Well, I've replaced some shocks on my van and my moms van, and I can tell you what shocks to avoid, and which ones I've found work very well.
Avoid any Monroe brand, they get mushy very quickly. KYB is the way to go. I am using Gas-A-Just shocks on my van, which is a bit firmer than you would want for a passenger van, but they handle weight very well. And they are holding up over time, I have over 50,000 miles on my KYBs and they still ride great. The GR2 would probably be a good shock for a daily driver passenger van.
Don't forget, if the springs are old and saggy, it does undermine the shocks, go for cargo springs where possible.
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'94 Aerostar 4.0L XLT AWD 192,000
overbuilt A4LD trans with shift kit
Custom catback exhaust with Fullblown 50 series muffler
I believe you & I have disagreed about shocks before, Bear River.
I made a remark about Sesnsatrack HD Loadleveler coilovers I run on the rear & regular HD Sensatracks I run up front on the "other" ford truck site.
Mine are far from mushy and have yet to wear out in over 100K miles. I hauled over 10,000 lbs on my 16 foot tandem axle flatbed trailer with a tongue load around 850 lbs from Virginia to Florida, it was a breeze. My GVW was 13,780. So much for not towing a lot or very far with an Aerostar too, I guess, maybe, Huh?
It corners excellent with huge 225-75R 15 tires on the Grand Marqis alloy 8" X15" wheels & I'm very satisfied. They probably cost less than 1/2 what it would on KYBs.
Additionally, since they're coilovers they help remedy the 230K + miles on my OEM rear coils. Van actually sits up there rather well in fact. Look at pix I posted, Both have same wheels Tires & shocks. Nothing at all shabby about their stance there.
The Sensatracks are "Progressively Valved", using nitrogen over oil for hydraulic dampening action. They are a tad rough to install with coilover design. It can be done by dropping the entire rear axle then lifting in place using a pin to locate and align the bolt holes.
I have seen the Pep Boy "special" shocks that sell & 4 for $59.95 + installation leak and get mushy, backing out the door almost and I have seen most low end shocks go bad over several 1000 miles. But I have not had that happen with the top end Monroe Products, they do come with a guarentee . . . . Just my $.02 on shocks.
FBp
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"Everybody believes in something so I believe I'll have another Beer."
W.C.Fields = 20th century
You know, I haven't used the coilovers. But my mom's Aerostar is not the only vehicle I have used Monroe shocks in with disappointing results. I used the Reflex in my '90 Mazda pickup, and they also went south very quickly.
Those coilovers do sound like a great idea though.
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'94 Aerostar 4.0L XLT AWD 192,000
overbuilt A4LD trans with shift kit
Custom catback exhaust with Fullblown 50 series muffler
Google LOADLEVELERS and it should bring you to their Site. Google Advance Auto Parts and they have a great price for a pair
I believe Monroe woke up and realized they needed to pick up their technology if they were going to compete with Bilstein, KYB, el Rancho and all the other performance oriented shocks on the Market today.
FBp
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"Everybody believes in something so I believe I'll have another Beer."
W.C.Fields = 20th century
Did a little more dealing with people. Monroe has not improved their quality. The load levelers are better than their standard stuff. Pray tell, you were hauling how much with your van? I was under the impression that the maximum trailer weight an Aerostar can handle is about 4,800 lbs. Beyond that, there is a danger of the trailer driving you. Plus that is a lot a strain on the engine and transmission. I mean I guess by keeping the tonque weight down you are probably fine. I don't use the trailer much anymore, but the weight I handle in mine is a lot more than 850 lbs. I have hauled as much as 2500 lbs inside the van. The KYB shocks handle that very well. But I do need better springs. I actually have a set of air rides that I will be installing in mine quite shortly. I am routinely hauling in excess of 1000 lbs in the back f the van, and the cargo springs alone squat down pretty good. I have the on board compressor already installed, just need the air rides put in place.
Even so, I have still had problems with every Monroe shock that I have used.
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'94 Aerostar 4.0L XLT AWD 192,000
overbuilt A4LD trans with shift kit
Custom catback exhaust with Fullblown 50 series muffler
