what a joke!

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

Now we've learned our lesson to fix it our self!  A couple years ago we took our 98 ford f250 in to get the front shocks replaced. Well we've been going through pure hell trying to find the same size of shocks and such. That damn shop we took it to put shocks in our truck that were set up for a truck with a 2 inch lift kit! We are replacing them because the front end felt really rough on any tiny bumps and just used to shake the heck out of you. Those shocks were probably bottoming out!

We got new Rancho gsx shocks now, this time doing it ourselves and put good quality shocks up there and hopefully see how she rides now.

What a joke! That old saying:  If you want it done right, do it yourself is 110% true.

[30-30man]

I've owned many vehicles trucks/cars including an old 64 impala I still own.  All of them had the factory shocks on them when I got rid of them.  The old 64 has the original shocks on it and I admit they could use replacement as they are over 45 years old. I have one on the frint that bottoms out when I hit a pot hole.  I just have never seen a stock shock go bad unless there was other vehicle damage or the vehicle is as old as my impala, so why mess with them in the first place?  If you take it easy on wash board roads and such, they should last as long as the car. The only ones reccomending you change shocks are the ones in the business of selling them. The more aftermarket stuff you put on a vehicle the more problems you are going to have. I would think factory shocks for the f25o would not be that hard to find. After all,  all the big three put the cheapest thing they can find that will hold up on everyday conditions.

[Graybeard]

I sure don't agree with that. Shocks do wear out and do need to be replaced in time. How much time is the only question. Their purpose is to dampen movement and hasten the end of up/down movement after hitting a pot hole or change in the road. The springs have a different job.

If you have good shocks ou can push up and down on a corner of your vehicle to get it bouncing and when you stop the movement should stop quickly after only one or at most two movements. If shocks are worn it will not stop so soon.

If you continue to drive with worn out shocks you are asking your springs to do the work of the shocks and they are not capable of doing that properly.

[Oldshooter]

YEA I WAS GONNA SAY!!!!!  but GB said it for me!

[30-30man]

My old 64 will still do what you described and they are 45+ years old.  I guess I would get a better ride and some more travel as new ones would be stiffer if I changed them, but the car is a lot older than a 1998.  I've just never seen a bad stock shock unless the vehicle has been off roaded and such.  I've seen ball joints and other stuff wear out, but not shocks on my vehicles that were stock.  The ones I've seen that needed replacement were the air filled ones. I guess some people change them, but I have never really noticed any difference when a perfectly good stock one was replaced.

[Graybeard]

You must have better roads than around here. Ours are better now than back when your '64 was new but most all vehicles I've had with over 50,000 on them when I got them had shocks so worn that only the springs dampened movement it was as if the shocks weren't even there.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

why did we replace the shocks? our truck has well over 278,000 miles on it, and plus the shocks that the shop installed were 2" to long!  Thanks to them, we ended up having to fix the upper shock mount and then weld a lower shockmount ear on as it was dangling.

The  truck rides smooth on our roads now!!

+ the front shocks when we pulled them out to check, were worn out and no longer doing their job. They pulled out at a snails pace and pushed in easily.

We went with heavy duty  shocks all the way around.

You put cheap no name parts on, you get what you pay for.

[Oldshooter]

My old 64 will still do what you described and they are 45+ years old.  I guess I would get a better ride and some more travel as new ones would be stiffer if I changed them, but the car is a lot older than a 1998.  I've just never seen a bad stock shock unless the vehicle has been off roaded and such.  I've seen ball joints and other stuff wear out, but not shocks on my vehicles that were stock.  The ones I've seen that needed replacement were the air filled ones. I guess some people change them, but I have never really noticed any difference when a perfectly good stock one was replaced.

I had an old dodge 3/4 ton that had over 180k miles on it and when you were going down the road and hit a bump, if you were not carefull you'd loose control and when it hit something and started bouncing it would bounce until you slowed down and eased over. The Stock shocks had went bad and when we replaced them, it stopped the bouncing and eradic behavior. Dont know about yours but mine sure wear out. And they mostly  travel good hard surface Texas roads.