Best automotive replacement shocks according to redditors

First order of business is to get it in as good running condition as possible. All the mods in the world won't help if you are broken down. Find out what is causing your CEL and get it fixed.

The bouncy ride is likely due to bad/worn out shocks. Replace them with higher quality parts. You can get Monroe load adjusting rear shocks (look like coil overs) for about $90 for both. They are helpful for fighting rear end sag when you are loaded up. There are a lot of options for the front shocks depending on what kind of ride you prefer.

If your shocks were neglected, your other suspension components might be used up too. Replace the upper control arms, lower ball joints, tie rod ends, and might as well check the brakes too. Check to make the bearings in your wheel hubs aren't worn out either. If you can't stop or a wheel falls off, you will be in rough shape.

Change all of your fluids too if you can. This includes your differentials, transfer case, engine oil, trans, and coolant. You never know when the last time some of those have been changed, or what kind of condition the oil/fluid is in until you check. Test your battery or replace it if it is over 5 years old.

As far as mods go, start off with the basics. Get good tires that are designed for off road use, not passenger rated street tires. You can fit 31x10.5r15 tires with no problems or modification needed. Your tire choice will vary depending on the terrain you most often travel on and budget. Because of the 4wd system in your v8 explorer, you should also get a spare in the same size as your other tires. If you do get a flat, you can burn out drivetrain components because the smaller spare has to spin more than the larger tires in order to cover the same distance.

If you do want a slight lift, you can crank your torsion bar adjusting bolts in the front for a 1.5" gain. Any more than that and you will be putting too much strain on your cv joints. You will need to get an alignment after a torsion twist though. However, if you are replacing your ball joints and other front end parts too, you'll need to get an alignment anyway. For the back, you can buy a set of longer shackles (Warrior 153) that connect the rear part of your springs to the frame. That should get you about 2" more clearance in the back. You can also use an add a leaf spring to help bring the rear up more. An add a leaf will make your ride much more stiff in the rear though. If you have running boards, remove them for more clearance as well.

Set up proper recovery points in the front and rear. There aren't any good places to pull from stock, and you don't want to go breaking anything while you are trying to get out of a mess in the middle of nowhere. Also, check to make sure you have the factory fuel tank skid plate. It isn't 1/4" laser cut steel, but it is better than nothing. If you don't have one, look in a local junk yard.

You might want to get some new headlight housings too. They tend to fog and not do much at all. They are easy enough to replace and will make a huge difference on and off road. Auxiliary lights like Hellas, KCs, or maybe a lightbar will be very helpful if you find yourself off-road in the dark very often. Most of these aux lights come in a kit complete with a relay, fuse, switch, and a wiring harness. Installation is pretty straight forward and can be done well in a few hours (even if you have never done any electrical work before).

Other than that, just get out and enjoy the process of figuring out what you really need from your vehicle. Learn proper recovery techniques and always go with another vehicle if you can. Always pack emergency gear like a first aid kit, extra clothes, food, water, flashlight, and a handful of tools for quick fixes. You might find that you need a winch, awning, rtt, storage drawers, dual batteries, and full armor eventually, but it is better to build as you go to find out what is really necessary for you.

There are not a ton of aftermarket modifications for second gen Explorers, so you might have to do some custom work (or find someone who can do it for you). I'd advise that you do as much of the maintenance on your own as you can. That way if something fails, you will know where to begin troubleshooting and will hopefully be able to fix it. If you haven't already found it, ExplorerForum.com is a VERY helpful place. Tons of DIY guides and other resources for Explorer owners.

They are even cheaper on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Dee-Zee-DZ43204-Tailgate-Assist/dp/B01AP2BNS0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494219724&sr=8-4&keywords=deezee+tailgate+assist

Doing this the proper way isn't cheap. It'll cost you a decent chunk of change. I totally understand why so many people just go with wheel spacers: They're dirt cheap, but they'll cost you so much more in the long run when shit starts to break.

A quick google search suggests your factory rake is around 2 to 2.5 inches lower in the front. You should go out and measure yours, from the ground to the highest point of each wheel well.

To level the truck properly, get yourself a set of Bilstein 5100s. (Edit: This is why the Bilsteins are better than spacers) The fronts are ride height adjustable, and will provide up to 2 inches of lift to level out the truck, and they'll do it without the disadvantages of a spacer kit. You'll also get a huge boost to ride quality, unlike a spacer kit which will only hurt your ride quality further.

If you want to install the 5100s yourself you can. The rear shocks are easy, but the fronts require a heavy duty coil compressor (not cheap, but you can usually rent), and it's extremely dangerous if you fuck up. Having a shop install them for you is roughly 4 hours book time, but you can probably cut it in half by doing the rear shocks yourself first. (Those are literally just two bolts, all you need is a couple ratchets and the right sockets / extensions)

Next, if you're worried about the squatting stance while you tow, install air bag rear suspension. These will let you raise up the rear end up the track to balance out a heavy load so the truck isn't squatting and you maintain full range of suspension travel.

