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Old 01-15-2019, 09:11 PM   #1
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Bilstein shocks for F-250

I decided to replace my shock on my 2017 F-250. I wanted Bilstein but could not figure out what model to buy. I finally called Bilstein and the guy kind of chastised me for not looking it up myself on the website.

Then he looked. Oops! They do not make a front shock for a Ford F-250 2017,18, or 19.

He apologized and said they are working on it. Wow! How today could this be?

He told me maybe sometime in Feb, March or April.

The Rancho shock I currently have are actually made by Autolite (Ford). Ho hum.
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Old 01-15-2019, 10:11 PM   #2
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Turk, apparently lots of folks have mounted Bilsteins on the rears. It involves swapping out or drilling out the bushings from the pre-2017 rear shocks. Here's a thread about it (there are many around the Intertubes).

Like you, I am amazed at how an aftermarket shock as popular as the Bilstein 5100 is not yet off-the-shelf ready in the third year of production for this truck.

I'm waiting to tow (for the first time) with my 2019 F-250--it'll happen in March. I suspect I'll want to change out the shocks but am reserving judgement (and money) until I see how the truck rides under load. Bilsteins are at the top of my list (based on previous experience with them).
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Old 01-15-2019, 11:45 PM   #3
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Love them on my F150! Made an amazing improvement in towing. But then, my 2013 had one leaking shock on the rear.
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Old 01-16-2019, 09:58 AM   #4
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I installed a set of KYB shocks on my 250 Dodge, a couple months ago.....Prior to that had Monroe shocks........amazing difference, both when towing and driving without the trailer......The biggest difference was towing.......
The problem with shock that are going bad, they go bad so gradually that you don't really notice in day to day driving......I've found that factory shocks are good for about 25,000 miles, most of the gas filled maybe 40,000.......I wonder how long these KYBs will last?
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Old 01-16-2019, 10:01 AM   #5
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Kind of confusing to many on the Rancho shocks. If you have a FX4 package, this shocks are made by Ford - Just branded "Rancho". I found the same problem finding shocks for my 2017 F250. Actually installed Rancho 9500 adjustable and they are working great with the ability to change depending on rather towing or not.

Chuck
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Old 01-16-2019, 11:00 AM   #6
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Put Bilstein 5100s on our 2016 F250 a couple months ago. Remarkable improvement in ride. Wish I had done this right off the bat; would have saved me the purchase of rear air bags. Initially had quite a rear sag; combination of learning how to use the ProPride and negotiating with DW to reduce the amount of cast iron we carry helped that. The air bags were to improve ride and help level (yes, I know they do not increase payload).

It is difficult to understand why Bilstein has not developed shocks to fit the most popular truck in the world.
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Old 01-16-2019, 11:01 AM   #7
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Turk123 have you considered Fox shocks. I have had them on several vehicles with great results.
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Old 01-16-2019, 11:27 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turk123 View Post
I decided to replace my shock on my 2017 F-250. I wanted Bilstein but could not figure out what model to buy. I finally called Bilstein and the guy kind of chastised me for not looking it up myself on the website.

Then he looked. Oops! They do not make a front shock for a Ford F-250 2017,18, or 19.

He apologized and said they are working on it. Wow! How today could this be?

He told me maybe sometime in Feb, March or April.

The Rancho shock I currently have are actually made by Autolite (Ford). Ho hum.
Wondering about this myself at 49K miles...just went in for service at Ford and discussed. The service guy asked me what was wrong with my Rancho's; they are working fine and not leaking. Suggested waiting to 75-90K miles...why spend the money. I did get new Michelins installed at Costco last month, and they said shocks were fine. Not sure what makes sense ;if they are working fine and not leaking...
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Old 01-16-2019, 11:45 AM   #9
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Your forgetting....

...one of the primary Streaming rules...'if it aint broke...fix it 'til is. 🥴

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Old 01-16-2019, 01:11 PM   #10
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Experience has shown me that the factory shocks are as good as Bilsteins and will last longer. Everytime I have used Bilstein, At least one of them have started leaking within a year, with low mileage at that.
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Old 01-16-2019, 07:57 PM   #11
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Bilstein shjocks for F-250

46 years in the automobile business.The majority of factory shocks cannot come close to Bilstein’s in my opinion.And in the case of the Ford F-250-F350 FX4 factory Rancho shock (knockoffs) if you remove one and compress it fully( very easy) it will take a few minutes to rebound.I demonstrated this to the service manager and a few technicians at my local Ford dealership, they were amazed.The 2016 Bilstein 5100 shocks fit the 2017-2019 with A simple bushing change.Simple and about $29.Just Google it.
By the way, I have seen zero premature failures of properly installed Bilstein shocks in my career and I have seen some serious abuse.
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Old 01-16-2019, 09:13 PM   #12
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There is an awesome company in San Diego called Doestch that has been making shocks since I was a kid. Great customer service, great pricing and they make a great shock. I have been putting them on trucks for 15 years. I had a set custom valved for a built Land Rover and ran a set of the standard shocks on a C3500.

