Ok Guys, Heres another question?


I have read putting new shocks on my new truck will improve my ride. I somtimes feel like I am floating in a lake going down the E-way.I am intrested in buying shocks for my 03 3500 C.C.Dually.


Rancho and Bilsteins seem to be what everyone is using here. I was wondering if any other brand shocks were worth looking at?


I would like to get my OEM shocks changed as soon a possible but $250.00 bones is a bit much this close to Christmas. (if you know what I mean).


Don't get me wrong here, I am not cheap. I just hate spending money to replace somthing new. (only 4955 miles on these)


Any suggestion's

I took the OEM's off my 2500HD at around 5Kmi and put on Bilstiens - there was noticeable improvement. I ran them on my 98 K3500 CC LB as well with great results... I considered it money well spent - no regrets.


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif





Edited by: jbplock

I did mine at 400miles...reading these posts are dangerous!


At first I hated the ride with the Bilsteins but really could not compair it to anything....now I love them.

I put Bilsteins on after reading the posts on this forum and my rig rides better than new. The best 260.00 i've spent on this truck. It good to know that it will ride this way for a long time without replacement. I had factory Bilsteins on my 98 Z-71 and when i sold it at 130,000k it still rode like new.


Also, I want to thank everyone on this forum. I've been reading the posts here for while and have learned so much from you all. Excellent site.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gifhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gifhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif

I have a bad back .... the addition of Bilsteins along with the other suspension changes I have mad to my 3500 have been more than worth every penny


Jim

Are the Bilsteins a much stiffer ride? It sounds like it is. I am tossed on buying the Bilsteins or the Rancho RS9000X. The RS9000X is a brand new version. It now has 9 customer changeable settings. I can run them soft when unloaded and set them stiff when loaded or towing.Edited by: JohnnyO

...Are the Bilsteins a much stiffer ride?


Johnny,
I wouldn't characterize the ride you get with Bilstiens as "stiffer" than with the OEM shocks. I changed out my OEM shocks for Bilstiens at 5k miles because I had experienced a big improvement with them on my 98 K3500 (including towing). The main difference I notice with the Bilstiens is increased stability. If I hit a dip in the highway going 65-70 mph, the truck doesn't keep bouncing after the dip like it did with the OE shocks. Handling is also better in turns and on uneven pavement. IMHO, the Bilstiens provide better overall control and stability than you get with OE shocks and they do it with out making the ride "hard".


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif

what he said

The Bilsteins are a bit stiffer, but more than that, they control the ride much, much, better. Good shocks not only keep the wheels from bouncing all over the place, they also control body motions. The stock shocks allowed the body to pogo stick up and down like a merry-go-round horsey. The Bilsteins, while adding very little stiffness to the ride, will stop that completely. The difference is immediately apparent. My driveway has one of those "rolled curb" entrances. Not very smooth. The very first time I backed the truck out of the driveway after the install, I blessed the Bilsteins. I suspect you will, too. If you're still not sure, buy the Rancho's. You can adjust them to your hearts content. I've used Rancho adjustables before and liked them. But, I find that you are likely to have to make use of the lifetime warranty after of few years.

TC

I've had the same experience with Rancho's that Tsckey speaks of. They just don't seem to last very long. Then again Rancho is part of Tenneco, the maker of the incredible POS shocks that came on my 99 Z71. They also make Monroe. I haven't had the 9000 series but the old 5000 and the RSX didn't even compare to bilstein's in ride IMHO or longevity.

Thanks everyone for the great informationhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Thumbs Up.gif. It's the bouncing when towing on highways with cement slabs that I am looking to get rid of without making a too stiff ride.


From your information on the ride and reliability, the Bilstein's are the way to go.

Thanks everyone for the great informationhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Thumbs Up.gif. It's the bouncing when towing on highways with cement slabs that I am looking to get rid of without making a too stiff ride.


From your information on the ride and reliability, the Bilstein's are the way to go.





Its been only 2 days since I put my Bilsteins on (3 of the OEM shocks were blown). I can't believe the difference!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif I didn't realize how much the ride quality had deteriorated over time with the old shocks. The little bumps had become very rough. Now there little again. The ride now is even better than when the truck was new. IMHO you won't regret going with Bilsteins. I look forward to a great ride for years to come.





Kevinhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

Fireman-


Wow! An '02 and the three of the shocks gonehttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Dead.gif. Doesn't say much for the quality.


I am sold. Sounds like the ride is really tighter nor firmer. That's what I want.


Thanks.

Does eveyone have the yellow oem replacement Bilsteins or do the offer replacement shocks in the H5(nickel) finish? Anyone have part numbers for either?

IMHO, Rancho 9000's are the way to go. You sure can't beat adjusting them to ride/handle exactly like you want them to.

IMHO, Rancho 9000's are the way to go. You sure can't beat adjusting them to ride/handle exactly like you want them to.

I have tuned motorcycle suspension for quite a while and can tell you that the bilstiens design is superior to the Rancho. The bilstiens use a shimstack - thin metal shims restrict the oil flow - one set for compression and another set for rebound. Multiple shims are stacked to tune both high and low speed compression and rebound. (for example high speed is hitting a sharp edge and low speed is body roll).

