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Shock comparison

broncosam

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
1,178
What if any, advantage would there be running Bilstein or the new Eibach shocks that Duff offers over a standard shock offered by any of the vendors for a Bronco with a 3.5 inch lift? Bronco is mainly a weekend cruiser. Going to be doing some upgrades in the near future and the shocks have me confused the most. I want something that will work with softer ride suspension.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,355
There is no consensus. Every one feels a shock's good and bad points differently, along with differences in springs. Add to that different vehicle weights, balances (heavy bumpers and accessories and such), seat type, hard top vs soft (or no top), and no one shock is perfect for all people.

I like the adjustable Rancho RS 9000's, but I like the Bilstein 5100's better. Have not had a chance to try the Eibach/Duff shocks, or the higher end Bilsteins like the 7100's for that matter. And likely never will personally opt for Fox or other shocks, whether coil-over or just a shock, if it costs over $250 per unit.
Lots of members here have those higher priced shocks however, and sing their praises for the most part.

For the quick fact check, you will listen to the different opinions, look at their individual setups and habits (if you ask, or have the patience to look back at previous posts) and take a shot.

The best shock test, or "shootout" if you prefer, is done by yourself personally. Trying each one with the same vehicle setup as the others. Then make a decision.
I've been doing that for over forty years on Broncos and even after at least 8 full sets of different new shocks am still not satisfied that I have bought the perfect damper yet.
But I'm cheap that way...;D

Good luck!

Paul
 

RODRIG3911

Sr. Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
970
Loc.
Tucson
You'd probably be happy with either one of the shocks you mentioned for street use. I've tried Bilstein and the Duff 2020 stocks and they are both decent. If you decide to 4 wheel your later or just improve your ride, cutting off your factory shock mounts and welding on taller ones will allow you to mount taller shocks that have more fluid. Bi-pass shocks are going to be the best since they have more chambers with more adjustability....
I run 12" ADS 2.5" reservoir shocks front and rear and I'm pretty happy with them. They shine best when hitting big rocks at a high speed. For street driving, honestly you probably couldn't tell much of a difference between them and the cheaper ones you mentioned.
 

rguest3

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 13, 2012
Messages
3,778
The Bilstein and the Duffs Eibach shocks would be better than most, if not all, Hydraulic Shocks.

The Bilstein do come with many different valving choices. The Coating on the outside of the Bilsteins does not last very long and will get "chalky".

The Duffs Eibachs have a very durable finish. MAN, they are hard to install without something to help compress them. Jack, Rope, Ratchet Strap, et.
 
OP
OP
B

broncosam

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
1,178
Thanks for the info. Just mainly wanting a shock that works good for a mall cruiser Bronco. I doubt this thing will ever go off-road while I have it. Just want a good ride. I know technology has changed a lot over the years. But in 1989 I bought a new Ford Ranger 4x4 truck. It had what Ford called the hi-ride kit on it. It basically had about a 2 inch lift on it from the factory. When the shocks on it started getting weak I bought a set of Monroe gas shocks and put them on. They ruined the ride of the truck, on an uneven road that thing would beat you to death.
 

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
I prefer the 70/30 valved shocks offered my most of our vendors as their base line shocks. They have 30% of their resistance on compression and 70% on rebound.
I tried a set of Bilstein shocks some years back and they were just too soft for my driving. From that point on, I quit trying anything else, and just went back to worked well for me.
 

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,614
What 68 Ford said. HUGE difference in shocks. Kinda like tires, they all roll down the road under your rig but everything about each tire will be different Some drastically different. Same for shocks. Like mentioned above, the poster mentioned the Monroes killed his ride and another posted that the Bilsteins were too soft.

Personal taste for a mall crawler. WHOLE different story for a serious rock crawler, a high speed dirt racer, etc.

Personally, I moved from Rancho's to Bilstein 7100's and never looked back. They are rebuildable, you can valve them for the ride you want and yes, huge difference taking the whoops on the sand dunes or the bumps in the street. I have moved away from shocks and don't miss them at all.

it's your ride! You can probably bet that the cheap shocks will not give you the ride you are looking for. There is so much technology in them now that you really can get a fantastic ride out of some brands and most will give you a totally different ride than the cheaper OE style replacements.

Ride in someone else's EB that has the shocks you are looking at. Really helps.

