Hi all,

The shocks were worn out when I got the truck. Unstable ride that rocks a lot after a dip in the road. Should I replace them with plain old OEM shocks?

I prefer more firmness than the average American, but not rock hard. The idea is to control the suspension, not lock it in place. I am not interested in lowering the truck, nor am I seeking to make it into the handling machine that my Quattro is. I usually run unloaded, only on occasion do I haul stuff, and it is not at all used off-road.

I figure for my purposes, there are 3 options
1) Pure OEM Toyota replacements
2) Some off-brand that's "just as good" but less expensive
3) Some form of mild upgrade for better control

Of course, I do not know what "normal" control for this truck is, since I never drove it when the shocks were new.

Potentially useful bits of info:
V6 dog, automatic, extended cab, standard bed. 163K miles. Tires are V-rated, 205/60-15 on 15 X 7 steel wheels

Thanks in advance - this is a wonderful helpful list.

Dave

 

Bilstein's would probably make you happy, as would a set of Edelbrock IAS.

 

Ditto on the Bils. Had mine for at least 5 years. Great shocks - firm but not harsh. The Edebrock IAS's are also supposed to be very good. I was thinking of the IAS's for my Heep.

 

Old Man Emu Heavy Duty shocks and springs have evened out the "roll" in cornering and yet it's made the runner sit taller with ZERO butt sag. OME all the way for me.

 

Wow, Bilsteins on a truck. Those are OEM on a Mercedes, I'd have never thought on a truck - but why not? Firmness with control is what you want in both cases, after all!

I'm assuming mail-order is the right place to purchase aftermarket shocks. Would like to hear your recommended sources then, for the Bils, IAS or OMEs. Price is a consideration, so if one of these options is $250 for four, and another is $500, the wallet has to make the choice...

Thanks again,

Dave

 

You have a good idea to replace the shocks, I did this weekend and this is what I pulled out, keep in mind my truck has 146xxx miles.

Take note that everything that is compressed or decompressed is staying.

There was much improvement in ride quality and cornering. IMO the Bilsteins might be a little harsh for some people but I like the ride.

I bought my shocks for I think 69$ a piece through Performance products. Though I would call summit racing and see how much they would charge you. I wish i would have done that now, because I think that performance products overprices a few things.

I think that they are oem on new toyotas and the mustang cobras.