Do I really need aftermarket shocks?

[ctechbob]

I have no rust on my E2 roundbars except where the paint has rubbed off on the L bracket. I leave them sitting outside on the tongue since I figure a little extra rust on that connection point will get rubbed off in short order.

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[puckdodger]

That's exactly what I thought. "I just bought this damn bouncy truck!! Do I really need aftermarket shocks?!?!?!".

Based on the cheap parts Ford has been using of late, the answer is a resounding yes.

I put some Eibach on the rear and it made a world of difference. Fronts were upcoming, but I sold the truck.

 

[Tom_C]

Considering that a lot of folks here have swapped rears at least, if not all 4, take a peek under the rear end and see if they are the original FX4 shocks.

 

[lariat]

Over a year ago I decided to upgrade suspension and haven't looked back. The best decision I made, IMO for both on road and off.

 

[JohnnyO]

Lotta people complain about the FX4 shocks.
I have a poverty-spec STX with the standard suspension and around 50k I started getting a vibration that I couldn't pin down. Wheels balanced several times, then I noticed it was worse on some roads than others. I gambled $80 on a pair of plain old Monroe gas shocks from Rock Auto, problem solved.

 

[ctechbob]

Lotta people complain about the FX4 shocks.
I have a poverty-spec STX with the standard suspension and around 50k I started getting a vibration that I couldn't pin down. Wheels balanced several times, then I noticed it was worse on some roads than others. I gambled $80 on a pair of plain old Monroe gas shocks from Rock Auto, problem solved.

That's pretty bad if a set of Monroe's were an improvement.

 

[JohnnyO]

That's pretty bad if a set of Monroe's were an improvement.

Like I said, I shouldn't have been able to compress them that easily. The Monroes I could hardly compress at all.

 

[Brett Fields]

.... Bilstein 4600's are a proven and can be had for under $200 the set. Don't get talked into 5100's, they are valved the same as the 4600's according to Bilstein.....

Double check me, but its my understanding that the 4600 series is meant as a more direct OEM replacement. The 5100's provide greater travel than OEM. Having been on a recent suspension journey myself, I actually landed on 6112's and 5160's. (Coming off of Fox 2.0's) Best decision I've made. Going forward, I just can't see myself back on 2" shock bodies.

 

[ctechbob]

Double check me, but its my understanding that the 4600 series is meant as a more direct OEM replacement. The 5100's provide greater travel than OEM. Having been on a recent suspension journey myself, I actually landed on 6112's and 5160's. (Coming off of Fox 2.0's) Best decision I've made. Going forward, I just can't see myself back on 2" shock bodies.

I would have to dig up the email, but the info came straight from a Bilstein tech.

Now the front 5100's do have the additional circlip notches to allow raising the truck up that the 4600's don't have, but the rears are essentially the same.

Found it:

 

[J Krutsch]

Added a sway bar, and saw some improvement towing, but not enough. Blistein shocks all around was a HUGE improvement. No longer had to air the truck tires up to max to feel stable.
Another thing I discovered on tire pressure. Most trailer manufactures list the trailer tire pressure at the max for the tire. Don't do that. Weigh the load on the tires or take GVWR divided by 4 to get close. Go to the tire manufacturer web site to find a PSI/weight guide. Or just take the load on the tire and divide by 36 to get close. Reducing trailer tire pressure to the proper level made a big difference on handling, especially in the wind.

 

[Fawnbuster]

New here, been lurking for some time. Wife and I towed a 3500 lb rv trailer for 8 yrs with an F150, sway bar only when I remembered but no wdh. Sold both of them over the past year, believed I was done with the rv lifestyle. Just turned 70. I bought a slightly used 2021 Ranger Lariat FX4 with tow package, 2.3. Wife talked me into buying a new 19' Airstream. Could not say no, she's supported me in so many ways and she loves getting away from the Adirondacks for a few months., it was her dream trailer.
Here's the particulars. Gross trailer weight of 5k, tongue weight including propane tanks and battery of 525. That's what they claim. As you might imagine, the Airstream has bit into our retirement savings so not looking to spend a lot extra this year. We would like to leave the Adirondacks mid-late Feb and head south then west for a few months.
I'll be buying a wdh, leaning towards a blue ox, but could change my mind. The Blue Sumo springs also seem like a wise buy. How much value do you all put into something more, like Bilsteins?

