Posted by tacorob on December 10, 1998 at 18:26:47:
In Reply to: SHOCKS posted by CHARLES SARA on December 10, 1998 at 15:51:58:
Charles,
Replacement of shock absorbers often has little to do with the
mileage of
a vehicle. The major cause of shock absorber failure is repeated
cycling
over a long stroke. THis is more common in difficult terrain.
48,000
smooth highway miles might not even damage the shocks at all. Since
you
live in FL (my home state) there are not many potholes and such
unless you
drive off-road (i can recommend a few clubs if you do). The easiest
way to
tell if a shock absorber is worn is by the push test. Go to each
corner of
your vehicle and press down and release with all of your weight.
You might
need to have a few friends help you with the rear, as it is a 1/2
ton
pickup. After quickly pressing down (compressing suspension)
and
releasing, the vehicle should bounce no more than once, or possible
a very
small second time. An more than that and the shock at that corner
is worn.
They should always be replaced in pairs though.
In regard to what type to pick for a smooth ride, you have
several
choices. A standard type shock (monroe or other factory type) might
give
you a smoother car like ride. I have heard that the Rancho 5000
series are
quite stiff. I have heard the same about the nitrogen charged
version of
the Skyjacker shocks (nitro's i believe). I believe that the
pro-comp
shocks are somewhat of a happy medium betweeen factory and stiff
off-road
type shocks. The other option is the Rancho 9000 series which is a
5 way
adjustable damper. There are some reports that even this adjustable
one is
quite stiff along its range of adjustment, but given the size of
your
vehicle this might not be a problem. The ideal would be to sample
a
friend's vehicle who has diferent shocks than you do. Other than
that, it
is hard to recommend a given shock for a given situation. Just
for
reference, i have heard of some poeple liking the new Edelbrock
shocks, but
at about $70 each, i would consider them cost prohibitive.
Tacorob
p.s. check your e-mail adresse, it has permanant fatal errors