Strut/Shock - when do replace?

[Andrewbens]

Sounds like I’ll need to replace mine at 40,000 with all this talk of them being blown at low mileage, the truck does feel very floaty now compared to when it was new.


https://eibach.com/product/E80-35-061-01-22

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[astrand1]

So are these the only aftermarket shocks for our trucks? What about bilstein? Or others? I don’t need an adjustable shock. Just looking for something in the rear for now to see if I can quiet down the movement a little. A little less spongy so to speak.

 

[21st Century Truck]

So are these the only aftermarket shocks for our trucks? What about bilstein? Or others? I don’t need an adjustable shock. Just looking for something in the rear for now to see if I can quiet down the movement a little. A little less spongy so to speak.

AFAIK yes they are the only ones.

I kept my Eibachs at the stock height, front and rear (lowest ring position). It also completely eliminated the Buick movement. Several thousand miles on them now, with and without towing... worth the $$$ and the work. Plus, they are likely to last much longer than OEM shocks.

 

[astrand1]

AFAIK yes they are the only ones.

I kept my Eibachs at the stock height, front and rear (lowest ring position). It also completely eliminated the Buick movement. Several thousand miles on them now, with and without towing... worth the $$$ and the work. Plus, they are likely to last much longer than OEM shocks.

Another question. On their website the picture of the shocks don’t show a dust cover at all. Do they come with one?

 

[21st Century Truck]

Another question. On their website the picture of the shocks don’t show a dust cover at all. Do they come with one?

We reused the OEM rubber pleated covers. Ditto for the OEM springs and spring tophats.

Note: whether You choose to do this Yourself (not that hard actually) or have a shop do it, Ford instructions indicate the OEM bolts for the bottom of the front and the rear shock need to be thrown away and new ones need to be used.

The rear shock bolt and nut, which are huge, need to be torqued to 380 foot-pounds. It takes a very large torque wrench to do this. I don't recommend the airgun ugga-dugga method here.

For both these reasons I'd recommend a DIY job, or careful selection of a reliable shop that actually follows specs.

I was quoted about $2,400 USD for this job by a pretty reliable Ford dealership here, and separately about $1,700 USD by the local Trick Truck aftermarket truck shop. That is separate from the needed 4-corner alignment afterwards which runs about $300 USD. I ended up doing it DIY in a US Army auto craft shop which had the lifts and the appropriate tools, me being retired Army and all that, which ran me about $216 USD for two eight-hour days of self work and including $25 per shock for the shop mechanic to change out each shock inside the OEM spring & tophat on a wall-mounted spring compressor.

 

[WXman]

Besides the slight boat feeling since I am in a truck, I don't think the stock strut/shock are doing a bad job (especially with the slightly higher rate springs on the Platinum) but I wish it was better. That being said, when does everyone recommend replacing them? I have only 34K on the truck, so I feel I am about 1/2 way through its normal life (~50-60K).

If doing a replacement, what is recommended and has it been tested with the different spring rates?

OE shocks and struts typically last 100k miles or more. I would not replace them until you see them leaking. You'll be surprised how many miles you'll get out of them.

 

[21st Century Truck]

OE shocks and struts typically last 100k miles or more.

With Ford OEM shocks, that's not my experience. Our two Fusion Energi cars had shocks that were completely worn out at about 30 - 35 thousand miles, both cars (2013 and 2015 models). My Lightning had a visibly leaking front shock by about 65 thousand miles, and when I then replaced all four, all four were completely worn out.

"Worn out" in my definition = easily compressible to their full compression with one hand, end against the ground.

 

[DarkL1ghtn1ng]

Been following this thread, and I have a question. If the linked Eibach kit is used, does that raise the front 2.9"?

 

[WXman]

With Ford OEM shocks, that's not my experience. Our two Fusion Energi cars had shocks that were completely worn out at about 30 - 35 thousand miles, both cars (2013 and 2015 models). My Lightning had a visibly leaking front shock by about 65 thousand miles, and when I then replaced all four, all four were completely worn out.

"Worn out" in my definition = easily compressible to their full compression with one hand, end against the ground.

Interesting. My ’19 Super Duty at 85k miles still had perfectly good shocks all around. I know that because I spent $500 on Bilstein replacements and when I took off the old shocks they had the same compression. And I’ve got a ’05 F-150 with 230k miles that still has OE shocks on it right now. In fact out of all the Fords I’ve had in my life I can’t recall having a leaky shock or worn out shock on any of them.

 

[21st Century Truck]

Interesting. My ’19 Super Duty at 85k miles still had perfectly good shocks all around. I know that because I spent $500 on Bilstein replacements and when I took off the old shocks they had the same compression. And I’ve got a ’05 F-150 with 230k miles that still has OE shocks on it right now. In fact out of all the Fords I’ve had in my life I can’t recall having a leaky shock or worn out shock on any of them.

Well, I hand-compressed the worn-out Ford OEM shocks from both Fusions and also from my Lightning - the last one this past November. BTW these weren't the only shocks I had changed out - I had also changed out my BMW's shocks some years earlier, and other shocks on my youthful clunkers, so I have memory of multiple manufacturer shocks, old and new, OEM and aftermarket, expensive and cheapos to compare against.

The Fort Knox auto craft shop tech who did the shock remount with the Eibach shocks into the OEM springs and tophats on his wall-mounted spring compressor just laughed at how blown the OEM shocks were.

it's often (not always, yet often) hard to judge until the OEM shock is off the vehicle. Especially on heavy-duty vehicles with strong springs. With sedans, it's easier IMHO.

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