Yo I just heard of some amazing shocks they are so great you need to replace them every two years yea they do fall apart some and squeak like hell oh and the casings do break off at times did I forget to mention the shock eyes tend to wear down to nothing in two years.

Who cares

Don’t worry they are warranted just get new shocks every two years big deal

But they are great shocks

 

Ok all fun and craziness done.

I have used a number of shocks especially when I had my Baja Bug that was totally tricked out Bad boy.

My picks

1 Bilstein shocks the BEST
2 KYB MonoMax performance gas shocks
3 KYB's Gas ajust Shocks
4 Rancho RS5000 series not bad but just so so
5 Edelbrock's Performer IAS shocks about the same as Rancho

Best ever
Micky Thompson pro shocks cant get anymore these were the ultamate best shocks I think Bilstein bought them out.

I’m sure there is way better pro racing shocks for big $$ but for the road warrior this is it

 

Wow, way to be a douche...

I still think the shocks are good shocks. They wouldn't offer a life guarantee if they were getting all the shocks back a year later. They would lose an incredible amount of money. The shock handles great, and certainly made my truck feel a lot more stable than the stock ones (although the stocks were worn...). The dust shield breaking is kind of a freak thing. Not sure how it broke but I do drive on some down right AWFUL roads. Any shock that lasts on the roads I drive on is a good shock.

Bilsteins are over rated IMO. My bro-in-law's Tundra had them and they were worn out in no time. My father and father-in-law both have F-150's with original shocks (not sure who makes them for Ford or if Ford makes them) seeing 230k miles plus and they both drive on some of the worst roads there are.

My girlfriend has gone through 3 sets of KYB's. Only reason she replaced them again is because of the warrantee. They had a 2 year warrantee and they only made it a year... three times. She only drives 10k miles a year.

 

For the OP, I installed new shocks on my car and the squeaked for a couple of months before quieting down.

Try some silicone spray like was mentioned and see if that helps. Keep in mind it could take a month or so for them to stop complaining.

 

Thanks bpark and durandall, the Reflex's provide a way better ride than the stock ones did in the back, granted the stock rears had almost 100K on them. The front had some Gabriel shocks on there, they were about half the size of the Reflex's and were super stiff, almost couldn't even push them in by hand when I got them out and pushed the shaft against the ground.

I'll wait it out a bit more and see if they quiet down or not. I tried some spray on the bushings and it didn't do anything, and it's tough to even get a spray straw in between the shock body and dust shield, I think all I did there was spray some silicone on the inside of the dust shield and it all leaked down anyway.

I'll give them a few hundred miles more and see if they stop, if not I'll swap them out.

Thanks.

 

That's what I would do. Give them a few hundred more miles and if the squeking hasn't stopped, I would take them back. I've never had a new shock squeak before, but that doesn't mean it can't be the case. Hopefully it will go away.

 

Also I just got in 4 bilsteins for my dakota. I guess we will see if they squeak, I'll post back when they are installed.

 

i cant keep front shocks on my truck for whatever reason. once a year, 30k miles and they are junk. its the lower mounts, not the internals of the shock itself. so after spending $ on really good name brand, i just bought the cheap gabriels. life time warranty and they are now lasting longer than the "big name" ones. i never had one squeak on me, if i had, i would take it back in a flash. im on my 6th or 7th set of shocks now, and not a squeak.

 

I wonder why McNasy I ran the Edelbrock's Performer IAS shocks for around 6 years and didn’t like them too much, too soft for my liking changed out to KYB's Gasajust Shocks three years ago and like them a bit stiff but not bad. Will change out to the Bilstein shocks next year when I have time.

I have never experienced any excessive shock wear on my Dakota I do admit I never liked the way they mounted in the front with two small bolts they always feel like I’m stripping them the few times I changed out my shocks.

You have a Quad cab and a heaver engine than my 2.5 so maybe that’s why they wear out so fast.

 

Have Rancho 5000's all around. Not bad been on for about 18 months now. Little weak ride quailty could be better.