best aftermarket shock for stock height?

CATDiezel · Dec 20, 2014

To be honest. I've tried so many shocks it's not even funny. Here's what I did to make my truck ride like a caddy. I bought 6-80lb bags of concrete and placed them underneath my reflex bed cover roll up box.

Truck road like a DREAM!! Back to stock shocks. Lol.

(I have since taken the bags back out to build a more permanent setup with a more permanent 480lbs.)

I will be dropping weight soon to see if how far away from 480lbs I can be and maintain a nice ride.

Jason · Dec 20, 2014

Gonna be following this. Need to soften the ass end of my 00 up some.

Twan · Dec 20, 2014

That stretch of I-25 by the scale house in Fort Collins is really bad, almost the worst in the country. And I run coast to coast all year. lol.

I want to try adding 2 more shocks to the rear to see if it helps. Has anyone tried that?

smokinstroker · Dec 20, 2014

Twan said:
That stretch of I-25 by the scale house in Fort Collins is really bad, almost the worst in the country. And I run coast to coast all year. lol.

I want to try adding 2 more shocks to the rear to see if it helps. Has anyone tried that?

Adding extra shocks is not answer. When adding shocks the valving between the two should be setup to run multiple shocks.

There should be no reason to run multiple shocks really.

Twan · Dec 20, 2014

I thought I would give it a chance. That I 25 is killer.

It feels like my ass end is going to pass the front, I will be trying the extra weight.

Jomax · Dec 20, 2014

Bigger shocks help, 2.5s.

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Derek@Vision Diesel · Dec 20, 2014

For the money though, the 5100 is hard to beat. Obviously it isn't in the same league as a reservoir shock though.

fine69 · Dec 20, 2014

I've had both the Bilstein 5100's and the Fox 2.0's, the Fox shocks are 10x better! IMO Bilstein's are WAY overrated!

Dzchey21 · Dec 20, 2014

I came back from colorado last week and wast watching a truck as i passed it. I think the frame flex thing is for real. I was looking at the bed and cab and they seamed to be flexing about where they meet. The overloads/springs were not moving as much as the bed made it look like it was riding rough.

must be something to that.

smokinstroker · Dec 20, 2014

fine69 said:
I've had both the Bilstein 5100's and the Fox 2.0's, the Fox shocks are 10x better! IMO Bilstein's are WAY overrated!

This

Jomax · Dec 20, 2014

Dzchey21 said:
I came back from colorado last week and wast watching a truck as i passed it. I think the frame flex thing is for real. I was looking at the bed and cab and they seamed to be flexing about where they meet. The overloads/springs were not moving as much as the bed made it look like it was riding rough.

must be something to that.

Well, I think we need chevys. They don't flex, supposedly lol. I still wonder why ford isn't stiffening their frames? Heck, the 150s have a boxed frame.

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Jomax · Dec 20, 2014

fine69 said:
I've had both the Bilstein 5100's and the Fox 2.0's, the Fox shocks are 10x better! IMO Bilstein's are WAY overrated!

Bilstien aren't too bad. Blew my icons and needed replacment shocks asap. Only thing I could get locally were bilstiens, they ride about the same, slow speed bumps, the icon might be SLIGHTLY smoother. High speed, they're the same.

But I will say, the fox 2.0s look so much better built. Saw one on a display, and for the price of 116$ a piece, they're a steal..

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Twan · Dec 20, 2014

Jomax said:
Well, I think we need chevys. They don't flex, supposedly lol. I still wonder why ford isn't stiffening their frames? Heck, the 150s have a boxed frame.

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Seems like year for year the Chevys are more solid on the frame. My 08 Chevy moves less body to cab than my 08 ford did.

Now I've never had any time I wished one so the other. Not sure if there really is good or bad to the frame flex. But I did learn you can't open the tail gate on the ford, but the door on the chevy would brush the latch. Ford also has a longer wheel base. That could make a difference too.

If the frame is flexing while driving, could we try adding another X brase?

Ipkyss · Dec 21, 2014

Since I am done towing for the year, till march at least. I have been playing around with the rear springs. My f250 has a 4 leafs plus the thick one on the bottom. With 4" f350 blocks. Looking at one of my 2010 f350 reg cab it has 3 leafs with the thick overload plus helper spring.

I took out the thick bottom spring and the very bottom leaf in the pack. In total it lower the truck about 2 1/8" So it is basically back to stock height. Truck has 5600lb springs in the front and sits totally level now. Even with the stock shocks the truck rides like a cady. I have never been one for a lower/ stock truck but this rides so nice I am considering trying the 4800lb springs in the front.

I would not try this without traction bars for sure. I am considering going with a 4800lb spring in the front with a 2.5" spacer. Keep the rear as is but add a 6" block. Since I already built traction bars I can use any block I want without issue. possibly go to a set of the 2.0 fox shocks from reading this thread. If all works out well I will just add air bags come march to haul the trailer.

I would be happy with the truck as it sits but the only way to get it to ride better at this point is to get it up a little higher off the bump stops. the rear is only about 1.75" off the bump stop as it the front.

I was planing to build an air ride set up but want to try and make things work the best they can first.