99 5.4L 4x4 w/ Off-Road & Towing; went with Bilsteins, (F) BE-5 2489 & (R) BE-5 2490's for $264 total. I was tempted to go with a F-250 spec shock for rear but didn't want hassle if it didn't bolt right up...

Installation was in driveway - rears were a challenge, the shocks were shipped banded and once they extended needed 125 pounds or so force to compress them to get get them to line up lower mounts. Not something you can do crawling under truck.

Definately dangerous method, don't attempt unless good clean level pavement and front tires perfectly chocked: Had the jack chase me twice by rolling out from under truck as I got it loaded. Neccesity is the mother!

I used a wood timber 4"x4"x 24" extension on my floor jack to lift chassis weight at the trailer hitch untill the tires were just barely gripping the pavement, then cribbed hitch frame up with 40-ish inch 4x4 timber - this gave me enough room to get my floor jack under the lower shock bushing and collapse the shock enough to get it pinned, I used a little wood block insert once the jack touched the axle bracket.

Ride is much improved but I had loosened up EVERYTHING else in the suspension by letting them go to 60,000 before replacement - Minnesota road salt corrosion has loosened up the rear springs enough it still rides like an old work truck, not the crisp handling from first few years. The old shocks took easy hand pressure to collapse and made sucking sounds both ways - remember to hammer at people to replace stock shocks at 30K !!!

I am a bit disapointed with the soft composition of upper bushings - I was hoping for stiffer composition. Also now requires a re-allignment, every thing was set back in December for limp zero-lift shocks and now sets up higher giving a tendency to steer too easily at highway speeds...

I'd like to try tweaking the camber-castor myself before I take it to a shop, the Ford dealor had it for 4 days and a nice-guy mech must've done 5 adjustment - test drives to get it nice on limp shocks; the other two tries before that just made it rude handling wise...

Is there a link to pictures or diagram of adjust points?
I haven't found an F150 allignment page anywhere! People familiar to it take it for granted when they say such-and-such handles castor, etc. I worked on 40-ton Subway cars so some of the designs in autos don't make sense to me at first second or third glance! Can't imagine having to know all the minor differances !!

 

Can't go wrong with Bilsteins. I've had them on everything from a 87 Buick Grand National to a 98 Dodge Ram and I just ordered a set for my crew. They should be here next week. Mine just turned 100,000 and I'm still running factory shocks, so I can't wait to feel the difference. Mine is feeling very soft right now.

 

Yeah, these shocks are killer. I just got them today and put the rear on, and what a difference already. I'm gonna get the fronts put on tomorrow. I can't wait.