I just never liked the price of the bilsteins for what they are. I rather a rebuildable and tuneable shock for that price.
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Old 01-17-2019, 06:49 AM   #13
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Rancho aftermarket

We put the Rancho adjustable shocks on and so far they work as advertised. I leave the front shocks set at "5", but adjust the rears to "9" when towing and down to "3" when just normal use and it makes the ride of the truck enjoyable. We installed them shortly after we bought the truck as Rancho was just getting the rears available then. So far so good, going on 2 years. We had Bilseins on the previous truck, and while they excellent towing, unloaded the ride was too stiff for us, soften by lowering the pressure in the tires. The Foxx are rebuildable, but pretty pricey
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Old 01-17-2019, 10:37 AM   #14
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Tom, I’ve a little more time to post so to add to my other comment, I put Bilstein shocks on my F150 but as you and I talked about in Bakersfield, my F150 could use a little more payload so I was finding the 28 International was causing porpoising over some pavement dips. I know part of that was due to the left rear shock leaking. But the hitch wasn’t set up correctly at first which exacerbated the issue.

So the first question is what problem/issue are you trying to solve? The damping properties of the Bilstein over the OEM shocks for my F150 are night and day better. Some find them too stiff so that’s a personal choice - I was a high performance driving instructor for 20 years, BMW race team crew chief and raced myself for about five years so my butt-o-meter prefers a stiffer ride. The unsprung mass (tires, wheels, hubs, brakes, etc) on trucks is quite high so having good shocks is a must in my opinion. In addition, we tend to tow with a lot of mass in the bed and then there’s that 7,000 - 8,000 pounds chasing us down the road which makes it doubly important.

For me I needed to improve my towing “composure” for my own comfort level, if not safety. Now our ride is super comfortable with little to no porpoising and great ride control of our truck/trailer combo. Coming down I-5 from Seattle we got caught up in 40-50mph headwinds which caused some buffeting but no sway. Not once did I feel some discomfort. As mentioned, I’m also super happy with the ride when not towing. If you have some handling issue with the F250 you are trying to solve, shocks may be a good cost effective solution. Happy travels.
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Old 01-17-2019, 11:01 AM   #15
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Thanks Wconley

I am trying to correct a bit of porpoising that I get on concrete roads (I 10 especially!). The truck gets to oscillating and it forces me to slow way down. There does not seem to be any dampening and that really bothers me. I have a ProPride hitch and it has been set up properly with the help of sean. It works well. My stock shocks have 25,000 miles on them and I just wanted to try something else. My trailer really gets tossed when this happens.
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Old 01-17-2019, 11:21 AM   #16
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^
The only 'shocks' that I found that helped 'road seam' oscillation were Edelbrock IAS...used them on our 95 3/4 Burb. But they did NOT eliminate it...in my experience nothing will, 'cept maybe a smooth road with no seams.😂
Out PPP hitch is great for no sway but does nothing for up/down.🤔
Summit...
"Edelbrock Performer IAS monotube shocks use a patented inertia-activated valve that instantly adjusts to driving conditions. It's simple enough: On smooth terrain, the valve closes to give you a firm ride, excellent cornering, and reduced body sway. Under rough conditions, the valve opens to make the shocks softer and more responsive. So, your wheels follow the contour of the driving surface for a smoother off-road ride. These shocks use polyurethane bushings for added responsiveness and their high-pressure, monotube design eliminates oil foaming and dissipates heat more effectively. Other features include nitro-steel piston rods, heavy-duty welds, and an attractive red powdercoated finish."

Bob
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Old 01-17-2019, 11:21 AM   #17
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Well, I10, especially the Atchafalaya Viaduct is a challenge to us all. The expansion joints are perfectly spaced to induce a self-amplifying fugoid cycle or bounce. Many users of the Air Safe hitch swear it solves the problem.

I don't have one -- I just head north to I20 which is better but not great.
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Old 01-17-2019, 10:17 PM   #18
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Bilstein shocks for F-250

Quote:
Originally Posted by turk123 View Post
Thanks Wconley



I am trying to correct a bit of porpoising that I get on concrete roads (I 10 especially!). The truck gets to oscillating and it forces me to slow way down. There does not seem to be any dampening and that really bothers me. I have a ProPride hitch and it has been set up properly with the help of sean. It works well. My stock shocks have 25,000 miles on them and I just wanted to try something else. My trailer really gets tossed when this happens.


