Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest banner

Best shocks for a lifted tow rig?

5K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  OnlyInMyXJ22 
#1 ·
What's everyone running? I'm looking for guys who actually use there truck for input.

I've had bds ss, bds foxs, bilstein 5100 and normal white hydro shocks

None of witch have made it threw one michigan winter. They all are leaking like crazy and just worn out with only around 20k miles.
 
#7 ·
If you're killing that many shocks, I'd be looking at your suspension setup. Make sure you are not over compressing or over extending your shocks, or putting too much side load into the shaft. I've never killed a Bilstein, road, offroad, road course.
 
#13 ·
They defiantly have not been over compressed or over extend from what I can tell. As far as side load goes its a stock style suspension work just lift springs.


I run bilsteins and drive my super poopy on 38s like an Indy car
For how long?

I have the 5100's you mention and about 25-30k miles on them, none of them are leaking.

My truck is only got a 1.75" front leveling kit on it, so I'm not running big heavy tires, but I do tow pretty often.
What's is ur truck??

Do you have shock boots on them?
No boots.



I put Monroe reflex shocks on my truck. I have an extra leaf on all for corners of my super duty so it's only lifted an inch or two. This is a work truck so on any given day it could have a 3000lb pallet of bricks in the bed or a 10k trailer. No problems in about 15k miles.
Don't think Monroe makes anything that will work for me.

03 f350 6 lift and 37's
 
#12 ·
I put Monroe reflex shocks on my truck. I have an extra leaf on all for corners of my super duty so it's only lifted an inch or two. This is a work truck so on any given day it could have a 3000lb pallet of bricks in the bed or a 10k trailer. No problems in about 15k miles.
 
#16 ·
They I just feel there has to be a better product out there.

Mines not a super duty, so not relevant I suppose, 2009 silverado half ton.

I don't drive it overloaded, but I haul a trailer of firewood often, or a full bed of bike parts/camping gear +a couple hundred pounds of bikes/racks for the last 20k or so and my 5100's are in good shape still.

It's rarely driven totally empty.

Did you get a bad set, or multiple bad sets?

I'm not running as much un sprung weight as you, but I'd also figure they're valved differently for your application
I had 2 sets after they warranted the first. My truck is hardly over loaded ever.

I think it's the winter that kill them. But I know stock oem one ppl are getting 60k miles with no issues.
 
#15 ·
Mines not a super duty, so not relevant I suppose, 2009 silverado half ton.

I don't drive it overloaded, but I haul a trailer of firewood often, or a full bed of bike parts/camping gear +a couple hundred pounds of bikes/racks for the last 20k or so and my 5100's are in good shape still.

It's rarely driven totally empty.

Did you get a bad set, or multiple bad sets?

I'm not running as much un sprung weight as you, but I'd also figure they're valved differently for your application
 
#18 ·
I ran icon shocks and steering stabilizers on my old F250 (2004 with an 8" superlift on 38's). I put them on in February and traded the truck in sometime in October, so I didn't put that many miles or have that much time on them...but from that little time, they held up a lot better and cleaned up easier than the white body superlift shocks did.

The truck was mainly used as a tow rig back and forth to Silver Lake, so most of the miles were put on with a few thousand pounds behind the truck, and with a quad in the bed most of the time.
 
#23 ·
might be worth trying a set

If you're killing shocks this fast... Something else is up... Even lifted trucks shouldn't be eating shocks that fast... I would also highly suggest boot covers for the shaft...
they had boots

The roads here suck I just moved back from alaska the roads up there are not the greatest but better than here. Maybe its the roads you travel or your driving style. Does your truck get loadned out to younger brother ?
my wife drives it once and while. its mainly on the freeway and the dunes ones a year.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top