Replacement Shocks
 

My 07 has ~40K on it and the rear shocks that came stock are simply awful. I've experienced wheel hop on many vehicles, but not until at least ~70K. The Aspen has steadily gotten more and more wheel hop over the past 3K or so.

That said, what kind of shocks are recommended? I used the Rancho RS5000 on my 03 Sport Trac and they were nice, but really, really stiffened up the ride. I've used Bilsteins and Konis on mid-90s Tbirds...but those were lowered with heavy suspension mods. Without breaking the bank for Bilsteins or Konis...what's recommended for the Aspens? I'd like to keep a smooth highway ride (with 20" rims, that's no so easy), but don't need it to feel like my Sport Trac did. Are the Monroe's good? I haven't heard a lot of good things about them, but they were related to different applications (off roading and/or high performance).

I know this is an old thread, but wanted to report that I had the same problem with bad shocks at 40k miles, and replaced them today with Bilsteins. The difference is remarkable. This is a highly recommended upgrade for those of you in the same boat. The install took 1 hour, and there were no problems with the parts.

Here's the part numbers if anyone's interested:

Bilstein HD replacement shocks --

F4-BE5-D910-H0 (front)
F4-BE5-D911-H0 (rear)

I did decide to go with the bilsteins a few thousand miles ago. They're excellent. Worth the $250 from shox.com. Just had to look them up for the Durango.

Shocks
 

A question for the twp people who installed Bilstein. I have read that on the rear the shocks are installed upside down, meaning the rubber boots are in the bottom. Is this correct?

Yes, this is common for rear shocks on SUVs/trucks.

Mine are boot up, but it doesn't matter. Bilstein is clear that the shock can be installed in either direction with no issues.

I don't like to resurrect old threads, but I thought this was appropriate. We just hit 40k on our '07 Aspen, and as stated before, the shocks were atrocious. In fact, I had a noise coming from the back when going over bumps, that I could've sworn was a loose sway bar bushing. Turns out the rear passenger shock was completely shot. You compress it, and there's no spring back. I replaced them all in about an hour with Bilsteins, and the ride difference is incredible. I installed the rears with the boot down due to the drain holes in the boots being at the top. It rides like a 5000 lb. sports car now. We're SO happy. It's better than it was new.

Also, we just did rear rotors and pads all the way around. They were completely shot too. Duralast rotors and Hawk LTS pads all around. Feels like a brand new car.

I had the same experience. You'll note after a few weeks (when the euphoria of not bouncing down the street wears off) that the shocks are pretty firm, particulary on the rear when there's not a lot of weight back there. We went on a road trip with lots of luggage back there, and the ride was AMAZING. The shocks are set up in favor of handling a load at the expense of unloaded ride quality, IMO.

Would Monroe Reflex be a "happy medium"? Anything would be better than stock. I only have 14K on my Aspen, but the OEM shocks are way too cushy/wishy-washy. Monroe has "buy 3 get 1 free" now.

I put the Reflex on my 06 Durango (50K at change) about 10K ago and on my Aspen (40K at change) about 1K ago. I really like them, to me they were a happy medimum between good control and a comfortable ride. The ride is much more controlled, both in bumps on the road (eliminated my rear wheel hop) and much much less dive in the corners. I think they ride just fine on normal roads (comfort wise) but offer a much more responsive and secure ride in the corners and over the bumps.

^ Thanks for the review. They are much cheaper than the Bilsteins. I don't want a stiff ride, but I do want to rid of the rear hop, and rocking motion while going up driveway, etc.

The reason I went with Bilstein is from prior experience in their longevity. Yes, there are less expensive shocks out there that will perform close when right out of the box, but their lifetime is usually only 1/2 to 2/3 that of a Bilstein shock. I have Gas-ajust shocks on the rear of my Liberty, and they're shot at around 40,000 miles. My experience with Bilstein is that they usually go to about 80,000 miles with little loss in performance. Pay me now or pay me later.

I agree with you that the Bilsteins are an excellent product, no question. I chose the Reflex for a few reasons.

