What is your driving style: Normal Driver

Vehicle Setup: 4 Wheel Drive

Suspension Type: Regular Shocks or Struts

Question: Truck has towing package.  I regularly tow a 27′ RV and occasionally haul firewood in the bed.  Looking for recommendation for a front strut (OEM struts have spring coils) and rear shock that best fits this need.  Only travel off-road occasionally.

Answer: We carry a variety of options for your application. I would prefer Bilstein Heavy Duty’s, as they will probably last the longest, and provide you the smoothest ride. You can see the options we have available on our website by clicking on the link below.

http://www.shockwarehouse.com/index.cfm?mode=results&selected_model=3997&selected_year=2005

Question: It looks like there aren’t many options for my truck as far as replacement shocks. I’m basically looking for the most comfortable ride and dependable shocks. I do a little bit of towing but not much(12 or so times a year). Can you point me in the right direction?

Answer: Bilstein offers a replacement shock for your truck. These Heavy Duty replacement shocks will give you more control while towing, at highway speeds, or just everyday driving. They are a dependable high gas mono-tube design, and Bilstein offers a limited lifetime warranty on them. This will give you the smooth ride that you’re after, but not compromise the control needed while hauling and towing. You can see the shocks on our website here:

Fronts: 2006 F150 Lariat Super Crew RWD Front Shocks – Bilstein Heavy Duty
Rears: 2006 F150 Lariat Super Crew RWD Rear Shocks – Bilstein Heavy Duty

Question: 4 door Crew Cab 2500 with tow package. Cummins diesel 5.9L Want  to tow 5th wheel trailer (gtwr of 14,000 lbs).  Probably will need  helper springs and air shocks or whatever you recommend.  Have used Rancho  stuff on my Jeep and worked well.  Any help or advise will be appreciated.  I want good stuff, not looking to save a buck.

Answer: The best shocks for towing with your truck are the Bilstein Heavy Duty, they’re specifically valved to give you more control over your truck and trailer, particularly while at highway speeds or on rough roads .  You can see those here:
Front -
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/278037/name/F4-BE5-C603-H0-Bilstein-Dodge-Ram-Truck
Rear -
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/274572/name/F4-BE5-C605-HO-Bilstein-Dodge-Ram-Truck
If you’re worried about the truck sagging under the load of your trailer, your best bet will be an Airlift Superduty air spring kit, which is
adjustable for up to 5,000 lbs of extra load carrying support.  You can see that here:
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/288117/name/57297-Airlift-Super-Duty-Air-Spring-Kit-Dodge-Ram-Truck

Question:  Hi I have a 2005 Dodge Dakota Quad cab 4×4 pickup.  The shocks and struts need replaced and I would like to up grade from the  factory units. I use the truck for daily driving and for towing my ski  boat on weekends. The boat weights about 3600 to 3800 pounds. KYB is  coming out with a front strut for my truck in June 2010 a GR-2  part  #341484 and they have rear shocks gas-adjust KG54321 and monomax  565040.What would be my best way to go.I also heard that Bilstein HD  shocks part # BE5-A701-HO will fit the rear. Do you know if this is  true??. Is there any thing that will work better Like Rancho or Monroe??.  Thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer: You’re right, the 341484 is set to be available at some point in the second quarter, unfortunately we won’t have a price until it is actuall available though.  The Gasajust and Monomax are both good choices for the rear.  The Gasajust will be softer than the Monomax, so you’ll be more comfortable with the truck unloaded if you go that route, but the stiffer monomax will give you more control when the truck is fully loaded.  You can see those here:
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/index.cfm?mode=results&selected_model=3914&selected_year=2005
The Bilstein A701 is for an 03 2wd Dakota, so it is not designed to fit your truck.

Question:  Hi- I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty Renegade 6 cyl. & tow either a camper or boat- 3,000 or 4,000 lbs. The shocks need replacing & I want heavier support in the raar, as it sags.  I drive off road once in a while, but not enough to want a lift kit. What do you recommend that  isn’t too expensive??