Typically the adjusters on any shock adjust bleed - which only controls low speed dampening (dialing out "wallow"). If you want something that works well in all conditions - the bilstien is it.

jeff

OK, I am sold on the Bilstein's


Is there a certian model you guys are using or are they a normal replacement type?

OK, I am sold on the Bilstein's


Is there a certian model you guys are using or are they a normal replacement type?

There is only one model that fits the chevy 2500. They have pretty tight tolerances and take a bit to break in. They will work better than OEM right out of the box, things only get better as you get a little time on them.

jeff

Fireman-


Wow! An '02 and the three of the shocks gonehttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Dead.gif. Doesn't say much for the quality.


I am sold. Sounds like the ride is really tighter nor firmer. That's what I want.


Thanks.








The ride is not harsh or stiff, if one word can describe it, I think "tight" would be it. I'm not getting the slamming feeling going over things like parking lot speed bumps. My wife even says the ride is great!





Kevin

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gifhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gifhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif Just got my Bilsteins installed. All I can say is WOW! 45K and my shocks were totally worthless. Paul3500, just tell Kennedy you have a C3500 and he'll send you the right shocks for the truck. Best $260 I ever invested in the truck, and that's including a Nicktane filter that I am pretty fond of.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif

I have tuned motorcycle suspension for quite a while and can tell you that the bilstiens design is superior to the Rancho.
Maybe that's true, maybe not. I can't say for sure. But I do know that Rancho's have served me well on 3 trucks (including my current one). That's 10 years and about 250K miles, so even if Bilstiens are designed "superior" to the Rancho's I'm sticking with what I know to be a good deal.

I've had the same experience with Rancho's that Tsckey speaks of. They just don't seem to last very long.
The 9000's on my last truck -- a 1/2 ton -- were still going strong with 140K on them when I sold it.

The 5000s that I have on my '92 K1500 have been pretty mushy since I put about about 20,000 miles on them. I've probably got about 60,000 miles on them and they're still there but I don't drive that truck too much anymore. The Bilsteins that I had on a '93 K1500 were OEM for the Z71 and rode quite well at 130,000 miles when I sold the truck. My '99 Z71 Silverado came with POS Tenneco shocks on it. They were shot in under 20,000 miles. I put Rancho RSXs on to replace them. I didn't know Rancho was Tenneco until I got to looking at the boxes after I purchased them, and they didn't last much more than 15-20,000 miles before the wallow came back. I replaced them with Bilsteins and had about 60,000 miles on them when I sold the truck and they rode pretty close to when they were new. I haven't felt like trying the 9000 series Ranchos so maybe they're better but I have not been impressed with any of Tenneco's offerings that I've had.


Then again we probably have quite different opinions on ride, handling, and when we feel the need to replace shocks. Tenneco must make people happy or Monroe and Rancho wouldn't be selling shocks anymore. They're just not my cup-o-tea. Edited by: Hound

Don't get me wrong. I liked my Ranchos fine, but each of the three sets I owned started giving up at around 80,000 miles. Not the big motions, but the little, high frequency movements as the tires pad along the road way. This became annoying. I don't know whether the Bilsteins will last any longer. It's too early to tell, but already I like the ride better than either my adjustable or non adjustable Ranchos. Time will tell on the longevity issue.

TC

FWIW - bilstein's have a lifetime guarantee...

I have had both the Rancho and the Bilstein. I prefer the bilstein.

jeff

Where is everyone buying "thier" bilsteins?

Let me throw in another idea for you westerners. I have uses Les Schwab for shocks for years. They sell a mono tube gas shock that I really like. It is their high end gas shock. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif Cost Installed is about $250-300.

These shocks have a lifetime warranty. Les Schwab is like Sears (my experience) you say you do not like 'em, they replace them, no questions asked. If they falter, you raise your voice, they do not like that, and they see it your way.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Embarrased.gif

Anyway, I believe that any replacement gas shock would improve the ride. I put these shocks on with Oh ...about 5 miles on the truck, the distance from the dealer to good ole Schwaby's.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Thumbs Up.gif

I then took the truck home and installed Firestone air bags. Now I really like it.

MaineMax:


http://pickuptruck.performancecenter.com/ (http://pickuptruck.performancecenter.com/) is where I got mine.

Guess I should look into getting some new shocks on my 2500HD since I have 52,000mi on the factory ones. They don't seem to be all that bad, but I guess when you drive a vehicle everyday you get used to how it feels and you break in along with it...


Lots of great info here...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif

Guess I should look into getting some new shocks on my 2500HD since I have 52,000mi on the factory ones. They don't seem to be all that bad, but I guess when you drive a vehicle everyday you get used to how it feels and you break in along with it..
Before you even get back home you'll know exactly how bad those OEM shocks really were.

go with bilsteins and it will feel like a new truck i had 8000 mi on my factory shocks and two outa four were junk go figure!!!! whats GM thinking .

Front Bilstein shocks are good, but the rear shocks showed even the minor imperfections of the road on my 2003 2500HD Ext Cab D/A. I kept the rear bilsteins for 1500 Miles still no improvement.


I bought the pro comp MX-6 shocks and the front MX-6 shocks felt the same way as bilstein rears, but the rear shocks are good.


Now I have bilsteins in the front and MX-6 in the rear.


The shock configuration that I am talking about is for street application. I am not sure how these shock perform when towing.

WHAT?????

Isn't it weird.


I like the ride though.