1. The ride and performance is greatly improved over the OEMs.
2. With cost taken into account, the Reflex are quite a bit less.
3. The Reflex shocks have a lifetime warranty if there is a failure. Now, I have not had to use the warranty so I dont know how much trouble it is try to get a replacement. Being a well recognized manufacturer (Tenneco) I decided to go with the Reflex and not assume that exercising a warranty claim, if ever necessary, would be that difficult.

Have an 09 aspen, have to replace the shocks, 38K on the car. Just talked to my mechanic and he said to check and see if Chrysler will replace them under warranty, I have max coverage on the car until 70K. Maybe someone can answer for me before i call chrysler, will they replace worn out shocks or just shocks that are leaking?? When I push on the rear of my car, i can bounce the thing with two fingers so I know they are worn out, plus when my wife is riding in the back with my granson...wooohoooo, they get a joy ride sonmetimes over the bumps. If im doing the back i may as well do the front also. I think the bilsteins are going for about 105 a pair at auto zone, does that sound about rite with the price. Cant seem to find a retailer that sells the Monroes....

Hope I didn't get to you too late! I got mine from Summitracing.com. They ended up being $312 shipped, which would mean you'd save $100.

Usually auto companies will not replace "wear" items such as brake rotors, pads, shocks, clutches, or other such items under warranty. That is, unless there's an obvious premature failure. In your case, I'd be surprised if they replaced your shocks for you.

I have the lifetime max care on my Aspen, and, if proven to be bad, they would replace them under warranty. I have a $100 deductable, so thats what it would have cost me. I never liked the OEM's, so I decided to take the $100 and put them towards the Reflex's.

Does anybody have the towing package? I have an 08 that hops around when ever I hit a pothole/manhole cover or drain. Is this the kind of thing you are talking about with worn shocks? My mechanic told me I never have to replace the "struts" unless they are leaking, but I think the problem is getting worse @50K.

You have shocks, and they do wear out. The springs themselves aren't likely to wear, but the shocks absolutely are. I have the same vehicle as you - 08 with tow package. The hopping stopped when I replaced the shocks with some that aren't crap.

I'd ask to see his certification, and regardless of what it says, I'd look for another mechanic. The rear is hopping around because your shocks are shot. The back end has no resistance, so it's just bouncing itself up and down on the springs.

Thanks for the replys guys. Still considering what to do here. Bilstein will cost me about 420 from auto zone, Reflex about 240 from advanced auto. Have to do some checking on internet pricing, im sure i can get them cheaper. I also have the 100 dollars deductable on my warranty, but i guess if they do go bad you get the oem shocks from chrysler and you are back in the same boat after a few miles. Guess it will be smart to use the bildstein or the monroe if you are going to change them. Is there a big difference in the monroe and bilstein shock to warrant the double cost of them?? I know the bilstein are the best, but im not planning on doing any off road driving and i really dont want the truck to be to stiff...

^ I've checked, and the Reflexes run ~ $40-45 on Amazon. Free shipping! If buying locally (AAP), search the internet for coupons. I've bought a lot of things online from Advance for 40% off. Buy/pay online, and pick up in store. I have a stash of PureOne oil filters bought @ $3/ea. this way, etc.

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure if I'm up to changing them myself, but I have not looked thur this forum yet so maybe I can find some step by step instructions

I have never done shocks either. From what I read, it's pretty simple. If you have jacks & stands, you just have to remove the wheels, and 2 nuts/bolts for the shocks. No alignment is necessary. I doubt you'll find a "how to" on here, but the process would be similar for any vehicle.

I'd be more than happy to give a quick walkthrough...

First off, leaving the tires on, or jacking the truck up in the back is optional. You can get under the rear of the car and do everything you need to with the tires on if you'd like. We'll start on the rear passenger side.

There are 2 sides to the bolt on the bottoms of the rear shocks. You'll need to grab both sides to loosen the bolt/nut or else it will simply spin. The top of the shock has one bolt that you can loosen, as the other side has a locking metal tab that will keep it from spinning freely. Loosen that as well, and remove. You can now take the shock out. Don't worry, these aren't like springs and aren't under any kind of pressure.

