Rear stabilizer shock?

[erald01]

do you need to change the rear stabilizer shock??is it a must, because i changed all my 4 shocks with the blue color Monroes but everytime i hit a dirt road/bumpy the rear bounces sooo much that it will go sideways, how can i fix this whole bouncing thing?? would changing the rear stabilizer shock help cause it has neer been changed and i have 155000 on the truck. thanx

 

[dmb10]

I don't think replacing that shock will not fix your problem. The axle damper or 5th shock as many call it is there to prevent shaking or shimmying at speed, in some cases guys take them off altogether. I replaced mine when I did my shocks with a Bilstein but just because I'm OCD and like things to all be the same. I would check your sway bar & all bushings - though now that I think of it if your EX is a Limited or EB with ARC suspension the rears are Air shocks, did you replace AIR shock in the rear?

 

[erald01]

yes i have the eddie baur one, i am not sure if the rear are air or not, i just ordered my monroe shocks from rockauto.com, because they were the most reasonable priced ones..if the rear ones are not air, will it make that much of a difference?? what do you guys recommend?? btw this is the ones i got the monro-matic ones and they are nitrogen gas charged and feature velocity sensitive valving and all weather fluid, which offers passenger cars improved comfort at an economical price. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

 

[dmb10]

If your EB had the air shocks, then you need to replace them with air shocks - the rear leaf springs on the Limited and EB editions were not as beefy as the air shocks do most of the heavy lifting suspension wise also keeping it level. Rock auto sells the Monroe replacement air shocks - without them I bet there is just too much play/movement in the back.

 

[erald01]

i dont know but i got the blue monroe shocks,and it seems like all the shocks available are nitrogen gas charged for bothe EB or limited..

 

[SoNic67]

My '01 EB didn't have air shocks (called "Automatic Ride Control"), just regular ones.
So I used the Monroe SENSA-TRAC - except the axle damper which I left the the original one (don't know if matters anyway too much). Those are listed as "premium" and are black in color. Another "premium" listed option are REFLEX ones - I am not sure if they are better on not than SENSA-TRAC. They cost the same, but are based on different ideas - in the end Sensa-Trac and Reflex are providing two distinct levels of damping.

The blue ones are the cheaper/lower end Monroe - MONRO-MATIC PLUS. Just one level of damping, like the original ones.

PS: All their shocks are nitrogen-filled. They are extending on their own when free.

 

[erald01]

yes my truck had the normal shocks too, no air shocks...so its safe to say that i have no choice but to change the shocks in order to avoid the crazy wheel hoping on dirt roads..

 

[sarahsdaddy]

I installed some Monroe Plus or blue shocks last week based on some other thread's recommendation that they were like factory. I paid about $80 for the set on Amazon. Normally I'd not take a chance on such a low end product but it's not driven much and has over 200k miles so not looking to put much into it.

Bottom line - pretty disappointed. When I bought the truck its shocks were definitely gone and the ride was loose, to say the least, wallowing like a drunken sailor on the bumpy, windy country roads around me. The Monroes did clean that up to a fair degree but the ride still leaves a lot to be desired. It is still quite a bouncy, jouncy ride. I can't believe it would have been like that new (referring to the claim they are like factory shocks) and my 94 Ranger sure didn't ride like that. A truck-like feel, yes, but a lot more control and less bounce than I'm getting.

Anyway, just my $.02.

 

[erald01]

yeah thats why i am dissapointed also, i got the blue monroes as "the factory like shocks" but on dirt roads if the road is too bumpy, the truck starts going crazy and its scary sometimes.

 

[dmb10]

Spending the extra on some Bilsteins in my case was well worth it, the ride is very controlled, corners better, and remains level during braking and acceleration and they have a lifetime warranty. If your bumping around on poor shocks you'll have uneven tire wear as well.

 

[wingman98]

I would say get the rancho rs5000's. I havn't put them on my truck yet but posts on other forums say that is the way to go. Those are the next thing in putting in my truck.

 

[alohamonte]

Wouldnt hurt you to update the 5th shock after that many miles. Helps with skipping the rear end through turns.

I have Bilsteins and they rock. They're firm on pavement and really come alive on trails. Sounds like you need a beefer shock for your application. These are heavy trucks afterall.