O/T Shocks
 

What is the best for shocks
Want great road ride do nott need nor want offroad ride
but want towable strenght

Thinking about Air bags on the rear to aid in towing

Do the air bags if you need them for towing.

Hey Rich, how have things been
Missed seing you at the shootout this year.
Still running the HTM?

The last truck I did shocks on was my '95 Yukon. Everyoe on the Yukon/Tahoe board said Edelbrock IAS. They were right..I should have done that way sooner.
This was about 2-3 years ago, so maybe something better has come along. The Edelbrocks were expensive, but well worth it.
I'm thinking about putting them on my Excursion soon.

We where there this year on a few friends boats. WE where right behing you guys on the Sunseeker. Still have the boat getting the interior redone and building a new motor if I ever get to work on it.

Last set I bought was the Monroe Gas Magnum.
Best damn shocks I've ever had. They came with a 100K mile warranty and I put 130K miles on them with no signs of wear. They were stiff at first but after a few weeks they loosend up.

I prefer KYB Gas Adjust. Inexpensive, work well and lifetime warranty.

MY 2 favorites, The Billstein heavy dutys are great . Also The Dostech (sp) are real good . Both are made for towing and handleing ,NOT off road . I have set up several of my customers trucks with them and they work real nice . Also consider a heavy duty sway bar upgrade too . Factory ones stink ! And if you don't have them at all , you don't know what your missing !

Just remember, Shocks only control bounce. They DO NOT Carry more weight . I am surprised to see how many people don't know that ......

My expericence with Bilsteins on the suburban and rancho 9000 adjustables on the excurion. The Bilstiens are a firm ride, but not harsh. I feel than they ride more like a german car in the way they control bounce after hitting a bump.

The rancho's can be adjusted from marshmellow to buck board depending on need. I like that fact pulling too heavy tongue weight.

Overall, I have not been able to get the sophisticated ride from the rancho's that the bilsteins generated, probably because the internal parts are not enginered at the same level. (I don't know this as fact, just my guess. Also, they are on two different trucks)

Well the Ranchos are realy for a different purpose. The Billsteins are Mono tube gas shocks were the Ranchos are oil . oils get hot and get spongy . The good gas shocks stay crisp all the time no matter what temp they are . just my .02

I do like ranchos for mild off road .But if you heat them up they kind of "go away " :D

I put the Edelbrock IAS shocks on and one blew after 5k miles. Leaked oil so must have lost a seal. It was replaced under warranty but I had to pay for labor as I had done it myself the first time but couldnt the second time. I didnt hit anything, it just failed under light use.

Boot: that is good info. I don't offroad in the Excursion, just rough hwy's and heavy trailers. Is this enough to warm up the oil?

Chart, yes it is warming them up . Don't get me wrong . Nothing wrong with them ,it's just want you want out of them . On typical lifted 4x4's I build for people we like the ranchos. WHat they are better for is pot holes and such (or tree stumps ) !:D They are a good compramize between handling and off road comfort . The only down side is the more you run , the hotter they get , and the less effective they are . They get mushy ..... The adjustable ones are good because you can turn them up !

The Billsteins and dostechs I speak of for highway use and towing ,are more rigid. Ever drive a corvette or porche ? These shocks are made for handling, controlling motion and limiting body roll in turns . So it's all in what you need . Do you want your truck to handle like a Porche and hold that big trailer stable , or do you need to fly down bumpy roads and not rattle your teeth ? :D :D

Mr. Demeaner, I am NO fan of Edlebrock shocks or Shyjackers either . I have swapped out alot of them for people . Joe

Monroe Gas Magnums
or
Gabriel Gas Ryder LT

both essentially the same shock, just different color.
Usually found on sale for $19.99 to $24.99

Good bargain.

sweet troutly
Thanks for the input

Thinking about going with a set of bilstiens and the Firestone ride rights on the rear for added support

Thanks guys

Hey boot and MrDemeanor, thanks for the feedback on the Edelbrocks. I really liked them on my Yukon, but after hearing your stories, I think I'll pass on putting them on the Excursion.

with a single filler will the air travel from one side to the other during a hard turn?
Right turn, left side compresses, right side raises??
Thinking about that makes want seperate lines but at the same location. even thought about the auto pump

Your right . A single valve is Not a real good idea .....
It is actualy dangerous to someone that carries alot in the truck or is top heavy . The air pushes out of one bag and into the other in a turn . It makes it real unstable .

I know ,I was in the ditch once because of one . After switching to dual valves the problem was gone . Towing a boat might not feel so bad becasue the hitch is mounted low , but carry something heavy in the truck one day and you will know it ! ;)

I have the Rancho RS9000's on the Excursion- boot is right- they are a compromise, and do heat up, but the adjustable feature allows you to compensate for that. I have discussed this with others who took the time (and money:eek: ) to try all of them out on PSD Excursions, and the RS9000 was the winner. This was on non-lifted trucks. The PSD 'X' is a good test-bed vehicle since it weighs over 8000 lbs loaded, higher than any other SUV or pickup.
I have found them to be excellent on the rough roads of Canada where even the paved roads will loosen your fillings!:) .
Jim

Thanks Boot and Jafo. The Mrs. got me the rancho in-the-cab adjuster for my b-day, and I've not installed it yet. Looks like it just got more important.

So, as the trip progresses, just turn up the shocks a little to recapiture the ride at the beginning? Right?

This is going to beat getting under the truck to tighten the adjusters.

OH YEA !:D The "IN CAB " adjust is nice ! You will like it !

I have AirLift 1000s on my AV 2500. Best $300 installed I ever bought for towing. I had the same set on my Tahoe too. The filler valves are actually my upper license plate bolts too, thanks to Outlaw Motorsports. It turned out very trick, and every truck I own will have a set of Air Springs.

Love my Bilstein's