Got to love shock absorber companies

[My427stang]

Looking at different shocks for my 4x4 and I want some idea on extension and rebound rates to make a decision

Bilstein tech - Happily gives me shock damping rates at .3 m/s

KYB tech - Happily gives me shock rates at .5 m/s

Monroe - Tells me the Monroe Gas Magnum rate is a trade secret, the rate, not how it is designed internally or how the valve works, the damping rate itself.  Like it can't be measured if you buy it.....  ?

Additionally, he says they are "carefully valved for your vehicle".  I reply, but it fits a TON of vehicles, all very different, his answer was "yes, that's true" 

In the end I have two incomparable measurements and two ridiculous comments.   Got to love it LOL

[turbohunter]

Don't ya love corporate bs.
Well at least that narrows down who you'll buy from.

[Qikbbstang]

"but it fits a TON of vehicles, all very different"

Well not really, Bought a set of Bilstiens off ebay and saved plenty to replace my OEM FoMoCo installed Monroe Formula GPs that came on my Lightning because they had 150K on them. They no longer make them and if found on eBay are over $800 NOS if you can find them.
I noticed it was a four-star bitch to get the Bilstien gas shocks to go in the rear...Then I thought about it Lightning's are 1" lower then regular F150s in the front and two-inches in the rear. Compressing gas shocks is tough and while the fronts went in w/o a problem and a small pry bar could not overcome, there was some cursing  before getting the rears to go in though. Of course the shocks listed for Lightnings also fit all F-150s. Reality is the other truck shocks fit the Lightning's w/some cursing to make up for the lowered heights.
  Sorry to say I noticed no difference at all between old/new and the old shocks still were tight by hand when I removed them

[jmlay]

I thought all Lightnings had Bilstien shocks. Interesting.

[My427stang]

"but it fits a TON of vehicles, all very different"

Well not really

Yes really BB, understand your example, but the Monroe part he claimed fit a ton of vehicles fit everything from Ram gassers and diesels as well as BMWs.  My point was that he said it was valved for my vehicle, well, yes, but also for a BMW, or the same truck with 500 lbs less on the nose.....it was baloney.  I would have much preferred he said that he didnt know

[Drew Pojedinec]

Anyhow.... the KYB's I've got on my truck  (76 F100 2wd).  Little stiff, but very useful.
The stiffness isn't too bad

[BH107]

I build custom leaf springs for a living, mostly for off road. Usually the last thing I recommend is a Bilstein shock, as in most cases they are just too stiff unless it is a tow vehicle. I've had customers spend a good amount of money to have me build soft springs for their trucks or Jeeps, and then put Bilsteins on. They almost always slow the suspension down so much that it doesn't allow the springs to absorb any bumps. Some customers just don't get it and swear the springs are the problem, until I unhook the shocks and tell them to go for a ride and they feel how well the springs really work.

For trail or off road use I usually just recommend a Rancho 5000 or equivalent. A properly sprung truck doesn't need to shocks to hold it up, especially off road.

Now if the springs are too soft or its strictly street driven, that's another story.

[My427stang]

Thanks for chiming in.

The issue is that the nose of the truck especially, wallows in corners with the stock shocks.  They have 12K on them, and typically OEM shocks aren't the greatest anyway.

You are right on track with what I am concerned about.  I want it to be more firm, but not too firm.  I actually think the Monroes may be good, they worked well on my 2008 Powerstroke

I have had Sensatracks and I don't like them, too soft for normal handling with a nose heavy diesel.  I had KYBs on a leaf spring truck, but I am concerned they may be too rough for this Cowboy Caddy.

I am not a Bilstein fan but there sure are a lot of them out there. 

[cammerfe]

Try double-adjustable Konis.

KS