I need some new shocks and just curious if it's worth the extra $, or should I just get some Monroe (yellows) or 1A autos and call it a day?
Just a 2wd and prefer a smoother ride.

 

Shocks are worth spending the extra money to get good ones. Better ride and they hold up longer

 

I also agree. They are what dictates what your ride will be like. Good shocks can also help you with heavy weight and towing too (for things like squat for example).

 

I've used Ranchos before but not Bilsteins. I couldn't see any advantage over them to plain old Monroe or Gabriel shocks.Go with the better quality, not the cheapest, and they seem to do fine.

 

Bilstiens are better quality, and last longer.

 

I put a set of Bilstiens on my 04 1500 qc SLT 4x4 at about 50k miles. They were still on it when I sold it about 100k later. So they out lasted the factory set. But I cannot remember when I replaced a set of aftermarket shocks that I bought, so I cannot say they are better than the yellow $30 monroe shocks that I put on my 3/4 ton 2nd gen.

The Bilstiens sure do have a rare combination of UGLY colors on them. I usually find a discount at AdvanceAuto or just buy from RockAuto to get the price down... I ordered those Bilsteins from some mom/pop store and got a pretty good discount. Doubtful that I'd bother putting those on an old truck with 100k + on it.