Replaced shocks yesterday...

I've had Bilstein shocks on my Ford F250 for the past two years and the ride went from stiff to downright rough over time; more like a cattle truck than a tow vehicle. So I was talking to the House of Mufflers guys here locally about changing them to something different. They highly recommended Monroe Reflex shocks as a replacement to best fit my application. I did some research on them, then decided to pull the trigger for a set. They have a buy 3 and get the 4th free offer going on right now. I could tell an immediate difference! I can honestly say that the ride is the best I've had...EVER. The ride is firm, but not stiff like with the Bilsteins. The Monroe's do a much better job of absorbing chuck holes and concrete seams.

If anyone is going to change out their shocks anytime soon, I highly recommend they research the Mpnroe Reflex brand before buying any.

WARNING...do your research not only on the performance, but also the PRICE! Even though different installers offer the same buy 3 get 4th free, the price can vary drastically! If you're not careful to shop around, you could end up paying enough for three to not make the 4th "free". Also ask your installer for the mail-in rebate (get $110.00 back). You'll have to mail in a copy of your install ticket along with the box lids of 3 shocks in order to get the rebate from Monroe.

TC

I am surprised you ride was that rough with the blisteins. Most posters on offroad forums praise them as the best riding shock.

I am in the market and ruled out the Bilsteins after a bunch of research and talking with a GM Mechanic buddy of mine. He didn't have any "bad" things to say but for a mechanic to not say anything GOOD is a warning sign for me. Was going to look at the Rancho, i'll add these monroes to the list.

In the end I have to imagine they are all very good quality. However, towing applications can require different equipment than over the road or off road vehicles.

I started out liking the Bilsteins. but about a year ago, for some reason, the ride started getting really rough! I was told that overloading the Bilsteins, even if it's just once, can ruin them. Based on that, we took a lot of broken up patio concrete to the land fill. It's very possible that the bed was overloaded, even with the air bags. Be that as it may, the new Monroe ride is much better, IMO, than the Bilstein ride when they were newly installed. I made sure that the new shocks wouldn't be adversely effected by the extra pin weight of the Cat. I was assured that I would see a pleasant difference in ride even then...we'll see.

I was also told that shocks need to be replaced more frequently on vehicles that do steady towing or hauling. So I suppose that would apply to RVers that take frequent trips.

TC

I have been kicking around the bilstein vs reflex vs monroe magnums for some time. I am glad to hear your input. Do you know what your truck weighs vs. the diesel? I was wondering if the reflex had enough for the extra weight of the diesel engine. I think my front end was in the #5800 range the last time I had it on a scale.

How many miles did you have on your Bilsteins? I have ~ 100k on mine and like you, my ride has gotten rather stiff. I don't know how long they are supposed to last, but I may have reached their life span.

The V10 in my truck is a heavy engine!! I don't think the deisels have anything on it weight-wise.

I had just a little over 20,000 miles on the Bilsteins, but less than 10,000 when the ride started getting rough.

I have an update on the new Reflex shocks...even though the ride is greatly improved empty, it's REALLY improved when weight is added! I had nearly 1100 lbs of landscaping materials in the bed yesterday, and I have to say that was the smoothest "loaded" ride I've ever experienced!
I can't wait to hitch up the Cat and take it for a drive.

TC

TC wrote:The V10 in my truck is a heavy engine!! I don't think the deisels have anything on it weight-wise.

The diesels are heavier. The V10 is about 650#. The 7.3L is around 920#, the 6.0 around 960#, the 6.4 is well over 1100# and the 6.7 is at 990#.

I have Bilsteins now, but I'm sure they are due for replacement soon. I've had them a number of years. I've got to get through my transfer case problem first before messing with the shocks.

I had no idea that the the diesels were THAT much heavier.

My local repair shop puts up a stink every time they have to put the truck up on the rack because of the weight of that V10. Wonder how much louder they moan when a diesel comes in for a rack job?

TC

They probably have a light duty lift. My brother at the shop says he has to have a 10000# minimum lift. The 9000# units barely cut it. He says the 12,500# units are the best for these trucks. I think he likes the bigger ones because they aren't lifting close to capacity all the time. The 12.5k units can also lift ambulance units he works on.