Shocks

[KajunBndit]

I am sure this had been asked many times, I am about to get a front end aliment done on my truck so I will be changing the brake pads and the front shocks. I am about to make a order on rockauto.com for the purchase. Does the shock come in pairs or individually? I just want to make sure before buying them. Also. I would like a little stiffer front end. I am not exactly sure if the shocks have ever been changed, only 116,000 on the truck, I will be changing the rear shocks in a few months before summer. Any help will be appreciated, thank you!

 

[SoCal2V]

Gotta read the description to be 100% sure, but most often they are sold individually whether dealing with RockAuto or elsewhere. The only time I have purchased a complete set of shocks/struts was for one of my Mustangs at AmericanMuscle.com.

I bought Gabriel MaxControl shocks for my ST and my '96 from RockAuto and they were all sold individually. In case those are the ones you're considering, yes I am very happy with them. I live in the desert and my truck sees lots of beat up dirt roads and for work I put 500-1000 mostly highway miles a week on it; they perform quite well and ride nice.

But then again, the shocks they replaced on both trucks were toast (one of the rears on my ST was so bad that when I undid the top mounts it collapsed on it's own) so I suppose in that case anything's an improvement.

 

[koda2000]

I am sure this had been asked many times, I am about to get a front end aliment done on my truck so I will be changing the brake pads and the front shocks. I am about to make a order on rockauto.com for the purchase. Does the shock come in pairs or individually? I just want to make sure before buying them. Also. I would like a little stiffer front end. I am not exactly sure if the shocks have ever been changed, only 116,000 on the truck, I will be changing the rear shocks in a few months before summer. Any help will be appreciated, thank you!

I don't know what shocks and brake pads have to do with getting an alignment, but they are always sold individually. I don't know why, as they should always be replaced in at least pairs. Frankly, I think it's best to do all 4 at once.

 

[crankyjew]

I've got rancho rs4000's on my truck and have been very pleased with them. I had monroe sensa-tracs on my previous two trucks and they were also very good- stiffer than stock, definitely.

 

[KajunBndit]

Thank you SoCal2V, Koda2000, and crankyjew. Koda, normally when you replace the front shock, you need a front end alignment, so I am going to change the front shocks, brake pads and I will be checking the balljoints as well, all @ once before I get the front end alignment.
I don't have a 4x4 but I would like a stiffer ride , I feel like I am in my wife's car and fall asleep, lucky I am that she does 99.9 of the driving now. LOLOL

 

[koda2000]

Thank you SoCal2V, Koda2000, and crankyjew. Koda, normally when you replace the front shock, you need a front end alignment, so I am going to change the front shocks, brake pads and I will be checking the balljoints as well, all @ once before I get the front end alignment.
I don't have a 4x4 but I would like a stiffer ride , I feel like I am in my wife's car and fall asleep, lucky I am that she does 99.9 of the driving now. LOLOL

Does the 2004 ST have struts in the front? If it does I can see that having an effect on alignment. If it just has regular shock absorbers I've never heard of such a requirement. A regular shock would have no effect on wheel alignment.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Yeah, new shocks don't require a front end alignment.

Air shocks are sold in pairs, but everything else is most likely sold individually. I put them on the rear of my '02 and went less than 100 feet before I realized I needed new front shocks too. Before that, I didn't think there was anything wrong with them. If your truck still has the original shocks, I agree with koda that doing all 4 at once is best.

I have Sensa-Tracs - now called OE Spectrum - on the front of my '02, and all around on my '01, and I like them. Reasonably firm, but not harsh.

 

[KajunBndit]

Thank you Kodo and 429CJ-3x2. Kota, my truck has been needing a front end alignment for about 7 or 8 months, but before I do it, I thought I go ahead and change the shocks and brake pad. I had the truck now for about 3 years and never replaced the brake pads and normally that is the first thing I do when I buy a used vehicle. The truck rides good still, I just don't know if it has the original shock on it and with over a 116,000 miles on it, I am thinking it wouldn't hurt to change them out with little stiffer shocks. The reason I am waiting to do the rear shock is because I am on limited income. I get my disability check on the 3rd of each month. And also from what I have been reading about replacing the rear shocks are little of a hoho, so I will be getting under it and looking @ it and getting my book out. Any special tool I need to replace the rear shocks???

 

[SeanTrvs]

Thank you Kodo and 429CJ-3x2. Kota, my truck has been needing a front end alignment for about 7 or 8 months, but before I do it, I thought I go ahead and change the shocks and brake pad. I had the truck now for about 3 years and never replaced the brake pads and normally that is the first thing I do when I buy a used vehicle. The truck rides good still, I just don't know if it has the original shock on it and with over a 116,000 miles on it, I am thinking it wouldn't hurt to change them out with little stiffer shocks. The reason I am waiting to do the rear shock is because I am on limited income. I get my disability check on the 3rd of each month. And also from what I have been reading about replacing the rear shocks are little of a hoho, so I will be getting under it and looking @ it and getting my book out. Any special tool I need to replace the rear shocks???

