Hey guys...

I've been looking at possible shock options from my '90 4x4 Dakota Convertible.....

Looks like there are not as many options as for the newer trucks.
So far I have found:
KYA Gas-A-Just
Monroe Sensa-trac
Rancho RS5000
Bilstein 4600 series

Truck will mainly be used on paved roads, but will see occasional use on gravel roads (fishing and camping )
I will likely haul a small utility trailer a couple times a year, occasionally lumber in the bed, rarely a street bike in the bed...

I'm a fan of a firm suspension where you can feel what the road is like.
I like being able to drive down a gravel road fast without the truck being mushy or shaking your teeth out.

What have you used/liked, and why ?

 

Rancho RS5000's!!!!! Great shocks, I've used them on all of my light duty trucks and suv's. My Father uses the RS9000's on his ram 2500 and those are great for heavy trucks. I've just had great results with them over the years. They're a great value for the price if you get them in a set online.

 

I just put Monroe Reflex shocks on my "03" Durango, nice shocks at a fair price. I pull a 3,000 lb boat on the weekends and the shocks handle the weight very well. Nice ride.

 

I have monroe gas matics up front, feel fine to me. And sensa trac coil overs in the rear, and it helped greatly from hauling loads to towing with keeping the back end from sagging.

 

Monroe Sensatrac: 1 Vote
Rancho: 1 Vote

I thought of using Reflex, but they are not available for the 1990 4x4.
The sensatrac coil overs do look to be a nice idea.

Any more votes ?
Maybe votes against a type of shock with a reason why ?

 

personally since you are going to use for both offroad and on road, probably any shock with dust boots would be fine. Thats why I like the ranchos so much. They have rubber dust boots that protect the seals and they last a long time.

 

I know what you are looking for, so when I changed out mine to the Gabriel's (mono) it increased the stiffness, but it is not harsh like on a more "tuned" vehicle. Provides enough anti squat and tracks much better. Still a truck though. I would say the Gabriel's are medium/firm for ride quality.

 

I have heard some not so great things about longevity of Gabriel shocks. No personal experience though.

 

I like KYB a lot for the price. Check RockAuto. They have good deals. Monroe runs a buy 3, get on 1 free sometimes also for another option.

 

Any name brand shocks will do you fine. I went with ProComp ES9000 on my 94 and it rides really nice. I don't take it off road much. I went with these because they were given good reviews for on road and light duty off road.
Do a cross reference on the Rancho's. IIRC the lower end models were just rebrands at a higher cost.