My new front shocks suck

eddyturn · 11-18-2022, 10:30 AM

Hi... just got my springs done by Alcan and they are pretty good and leveled out the van. They put some new Bilsteins on all 4 corners but the fronts are just not made for a van like this. E-350 with V10 and Dana 60 front axle. Front weight is 3920. Van goes into porpoise mode when hitting dips and depressions down the highway like there is very little rebound damping.

TT a tech guy at Bilstein and he confirmed that these have about half as much rebound control as they should, and are for a stock Ford van. Van came from SMB with Rancho adjustable that weren't even properly fitted. Go figure.

Just curious what you guys have found that works well. Getting what numbers the shop used for measurements to see what Bilstein can come up with. Can't really do much myself as I am recovering from a hand surgery right now.

I am also in conversations with Alcan on this as well.

bisonthecruiser · 11-18-2022, 11:04 AM

I'd call Agile and have a chat with them. Absolutely love my suspension from them, especially after a competent shop sorted out the install shop's work

86Scotty · 11-18-2022, 04:56 PM

Agile, I have a set on order now. This is my third set of their tuned Fox 058's and I can't wait to have them under the van.

Caleb set me up just the other day. The price was a pleasant surprise given that everything else in life has doubled lately.

loper · 11-18-2022, 06:53 PM

Fox works pretty good on my van. 4300# front weight, Dana 60, V10.

ScrapIron · 11-19-2022, 05:10 AM

I have bilsteins on the front of my chinook after the axle swap as well. They dont do a great job. I only purchased them because the FOX stuff was difficult to get your hands on during the height of the Covid circus, seemed no one had inventory on hand and the wait times for getting them were unkown.

I will have to leave them on the chinook until everything else is finished at this point, but then i will get some FOX replacements.

JoeH · 11-19-2022, 09:56 AM

I have Deaver springs front and rear installed with Bilstein 5165 shocks. The fronts are 360/80 valving, the stiffest "stock" valving Bilstein offers, in the front. Rear is 360/240 with a digressive profile. Front is linear.

Loaded my weight is 10,000lb with a distribution close to 50/50. Lift is about 5” with the Deavers. When I had the two 5165 series shocks rebuilt I had them converted to 7100’s so they can be re-valved by someone who knows what they’re doing. With regards to damping profile a lot of the off-road overlander types in the Landcruiser world like the 400/100 profile.

Shock lengths on my rig are:
Front
Collapsed Length (IN) :14.61"
Extended Length (IN) :24.39"

Rear
Collapsed Length (IN) :13.25"
Extended Length (IN) :22.01"

eddyturn · 11-19-2022, 11:48 AM

Thanks guys. Joe - that's what I was looking for about Bilstein shocks. I assumed the spring guy knew that standard shocks would not work but should have gone over that with him. Dumb on my part. I would not have been opposed to FOX but wanted to try Bilsteins and thought the shop had that expertise. Oh well.

I will see that Bilstein and Joseph can come up with. They do have a shock for Ford class C motorhomes but not sure that would be right. I'll talk to him on Monday and see what they can do. I will also contact Agile about their shocks and decide from there.

We were headed for the gulf coast of TX but my thumb surgery aftermath went further south and we turned around and came back home.

JoeH · 11-19-2022, 12:37 PM

When I looked into shock options from Agile and their RIP package, John indicated that Fox didn't have options close to the dead lengths for my van that would be long enough.

This info is 6 years old but if it helps, for most SMB's they used:

Front 7.6" Travel shock Loop/Loop 13.95x21.55
Rear 9.6"T (25.65x16.5) or 9.1"T (24.04x14.94)

Both rear shock options were stem loop and also required that the shock mount be located lower on the rear axle similar to what Sportsmobile does in their 4x4 conversion.

pjpvi · 11-19-2022, 12:39 PM

FWIW - The valving Deaver did on my Bilstein shocks are:

Rear: 440/85 (a custom valving order - last set I got I purchased from Summit Racing)
Front: 360/80 (a standard order item)

boywonder · 11-19-2022, 01:12 PM

Bilstein offers the B6 series front and rear shocks for Ford E-series vans in two different valvings....regular van and RV. The RV valved units have lots more damping.

I'm running them in the front of my van and they are plenty stiff. I have the 5.4L and the van weighs around 9000 lbs fully loaded.

There are a few posts on the forum about these being too stiff for some folks; so YMMV.

RV valved front: P/N 33187563 (Assuming your D60 uses the stock length)

RV valved rear: P/N 33176840