Now you can install your new shock. I've always had luck installing the top first, just because it's the hardest nut to get to, but I guess you can do it either way. Getting that locking tab to line up with the bolt again is a bit of a pain just because it's hard to get a good angle to see it. It may be easier if you jack the rear up, but as I stated earlier, I didn't. Get the top tightened down, but don't torque it down yet.

The bottom of the shock is where it takes a bit of trial and error (or frustration). You'll need to compress it about 3 of 4 inches to get it to line up with the bottom mount. I just press it up to about 1 or 2 inches above the mount, then try to slide the bolt in as it's coming back down. This takes some strength, so if you can't swing it, maybe try jacking the bottom of the shock up until it lines up. Once you get it lined up and the bolt in, torque the bolt/nut down all the way. Then move to the top and torque that down. You're done now.

(Note: I'm using the word "torque", but you don't need a torque wrench for this. You'll just want to tighten the bolts on the mounts so that they're tight, then try to take it another 1/4 turn. These bolts and nuts are constantly under pressure from your shock and are more of a coarse thread design, so they won't be going ANYWHERE)

You can use the same procedure for the Driver's side, but the difference is that you'll need to drop the spare. You simply can't get to the top bolt on the Driver's side without dropping it. It doesn't take but a minute or 2.

The front shocks are identical to put in, so I'll only cover one side. You'll note that these shocks should be noticeably shorter than the rears, so if they're not, you may have the wrong shocks.

Jack up one side of the truck with your jack, and rest it on the frame on jack stands. You'll need the jack itself while installing the shock, so you can't leave it sit on the jack.

Remove the lug nuts, and take the wheel off. In my case, the wheel was actually somewhat "tacked" onto the hub with a bit of rust. In other words, I removed the lug nuts, and tried to remove the wheel, but it seemed like something else was holding the wheel on. It wasn't, and if you have the same problem, I'd try lowing the truck back to the ground with the lug nuts off, and wheel still on. This seemed to break it loose a bit. Anyway, I digress...

Remove the bottom bolt of the shock. This shouldn't have a nut on the other side; it should just be a thru bolt. Once that is off, remove the top. This has a bolt and nut, so you'll need 2 wrenches/sockets. Remove these and remove the shock. Once you get the old shock out, install the top of the new shock first and tighten your bolt to snug, but don't torque it.

Now, here's where you'll need the jack. You may notice when you go to put on your new shock, that it doesn't line up. This is because your wheel hub assembly will have dropped a bit after removing the old shock. Place the jack under the lower control arm and jack it up a few inches, or until it lines up with the new shock. Install your thru bolt, and torque down. Then torque down your top, reinstall your wheel, and you're done this side. As stated earlier, this procedure is the same for both front shocks.

If you have any questions/concerns, give a holler.

^ Very nice! Thanks for taking the time time to write that up. That helps a lot. I will probably wait a year or so to do mine, because I only have 14k now. It's very nice to know that you don't have to jack the rear + remove wheels/tires. That will save some time.

Thanks tb, I think I can do that. I will let you know how it goes. I'm going to start shopping for prices this weekend.

Has anybody tried KYB shocks?

Not a prob... That was going from memory, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM or reply.

I currently have KYB Gas-a-justs on our 2003 Jeep Liberty rear. They were great for the first 20,000 miles, but they're really starting to fade fast now. I imagine they'd do a lot worse on a heavier vehicle like the Aspen.

For those who have replaced their shock with Bilsteins. Are they really that firm/hard when driven empty? I know it will be firmer than stock but is it uncomfortaable? I am just trying to get a feel or idea on hoe firm it will be as I am thinking of changing the shocks with Bilstein.

Thanks for your input.

In my experience, the Bilsteins are firm. This does NOT mean they're uncomfortable. In fact, I think just the opposite. They don't leave you bouncing up and down over every bump like you're on a water bed, and they drastically improve handling over OEM. I have other vehicles to off-road with, so I don't take the Aspen off-road. I don't want to mess it up in any way, so I can't give experiences from that aspect. However, on-road experiences are that they are like night and day from OEM.

