Shock questions...

[slow_90firebird]

ok i need to do something soon with my shocks the truck is getting real bad and loose in the front end...

Last fall I ordered 2 front monroe gas magnums from rockauto they were on clearence got the pair for $14. Found out why when they showed up, they were the same shock but the boxes were so old and had a pic of like a 1990 ford on them, and the white plastic strap had aged and broken already on both, so they were extended.

Put them in anyway and the truck rode sooo much better. Untill three days later then it started bouncing again. Been getting worse ever since.

I wanna try bilsteins, at least 2 in the front maybe all 4. The application they list for my truck is:

F4-BE5-6252-H5 5100 series
13.58" Collapsed
20.86" Extended

Now, this is very close to the lengths of the monroes and gabriels too. However, I went out and measured mine tonight, with the weight on the truck just as it sits. I got 18" eye to eye on both sides.

This would appear to leave me less than 3" of droop, but way too much compression! My bumpstops are so close to the springs I can just barely squeeze my cigarette pack in there the skinny way!

I dont wanna order shocks if they are gonnna be working way outside their designed range, and also if I spend that much I want a shock that will still work if I level the front 2" later on.

Another number I came up with just searching other forums is:

F4-BE5-6253-H5
14.13" Col.
22.5" Ext.

Now this seems like a little better choice, but since it wasnt listed I have no idea if the bushing eyes would fit...

Any advice welcome thanks

[slow_90firebird]

Wow, nobody with bilsteins on here?

Can anybody at least tell me if this is a normal stock height for a 1st gen, or are my springs sagged that much?

[Tacoclaw]

I don't know how normal it is, but that's about where my truck sits at.

[slow_90firebird]

Ok thanks, yeah I for sure would never imagine a truck leaving the factory with 1" of suspension travel in the front. Even if it has lost an inch, 2" isnt alot either. The newer trucks have alot more than that!

I am thinking about just ordering shocks a little longer, so If i do anything in the future to raise the front a little, I would still be ok...

If My shocks are at 18" in that pic, then the spring would hit the bumpstops with them at about 17". Why do stock size shocks need to compress all the way to 13"?

Also, if the stock shocks run out at about 21", that leaves me 3" of droop. Also doesent seem like much at all.

Now, if I got the F4-BE5-A463-H7 the specs would be as follows

Collapsed: 15.12"
Extended: 24.31"

Does anyone see a problem with running these shocks with the stock springs for a while? I guess the better question is, if I let the springs droop more than the stock 3", will anything bind or have trouble??

[Fred_M1010]

I usually try to cycle the suspension and measure max and min when buying new shocks for my trucks.
I learned early that shocks for lift never have the correct length, and I guess it's the same for stock length shocks then.

I don't think it would hurt performance to be near the end of the shocks range,
but it's not good for the shock to be the limiting factor, they break very easily when bottomed out.
I'd get the shock with a min length of 15.12" if I where you.

Just stay away from Skyjacker nitro shocks the bushings don't fit, and I didn't notice much difference from my old shot shocks, when I switched to them...

Come back with a review if you get bilsteins

[Tacoclaw]

As long as you don't get near the shock's travel limits, I can't imagine you'll have any problems. If the longer shocks you listed aren't for a 1gen application, you may have too much/not enough damping, but otherwise I can't see there being any problems.

[slow_90firebird]

Actually the shocks I put in the 4th post is a part number I found from bilsteins website for a 1993 w250 4x4 diesel. There were a few different ones listed for the front but only one for the rear.

Ideally what I would like to do is unbolt the shocks and jack up the front end and see how much farther everything drops... But I don't even think my floor jack reaches the frame.

The 2 things I was most worried about were the shackles hitting the frame (upside down arch springs) or the front driveshaft coming undone or binding.

[Fred_M1010]

You don't have to worry about any of those things, if the suspension is stock.

I just checked what shocks i bought for mine.
In the front they where 14.82"-24.84" (sky N8027)
and the rear was 17.32"-29.83" (sky N8038)

Mine is lifted slightly (2"-4" not sure exactly)
And I measured that the shocks couldn't bottom out.
I disconnected the shocks and used the front-loader on my tractor to check flex and drop.


So you don't have to worry about bottoming out those you mentioned.

Damn, now you got my head spinning, I think I'll go ahead and order a set of bilsteins as well.

[slow_90firebird]

Cool thanks il have to look over those numbers when I get home. One of the cheaper sites I found the bilsteins at was I believe truckspring.com and I think they had free shipping.

[Fred_M1010]

Now I've ordered them
two 33-186542 for the front (F4-BE5-A463-H7 is the old part.no for them)and
two 33-185569 for the rear.

Summit was $3 more per shock, but I needed more stuff from them so the shipping got cheaper that way
(Truckspring.com wanted $87 for shipping it to Sweden)

Now lets see who's quickest back with a review of them

[slow_90firebird]

wow haha I wasnt expecting my asking questions to inspire someone else to buy them before me... and I didnt realise you were way over there.

I think thats the same part number I want to order, i was only planning on starting with the fronts and see if I like them before I get the other 2

Im sure you will like them more than the twin-tubes you have now, any monotube is gonna be quite better. I was actually looking at the gabriel max-controls at first from autozone for $60 a piece, untill I saw that bilsteins werent that much more...

I have never driven a truck with bilsteins but the 2nd gen / 3rd gen crown swears by the 5100's and also the powerstroke guys too. I guess we will see.

[Fred_M1010]

Hehe, I didn't have a thought about buying new shocks this morning,
but after reading your post I did some on-line research on Bilstein 5100 for Dodge,
and everyone seems to praise them...
And since I really hate the rough ride i got from the shocks i have now, it was an easy choice.
So it's entirely your fault

[slow_90firebird]

Well im in too. I ordered the same 4 you did, but you will probably get yours first. Mine arent expected to ship untill june. I also ordered a skyjacker steering damper kit to see if that helps too, thats coming from summit so it should be here this week...

I ordered the shocks from AJusa, they seemed to have the best deal. I got all 4 shocks, shipped, for 275.79 (US Dollars) out the door.

Only thing is they are expected to ship between 5/31 and 6/09, I think maybe they come direct from manufacture. But for that price I can wait.

In reality, it would be hard to justify not ordering them... it was only a little more than what I would have paid to get 2 gabriels from autozone and 2 monroes from napa (what I origionally planned). And now I know I will have the best there is!

[Fred_M1010]

Yeah, that's a really good deal!
The waiting sucks though.

[Fred_M1010]

Mine where back ordered as well, along with some other stuff I ordered.
So I'll probably not get them for another month or so either