Shocks for Stock Height - Factory Ride Quality or Softer, but Better Control?

[Jerome10]

Been spending an hour reading. Bilstein 4600, 5100, I've seen some Eibach suggested. Perhaps KYB.

This is my first truck. I overall am happy with things but I really dislike the kinda violent rocking you sometimes get over speed bumps, railroad tracks, or some potholes. The back end feels like its all over the place.

Sounds like perhaps the Bilstein 4600 are the suggested shocks for factory ride height.

However, are these definitely firmer riding than factory? I really don't want a stiffer ride, I think I just want more control??

Thoughts on Eibach or KYB for this purpose?

Don't need anything fancy, bit of towing around 5000lbs, really no off roading. I just wanna settle that back end down but not give myself a harder ride.

Oh, and doing rear-only sufficient? Or you really need to do all 4?

Appreciate it as I know there are lots of shock discussions here.

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[honda250xtitan]

5100's or eibachs will be great. fox 2.0's are my go to but theyre a bit more money. It will feel planted. Yes, it will have a stiffer feel but it wont have that baby buggy/constantly rocking ride. ride quality is pretty tricky as it's subjective. If you want more control you have to go to a better dampened shock. Anything "softer" is just gonna be a stock style twin tube shock.

 

[J17GT]

I had the Bilstein 4600’s on my previous truck, they were great. Big improvement overall. Yes, a bit more firm than stock, but the truck felt planted,. I would not call the ride quality rough or jarring in anyway.

 

[tomcaudell]

5100's or eibachs will be great. fox 2.0's are my go to but theyre a bit more money. It will feel planted. Yes, it will have a stiffer feel but it wont have that baby buggy/constantly rocking ride. ride quality is pretty tricky as it's subjective. If you want more control you have to go to a better dampened shock. Anything "softer" is just gonna be a stock style twin tube shock.

I have a 2023 super crew 5.0 6’6 bed 4x4 XLT and have been talking to different shops and shock manufacturers. The Bilstein 5100 and the 4600 are good cost effective way to go. I purchased the 5100’s all 4 they are adjustable up to 2.5” in front and 1” in the back. They are both ported the same for normal use but I was told the 5100’s were a better choice towing or driving with a heavier pay load.

Bilstein 5100 Monotube Adjustable Shocks Front Pair For 2021-2024 Ford F150 4WD W/0-2.5" Lift Quantity: 1 Total: $330.00​
	Bilstein 5100 Monotube Shocks Rear Pair For 2015-2021 Ford F150 4WD - 0-1 Quantity: 1 Total: $224.00​
​	Discount (code: ): $-79.00 Subtotal: $475.00 California State Tax: $28.50 Los Angeles County Tax:$1.19 Amador County District Tax Sp: $2.37 Los Angeles Co Local Tax Sl:$4.75 Shipping: $0.00 Total: $511.81​

 

[Knobstr]

I left the front alone and added Bilstein 5100s to the rear maintaining same ride height. They made for a much smoother ride when empty and improved my towing experience when towing my 27 ft/7000# TT. Thought about adding Bilsteins to the front too, but that's much more involved and more expensive. Honestly, quiet happy with the ride and towing experience with swapping the rear shocks.

 

[Jerome10]

Thank you for feedback. Seriously considering this for the rears. Just don’t want a harder ride.

 

[Calson]

Often people replace the shocks and fix nothing at all. For a ride where the rear moves too much the fix is to bolt on a rear sway bar. With the light weight of a pickup bed the rear shocks are not working hard at all.

 

[Sig Oris]

I put the Bilstien 5100's on my MY22 Ranger and MY23 F150 and have been very pleased.

Best price I found was the link below and if you call in and tell them you're a member of this forum they offer a slight discount. At least they did when I got mine.

https://www.stage3motorsports.com/21f1504wd-21-22-f150-4wd-bilstein-5100-complete-shock-kit.html

 

[Jerome10]

I put the Bilstien 5100's on my MY22 Ranger and MY23 F150 and have been very pleased.

Best price I found was the link below and if you call in and tell them you're a member of this forum they offer a slight discount. At least they did when I got mine.

https://www.stage3motorsports.com/21f1504wd-21-22-f150-4wd-bilstein-5100-complete-shock-kit.html

If I decide to do this, will definitely check them out. Appreciate the tip.

 

[dmac]

4600s for factory wheels + tires factory height. People just like the 5100s because they are "cooler", but they are optimized for non factory lift and tires, versus the 4600s.

If you put on significantly heavier tires, then consider the 5100s, but in my experience they are more likely to give you a slight lift, even on 0" lift setting.

 

[Buyer2021]

If I decide to do this, will definitely check them out. Appreciate the tip.

PM or email Frank at Stage 3 Motorsports to ask about forum member discounts. When I ordered my 5100's for all-four corners he sent me an invoice with an additional 10% off from their already low sales price.

The transaction was great, prompt shipping, and yes, I'm very happy with the shocks - much improved damping control with imperceptible if any change to the ride comfort. Transformed the ride to much more 'composed' on all surfaces is my best description.

I installed the rears first and took a test drive to feel that incremental improvement, but when I finished the front install the total effect was really apparent. Go with all corners for best results is my suggestion.

I'm at stock ride-height all-around, the spring-perch measurement when set at "0" on the front 5100's is exactly the same as OE (verified during my DIY install / OE coil-swap) so there is no change in ride height. At the rear with leaf-springs the shock-swap alone cannot change the ride height.

 

[Calson]

If you ask someone selling shocks which ones to buy you have already shot yourself in the foot. The question was how to improve the ride and for that adding a rear sway bar for the same cost will provide the desired results.

My prior pickup was a 1-ton capacity and it carried a 3700 lb slide-in camper load through the mountains. I replaced the factory shocks with the Rancho XL adjustable shocks as the truck needed more spring dampening at the rear axle than at the front of the truck. Some sway was from the outer wheels having to support more than 50% the load in turns. Adding more leaf springs corrected this considerably.

When the bed was empty the rear would bounce when hitting an expansion crack or a bad section of pavement. What corrected this was adding a rear sway bar. It did nothing for the ride with the heavy camper load but made a great deal of improvement when the bed did not have the load.

 

[Xman]

Noticed you have a PowerBoost but didn't see a year. Your experience seems to be common for 2024 PB owners without the off-road package. Note that the BP is heavier than the non-hybrid trucks and has suspension differences. Sorry I can't provide any recommendations but know 2024 PB has this behavior with the standard suspension.

 

[Fox146]

Do the rears first with the 4600’s . Not very expensive, takes all of 20-30 minutes with hand tools and you’ll probably notice the difference right away. Save some $ and then do the fronts ( not a hard job either but they have a spring compressor ) with a trusted shop. Done. You’ll be much happier with the ride for many years. I’ve said it before on here but the stock shocks Ford uses just aren’t that great. I put Bilstein 4600’s on my 2015 and did Fox 2.5’s on my 21.

 

[JerseyGlock]

Often people replace the shocks and fix nothing at all. For a ride where the rear moves too much the fix is to bolt on a rear sway bar. With the light weight of a pickup bed the rear shocks are not working hard at all.

That's what I did, added a rear sway bar and all stock shocks.

 

[JCsTruck]

In 2001 I replaced the stock floaty Toyota shocks on my 2001 Tundra with the Bilstein blue green variant (OEM equivalent) shocks when I think I barely had 10,000 miles on that truck and they transformed the ride from a floaty messy ride to a much better controlled ride that still road great. Those shocks were still on that truck eleven years later with 200,000 miles when I traded it in and the ride was still great. If Bilstein are still made to the same quality standards then they are well worth the money.

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