what shocks you guys recommend for the best ride quality?

[Vikram]

i know bilsteins are the king, but I hear since they are more performance orientated it makes the truck ride kinda stiff, which I don't want

I hear kyb is similar in that regard.

Seems motorcraft makes shocks for the rear but not for the front for some reason :S

So maybe get the sachs shocks in the front with motorcraft in the back?

 

[Rick]

Here are a couple threads to check out:

Which shocks for best ride

I have a 1998 4WD 4.0 with 180,000 miles on it. Which shocks do you think would give me the smoothest ride? Also, if you have any other suggestions that would help the ride I would like to hear then too. The front sway bar link and the sway bar bushing front and rear have been done. Thanks for...

www.explorerforum.com

The best Shocks for smooth driving

Ok guys, my wife and i are having a baby shes due in a few months, so im interested in making my 98 (V8) explorer XLT 2wd 4 door ride as smooth as possible, so I'm thinking in replacing my shocks, i think i have stock shocks and have never been replaced, the ride seems kinda stiff and since the...

www.explorerforum.com

 

[96eb96]

In the rear, I like the Monroe Helper shocks (they look like mini-struts with a spring). They also take load off the sagging rear springs. The ride gets a bit firmer, and you can carry lots of cargo in the rear.
I believe these trucks need all the stiffness they can have, you do not want bodyroll. The suspension was made softer to appeal to soccer moms. For the front, if I had to buy now, I would get KYB monomax.

If you want the smooth ride, probably best to stick with OEM Ford, or Monroe cheap shocks (they probably have the least damping).

 

[J_C]

KYB makes different lines, from their near-OE ride version, to their street monotube, to their heavy duty monotube.

Ride quality is a fleeting thing, i mean always a compromise between smooth ride on a smooth road, and control on bumps/curves/maneuvers/etc.

If you're still running your factory leaf springs, the ride is going to be smoother than factory no matter what shocks you put on. New, these were pretty rear-end busy vehicles even with the Motorcraft shocks.

If all you want is a smooth ride from lesser dampening, I don't see a reason to pay a premium for that as lesser dampening is a typical trait of less expensive shocks... I just wouldn't go generic, sticking with Gabriel or Monroe at least, but I'd rather KYB over those two. The KYB OE ride part #s are 341302 front, 344269 rear. Anything you put on it going to feel a little stiffer at first compared to the worn out shocks they replace, but there will be a little break-in and softening over the first few months too.

 

[XLTrunner]

After considering pros and cons of both Monroe and KYB, I went with Gabriel Max Control monotubes. Been very happy with them so far...but, I'm not off-roading, hauling heavy loads or driving on pothole-riddled roads.

 

[toypaseo]

I have the KYB Gas-A-Justs. I would consider them comparable to what I would think the OEM shocks were like when they were new...

 

[Jason94sport]

I have the KYB Gas-A-Justs. I would consider them comparable to what I would think the OEM shocks were like when they were new...

These are what I have. They are not anything I'd consider performance, or off road. They ride fine on all roads. The conditions of your suspensing parts as well as tires also play a roll.