Recommend a good truck shock

[Ramblin Fever]

one somewhere between the quality of control WITH comfort and

Tokico Trekmaster's.

Put Tokico's on just 6 mnths back, ended up breaking 2 of them, but that's quite all right

- they made the truck ride like a two ton brick, slapping the weight of the truck against every bump in the road. Believe they may have been too much for the truck, as they don't give to any imperfections in the road.

I need a shock that delivers control WITH comfort, can tolerate a mild/moderate load in the back, and is willing to give into the imperfections in the road, at least enough to be somewhat comfortable.

I'm not asking for an SUV built on a truck frame to ride like a cadillac, but I know it should ride better then a boulder on rollerskates.

FWIW - 1997 Isuzu Rodeo with 1k# of added accessories.

This truck pulls a boat and can easily have 500-1000 extra payload as well.

Have had the OEM shocks (don't know the make) they rode EXCELLENT, till I but on slightly bigger tires (no control, too much lean), KYB Gas-Adjust, harsh, but not as brutal as the Tokico's. Moved onto the Tokico's, thinking they'd deliver control with comfort

Some people have mentioned the Monroe sensa-trac's, Monroe Reflex, Gabriel "sport" shocks??, and Bilstein's - fear of spending the money/time on the Bilstein's, don't want anything remotely similar to the Tokico's.

 

[Not the Autorx Frank]

BILLSTEIN....

 

[unDummy]

Shock selection depends on personal preference..
Control some of the cornering lean with upgraded sway bars.
Gabriel Ultras, Edelbrock IAS, and Monroe Reflex might help with your weight loaded vehicle.

 

[lobo11]

KYB Monomax or Billsteins.

 

[Schmoe]

Go with Rancho RSX. They are fully adjustable and can handle what you want with ease. They have dials on them and are easily accessible on the rear. Dial the fronts, set'em and forget'em. The rear you can manually change to meet your conditions. I've used them on my 01 Supercrew hauling boats and trailers and can't tell the difference when pulling or not.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Excellent suggestions - I'll check into each of them and research some more.

Thanks - keep the opinions coming.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

You can't go wrong with Ranchos. I have a set of the 5000's on an Explorer, and they ride and handle great. If you want to save a few bucks, put the 5000's on the front, and the adjustable RSX's on the rear.....

 

[Schmoe]

You know, that's what I should have done, come to think about it. But, I think I got in on that deal from Sam's offroad, buy 3 and get one free.

 

[Jimbo]

Add a rear sway bar if there is too much lean. Shocks are not for that. Shocks (except the air ones) are not for load leveling, use helper springs.

The only slight problem for your shocks is oversize tires. The more unsprung weight, the more work the shock has to do. Still, most aftermarket shocks have way too much resistance on "jounce" (compression), resulting in a stiff ride. OE shocks have a lot more resistance on "rebound" (extension) than jounce.

High pressure monotube shocks like Bilstein and KYB tend to be the stiffest. I like low-end Monroe or Gabriel replacements for trucks. They are only a little stiffer than stock, inexpensive and lifetime guaranteed.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Thank you all for the input.

 

[jmacmaster]

I have an 03 Ford Ranger and am on 4 Ranger owner internet forums. The most popular and most recommended shock on those forums as a whole are the Bilsteins. For your application, you'd get the basic model, which is blue and yellow in color.

Last spring I did extensive internet research on shocks. One of the many things I found out is that every car, truck, SUV, or van dealer or manufacturer that I ran across that advertised a vehicle as having upgraded shocks (different and better shocks than you usually get) said that the upgraded shocks were Bilsteins. And I got dozens of hits that were reviews of, or ads for, vehicles stating that Bilsteins were upgrades. I never got a hit stating that any other shock was used as an upgrade by any manufacturer. It seems to me that the manufacturers must know a thing or two about shocks, and I was impressed with this. My research convinced me that the Edelbrock IAS is a close second to the Bilstein, but has quality problems and breaks down too often, whereas the Bilstein rarely breaks down.

 

[Dominic]

The Bilstein shock is one of the best made, especially when it's spec'd by Bilstein and not the manufacturer. It has done wonders for my 02 Camaro.

 

[Stewart Fan]

If you want to adjust the Ranchos,you'll have to get the 9000s. The RSXs are not user adjustable.

 

[Doc8404]

Quote:

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If you want to adjust the Ranchos,you'll have to get the 9000s. The RSXs are not user adjustable.

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exactly....
yep, old thread...but I just wanted to say I ordered the RSX's.

anyone running those?

 

[todds21]

I had Bilstein's on my 97 Rodeo and loved them. Was like night and day from the stock ones.

 

[MNgopher]

Not running the RSX's, but I am running the Monroe Reflex Monotubes on my '99 F150. I'm happy, but I like a firmer ride (same reason I went to LT tires). I had the rflex shocks on my '97 F150 and they worked wonders on that vehicle. The reflex shocks are essentially the same as the RSX shocks in a different paint job.

 

[PW01]

I've been running the Rancho RSX's for about 40,000 miles. I love them, and will definitely use them on my next truck!

 

[Jim Spahr]

I recommend a Monroe Matic product called Gas Magnum aka Severe Service heavy duty shock. They are made for emergency service applications like ambulances. They have a coil over version for the rear, if needed. The parts supply have to order them, so they don't push them.

 

[SteveD2]

I'm happy with my SkyJacker Nitros on my 2500 ram...they ride a little softer than OEM, handle a lot better.

steved