Ok so I have a 2006 fx4 L2 with the factory bilsteins, what shock would give me a smoother ride for offroad bumps like beat up logging roads? all my buddies just rip through them with no care and I dont becuase I feel sorry for my truck and I'm tired of getting left behind..

I'd just be looking for something to drop in but I also dont mind paying more to get the best.

 

to be honest it always feels worse then it looks.

 

I always thought the Bilsteins where the best upgrade for a stock set up

 

ya you may think its smooth for them but its probably the same.

bilsteins are prob the best shock for a stock truck. you can get some 5150s, but your gonna have to do some modding for them to fit, i believe.

id keep the bilsteins, if you want it smother/softer, stock shocks will do that. but for offroading you want the shocks stiffer, so id say stick with the bilsteins.

 

To be honest...you've got the best shocks you can get that'll bolt right in already... I loooooved those shocks when I had 'em.

 

Next time air down your tires a bit and disconnect the front sway bar. You don't have the torsion bars cranked, do you?
The best my 98 ranger ever rode was with bilstein HD shocks, belltech 6400 shackle, disconnected swaybars with aired down 33's. Oh and I had some weight in the back. The truck floated stuff pretty nicely that way as long as I kept the ride height in front from being too high.
Are you sure you don't have bad balljoints or anything up front?

 

With that FXR ranger we have been getting lots of calls on running FOX shocks to replace the OE Bilstiens. So after doing some research we found a way to do this with no modification but as a direct replacement. People seem to love the upgrade and the handling off road as well as their on road DD.

 

I consider the Bilstein HD shocks a slight upgrade from the OEM Bilstein shocks. The HD shocks are slightly more firm and give a better handling feel. I doubt they are smoother than the OEM shocks but work better off-road. I think Ford specified the valving in the OEM shocks for better road manners but sill function well off-road. I still prefer the HD shocks for both situations.

I don't recall the part numbers but they are not the 5100s. The HD shocks are a direct fit for a stock suspension. You can find them almost any place that sells Ranger Bilstein shocks.

 

I usually air down to 35 psi and it does make a difference.

my truck is perfectly fine, nothing wrong with the balljoints, maybe Im just being a big whiner about it.. lol maybe i'll just air down some more and deal with it

I saw the drop in shock kit from dixon bros racing and I imagine they'd make a difference but Im not about to drop 600 bucks when I dont even know that it'll help for sure

 

Holy hell thats what i usually air up to, to save gas. the sticker on the door of mine says 30 or 32 psi my tires say max 42psi. what does yours say? maybe you should try airing down to like 25-30.

I trade you my worn down hd shocks if you want softer shocks

 

so what pressure do you run on the street?

 

would you elaborate on this a little more please? what size of shocks? stock lengths? pics?

 

Holy crap dude, if you are airing DOWN to 35 psi then that is your problem!
I wouldn't run more than 35 on the highway. 15-20ish is pretty decent for backroads, forest service roads etc, and you can still drive home on it if you have to.

 

fox makes oem replacement and +3'' shocks. Go to their site

 

The shock lengths are approx an 8"travel for the front and the rear is 10" travel. These shocks will fit into the OEM mounts with no modification. Have for stock height and lifted applications for the FX4 and 4x4 models. Fox doesn't list this shock only the one for the 2wd ranger 0-3". This is something we at ORW have put together.

 

Are you sure the fox front shocks are 8" travel, because that doesn't seem right. The front suspension itself is lucky to see that much without binding. The shock upgrade kits I have seen are somewhere like 6" travel shocks, and they need limit straps to keep the suspension from drooping too far.

 

i bet a 2wd could pull off 8, but a 4wd the cvs would be hurting with 8.

as for the OP I ran 30 in my stock tires all the time. so id run 20 on the road like you are on then you can still drive home to air up

 

damn 35 psi i run that everyday and i air down to 12-15 when i offroad granted i have a 10.50 tire on a 7 inch rim so i can get away with a little less air but hell air down to like 17-20 and then go hit the trails and see how it rides

 

The shock bodies and shaft travel have been made custom to work with the 4wd and FX4 models so that that the shock can collapse with the suspension with no binding issues and allows for full extension of travel without having to run a limit strap(shorter bodies longer shafts). Will not allow to droop out too far to cause any CV 4wd issues.

 

so what kind of $$$ for the fox shocks? do you guys ship to canada?

 

lol I guess thats my problem... my tires say max 50psi I usually have them at 42psi

 

generally speaking for street pressure, go by the pressures listed on the door jamb, not the mazimum pressure listed on the tires. this will generally give the best ride, and adequate load carrying capacity.

off road, air down from there, it will cushion the ride quite well, just don't go too low in pressure, unless you have means to air up!