Are these shocks worth the money and can they handle the load of a HD truck. My daily drive is Hwy, gravel-rough dirt roads, muddy roads, and moderate heavy towing. 10,000+ lbs I average 3500-4000 mi. per month. Are is there a better shock for new Dodges.

 

Wow, I didn't know that they were available for our trucks. I had them on my Durango and liked them very much.

 

I installed a set on my father's Ford Explorer and they made a world of difference. I'm not sure how they would perform on our 3/4 and 1 ton trucks though. Personally, I am going to install Bilstein shocks because I have had nothing but good experiences with them.

 

RamJun,

Did you decide on the shocks? I'd like to hear how they perform as it seems your truck sees heavy use. Are they adjustable like the Ranchos?
I have had excellent performance with Bilsteins and also with Rancho 9000s. With a heavy truck the adjustable feature is really great. They both were able to keep the wheels on the ground much better than stock on rough roads, and got rid of the bouncing of the stock ones.
Wetspirit

 

i wasn't aware they were available for the 03s yet? i am going to get them for my excursion and i will go from there if i get them for the 03 ctd. the edelbroks will add stability to your vehicle while performing the duties of soaking up the bumps. - the edelbroks are like the dialable ranchos except the shock does the thinking for you instead of you making constant adjustments - nod: edelbrok
RamJun -- the leaf springs are what carries the load -- I'm sure the elelbroks would perform as well or better than rancho and bilstien
my 2c

 

Wetspirit
No I have not bought any shocks yet, still not sure, looks like Bilsteins are top choice on this site. I hear alot of good things out of the Bilsteins. Plan on buying in the near future, I'll let ya'll know.

 

I had Edelbrock shocks on my 2001 Ram 4x2 shortbed.

I liked them a lot in they had a smooth ride, but I felt they were a bit soft.

They had a major downside though. Anytime I hit a bad RR crossing or any hump in the highway they went full "soft" and my rig porpoised and bounced really bad. I definitely am not interested in getting them again.

I plan on Bilsteins or Rancho 9000s when the time comes. So far the OEM shocks seem to be a lot better than the ones I had on my '01. At 19,000 miles they still work great.

Vaughn

 

Vaughn,
I agree with your experience. When you have large, gradual bumps or a heavy load (which translates into slow verticle movement of the truck) the shocks that are velocity sensitive go to full soft. Velocity sensitive keeps the wheels on the ground under washboard conditions quite well but they have less control over body movement.
That's why I say adjustables are better for a truck that can have a heavy or light load vs. a passenger car that has a relatively constant load. It's not about carrying the load it's about damping the movement.
Wetspirit