I just bought a used 1500 4x4 with OEM shocks that are finished. I'm trying to replace them, but I can't land on the right ones. I drive 2-track mountain trails, lots of snow on the roads in winter, haul firewood, tow a 17 ft open aluminum boat, and sometimes a light camper trailer. Any suggestions based on your collective experience would be greatly appreciated. Last time I did a shock replacement was 25 years ago on a s-10 blazer. I used Monroe gas magnums, and they were perfect, but I never had any significant load. Price isn't a huge deal, but I prefer value & performance over shiny paint and a name. Thanks for your help!

 

I think there is a thread with a poll for which shocks folks prefer in the FAQ/DIY section here. That said, the bilstein 5100's are pretty popular among the half-ton crowd.

Welcome to DF!

 

I put regular monroe gas shocks on my 2nd gen 3/4 ton 4x4, they worked just fine. Had the expensive bilsteins on my 3rd gen 4x4 at 50k miles (originals were shot). I had about 100k on them when I sold that truck, and they still were working fine. Of course you could probably buy 2 or 3 sets of monroe shocks to one set of bilsteins.

 

I love my M95s. Just whatever you do, avoid water (Hydro) shocks unless you like bruised kidneys.

 

I see a lot of comparisons where some swear by the Bilsteins and some swear by other brands. I haven't seen any convincing info so when i was looking for replacements(second time) i went with my first choose witch was Rancho RS5000. They lasted nearly 20 years on the horrendous roads here.