RATCHET WRENCHES!!! They'll make it 1000x easier. Also as shocks go, my favorite are the Rancho 9000xl's.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

He means Gear Wrenches, or similar.

 

[KajunBndit]

Thank you!

 

[KajunBndit]

I am so sorry I haven't been posting lately but things are going on around the house and family. 2 and a half weeks ago, I had changed the front shocks and brake pads, Koda, I do have the rear shocks ordered from rock auto and should be here sometime tomorrow. I think I will be needing 2 new front tires, I am sure I waited way to long to have the front end aligned. I had a death in my wife family that we all had taken pretty hard. My niece who was @ the age of 18, a national guard in Mississippi had past away, a beautiful young woman who lived life to the fullest. 2 weeks ago she passed away early Sunday morning riding with her friends, drinking. The driver hit a tree on my niece side, she was sitting beside the passenger side front door. The accident broke her spinal cord, hip, broken her jaw and broke some of her teeth. This was really a senseless accident. There were 5 passenger and 1 driver, everyone else was fine with the exception of some bruises. Military Funeral, what really caught my mind and soul is when they folded the flag and 21 gun salute. Well enough of that.

 

[KajunBndit]

Alrighty then, I had gotten my shocks in from rockauto.com today. I am going to install them tomorrow after I pick up my daughter to help me. Today I had 2 new tires installed on my truck with fronted alignment, she drives oh so smooth..........

 

[01STrunner]

I am so sorry I haven't been posting lately but things are going on around the house and family. 2 and a half weeks ago, I had changed the front shocks and brake pads, Koda, I do have the rear shocks ordered from rock auto and should be here sometime tomorrow. I think I will be needing 2 new front tires, I am sure I waited way to long to have the front end aligned. I had a death in my wife family that we all had taken pretty hard. My niece who was @ the age of 18, a national guard in Mississippi had past away, a beautiful young woman who lived life to the fullest. 2 weeks ago she passed away early Sunday morning riding with her friends, drinking. The driver hit a tree on my niece side, she was sitting beside the passenger side front door. The accident broke her spinal cord, hip, broken her jaw and broke some of her teeth. This was really a senseless accident. There were 5 passenger and 1 driver, everyone else was fine with the exception of some bruises. Military Funeral, what really caught my mind and soul is when they folded the flag and 21 gun salute. Well enough of that.

I'm sorry to hear that. Drinking and driving don't go well together, and I hate to hear the horror stories that confirm that. Being involved in fire and rescue since I was 3, I have seen too many lives cut short because of it. After my grandfather's funeral with full honors (horse drawn carriage, bugle corps, 21 gun salute, the whole 9 yards) in Arlington, every time I hear the salute it gets to me a little. First time I saw my cousin, a Marine, cry. Hits hard.

 

[KajunBndit]

Thank you 01STrunner, There was a specialist who played the trumpet playing Taps, I wasn't trying to look around well because of everything, a young life was taken way to soon, 21 gun salute, and folding of the flag. It was touching and I could hardly hold my tears back.
My daughter and I installed the two rear shocks earlier this afternoon. I was expecting a 2 day job, lolol. My daughter was a great help to me as she gave me everything to me that I needed, tools, shocks, saved me time from getting up. I didn't have to get up from the floor once. I had installed the Monroe Load adjusters and was so easy that my grand daughter could have done it and she is 2 years old. LoLoL With me have to get up only once , had taken me about 2 hours, believe me, I was impressed with myself. I had watched some youtube video about installing Monroe Load adjuster shocks and made it so easy. The nuts on the shocks weren't rusted as some of you who are reading this post were and I am thinking that I am from the south were it rarely snows, maybe once every decade and a half so we don't use salt on our roads and were very easy to uninstall. I wish I had taken pictures of the job that I done but I were really excited to install the new shocks and to check out the ride. I wasn't disappointed, The truck has over 116,000 miles on it and the rear shocks just had to be factory, the studs on the top portion of the shocks were riveted to the shocks themselves. After I had taken them off, they were so easy to compress. Now the new shocks, I had braced myself for a fairly rough ride, shoots. Smooth, but I can tell how the truck was handling that it was a much better ride. I also notice that my leaf springs weren't sagging and that the rear end of the truck was little higher, how I notice the height you ask??? LOLOL after I finished I needed a break when my daughter brought me a glass of water, I went to sit on the tailgate, I had to hop up to it which I had never done before. LMBO!