The kit by itself requires you to run the fill port somewhere convenient and use your own air compressor at home to fill them. Firestone also sells a variety of compressors for those kits, which you can hook up to either a wireless remote or install a switch in your dash somewhere to control the airbag pressure any time from inside the truck. The heavy duty compressor isn't cheap, however.

Something else to consider: Increasing the size of your tires will effectively decrease the ratio of your differential gears, which is important for towing. You'll put all kinds of extra stress on the driveline if you're not careful. So I would seriously recommend you don't go too much bigger than stock, unless your diffs are geared to 4.10 or something already.

The realistic, "not doing moab every day" answer is a set of the next step up in the Bilstein lineup (5100 series), something that's an improvement but not full on "I can feel the size of the gravel in the pavement" level of suspension diva...

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Conveniently, Amazon sells/stocks them... Links:

you'll need two of the Fronts and two of the Rears. apologies, rear of xTerra is THIS model.

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Background: Owner of an 09 xTerra S 4x4 (2010-2014 and 100k+ miles) and current owner of a 12 Pro-4X Frontier (2017 - now, "travel/trip" vehicle, 10k miles?).

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This was my first "upgrade" on the frontier. $340ish plus tax?

Worth it, and wish i'd done them on the xTerra, it's a better handling platform imho...

Bought as a pair on Amazon. Just over $100 w/ shipping. Now the time we spent swapping them out... well that was probably 15 hours total. We're not fast.

Edit: they will fit a 97 Explorer.

It’s a type of “dampener” device that lets your tailgate down easily. The mod costs $20-$25. Several options exist out there. Here’s the one I used:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AP2BNS0/

Heres everything I bought for my lift, the swaybar end links are of course optional, so are the bumpstops: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019HXJFBA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K5FP2SE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2AF0MU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2AFKP2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GH1OCO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C57XJY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

these are the ones i got. thanks for the compliment!

I have basically the same thing, except the STX with 20" wheels. Same color scheme, everything. I loved the black on blue.

• This is the tonneau cover I bought.
  
• This and this should cover your interior if you don't already have them. Lifetime warranty, and they cover basically all the carpeting.
  
• I also bought one of these tailgate shocks, so you can drop it and it doesn't just slam down.

I have a 17 stx. Haven’t done any major upgrades yet but cheaper things I’ve added are

• husky floormats off Amazon Backseat Front Seats (console style)
  
• Found a used ARE campershell on Facebook marketplace for $500 not color matched but $500 was too good a deal to pass up after pricing out a brand new shell. Hoping to get it sprayed with bed liner eventually, I kind of dig the two tone.
  
• [Black plastidipped all the chrome F150 badges on the side fenders and tailgate] (https://i.imgur.com/Mmp6iM7.jpg)
  
• DeeZee tailgate assist
  
• Peeled off the STX decals in the back, just looked dorky to me. Came off easy with just my fingernail.
  
  
  Future stuff I want to add include
  
  
• Subwoofers. Maybe it's just me but the sound system is totally lacking. I had 2 12's in my SUV before owning this truck and I constantly find myself missing them.
  
• Leveling kit
  
• Will probably also plastidip the wheels after seeing a few other folks do it to their STX wheels. Otherwise keeping my eyes on Craigslist or Facebook to eventually get a set of raptor takeoffs.
  
• LED headlights eventually. Crazy expensive it seems for a nice set though, those will probably wait for me.
  
• You could get the FORSCAN device and make changes to your truck/computer system, I haven't done it yet but will eventually.

It’s a cylinder. I think this is it...

Amazon Link

According to someone in the Q&A here, it should take a Monteverde converter (70mm length) with a screw-type piston, or any converter with standard international fitting (provided it's not too long).

5100 shocks
This is the setup I got, stock springs fit. My alternator went out at about 175k miles. I get oil changed 4-5k miles. Timing belt water pump changed at 182k. Follow up with me on anything else you do I’m interested! We basically got the same truck.. see you at 200k miles 👌🏻👌🏻

Yeah they are pretty stiff but they handle oversized tires really nicely. I was hunting down the cause of some gnarly deathwobble after lifting my WJ and I believe the Bilsteins had something to do with fixing it. All it took was adjustable LCAs, 4 tierod ends, new front upper bushings, new coil insulators, bigger track bar bolts, stiffer trackbar bushings, bilstein shocks and 2 alignments. Piece of cake.....

Also, I got mine off of Amazon pretty cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Bilstein-Cherokee-Monotube-replacement-absorbers/dp/B01N6LDQ1U/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1DQ0A8WVOBD3U&keywords=bilstein+5100+jeep+wj&qid=1570146305&sprefix=bilstein+5100+jeep%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-3

These are what I got and I love them
Bilstein 24-187169 5100 Series Rear Shock for Nissan Xterra 4WD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WO9Q1O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_ZErgxA1LiOcM2

Bilstein 24-187053 5100 Series Front Shock for Nissan Xterra 2WD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WO9P1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_mfMpcZ4asZXVe

As for installation I don't know I did it myself it's fairly easy.

