Which shock?

alright, Lincoln is coming up fast. Truck needs some maintenance (oil change, tire rotate and rear brake adjust) and the shocks are finally done. It came with the base delco blue shocks that sucked when new. Well, 80k miles later and 8 years have not made them better.

so, I can get the really good bilsteins for $280 shipped with tax. These are what came on the "Z85 heavy suspension package" trucks. They're durable and ride well. The other option are the beefiest Gabriel/Monroe for about $100 shipped.

Which would you recommend? I'm leaning towards dropping the dough on the good ones and being done for another 8-10 years and 80-100k miles, but the cheaper come with lifetime warranties and lets face it, shock changes on a 2WD GM aren't hard.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Truck is the 2006 GMC Sierra 2WD Crewcab Short bed.

Bilsteins.

I put Billies on my 2500HD and it transformed it from a tooth-rattler to a very well controlled ride. It is actually a very nice ride on the highway (once we get out of PA, pothole capital of US of A) not just for a truck but for any vehicle.

Before the damper update (it had relatively new-ish OE by the PO's reciepts) it was fine but it was most certainly a truck ride quality.

So, if you have the scratch, spend it.

Why do you have to echo whats already in my head? Damn you Ben....

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I put Billies on my 2500HD and it transformed it from a tooth-rattler to a very well controlled ride. It is actually a very nice ride on the highway (once we get out of PA, pothole capital of US of A). Before the damper update (it had relatively new-ish OE by the PO's reciepts) it was fine but it was most certainly a truck. So, if you have the scratch, spend it.

This has been something that has annoyed me since we bought it. Over rougher pavement the truck has always felt like it shuddered over them. Dad's '03 came stock with the Bilsteins and even at 150k miles felt completely different. I know his is an ext cab 6.5' bed (compared to my CC 5'8" bed), but it's the exact same wheelbase and driveline.

EDIT: but he did change to the top line Gabriels on his two years ago and it still rides good/better than mine.

I would say to also go with the Bilsteins. They probably ride better, and no one wants to get beat up by a harsh ride, even in a truck.

Monroe, but not the cheapest Monroe, is usually my recommendation for general purpose stuff.

Bobzilla wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

This has been something that has annoyed me since we bought it. Over rougher pavement the truck has always felt like it shuddered over them. EDIT: but he did change to the top line Gabriels on his two years ago and it still rides good/better than mine.

Mine is a diesel so it's a really nose heavy, quad cab 6.5' box.

If I hit buckboard the rear still hops so I keep about 150lbs in the bed and lower the rear pressures (from 85 to 60psi) when I'm not towing with it.

It's smooth highway manners are fantastic. Really. We drove it 7hrs one way to Vermont this winter instead of the BMW wagon because of it's ability to just soak up long drives with the cruise on 72mph loaded with luggage/skis/etc and 4 people - but locally it's still a 7000lb torson bar HD pickup so on PA roads it's still not a Cadillac ride. It's "good for a truck" though.

Oh, with the 1500 it's a nice ride. We ran it out west twice, the last time was 5700 miles in 7 days and our butts/backs never noticed. Soutwest Texas and it's 80mph speed limit was awesome. ride has always been nice, but the quiver has annoyed me from the get-go. and the handling.... this thing cornered flatter than my old Elantra that had springs and sway bars on it!

Just found the Bilsteins for under $230 shipped. I think I've found my solution.

I put Bilsteins on our Grand Cherokee and could immediately tell. Not because of improved body control, but because of the "bilstein jiggle". Too much high speed compression damping, the truck doesn't flow anymore. This is compared to stock units with 80k on them.

Funny, I feel the exact same thing in Miatas with Bilsteins.

Bilsteins TRANSFORMED my All-Trac sedan... from crude to extremely well mannered

BUT in my first AE86 (back in the mid 90s) the Bilsteins and TRD progressive springs made the handling SCARY....

I probably just about doubled the wheel/tire weights on my dad's ram going from 225/75/16 to 275/55/20 and the ride suffered a lot. I just put new Bilsteins on it (which for this truck are cheap in the front) and i feel it rides better now then it did with the 'tiny' wheels/tires in spite of the unsprung weight difference.

I don't know what everyone else in this thread said or even what your post is about but I just came here to say BILSTEIN!

Keith Tanner wrote: I put Bilsteins on our Grand Cherokee and could immediately tell. Not because of improved body control, but because of the "bilstein jiggle". Too much high speed compression damping, the truck doesn't flow anymore. This is compared to stock units with 80k on them. Funny, I feel the exact same thing in Miatas with Bilsteins.

This has been my experience with Bilsteins as well, though I've never tried them on a full-size pickup.

Bobzilla wrote: ...and lets face it, shock changes on a 2WD GM aren't hard.

Until they've been rusted onto a midwestern truck after several years.

petegossett wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: I put Bilsteins on our Grand Cherokee and could immediately tell. Not because of improved body control, but because of the "bilstein jiggle". Too much high speed compression damping, the truck doesn't flow anymore. This is compared to stock units with 80k on them. Funny, I feel the exact same thing in Miatas with Bilsteins.

This has been my experience with Bilsteins as well, though I've never tried them on a full-size pickup.

Bobzilla wrote: ...and lets face it, shock changes on a 2WD GM aren't hard.

Until they've been rusted onto a midwestern truck after several years.

Mine's not. And won't be. It's garage kept and kept clean. Other than a few rock chips here and there it's clean. Hell, I still have over half of the original undercoating on the frame still there!

petegossett wrote: Until they've been rusted onto a midwestern truck after several years.

You don't have a good enough air chisel then.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

Impact, sawzall. Anything comes apart.

Keith Tanner wrote: I put Bilsteins on our Grand Cherokee and could immediately tell. Not because of improved body control, but because of the "bilstein jiggle".

This makes so much sense!

So... what is the best truck shock to go with then?

Z71 models get monotube. All others get conventional shocks as OE. Monotube shocks get stiffer as they age, so ride quality suffers. All shocks are gas nowadays, so get something with a good quality. Your springs will dictate ride quality when empty. Performancw shocks won't improve your ride or handling much in a 3/4 ton truck, except when loaded.

I put Bilstein 5100s on my 06 2500HD....what a huge difference in ride quality.

Keith Tanner wrote: I put Bilsteins on our Grand Cherokee and could immediately tell. Not because of improved body control, but because of the "bilstein jiggle". Too much high speed compression damping, the truck doesn't flow anymore. This is compared to stock units with 80k on them. Funny, I feel the exact same thing in Miatas with Bilsteins.

since you described it I know exactly what you're talking about. didn't know how to say it.

after selling them at a parts store, i'm pretty sure I'll never buy a monroe product, ever.

I like Sachs shocks as an alternative to the monroes.

It's clear what the "go to" shock is here.
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Not that it's a bad thing. I too am impressed with Bilstiens.

Bilsteins work great on trucks. I'm not a Monroe fan but the reflex aren't a bad shock for a full size truck. I have them on my dodge and they drive well and about every 50-70k miles I pull them off and get 4 new ones. Lifetime warranty booyah.

Also have them on my 93 suburban and it rides great.

Would pick the billies over the Monroes but I'd be happy with either.

I paid a little under 200 for them on the burb at 40 bucks more I would have got the billies.

Just ordered the billies. $238 shipped for all 4. Between working hte IL event at the speedway and Dad mentioning he needed to replace his again (2 years now), I decided to suck it up. Free replacements or not, I don't want to change shocks every other year.