Had the same problem with my 2012 F350 6.7 Supercrew FX4.Switched shocks to Bilstein 5100’s at 10k miles and it changed for the good.Did the same thing with my 2015 F350 6.7 Supercrew FX4.I also run a AirSafe Hitch.
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Old 01-20-2019, 09:47 AM   #19
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My truck is a 2017 F250 6.7 PS 4x4 Platinum CC Short bed - fully loaded with a Paragon bed cover. Everything is stock except for the shocks and Timbren springs.



The Timbren parts are on Amazon here (be prepared for sticker shock - they are not cheap based on what they look like but - they are very well made, have a great reputation, do what they claim, and are definitely worth the price IMO):



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



and here:



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



The front Timbrens are a bit tricky to install but can be done in the driveway - getting the nut to start on the bolt that holds the rubber cone onto the frame adapter takes some creativity and patience as it is inside the cone and the bolt is captive in the adapter base that you need to already have bolted to the frame before installing the cone. The back ones take about 10 minutes each - easy peasy.



The shocks I purchased were RANCHO RS999042 and RS999047A. Got them from RockAuto.com as they were the cheapest at the time. Google around for the best price and also see if RANCHO is running a rebate - they do it a lot. If they are running a rebate, be sure you purchase all of the shocks at the same time in the same order from the same vendor. I did not and it cut my rebate to less than half due to the terms and conditions of the rebate. These are adjustable shocks and I found they work best for non-towing set to 6. Towing, I set the rears to 8. They go to 9.



Many say RANCHO shocks are crap - mostly based on the fact the OEMs used by Ford are labeled "RANCHO". And yes, RANCHO does make them - but to the specifications of Ford - at a price that Ford is willing to pay. I had one rear OEM shock blow a seal in the first 6 months with minimal towing or hauling miles. The dealer said they would replace it free under warranty - with the same crap OEM shock - so I passed and upgraded myself. The RANCHO after-market shocks are built like tanks compared to the OEMs and many other brands I have used in the past. So far, I am pleased with my purchase decision.



I highly recommend going to both the Timbren.com and the GORANCHO.com web sites and using their product selectors to validate the part numbers above. My purchases were in October of 2017 and manufacturers are not beyond changing part numbers in nearly a year's time.



These changes made a huge difference in the ride and handling of the truck. The adjustable shocks provide a wide range of flexibility and allow you to tune in the ride you desire. It isn't like a sedan since it is after all a truck - but - it is much closer than with the OEM equipment!



Best of luck!
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Old 01-21-2019, 09:19 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DRPREECE View Post
My truck is a 2017 F250 6.7 PS 4x4 Platinum CC Short bed - fully loaded with a Paragon bed cover. Everything is stock except for the shocks and Timbren springs.



The Timbren parts are on Amazon here (be prepared for sticker shock - they are not cheap based on what they look like but - they are very well made, have a great reputation, do what they claim, and are definitely worth the price IMO):



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



and here:



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



The front Timbrens are a bit tricky to install but can be done in the driveway - getting the nut to start on the bolt that holds the rubber cone onto the frame adapter takes some creativity and patience as it is inside the cone and the bolt is captive in the adapter base that you need to already have bolted to the frame before installing the cone. The back ones take about 10 minutes each - easy peasy.



The shocks I purchased were RANCHO RS999042 and RS999047A. Got them from RockAuto.com as they were the cheapest at the time. Google around for the best price and also see if RANCHO is running a rebate - they do it a lot. If they are running a rebate, be sure you purchase all of the shocks at the same time in the same order from the same vendor. I did not and it cut my rebate to less than half due to the terms and conditions of the rebate. These are adjustable shocks and I found they work best for non-towing set to 6. Towing, I set the rears to 8. They go to 9.



Many say RANCHO shocks are crap - mostly based on the fact the OEMs used by Ford are labeled "RANCHO". And yes, RANCHO does make them - but to the specifications of Ford - at a price that Ford is willing to pay. I had one rear OEM shock blow a seal in the first 6 months with minimal towing or hauling miles. The dealer said they would replace it free under warranty - with the same crap OEM shock - so I passed and upgraded myself. The RANCHO after-market shocks are built like tanks compared to the OEMs and many other brands I have used in the past. So far, I am pleased with my purchase decision.



I highly recommend going to both the Timbren.com and the GORANCHO.com web sites and using their product selectors to validate the part numbers above. My purchases were in October of 2017 and manufacturers are not beyond changing part numbers in nearly a year's time.



These changes made a huge difference in the ride and handling of the truck. The adjustable shocks provide a wide range of flexibility and allow you to tune in the ride you desire. It isn't like a sedan since it is after all a truck - but - it is much closer than with the OEM equipment!



Best of luck!
Again, if there is no problem with the shocks, why would you replace them?? Ride and handling of my 2017 F250 KR 6.7L 4x4 Off Road model is fine; no leaks and no "bottom out" signs...dealer confirmed....I just turned 50K miles. Maybe at 75-100K or if there is a problem...the OEM Ranchos on this model are fine.
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