Answer: The best shocks we have for your Liberty are the Bilstein Heavy Dutys, they are high pressure monotube shocks and are specifically valved to give you more control for towing or light offroading.  You can see those here:
Front -
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/485131/name/F4-BE5-D916-HO-Bilstein-Dodge-Nitro-and-Jeep-Liberty
Rear -
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/485135/name/F4-BE5-D917-HO-Bilstein-Dodge-Nitro-and-Jeep-Liberty
If your Liberty is sagging under the load of your trailer, the best way to fix this is with an air spring system.  We have an Airlift 1000 air spring that will give you about 1,000 extra pounds of leveling support, and the great part of an air spring is that when you aren’t towing or hauling a heavy load, you can deflate it and it won’t affect your ride quality at all.
You can see that here:
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/288273/name/60777-Air-Lift-1000-Air-Spring-Kit-Jeep-Liberty

Question:

I own a 2008 4×4 2500HD CrewCab. My 5th wheel goes about 11000# with a 1400# pin weight. What model number shocks would/do you recommend for my needs?

Answer:

The Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks are specifically designed for towing and hauling. With those you’ll have a lot more control over your truck and trailer than the stock shocks give you, and the ride won’t be too harsh. You can see those here:
Front – http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/14988/name/F4-BE5-6081-H2-Bilstein-GM-Trucks-and-SUVs
Rear – http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/14989/name/F4-BE5-6082-H0-Bilstein-GM-Trucks-and-SUVs
A lot of customers like the extra stiffness that the Bilstein 5100 offroad shocks offer. And the added bonus of the 5100s is that they will work with up to 2.5 inches of lift in the front and 1 inch in the rear, so if you plan on leveling your truck for a more aggressive look, those are the way to go:
Front – http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/315309/name/F4-BE5-D146-H1-Bilstein-5100-Offroad-Racing-Unit
Rear – http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/315311/name/F4-BE5-D147-H0-Bilstein-5100-Offroad-Racing-Unit

Answer:

King Cab F250.  Primary use is for pulling a fifth wheel trailer.  has stock shocks that need replacing.  looking for  recommendation on what type of shocks to buy. Would also like to  understand how the leveling kits work.  Looking in the future to haul a  fifth wheel over 10k

Answer:

For shocks, your best bet is going to be the Bilstein Heavy Duty, they are high pressure monotube shocks that will keep you in control while towing a heavy load:
Front -
1999 Ford F250 4×4 Front Shocks – Bilstein Heavy Duty
Rear -
1999 Ford F250 4×4 Rear Shocks – Bilstein Heavy Duty

Leveling kits are primarily for people who don’t do a lot of towing, since the trucks are set up with the back end higher than the front so that it rides level with a heavy load.  So leveling kits lift the front end up to match the rear and give trucks a more aggressive look, but then if you decide to tow, you’ll end up with the cab pointing up.

If you have trouble with your truck sagging, especially after you start towing the heavier trailer, we do carry airlift air springs that are capable of adding about 5,000 lbs of extra support to the truck, you can see those on this page, just scroll down a little bit:
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/index.cfm?mode=results&selected_model=4001&selected_year=1999

I want to install the Monroe shock kit on the Travel  Trailer. It has two axles, do I need to put shocks (kits) on both axles or  just the rear or front?

Answer:

The job of the shock absorber is to dampen the spring’s reaction to bumps and road imperfections, when the spring compresses and expands, the shock is working against it to keep the vehicle from bouncing around and keep the tires in contact with the road, so how many shocks you need really depends.  You could do either one and see if it rides the way you like, then add another set later if you need to.  We recommend using shocks on every axle, to be sure that your trailer will be under control.

You can see the Monroe trailer retrofit kits for installing shocks on a trailer without them here: http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/mon_retrokit.cfm

You can read more about shocks here: http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/shock_absorber_myths.cfm

Question:

I tow a motorcycle trailer with my Mazda 6 and when it’s loaded up on the highway sometimes the trailer gets a mind of its own.  What do I need to give me more control over the car and trailer?

Answer:

For more control over your Mazda 6 and trailer, you need to swap out the soft factory shocks with firmer shocks.  The Bilstein Heavy Duty is a good choice and will give you a lot more stability, especially when the heavy trailer is trying to pull your car all around the road.  You can see those here:

2003 – 2008 Mazda 6 Aftermarket Shocks and Struts

Question:

I need replacement shocks for my RV.  These are on  6000 lb axles.  With the trailer loaded up the shock needs to be 10 inches long and have studs on both ends.

Answer:

Your best bet is going to be a Monroe shock specifically designed for a trailer, you can see those here:
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/mon_retrokit.cfm
I think that Monroe trailer shock 555001 will be your best bet, it has a compressed length of 7.9 inches and an extended length of 11.9 inches.