My 1999 Durango 5.9L 4X4 rides terribly in my opinion. I can feel every little bump or dip in the road and it's makes driving it difficult and annoying. I got the chance to drive a brand new Dodge Charger today and rode so smooth and comfortably - it felt like I was in a boat and I loved it . I realize my 12 year old Durango will never feel like a brand new car however back in 1999, I'm sure it rode very smooth and didn't bounce around like mine does. So i'm on a mission to make my Durango ride more like the Charger.

With that said - two years ago I did a complete suspension overhaul including ball joints, inner/outer tie rods, bushings, steering pitman & idler arms, and shocks. The truck steers good and tight and recently had an alignment. Also, the tires (Nokian Vatiiva) are the factory size, approx. 1.5 years old, and set at 33 PSI.

I believe the problem is the shocks. Two years ago I purchased run_of_the_mill Napa shocks and I think they are already shot. Actually, they never worked that good. So I need some recommendations on good shocks that will increase ride comfort by dissipating the feeling of bumps or divets, and quickly stop the truck from bouncing around when coming off a bump or divot.

I don't want a shock that will be very stiff which will only increase the feeling of bumps. I made this mistake by buying racing shocks for my BMW. Should I just go with the factory Mopar shocks or get something else?

 

i like monroe's reflex lineup for daily driving,

however you do need to keep in mind that the Durango is built on a TRUCK frame with TRUCK suspension and as such will not ride smoothly on the stock suspension, it was never meant to ride real smooth.

 

Bilsteins do a great job of smoothing out the ride!

 

IMHO, you'll never get your D to ride like a Charger. It's a TRUCK, not a passenger car. Suspension is stiffer (hence, ride is bumpier) because it's a TRUCK. There are trade-offs in everything; you traded comfort and cushy suspension for the ability to pull, off-road, etc. with your Durango. A zebra can't change its stripes and a leopard can't change its spots.

 

Keep in mind also, the new Charger is a fully coil sprung INDEPENDENT suspension. On your Durango you have a torsion bar in the front and leaf springs in the back so this is number one why you will never get that Charger feel out of your Durango.

As for shocks, Bilstein is not what you want if you want a nice ride because they are truck shocks and are in the SRT models for a reason, their not meant for a "Cadillac Ride". If you want a nice smooth shock look into Monroe Sensa-Trac's line of shocks because they are the smoothest I've seen. They are also not as expensive as all the others.

As for putting NAPA shocks on there, more than likely the shocks are gone by now because NAPA does not specialize in stuff like shocks so they are more than likely mass produced, lesser tested road shocks.

 

yea i agree with widow you want a shock with a lower dampning constant for a smooth ride, (the higher the damping constant the more rigid the shock acts when you hit a bump, thats the best way i can explain it at this hour so i hope it makes sense)