I have 98,000 miles on my '97 F150. xtra cab v8 4x2.
What replacement shocks should I choose and what should I expect to pay. (highway driving).

Thanks!

 

~~Welcome~~At 98K they're toast, any shock would seem great; just kidding !! I bought the Rancho RS9000s. They're top notch shocks, worth the money, and nice to pick/change your own settings. I got mine here- www.4wheelparts.com they were under $250/no tax/free shipping/in stock.

 

Max,

Sounds like you have your truck pretty decked out. How do you like the Pirelli's? Ordered a set last week (275/60R16). They should be in tomorrow hopefully! I just installed my Edelbrock shocks after Thanksgiving. It was a noticable improvement over the stock. It should be even better once I get rid of the General Grabber's. Wish I had the money to upgrade to 17" or 18" wheels, but cash is always tight at Christmas. Maybe next year. I am looking at doing either a Superchip or an Air Force 1 for my Christmas present.

As for shocks, everything I have read on this web site says you can't go wrong with the Edelbrocks, Rancho 9000's, or the Bilsteins. They are all a bit more money then what you would get at Autozone etc. but, they are worth it. I got my Edelbrocks from www.stylinconcepts.com for $274 with a full refund on shipping costs since they fed me a bunch of misinformation about the delivery date and I complained.

Good luck with the shock replacement.

 

I put a set of Monroe Gas shocks on my truck a few months ago and noticed a nice, but not huge difference in the ride.

Is there really a big difference between Edelbrocks, Rancho, or the Bilsteins???

Could it be worth switching mine out for some of the "better" shocks?

 

Some people are claiming a huge difference with these shocks. I wouldn't go that far, but I have noticed less body roll and the suspensions seems to react better going over large bumps. The improvement is in the rebound after hitting a large bump. The truck doesn't do a nose dive after coming over the bump. It just settles in level. How much better this is over Monroe or similar I can't say since I haven't ever had any on my truck. If you just put on Monroe's I don't think it would be worth it to trash those new shocks for Edelbrock, Rancho, or Bilstein's though.

Just my $0.02 worth.

 

I have the Rancho 9000's and bought them from a local dealer. When they offered to put them on for $10 each I took them up on the deal. I just stood around and watched. I run on setting #3 but #2 would be softer.

 

Thanks for the info on the shocks.

I just had some new tires put on. BF Goodrich Long Trail T/As LT245 75R 16. Really like the ride so far. Along with new shocks I'LL be ridin in style!

 

Hi !! Not too decked out yet. I'm using it as a "test vehicle" of sorts. I tried to get the lightest, stripped down version with the most engine and HD equipment. I like the Pirelli's; no complaints at all, only improvements. I tried tires, shocks, and front & rear anti-sway bars for handling. I really like to pick my own shock settings and crank the rears up for hauling/towing. Out of all of that, by far, I'm most pleased with the FRONT anti-sway bar (most noticeable).~~Happy Truckin'~~

 

I put Edelbrocks on mine and it made a HUGE difference... Although I did replace stock shocks at around 40k miles so those had a lot of wear on them. If you swapped out Edelbrock with Rancho or another good aftermarket shock you'd probably not see a huge difference. A freind has the rs-9000s and he's very happy and I'm happy with my Edelbrocks as well...

 

If your talking about switching from a lower model Monroe (Gas-matic, Gas-matic LT) to a Rancho or Edelbrocks you will notice some difference. If you have one of the upper models of Monroe (Sensa-trac, Reflex) and you upgrade now not much will be noticeable. I had about 130K on the OEM units when I went to Rancho 9000's and just plain love em. Better handling, less roll, better damping and rebound, and a proven to be good shock. I am now at setting 2 which is pretty good for the ride but might bump back up to 3 ( little stiff) as I notice the rear is a little fishy on real ruff patches.

 

Watch out for the cheaper generic stuff like Explorer Pro-Comp. I can't remember if it was their 3000 or 9000 model shocks I installed a few years back (supposedly nitro charged) on my old Ranger 4x4 S/C.

The problem with most of these shocks is they aren't valved correctly for your vehicle. They are generic with varying lengths to fit different vehicles.

Those shocks almost gave me whiplash from the bouncy rear suspension on that Ranger.

Never again.

Something with the ride of the OE shock will be my replacement. Question is which one of the Rancho/Edelbrock shocks is similar?

I guess it's best to get an adjustable shock otherwise you're screwed if the ones you bought are bouncing your head around.