I'm older and loved the way my F150 drove, my Ranger feels twitchy to me, a bit worried about driving it under load. I know it can handle the weight, but I'm all about safety now.
Thanks in advance, you've all helped so much already just by me reading past posts.

I agree with Frenchy, but I will say that when I switched out my fx4 shocks at maybe 19k and no rough driving, both of the rears had a satured ring of oil at each seal, I just threw them away. Disappointed that Ford would over charge for them and not demand better quality from the makers. Can't confirm but i am pretty sure Rancho made them for Ford. I had Rancho shocks and steering stabilizers on 2 other trucks that rode nice back in the day. They at least qualified as an Fx4 shock back then. The fronts didn't have any oil leaks that I could see at a glance, I got tired of moving them in the garage so they got tossed. I am glad I paid for the offroad fx4 package for all of the electronics it came with.

 

[joeduran3]

New here, been lurking for some time. Wife and I towed a 3500 lb rv trailer for 8 yrs with an F150, sway bar only when I remembered but no wdh. Sold both of them over the past year, believed I was done with the rv lifestyle. Just turned 70. I bought a slightly used 2021 Ranger Lariat FX4 with tow package, 2.3. Wife talked me into buying a new 19' Airstream. Could not say no, she's supported me in so many ways and she loves getting away from the Adirondacks for a few months., it was her dream trailer.
Here's the particulars. Gross trailer weight of 5k, tongue weight including propane tanks and battery of 525. That's what they claim. As you might imagine, the Airstream has bit into our retirement savings so not looking to spend a lot extra this year. We would like to leave the Adirondacks mid-late Feb and head south then west for a few months.
I'll be buying a wdh, leaning towards a blue ox, but could change my mind. The Blue Sumo springs also seem like a wise buy. How much value do you all put into something more, like Bilsteins?

I'm older and loved the way my F150 drove, my Ranger feels twitchy to me, a bit worried about driving it under load. I know it can handle the weight, but I'm all about safety now.
Thanks in advance, you've all helped so much already just by me reading past posts.

I tow a similar weight travel trailer, 24 foot long and about 5000 gross weight. I absolutely recommend a WDH as a necessity. I use the Fastway Products E2 Equalizer round bar, 8000 lb rating. It's more than I need but it does very well in keeping the truck level, no sagging, no hitting the bump stops on compression. The rear of the truck seems twitchy (especially when it's windy) at 60-65 mph so I am definitely thinking about better rear shocks as a minimum. I run the tires at 35 psi but am going up to 38 on my next trip to see if it makes a difference. Interestingly enough things actually feel more stable if I go 70 mph. I just prefer to go a little slower.

 

[brroberts]

Late to the thread. Lots of towing with my Ranger. Blue Sumos help. Bilstein 4600’s on the rear just make the truck much more comfortable. Prefer the P3 brake controller in my other truck, but have the Ford Redarc tied into the Ranger’s AEB. I use an Equalizer hitch, but they are heavy. I do like how it works. A brake controller and wdh are places to start. The shocks give a better ride.
Mirrors: I‘ve only found two I like.

1. Removable: https://www.amazon.com/CIPA-11650-Deluxe-Towing-Mirror/dp/B00029WRJQ

also available at other vendors, or this variant with blind spots

https://hensleymfg.com/collections/mckesh-mirrors

or

2. Permanent: ClearVues previously mentioned in this thread.

I’ve used both. The Cipro / McKesh are MUCH nicer than simple extension mirrors. I used a neoprene seat belt cover to keep the strap off the paint. The Clearvues are nice because I don’t have to put them on and take them off.

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