Thanks for your input. I have now decidedto go with Bilsteins.

Your best beat is to go with after market shocks

I just now got around to having the shocks (all 4) replaced on the wife's Aspen, and I gotta tell ya'll, what a world of difference. I for one would of never expected that much improvement in terms of ride comfort, they're just shocks, I thought to myself.
Like I mentioned before the ride in general improved from the notorious wheel hop, to the rear bottoming out on bumps. The truck now feels in control at all times and not as if any road imperfection would send it across another lane or even into a center divider. We swapped the stocks out for Gabriels Ultra's, although their website show's a new line of shocks called Maxcontrol which may be better depending on your driving needs/habits.

Bilsteins good for towing?
 

Hiya guys,

I own a 2009 Aspen Limited Hemi 5.7 with towing group package. It's got around 34k miles on it now. I have just recently bought a travel trailer to go camping in the great outdoors. Well the truck pulls the trailer just fine power wise and no sway at all. I've got a WD anti sway hitch and everything is nice and level. My one complaint though is when driving down the highway the truck ends up bobbing up and down on anything less than ideal roads and feels like I'm on a boat on a windy day. Clearly, I need to stiffen the ride up a bit.

I was either going to go the airbag route or throw on a full set of Bilsteins and see how that improves things. Anyone comment on the Bilsteins from a towing standpoint?

Thanks,
Chris

AutoPartsTomorrow.com: front Monroe Relfex shocks = $35.32, rear = $37.02. That's nearly half what I can get them locally for, and significantly less then Amazon. Include MIR for 1 Free, and the total comes to ~$109 for 4 Monroe Reflex shocks (free shipping!). That's very tempting -- even though I only have 15K miles. The OE shocks are just cr@p. I'm sure I cold drive them for a lot longer, but why suffer at only $109.

(No -- this isn't spam, and I have no affiliation with autopartstomorrow.com.)

On the site now, autopartstomorrow, and it doesnt even let you look for parts for the Aspen?? Am i doing something wrong. How did you find the monroe reflex for your aspen on that site. I have an 09 and have been tossing this around the idea of replacing the shocks. Best i found was 45 per shock.

oopppps, found it. Didnt see the drop down for Chrysler trucks. Great price, but it only lists one shock #, the 911260. All the other sites i checked list two different shock Numbers for the monroe, 911260 and 911259 ( I think anyway). Have to check and see what one was for front and what one is for back. So if you are getting 4 shocks, I would make sure Im getting the correct shock for the aspen.

I searched by part number -- instead of application. They had both last week. My friggen wife got a $155 speeding ticket (in the Aspen), so there went my "new shock fund). :(. I may still find a way, but I have to hurry in order to get the rebate (5/31).

GRRRRRR, sorry to hear that. A few sies ive been checking are out of the Monroe Reflex, they seem to be going fast. Found this cite with both sets available, www.justsuspension.com
The cheapest i can find. Total for all 4 is 131.10, free ground shipping (but it doesnt say what that is, UPS or what ).Found the Belstein for 269 at Shox.com
Im in the same boat. I need to do this soon or Im gonna be out of luck also. Just cant decide if the truck will run better with the Monroe on them. Guess there is only one way to find out.

Bilsteins
 

I went from stock Aspen shocks to the aftermarket Bilsteins and the only annoyance I have with them is the bright yellow and light-blue colour of the shocks (and what appears to be plastic twist-ties holding the boot).

The ride is firmer, but most people compare that to the worn-out shocks just before they replace them. The car was bouncing every chance it got. Although the Bilsteins are definitely firmer and keep the truck in control, they are nowhere near the stiffness of adjustable Tokico shocks.

You will quickly get used to them and it does not degrade the ride of the truck. In Canada they were $400 plus taxes for a set of 4 from Essex Distributors in British Columbia, vs the same price for Monroes at Partsource and the factory stocks from a Chrysler dealership.

I have no experience with the KYB shocks available at Tire Rack for almost half the price.