So far I have seen 2 replacement front struts for the 2008 Dakota.
A Rancho (based on the RS5000 series) that I know I do NOT want,
and the Monroe Reflex strut.

Now, here is my exact specific question:
Has anyone here installed the MONROE struts and/or rear shocks
on your 2 wheel drive Dakota yet?

I would really really really like to know if they ride smoother than the stock struts.
The ones on my truck as best as I can tell are factory struts. And this 'lil truck rides like a log waggon!!! I have allready REMOVED the rear overload springs. It made NO APPRECIATEABLE DIFFERENCE in the ride quality at all. FEELS LIKE the large majority of the ride stifness is coming from the FRONT.

I know it rides so rough that when we took the truck to town, I crossed a railroad track tat our '02 GMC Envoy just floats over and you'd 'a sworn I ran over a LIGHTPOLE! Dang near bit my tongue it bounced so hard!
(My tires are new General Grabber AT2's, load range C, 255/70/16's)
My wife, who is allready NOT a fan of the Dakota as it was, was with me. It was the first time since I bought the truck in early July that she had been with me over that particular set of tracks in the Dakota.
She gave me a "Go to hell" look and said this truck "Rides like a bucking bronco! It is STUPID! Cant you do something about it?"
I told her there is currently NO aftermarket struts for it other than Monroe or Rancho. (Had Rancho RS5000's on our '96 Ford Exploder & HATED THEM. )

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I can do to SOFTEN THE RIDE????????
WILL the Monroe Struts and shocks ride OFTER/SMOOTHER????

If not, this truck WILL be traded off come July of next year!

 

Check the pressure in the tires, I don't bother going with higher load range tires on the truck as I just don't see a need. An envoy is meant to carry 400 lbs in the back and while I'm sure it can pull a decent amount of weight it's not it's primary use it's more of a suv for executives. I put the monroe's in the front of my truck and monroe overload shocks in the rear and didn't notice any change from the original struts/shocks (did this at 100k miles.) Maybe I got really lucky and they weren't garbage when I replaced them but I doubt it. A lot of people have the rancho's and like them way more then the stock struts.

 

The GMC Envoys are built for executives or old people, as Holbrook stated. If you like that ride, you definitely don't want any more trucks, except for maybe the 2009+ Rams that have coil springs all the way around.

Check the tire pressure. If they are factory size/type, they'll state their maximum is 44 PSI or 45 PSI. This is NOT what they should be at, that is their MAX. They should be ran somewhere in the 32 to 38 PSI range, depending on your personal preference.

 

Monroe Struts up front, will ride Firmer then OEM. I think any aftermarket is firmer then OEM
Like Jasonw said, if you dont like it, dont buy another truck. (Other then the newer rams)
Ive driven a fair amount of trucks, and they are all mostly the same.

 

You could also go with the quickstrut.

I have the 4x4 though. I'd say with my set up the ride is "rougher" aka firmer because the shocks and struts are doing what they're supposed to... return the truck back to center and forcing the wheel down. When it bounces on the old shocks/struts it give the impression of being more comfortable, but actually they're not doing what they're supposed to. The wheels need to be forced back to the ground so you stay in control and absorb the bump. I've see so many cars with their shocks or struts blown and that wheel is bouncing up and and down barely making proper contact with the road.

I can tell you the load bearing shocks are pretty stiff, but every speed bump I've gone over, the truck goes down, up and back to center.

 

Right on. I ran 30psi frpnt, 28psi rear for about 250 miles. It made no noticiable difference in ride but the cornering went to heck!
So I am now at 34psi front and 32psi rear. Ride is the same as when lower, but it corners like it's on rails.

I guess I am just going to have to live with the ride as it is till I get something else later on.
Just makes me mad that 2 completely different company trucks of ours ( 1998 F150 ext. cab & a 2005 GMC 1500 4 door) ride like a dream and this truck rides so rough. Oh well. Our '07 Ram was stiff riding too.
True on the Envoy. The only thing it has to haul is our A$$ around. And it does that VERY well!
Having that been said, have you seen the new 2012 Grand Cherokee Laredo!!! NICE!!!!!
MY MISTAKE was when I test drove the truck I had ASSUMED that if I took out the overload springs and bought some sort of aftermarket shocks & struts that I could make it ride much much smoother. WRONG!!!!

Oh well, guess I got a reason to buy something different now!

 

The Ford's suspension is worn out. Thats why it rids soft. The GMC truck will ride soft, because all GMC stuff rides that way. Granted, an Envoy will ride softer than their trucks, but all GMC products ride soft compared to Ford and Chrysler, from what I've drove or rode in. GMC makes city person trucks, Ford and Chrysler make work trucks.

The Jeep GCs are very nice... and not cheap either. Wife loved the looks, but not the MPGs or price tag, so we got a Jeep Compass 4x4 instead. A miniaturized Jeep GC with not as much power, but much better mileage. However, the smaller Jeeps do ride stiff, in typical Jeep fashion.