the shocks

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These are the Bilstien 5150 series

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These are the Fox shocks waiting till spring

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[DPelletier]

Good info Y-knot,

and that's one purty truck that you have there!



Dave

 

[MichaelWright]

Bilstiens 5100's. www.jackit.com or an Auto Zone can hook you up.



Mike