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Shocks?


csutke
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So my 97 is going to need shocks, SOON. At some point I'm wanting to get the 2" AC lift but can't afford it at the moment. And after looking at AC's site they state there is a difference between the two; with and with out lift. Is this difference in valving or is it actually piston travel and compression? What I'm was planning on doing was just purchasing the shocks separately and then buying the coils and struts. If I were to buy the rear shocks will they fit or is the length of them for a lifted/non lifted specific suspension? Also I was looking at the Bilsteins. Which is better the 4600 or the 5100? Does anybody have the part number for these? Or would I be better off buying a cheap set of rear shocks, and then upgrading the whole system when I have the money? If I do this any suggestions on which to use?

 

Thanks.

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If you know you'll be installing the AC lift at some point in the near future, but your Pathy just CANNOT wait to get new shocks, just get the cheapest possible stock replacements, and upgrade to Bilstein 5150's (p/n 25-186307) when you put on the lift. The difference between stock and lifted shocks isn't the valving, it's the compressed/extended length. However, the 5150's I mentioned have slightly firmer valving than stock shocks, so your Pathy might have a slightly firmer feel. But in my opinion, that's a good thing.

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Well near is the key word there. It will prob be in the next year, hopefully, and the shocks that are on there are pretty much fried. So that's I was kinda leaning toward the cheapest stockers and then get the whole kit. But I wanted to double check and see if i could get away with the shock for a lifted pathy when it didn't have a lift. And I was planning on the kyb/bilstein package this time around.

 

Thanks for the reply xlpor

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You really shouldn't use longer shocks with stock suspension, since you may damage the shocks if the suspension fully compresses, so pick up the cheapest pair of stock replacements you can find. My advice would be to purchase only the 2" lift springs from AC, and get the KYB GR2 struts and good Bilstein shocks from other sources that will have better pricing and lower shipping costs.

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I've got a 3" sus lift going in as soon as I have time, any suggestions on what shocks to install?

 

The guys on the WD21 forum should be able to help. Your '95 has a different suspension than the R50's. :togo:

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  • 3 years later...

This reply is not directly related to the above posts, but I am looking for info on longer rear shocks for the R50. I have the 2" lift Bilstein shocks, but I am lifted at 5" and I need a longer shock. I've spent a lot of time searching but I'm not coming up with conclusive info. Most shocks that are advertised for the R50 only give 2" extra length. Is the F150 option the way to go in this case?

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IIRC the shocks most recommend with a 4" sfd are from the rear of a 2WD f250, however I don't recall the year range that they use. I've seen it posted here a bunch, maybe shoot Hawirish a pm, he's done extensive work and research with a bunch of different setups, he might be able to point you in the right direction.

Edited by 01Pathmaker
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Hahaha, you guys know me too well.

 

The shocks I run are for a 99-04 F250/F350 2WD (Monroe Reflex 911194). The only catch about them is that the bushings needed to be flipped...right sizes, wrong ends. I ended up using some poly bushings instead on one end (Energy Suspension 9-8107G).

 

Here are the stats from Monroe (compressed/extended/travel):

F250: 16.625"/28.25"/11.5"

R50: 15.125"/24.25"/9.125"

 

If you're looking for a suitable Bilstein replacement, these are the 5125 Series options with the 255/70 valving that XPLORx4 has recommended in the past:

33-104652: 17"/28"/11")

33-185569: 17.9"/29"/11.1")

 

There are some other sizes in the series with different compression/rebound numbers: 5125 Series

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And just to note...those part numbers are more for answering CDN_S4's question about having that much rear lift.

 

And about the bushings...I'm not exactly sure what pieces come with the Bilstein shocks. From their description, both eyelets are 5/8", which is a good 16mm equivalent for the lower mount. The upper mount is 12mm, so a suitable sleeve would need to be used (or upgrade to a 16mm bolt)...not sure if the the sleeve is included, but I see some sleeves in the pic at their website. I also wouldn't be surprised if you need to use some thick washers to fill gaps on the sides of the bushings if they're too narrow. I'm using some extra thick washers on my setup, top and bottom.

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Yep, that's them...the Reflex line. However, I don't really recommend them...they do ride a little rough unloaded (though...loaded up, they seem to do well). Quality seems questionable, though. I had to replace one under warranty before I ever installed it...when trying to press one of the bushings out, it hit against my workbench and something inside started rattling. I compared the compression and rebound to the other shock, and it was noticeably easier to compress and slower to rebound. If that's what it took to dislodge something, not sure how trail-worthy they really are.

 

I only bought them for as cheap option, since I was still exploring some other rear suspension options at the time. I paid about $30/ea from Rock Auto...they're still that amount, but with CAN shipping, not sure.

 

Also, the 33-185569 Bilstein above has extended length of 29.7", not 29"...typo on my part. This is probably what I'll go with eventually.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can anyone tell me if KYB p/n 335015 and 335016 (struts) are correct for a 2 in lift? I wanted to go with an OME suspension but it's cost prohibitive. Thanks.

Nobody makes a longer strut for the R50, but kyb seems to be one of the more preferred brands, so as long as those are the correct part numbers for your application (there are 2 for the R50, 1 for 96-99, 1 for 99.5-04), then yes.
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I just installed the bilsteins on mine with the 2" ac lift and they came with sleeves. Only need one for the top. Bottom slides right on

 

Cool. Are the upper sleeves wide enough for the mount, or did you need some washers/spacers?

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