So I've decided to go with OME 906 coils in the rear (2" lift) and bilstien 5100 shocks front and back (going to go with slot B, 1.5" lift in front, to forego unnecessary wear and tear on CV axel and upper ball joints). My question is in the Amazon link, not that I'm settled on buy from them, but they have a shock absorber part for the rear shocks that is included in the package. Just wonder what its purpose is, if you knew. Is it to give the rear shocks more range of motion due to the 2" coil lift in that back? Part in question: Bilstein 24-249966 5100 Series Shock Absorber 5100 Series Shock Absorber https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKNUZ9S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6bsdBbPE7G8WE

Full kit I'm looking at: Bilstein 24-248730 & 24-249966 Pair of B8 5100 Front & Rear Monotube Shocks for 96-02 Toyota 4Runner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BNCMZB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q.rdBbFJHD2DV

ARB 2906 Old Man Emu Coil Spring https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P9LWYK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7dsdBbBS41NWZ

I actually have the zone 3" lift and I love it. But I have an 06 LJ, and a much longer rear drive shaft which means I didn't need a SYE. A regular TJ absolutely needs it and would require hundreds of dollars more upgrades. I wouldn't have gone 3" if I had a TJ since I didn't have the money to upgrade the driveshaft

I had the fat bobs coil spacers installed on my ZJ (which fits all TJ/XJ/ZJ) and it was good quality and fit great. I didn't get longer shocks and eventually flexed mine out and ruined it so I'd recommend getting 2" longer shocks. These are the ones I would choose because you ride quality is dictated directly by your shocks. And with the parts I listed you're under $500

Wow three inches! My shocks have 90k on them I probably wouldn't see that much haha. I'm not really after suspension lift in the rear, I've been thinking I would level it with a t-bar crank and then get a body lift later on. I like the idea of more load support. How is the ride?

Are these the ones you got?

http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-58617-Sensa-Trac-Adjusting-Absorber/dp/B000C53RXK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Here's something incredibly minor: I just put a tailgate assist shock on my '17 today. It takes about 10 minutes to install, feels great when you lower the tailgate, and only costs $25.

Yeah just found those actually.

I had considered that but I needed new struts anyways. Two birds, one stone. The Monroe strut spring combo fixed the sag and I got new struts.

http://www.monroe.com/en-US/e-catalog/58617

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000C53RXK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477966664&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=58617

This is what you want. Well worth it and easy install.

I can see the higher prices for bed covers that are electric or whatever, but the ones that are some aluminum and hinges seem way overpriced. Oh man, you overpaid at 60, those puppies are 25 on amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Dee-Zee-DZ43204-Tailgate-Assist/dp/B01AP2BNS0/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Ifa4-nk4wIVD5-fCh0Ghg6YEAAYASAAEgJfWfD_BwE&hvadid=324825934280&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002290&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=13704358256447364681&hvtargid=kwd-330416795004&hydadcr=6149_9589956&keywords=tailgate+assist&pd_rd_r=7587b763-2400-4676-bfea-a3c7dbe9353f&pd_rd_w=I19xi&pd_rd_wg=AgeHF&pf_rd_p=9ff8ac19-86ca-4471-91f7-d0c0ecfc7454&pf_rd_r=WWK6FEAYW5SCQMF0M5VP&qid=1564770890&s=automotive&sr=1-1&vehicle=2016-54-666-656-87-53-6-8-20042--8-1-2937--&vehicleName=2016+Ford+F-150

Just Racelands in the front. 3" drop plates in the rear with air shocks.

I'd also recommend replacing the shift bushings because after 30 years of wear they can get sloppy! I bought this kit off of eBay, although I'm sure there's other vendors (side note: 5 speed is a good swap if you can find one to replace the 4 speed) Another poster on here also suggested these air shocks to stiffen up the ride if you ever need to haul anything.

Other than those, I'd probably suggest regular stuff like wheel bearings and new brake hoses. Parts Place Inc has been my main source for parts and I don't have any complaints about them.

Post some pics in this subreddit when you get a chance!

Oops looks like they were $90. Isnt that always how a build goes? Think you spent half of what you actually spent..


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XVH4GEK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FTeDxbRN0KFET

Found cheaper set. Bilstein 5100 Series Shock Kit for Toyota FJ Cruiser 4WD 2007-09 - Includes Front 5100 Series Ride Height Adjustable Struts and Rear 5100 Series Shocks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U1WSORS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rF4qDb78S23K7

Do you mind showing me some links? the best I can find is $400 just for the shocks

I read in one of the reviews that there was no need for a lift kit with these, that it gives it a little of a lift.

Bilstein 5100 Series Shock Kit for Nissan Frontier 4WD 2005-14 - Includes Front Ride Height Adjustable Shocks # 24-187053 & Rear Shocks # 24-187152 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PKHT9VO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_t0TBCbT0T3GMY

The 2012 only has one bolt on the bottom mount. This is the set I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MQ9TBX0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The fronts are Bilstein No. 24-239394

> 5100 Ride Height Adjustable shocks

These them? https://www.amazon.com/Bilstein-24-187367-Front-Shock-Dodge/dp/B004WO15F4

Thanks

Okay, I had meant to say for just the shock. How did you get all of that for so cheap?

Was THIS the set that you got?