Anyone have Edelbrock shocks?

[Crash513]

I am a first time poster, so I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

I have a '98 Explorer that I am in the process of buying out the lease on. Now that I will own the car, I am interested in doing a few mods.

I will be replacing my Firestone AT's soon under the recall (they have gone 58K miles and look like they have another 10 left in them) and I would like to do shocks at the same time. I don't have any plans to lift the truck. It is a daily driver does a lot of highway miles, with a little casual 4 wheeling every couple of months. I am looking for handling improvments on the road, and reducing body lean. I have read that the Edelbrock shocks with the "IAS" valve are a good way to go. Any opinions from someone who has them? Any other alternatives I should consider? Thanks for your responses.

Regards,

 

[JM Dookie]

Besides replacing those hideous Firestones the next best thing that you could do for your truck is to replace the factory shock absorbers with the Edelbrocks. I replaced mine when I bought new tires and what a difference. The Edelbrocks are more expensive than the other shocks but you get what you pay for. They are the best! The ride is dramatically smoother without being harsh like other gas shocks and you can hug a turn with very little body roll. They make your vehicle a lot more stable which equates to a safer SUV. I guarantee that you will be satisfied with them. Don't waste your money on anything else like the Bilstein's or Tokico shocks, their performance is comparable but the ride is more harsh. Don't worry I don't work for Edelbrock so I won't make any money if you buy the shocks, I just wanted to let you know that the IAS shocks perform just as Edelbrock claims.

 

[BlueDogBandit]

HOW LONG?

How long have you been running the Edlebrocks? Just curious, because I've heard rumors that they only last for 3-6 months before wearing out, but I haven't heard an Explorer driver make that statement yet, just curious.

 

[mattadams]

I had the Edelbrock IAS shocks in my 98 F-150 for about 20,000 miles before I sold it... saw it the other day and there still on there. I was greatly impressed with the shocks, I wish they made them for the lifted Explorers (and believe me I've asked!) but they don't so Im stuck with the RS-9000's. They greatly reduced body roll, and made the whole bouncing easier as you wouldn't hit a bump and bounce 4 or 5 times, you'd hit it and bounce once, then be fine again. I say go for it .

 

[charger1]

I have to agree with JM Dookie. When I first purchased my Explorer the only thing I did not like about the truck was the way it handled. My wife was always very nervious whenever I entered a turn a little hard. I installed the Edelbrock shocks and what a huge difference in ride quality and handling. The ride is firmer then the stock shocks, but you also get a much better feel for the road. My Explorer will now handle corners much better and does not suffer from all that body lean. These may not be the best shocks for off road use, but if your Explorer is like mine and spends 95% of the time on pavement, they are worth the additional money.

 

[Ray Lobato]

Well I agree with every one here. The Edelbrocks are very good shocks. I even had a set of them, and couldn't complain at all. There is one other shock I would recommend, and that is the Old Man Emu Nitro Charger. I got rid of my Edelbrocks because I liked the Nitro Chargers just alittle better only because I do alot of 4wheeling and they are better on washboard roads than the Edelbrocks. Just my opinion. You wouldn't go wrong with either.

 

[Crash513]

SOLD!

WOW, Thanks to everyone for your responses! I am convinced that the Edelbrocks are worth a try. They are definitely more expensive, but it sounds like they are a good fit for my kind of driving. Thanks again,

 

[flyguy]

Hmm..Ive had my edelbrocks on for more than 6 months I think. They still seem to be hangin in there.. surprisingly. I drive like an idiot. but they did decrease body roll significantly... and I just added some poly bushings... even better... just need that sway bar... and need to get the springs done and Im set. Hopefully that rumor about the edelbrocks not lasting a long time is not true... but if it was...im sure mine would be shot by now... I dont really do a whole lot of off road stuff... but im an urban commando. hehe. that was a cool movie.

nick

 

[flyguy]

Speaking of... what the proper procedure in installing shocks? I know you dont have to remove the tire on our explorers... but I remember having a hell of a time trying to compress the shock so I could get it to fit on... now... it the truck is up on jacks... is it much easier to do... as the suspension would be extended further because the wheels are up in the air...is this so? I just remember having to go hit the gym, get buff and come back to compress the shocks by hand. eww.

nick

 

[91expl-sport]

I have the Edelbrock shocks and yes I only had them on for six to seven months and there wearing out. its caused the inner side of the tire to wear un-even. Shop claims its the shocks causing the tire to hop at high speed.

BlueDogBandit "I haven't heard an Explorer driver make that statement yet'

 

[Tyson]

Nick, when I did my Edlebrocks, I remember that they came with a plastic band holding the shock at a certain length. I remember securing the top of the shock to the truck first, then cutting the band and as the shock began extedning, putting the bolt into the eyelet. It does take a bit of hand-eye coordination, but it works. I believe I got three out of four. The one I missed, I just had to muscle it up.

 

[4Wheelin]

Whats the average amount of time anyone has seen them last? and Does anyone have any other recomendations on some good street shocks? I was thinking about Bilsteins but I dont know. I need something that will last and is durable. Thanks in advance.

[Edited by 4Wheelin on 10-30-2000 at 05:19 PM]

 

[rock883]

4wheelin, go with the Bilsteins. I haven't had such a great experience as all the others did with the Edelbrocks. Mine are crap, and weren't that great from the beginning, but now they really suck (after a year and 3 months). They should have lasted a lot longer than that (at least for the money I had to spend on the damn things), and should have performed a lot better than they did. But I guess I just got bad ones, lol. I would definately do with either the Bilsteins or the RS9000's which you can adjust if you don't like the way they are at a certain setting, which I think would be awesome. But that is like 6-2 with the guys who like it ahead.

About the proceedure...get some jackstands!! I didn't have any, so I was under there with a jack holding up one side (compressed the suspension up) and it was EXTREMELY hard to get those things on. Took me juct about as long as it took me to do the body lift. I had to use 2 jacks for mine. One to lift up the tire off the ground, then take the tire off to get in there, and then the other to "jack up" the shock and get it on the stud or in the slot. Very hard that way. I bet I could do it in less than 2 hours now that I have some jackstands and actually understand that when you jack it up with the suspension it compresses it and makes it hard to put shocks in.

 

[riffman]

hey ray...where can i get some of those Old Man Emu Nitro Charger shocks? did you get them from a local place or somthing? i can't seem to find them out there anywhere......

 

[Ray Lobato]

Riff,
You can get them from any ARB dealer. Old Man Emu is a subsidiary of ARB corporation. Here's the address and phone number and website(not alot of info but dose have email and phone numbers).

http://www.arb.com.au/ :

North, Central & South American Enquiry Centre:
Air Locker Inc.
20 South Spokane Street
Seattle, Washington 98134 USA
tel: 1 206 264 1669
fax: 1 206 264 1670

email: sales@arbusa.com