If you feel the shocks are the problem but it could be the springs then KYB are the best shocks for you as that is why I first got them to help stop the bounce as they are under pressure not like regular shocks that are not under pressure.

But in the end I had to change out the springs as it still bounced just not as bad the KYB helped but not as much as I wanted.

The KYB's were still a good choice as I lost some height with the new springs plus the KYB's will soften up in a year or two as the KYB's are a stiff shock if you want a smooth soft more car like ride then the KYB's are not for you but I like a stiff riding car/truck

 

People tend to forget that they have a Truck not a car a truck will always have a stiffer ride.

But in the last 20 some years they have softened them up as more and more people want trucks but they still wanted a smooth car like ride at the same time and the luxuries of a car also so most trucks are a bit soft in the suspension area unless you ask for the towing package meaning you actually wanted a truck not a truck that rides like a car.

 

Monroe Reflex were the best shocks I ever used on my Dakota. They do not make a Reflex shock for a 2WD Dakota any more. On my 2001 the Reflex were superseded by the Sensa-Tracs that have the updated design. Some places still list a Reflex for the rear only on some years of Dakota's, but I have no idea if they are really available now.

Some have gotten good results from the Sensa-Tracs, I tried them but did not like them very much. They were much too soft and sloppy. I don't do any heavy towing or off-roading, just normal highway driving. Last year I went through several different brands of shock, from the cheap Monroe Gas Matics up to Rancho RS5000's. I also tried Gabriel Pro-Guards and finally settled on the Gabriel Ultra. All of the others I tried were either way too soft or way too stiff. Ultra's brought my truck back to a much more truck-like ride, not too harsh/stiff but not too soft either.

I have tried a lot of shocks. If they still made a full set of Reflex I would have got another set of those, they were the best by a long shot. The Ultra is the most equivalent shock I could find to the Reflex. Amazon has good deals on Ultra's, but I bought mine at Auto Zone.

Jimmy

 

Just 2 weeks ago I replaced all 4 with Monroe Reflex's too. My passenger front one was completely blown and the rear were pretty bad.

Definitely a stiffer ride but very limited bounce - so far I'm impressed.

About the Sensa-tracs:

I read that they were a good shock... for 3 months then they go bad. People said to stay away from them.

I got my set of 4 Reflex shocks from Rockauto for about $210 but I had to pay shipping to Canada so they'll be cheaper for you.

 

Well I'm in Ontario so it looks like I'll have to pay that sort of shipping too. Is Rockauto the best place you've found for ordering parts in?

 

Were these the GR-2s or the Monomax?

 

KYB Gas-a-Just® http://www.kyb.com/products/shocks/gasajust.php

 

I had edelbrock before and they sucked bad

 

Definitely.

Rockauto includes the price of shipping and duty together so there is never any suprise COD fees.

I originally wanted a pair of Rancho shocks but apparently they no longer (or never did) manufacture front shocks for a 4WD that was stock height. Those ones were carried for less than half the price that Canadian Tire listed them for.

I would've been looking at around $300 for a set of 4 if I bought them here and that's ofcourse not including shipping/duty.

Rockauto has been good to me; eBay is a hit and miss. No extra charges for my body lift which was about 50-60 lbs weight but for my sub that weighed 10 lbs and cost me $120 had a nice $50 COD fee.

 

Rock Auto is good too. I have ordered parts from them 3 times. They have good prices and good quality parts. You just need to watch their shipping charges. Sometimes they will have to ship from 2 different locations and charge separate shipping for both. Other times after the shipping charges the total cost is more than it would be to buy the same parts at a local parts store. For me the deciding factor is often what level of quality the part is or what manufacturer I prefer to buy from. I stay away from cheap Ebay parts and the lower line Chinese made junk they sell online and at parts stores. I do not like to replace parts twice and I want to do a good job and do it right when I fix my truck so I try to research and get good quality parts for it. That always involves a lot of shopping, research and reading online reviews.

Jimmy