One of the clubs I wheel with does a cool thing every few years. The members volunteer their rig to be tried out by others at a club meeting out of town. Members can swap drivers (with permission) on different rigs to try other Broncos out that are outfitted different. Shocks, tires, suspension, auto vrs manual, engines, you name it! COOLEST idea I've ever heard of. Yes, you can ride in your rig with another driving it OR you can be the driver so you don't worry :) but your passenger still gets an excellent idea what your rig is like.

Coolest idea I've ever heard of by a Bronco club.
 

ZOSO

Full Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2003
Messages
345
for the price its hard to beat the duffs 2020 shocks. I run them on the rear 4 link and custom valved 7100's on the front. They are a great shock on road.
 

68ford

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
2,710
the single biggest issue with EBs suspension is finding a happy medium where the suspension is soft on small bumps but not too soft on large bumps. even with only street driving, you want almost no shock when hitting something like a speed bump or pothole. you just want the tire or axle(unsprung weight) to move up and down fast and free and no input force into the chassis or sprung weight. but then when you go though a large dip, you need enough shock to not bottom out. its almost always a compromise. speed bumps are hard and big dips have excessive rebound or bounce. another factor on the street only rigs is sway bars should be used to control role, not the shocks. suggesting stiffer shocks to control role at the expense of a nice soft ride makes no sense when sway bars are available, yet bronco vendors push that concept. can not think of a single vehicle made in the last 30 yrs with that logic and no sway bars.

position sensitive shocks are the answer to needing variable rate(stiffness) at different suspension positions, but they are spendy. around $700 per shock to start and up to over $3000 per shock. designed for high speed offroad racing, but coincidentally work and ride amazing on the street. i know this from personal experience. basically this shock get stiffer as suspension compresses. soft when you need a little and stiff when you need more. soft on small bumps and stiff on big bumps.

https://accutuneoffroad.com/product/king-2-0-bypass-shock-2-tube-remote-reservoir-10-travel/

the external tubes allow oil to go around the piston "bypass" at an adjustable rate.
 

Rustytruck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
10,875
It would be cool if at Bronco events there a drive and buy event for shocks. so you could compare. I think a lot of people would anti up if it was available. maybe a 100 dollar deposit on the test with the money going for the test and or credit on a new set of shocks? don't buy a set then the money go's to rental??? would be a pain in the ass and involve allot of shocks between lift sizes. over the years I have bought at least 6 sets of shocks in my quest and stopped 15 years ago. I would anti up instead of buying a set of shocks that are not reall an improvement. shocks are not a cheep as they once were.
 

ngsd

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 2, 2019
Messages
2,531
it really is hard to tell unless you had one with hyd and changed it. I put the Duff 70/30 on one of mine and the Duff 2020 on another. They are both different suspensions and lifts so it is hard to compare. I like them both but they are hard to say how they were against what was.
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,884
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
having killed shocks far from home I'm in the camp of it has to be something off the shelf, at least in mounting and length. I know if I kill a shock on my bronco I can go to any parts store or salvage yard and get a rear shock for a mid 2000's chevy 2500 and be safely back on the road, it may not be perfect but not bouncing out of control. Then when it is more convenient I can get the correct part fixed or replaced.
 

TN1776

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 24, 2006
Messages
2,632
In my experience, the least expensive shocks that are offered by the vendors don't do the job. It is those kinds of shocks that lead to the prevalence of double shock mounts. Doubling up those shocks helps.

I started with the "white box shocks" (as a friend of mine referred to them as), single shocks at each corner, with a 5.5" lift from a reputable vendor. My first long drive on a twisty highway, loaded down with a week's worth of gear, my dog, and a friend, terrified me. I could not keep control of the vehicle to my liking. I ended up slowing way down, to the point where people behind me were annoyed and passing on blind corners. I pulled over at every opportunity to let people pass, so that I could continue along at 35-40mph.
I threw those shocks out and replaced the fronts with Rancho shocks - adjustable with an external reservoir. For the rear, I found shocks made for an F250, which were the right length both extended and compressed. My next trip was considerably more enjoyable and controllable, but there's definitely still room for improvement. This setup has lasted me more than a decade, though.

All of this being said, I've driven rigs with high dollar Bilstein shocks and that's going to be my next upgrade, after I get wheels/tires and a few other things sorted out.
 
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