My 2001 Dakota Quad Cab is making a rubber meets metal squeeking sound when I go over large bumps or down the occasional dip. Im gonna guess the shocks are going out. It only seems to be the front at this point. So I've been pricing shocks and since this is just my daily driver and I live in a relitively small town and this dakota isnt my off roading vehicle can I get away with a cheaper shock such as the monroes'?

 

monroes are not cheap, unless u mean the sensa tracs, which are junk stock quality at best, spend the money and get the reflexes by monroe best shock imo im sure others will argue w/ me but they are my fav and what i recomend

 

Yeah I apologize I didnt mean they were poor quality or anything they just run a little less $$ than some of the other basic models. Any idea why the sensa trac are such poor quality? One of the local shops recommended thoes in particualr. Strange. I drive it less than 10,000 miles a year so I just kind want a lower end solution.

 

I need to do my shocks too. How hard is it to replace them?

 

Pretty easy but I'd have someone who's done it before walk you through it. There are other things that should be checked when you have them off.

 

roughcountry sells an amazing shock for damn cheap. i've got the nitro 9000s and had them on an old wrangler. they're great! bought mine at jcwhitney online. cheapest place i found.

scale of 1-10 to replace, 3.5

 

yea not too bad to replace, unless htey are rusted on at the top, then a 10 (mine were on my old truck had to grind the nut off the top of the driver side bolt to get it off)

 

I also got the Rough Country shocks and they made a big difference. I called the co and they matched the JCWhitney price and gave me free shipping also. I asked them why they look just like Rancho's and was told they are made in the same factory by the same maker. Replaced all 4 of mine for the cost of 2 Rancho's. They have them for stock or 3in lifted Dakota's.

 

good to hear that the rough countrys are liked here. had them on my jeep and loved them and when i need new shocks on the truck ill probably go with them.

 

Best shocks? Monroe definitely doesn't come into that category. That's a spot filled by Bilstein and Koni and nobody else (at least as far as road use goes). KYB's upper models are pretty good too. Monroe and KYB's cheaper stuff suck. For passenger cars, I like to get Gabriel Ultra, but I'm not sure how they are for trucks.