# 2001 F250 Powerstroke Shocks



## WildRed (Jul 4, 2010)

Before I ask, I know it's a 3/4 ton and the ride is stiffer than a 1/2 ton. I get that, but how rough is acceptable? The truck is my daily driver and while AR roads aren't always great, it can bounce my drink out of the cup holder. The truck has 170k miles, and I can't imagine the shocks are factory, but I think they are in need of replacing. There are Bilstein's on the front and Rancho's on the the rear. I also have airbags in the rear. I have read that Bilstein's all around are good to make for a more comfortable daily ride.

Can you guys offer up some advice or experiences with shock choices for daily drivers + TV, and how best to determine if it is time to replace them?

Aaron


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## willingtonpaul (Apr 16, 2010)

is there any air pressure in the airbags ? shocks will matter, but i think that the airbags could be the culprit here when unloaded...


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## Red Beard (Feb 13, 2010)

Just picked up a new to us 2000 F250 with a stroker...my daily driver is a F150 SuperCrew so I can really give you a comparison of the two trucks. 
I have replaced the tires on the F150 with load range E tires running them at 55 - 65 psi&#8230;(80 psi is max)that really stiffened up the ride on the F150. But towing was great with them. 
The ride of 250 is firmer than my F150 but I wouldn't say that it shakes me to death. With the E ranges on the 150 I did notice a significant stiffness when hitting sharp bumps i.e. bridge overpasses. The same can be said for the F250. 
My 250 need shocks when we picked it up and the steering felt loose. Since the 250 is primarily for towing I went with the mid-range of shocks. Gabriel Max Control - AutoZone has a rebate for them. Once I installed them the ride was much firmer and the front end really tightened up. 
Bilstein's are supposed to a very good shock as are Rancho's you may want to look at overall condition of the shocks. Make sure that they aren't leaking etc. Remember the Rancho's come in several levels the RS 5000 I believe are the low end and the RS 9000 are the high end of the Rancho line up. Whereas the Bilsteins are valved for the more model specific to the vehicle. 
Since the tire flex has a significant effect on the ride of any vehicle, I would play with your tire pressure i.e. drop it a little and see if that allows the sidewalls to flex a little. Just remember to air them up when towing. This is cheapest thing that you can do. 
Hope that helps you out.


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## maddog (Dec 16, 2009)

I put the Monroe Reflex all around on my F350. Load range E tires, 80psi in rear and 55psi in front ride is very smooth towing or not.


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## WildRed (Jul 4, 2010)

Sorry for the delay in getting back. We towed the OB down to Navarre Beach for vacation and are getting ready to head back home in the morning.

When I first got the truck I didn't run any air in the bags, but in my first interstate trip it got to bouncing so much it was downright uncomfortable. I put about 15 lbs in each and it seemed to settle the backend down some, so that is where I left them. When I tow, I bump it up to about 25 lbs. I have load E tires, but I don't want to run them low enough to lessen the life of them. What is acceptable?

Also, when I go over bumps slowly, the front end creaks like the floors in an old house, as the shocks compress and extend. To me, this alone is enough to make me think it is time for new ones. Am I wrong in this assumption?


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## SLO250RS (Mar 11, 2010)

At work I run the Monroe Magnums on the 4 Super Dutys in my fleet and the rest get Monroe sensa-tracs,good shocks even in a construction enviroment.My wifes Aspen awd got Bilsteins and made a huge difference in vehicle stability and ride quality.The new tv i just purchased has Rancho shocks from the factory and i noticed 2 of them are leaking at piston rod probably going to put Bilsteins on that one also.Hope this helps.


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## SLO250RS (Mar 11, 2010)

WildRed said:


> Sorry for the delay in getting back. We towed the OB down to Navarre Beach for vacation and are getting ready to head back home in the morning.
> 
> When I first got the truck I didn't run any air in the bags, but in my first interstate trip it got to bouncing so much it was downright uncomfortable. I put about 15 lbs in each and it seemed to settle the backend down some, so that is where I left them. When I tow, I bump it up to about 25 lbs. I have load E tires, but I don't want to run them low enough to lessen the life of them. What is acceptable?
> 
> Also, when I go over bumps slowly, the front end creaks like the floors in an old house, as the shocks compress and extend. To me, this alone is enough to make me think it is time for new ones. Am I wrong in this assumption?


It could be the bushings in the radius arms or even ball joints,check the front end out or have a expirenced tech look at them for you age will take its toll on the bushings and the factory ball joints are not able to be greased and they tend to wear and start making some funky noises.


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## willingtonpaul (Apr 16, 2010)

SLO250RS said:


> Sorry for the delay in getting back. We towed the OB down to Navarre Beach for vacation and are getting ready to head back home in the morning.
> 
> When I first got the truck I didn't run any air in the bags, but in my first interstate trip it got to bouncing so much it was downright uncomfortable. I put about 15 lbs in each and it seemed to settle the backend down some, so that is where I left them. When I tow, I bump it up to about 25 lbs. I have load E tires, but I don't want to run them low enough to lessen the life of them. What is acceptable?
> 
> Also, when I go over bumps slowly, the front end creaks like the floors in an old house, as the shocks compress and extend. To me, this alone is enough to make me think it is time for new ones. Am I wrong in this assumption?


It could be the bushings in the radius arms or even ball joints,check the front end out or have a expirenced tech look at them for you age will take its toll on the bushings and the factory ball joints are not able to be greased and they tend to wear and start making some funky noises.
[/quote]

beat me to it. based on your continued comments, i am willing to bet this could be right on. take it in and have them checked; ball joints are a common weak point on the superduties.


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## WildRed (Jul 4, 2010)

So the consensus says possible front end work. What are some visual tell tell signs of these problems. One thing that I will say is that my steering is plenty tight. There is virtually no play in the steering wheel.

What tire pressure do people run to help take the edge off the ride? I just don't want to run so low that it shortens the life of the tires.


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## WildRed (Jul 4, 2010)

I dropped my tire pressure to around 55psi. Is this too low for Load E tires when not towing? They are LT265/75 R16.


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## willingtonpaul (Apr 16, 2010)

WildRed said:


> I dropped my tire pressure to around 55psi. Is this too low for Load E tires when not towing? They are LT265/75 R16.


it could feel a little squirrelly on the road and you could wear the outside edges of the tires a bit. IMHO i think 65psi is the lowest i would go.


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

WildRed said:


> I dropped my tire pressure to around 55psi. Is this too low for Load E tires when not towing? They are LT265/75 R16.


Not sure how this relates, but on my 3/4 ton van, the front tires are supposed to be 50 psi, while the rears are 80 psi. They're the same tires at both ends, so I would expect as long as the load isn't too much, it wouldn't hurt to run them at 55psi.


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## CdnOutback (Apr 16, 2010)

I drop the rear tire pressure on my GMC to 65 when I am not towing for an extended period. The guys at Discount Tire said that would be a good thing to do.


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