These Gasmatic shocks on my truck are kind of stiff feeling and I'm thinking of replacing them. It seems like everytime I hit a bump or ditch the 4runner bounces hard. They are fairly new but just seem stiffer than the ones that were on here before. Anybody run the Monroe Gasmatic's? What shocks are good for onroad/ offroad? Yes I've been searching and I have found some leads but I have dial-up and too much searching takes hours. Thanx

 

I like my ProComp ES3000's, and a lot cheaper than Bilsteins

 

I've got Rancho 5000's on all corners. I think it was 50 per shock. Great shocks in my opinion.. I can take speed bumps like nothing. Gives a good truck-like feel.

 

I am running Monroe Sens-a-trac Shocks on my 92 3.0 auto tranny 4Runner. Nice ride on the pavement, but have some dual valving that lets them stiffen up a bit offroad. Had them on for about 2 years with no problems.

Mike in AR

 

I'm running same shocks as regularguy (monroe sens a trac) for about 3 years and have had no problems. Yeah if you try to go over a speed bump at like 10mph they feel pretty damn stiff, but work well on pavement and light off roading.

'94 4x4 extra cab, 3.0

 

Mine feel like this too. I don't know if this is good for light offroading or not cause it seems like they could shake something loose by being so stiff. They drive good on the road though.

 

I'm running sensatrac's up front and gasmatics in the rear with OME900 coils. I just put on the other day so I haven't had time to get a really good feel for them but it does seem to bounce a bit in the rear. I thought maybe the gasmatics might not be tuned as well to work with the OME springs vs. stock coils.

 

IMHO I think if you don't have a rig specifically set up with shocks/suspension for long articulation and smooth compliance, you will find that many stock-type shocks will provide a pretty stiff ride when off-roading. On-road vehicles are typically heavier than dedicated off-road only rigs. When all that extra weight gets started in one direction, stock springs and shocks can only do 'so much' to absorb the impact.

Stiffness just seems to be one of the trade-offs ya make to have a weekend warrior that is also your daily driver.

One area that is often overlooked is the load range rating on the tires you are running. Tires in load range C or D have extra belts and/or a heavier casing under the tread. This , too, adds to the overall stiffness of the suspension. So, it may not just be the shock stiffness you are feeling. I can definitely tell the difference between my P235 Yokohama Geolandars on stock steel wheels vs. the Michelin LTX 31x10.50s (winter tires) I have mounted on a spare set of factory aluminum wheels. The Michelins are load range C and have a much thicker carcass. They do have a stiffer ride.

Mike in AR