Shocks

[imported_]

Which of the these three shocks are the best. Bilsteins,Rancho's or Monroe. I need to replace my shocks on my 2002 C/C Duramax/Allsion. I mainly just drive on the highways. Any input would be appreciated....

[tophog]

I won't venture a guess to which is best as I think they are all superior to the OEM shocks. I know the Biltsteen and Rancho 9000's appear to be two of the more popular within this forum.

I just installed a set of Bilsteen's on my new 03' last week and the difference was like night/day. Ride was very bouncy and spongy with OEM shocks. In fact my 02' 2500 HD rode MUCH better then the 03 ... the Bilsteens made a dramatic improvement on the 03 and the ride is now firm and the bounce is gone.

Rancho 9000's are adjustable if your into that sort of thing ... I wasn't so I went with the Bilsteens.

[TomF]

I swapped out the factory shocks a few months ago on my '02 CC/SB with Bilsteins and agree the difference is night and day. Most of my driving is highway and I feel that the ride is far superior with these. The slight cost premium is well worth it! (Order yours from Kennedy Diesel - he's has great service and prices!)

[Hound]

Rancho and Monroe are both part of Tenneco. My '99 Z71 had Tenneco manufactured shocks on it from the factory and they didn't last for long. I replaced them with Rancho RSXs when they were running buy 3 get 1 free. They didn't last too long either. In contrast my '97 Z71 with factory Bilsteins had over 100,000 miles on them and the ride and control wasn't nearly as bad as the RSXs with 10,000 miles on them. Needless to say my opinion on Rancho, who I believed built a quality shock, has changed since my '99. I put Bilsteins on my 02 and I'm pretty happy with the ride and control though I would like it a bit firmer. Maybe JK's right... more springs = better ride smile.gif

[SoMnDMAX]

Bilstien = smile.gif

[Forced Induction]

Is the improvement in ride quality only when towing or do you notice the difference when running unloaded also? I seldom tow, and have never towed to date but I do race quite often instead! :D
Don't really mind the ride now, but if it can be improved, why not.

J

[Hound]

The Bilsteins got rid of the mushy, wallowing, bouncy ride when the truck is unloaded. I would expect that some would say they are too stiff and don't give the Cadillac type cushy ride which makes adjustable a nice option. In all I like the Bilsteins on an unloaded truck, but they could be a bit stiffer. smile.gif

[Waypoint3D]

Go Bilstein...the difference over OEM on poorly paved backroads is worth the $$.

[DieselDixon]

Well on behalf of the Rancho's, I had the 9000's on my 89' burb and they worked great. I think they are more geared toward a heavier vehicle and I did tow a lot. In that case I always ran them on 1 when not towing and 5 when towing, there was a huge difference between the 2 settings, I would know when I forgot to switch the setting as soon as I got on the road.

Not sure what I will put on the 2500HD I just bought, but Bilstein's are making a good showing here and seeing how you don't tow anything I would go with the Bilsteins! I do tow stuff, so I will still look at the 9000's.

[bullet2110]

For all you guys who like the Blistein shocks...Do they come in different models? Which one are you using?

Are do they make just one type shock that fits our truck?

[gardnerteam]

I am a shock killer on my trucks. All the major brands, Edelbrock, etc., only last 7,000 miles on my trucks before they fail (93, 94, 95 & 2002 CC 4X4 diesels). Edelbrock gave me 3 sets before they gave up. Rancho 9000 lasted about 15,000 miles. Bilstein promised me they would not fail, and if they did, they would buy them back and pay labor. That was on my 93 truck - they have 0ver 100,000 miles on them and still going. I have them on the 02 with a 4" lift and at 25,000 they are like new. I like the off road ability, the handling of washboard or pothole roads at high speeds for up to 10 or 12 hours a day without getting too hot (extreme heat causes failure which is why most of my other shocks failed). They also give a very good ride on the paved road, and good control for cornering, etc. Rancho is a great off road shock, but Bilstein goes on forever.

[FirstDiesel]

There is one model of Bilsteins. Different part num bers for different model trucks. Either go to their website or just call Kennedy.

[SoCalDMAX]

Now that's a real world test of shocks! I dare say you're a bit harder on shocks than most of us, but it's good to see actual mileage comparisons from someone who's driven a lot of rough miles.

I'm wondering why you didn't go with Bilstein, Fox or King remote reservoir shocks, built for off-road?

Regards, Steve

[gardnerteam]

ost of my US driving is on conventional roads and I like a great ride (have 3 ruptured discs in my back for about 20 years). Mexico and Guatemala roads are paved, but have up to a million potholes per mile, some of them big enough to fill with VW bugs. They are narrow, usually drop off on the shoulder, and just plain rough at times. On most of the roads in Southern Mexico and Guatemala, there is little traffic and a long way between villages. I travel quickly, down the middle of the road, and my suspension takes a beating. Also drive on a lot of washboard rock and sandy roads at same speeds for long distances. And finally, there is the 90 mile each way 8 to 10 hour (depending on the number of times you winch through mud holes) mud run in the Peten jungle to Chichlero camps which totally packs the underneath side of your truck with jungle juice. It costs about $14 US to have 2 Guatemalans spend a whole day afterward washing it out and cleaning your underside. Shocks take a beating on my trucks - Bilsteins have never failed. And yes, this is pleasure driving, not racing. Been there, did that 30 years ago.

[NEAB]

Took the stock shocks off at 500 miles and have put 4500 miles on Bilstein with no regrets. The ride is better unloaded and cornering improved. Bought shock from Bilsteinshocks.com.

[Burner]

Got my "B's" from JK. I think that they work better than the factory stuff. I wonder why factory shocks have that ceramic/plastic thing for the front shocks and the Blisteins don't? How tight should the top be...the stem part?


Burner-----> :D

[CTmax]

I ordered my shocks and Headlight harness from Kennedy and received a confirmation that they were shipped 2 hours later. I can't wait to install.