madmax Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I have a 1988 Sportruck in very nice, very original condition, with only 80,000 miles. It runs great, but the suspension seems a little harsh. I think it probably has the original shocks. My question is, since the shocks are 27 years old, should I go ahead and replace them, or is mileage more important than age? Also, would appreciate recommendations on replacement shocks--truck is not lifted and have no plans other than to keep the truck basically stock. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexia Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Age or mileage, which comes first basically. I have Bilstein shocks on mine and I love them. I used the same on my Cherokee and that was good too. They are expensive though so I am curious if anyone else has cheaper recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbyluvv Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I bought my front and rear Bilstein 5100s and 5100 steering stabilizer from www.streetsideauto.com for $250 shipped. Best price I have found for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 If the shocks are original, you should absolutely replace them. The Bilstein 5100s are waaaaay too stiff for factory suspension IMHO. Had them on my 88 and hated them. I have a new set of cheapo Monroes to put on my 91. I have a set of these in the box: Monroe 31094. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobolink Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I have Bilsteins F&R on my '90 heavy ton, and they are pretty stiff, but I like 'em that way. I think you should be happy with the Monroes, and should notice quite a difference if you're really riding on the original shocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 What you DON'T want (IMHO) are KYB shocks. Years ago, my brother talked me into buying a set for my '88 Cherokee. They were AWFUL. They were very harsh over pavement cracks and small bumps, yet the provided almost no control over larger bumps. I took them off and replaced them with a set of Monroes (a series since discontinued, and replaced by the Sensa-Trac) that are infinitely better. The 2001 Cherokee I bought used three years ago came to me with KYBs in the front. Same thing. I finally got around to wrestling with the rusted-in OEM shocks in the rear, and replaced everything with a set of Rancho RS5000s all around. The Ranchos were given to me by a friend who had lifted his XJ. They are pretty firm, but they are are a huge improvement over the KYBs. OME get rave reviews, but they're pricey. I'm partial to Monroes, with Gabriel being a close second. In Monroe, I like the Gas-Magnum line. The Reflex line is their premium series and should be very good, but I've never found the money to spend on them. I avoid the Sensa-Trac line because of the "groove tube" feature. It's good at stock height, but if you change the ride height at all (such as a budget boost) the piston isn't centered in the grooved section of the bore, and the ride and handling are adversely affected. In Gabriel, I again lean toward the Ultra series as being an economical shock that rides well and works well. These have a 1-3/8" bore, which is the minimum I think should be accepted in any shock. Worth a look also are the LTV (1-5/8" bore) and the MaxControl (1-13/16" bore) series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbyluvv Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I had Monroe ReFlex shocks on my Cummins and they rode great. For about a month before they blew out. I warrantied them and the new ones let go after two months. While the lifetime warranty was great I just don't see me spending a couple hours every couple months to change shocks and rotate the cupped tires. I will never run another Monroe shock ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Thanks for the comments. What about the leaf springs? They seem okay for now, do not look like they are sagging. Do leaf springs wear out with time and use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Leaf springs do wear out with use (any spring does) but if the truck hasn't been used heavily to haul stuff it shouldn't be a concern. For what it's worth I have a set of Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks on my truck and I have no complaints after 5,000 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 For what it's worth I have a set of Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks on my truck and I have no complaints after 5,000 miles. Give them a few more miles. I put four new Sensa-Trac shocks on my truck after I first got it to replace the original stock shocks. After about 5K miles two of the four were blown out; one front and one rear. The other two still had some valve pressure but were on the way out too. They are okay if you are flipping a vehicle and don't want to spend any $$, but for longevity they are junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Well, crap. They were on the cheap side at least (and a massive improvement over what was on there) and at the time I thought Monroe were good shocks. Next shock change I'll go with OME for sure then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 They are okay if you are flipping a vehicle and don't want to spend any $$, but for longevity they are junk. The set in my '88 Cherokee have well over 100,000 miles on them. No problems so far ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The set in my '88 Cherokee have well over 100,000 miles on them. No problems so far ... Glad they are working out for you. But I still think they are junk. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I have a complete set of the Napa shocks still in the box. Sensa-Trac maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 If the shocks are original, you should absolutely replace them. The Bilstein 5100s are waaaaay too stiff for factory suspension IMHO. Had them on my 88 and hated them. I have a new set of cheapo Monroes to put on my 91. I have a set of these in the box: Monroe 31094. You can get the 5100's with different valving. I have 5125's in the rear and 5150's up front with 6" of lift and I would say it rides almost as good as stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Just how do you differentiate what the valving is on the Bilstein 5100 series offroad shocks? All I see are application part numbers specific to lift height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 That I don't recall, I maybe I'm wrong and its the 5125's that tell you the valving, since they aren't vehicle specific. I have them in the rear and they ride very well, much better than the Gabriel's I originally used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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