Hi all, I need some advice on what shocks to buy. I have an 02 F150 XL standard cab 4x2 4.2 V6. I only drive @ 6,000 miles per year and most of that is around town. I have used Monroe before but have heard to stay away from them. Bilstein? KYB? Tokico? Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. Funds are kinda limited but I don't want to buy junk either. Hoping to spend @ $40 to $50 each? Thanks again

 

Bilsteins are hard to beat.

 

15% off Bilsteins this week...

 

I have run both Tokico and Bilstein. Bilstein provides more damping force when in the rough - but the Tokicos ride better on the street.

Bilsteins are Mono tube - and you will find a sharper ride and feedback.
Tokico are Twin Tube and offer the better ride quality. They have plenty of damping force for the mild rough - just not for high-speed off-road.

These two are the best quality, longest lasting, etc.

That's my two cents...

 

50sBoy - Good advise!

osuucks69 - Assuming you are in Ohio. Go to Autozone if there is one near you, and get the general store brand there. They are Gabrial shocks and are really good for a low price... Fronts as low as $21 each and rears around $17
Bilstein's will start around $70 other even higher..if you are looking for performance.

Good luck

 

i had gabrials on my last truck and they worked great, 25 each at autozone for the ultra 5000(there best ones) as far as autozone brand goes, drove great on the streat, only offroaded like twice with them though would probly buy them again if on a budget

 

Thanks all for the advice. I looked up the Gabriel Ultra's at Auto Zone and they are $29.99 each and look to be a good shock. That's kinda more in my budget range right now! Thanks again.

 

I have Monroe Sensa-Trac Load Adjusting on the back and they are awesome (been on for over 5k) just went ot replace the fronts wit monroe Sensa Tracs and i believe They were not made for my truck lol even tho manufacturer part number says it does the stud shaft was way smaller than the oem and the nut was some cheap *** thing need less to say i got one on and was tryin to torque it to specs and snapped the stud right off lol. imagine if that happened while i was driving. anyway the SensaTrac load adjusters are nice fronts suck im looking elsewhere.

 

Back in 2003, I replaced all four shocks on my ’98 Expy with low-budget Monroe’s (20000 series, I think). I was happy with them. This last summer, I replaced all four shocks again. This time, with Gabriel Sport Ryders from Autozone. I absolutely HATED them. Way too firm for me. No finesse over bumps at all. Made it ride like a log wagon. After only 3,000 miles, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I replaced them with Monroe Sensa-tracs. Slightly more money, but they made a world of difference. Much softer ride, but not “mushy.” Much better for those drivers who are looking for a softer ride and only drive on paved roads.