2006 E450 front shocks?

I have an E350 chassis and had my shocks replaced a few years ago because one of mine was leaking. I went with some heavy duty Monroe Shocks. I had an independent shop install mine. A lot of people go with Bilstein or Koni shocks.

I had some major steering control issues at highway speeds initially. However, after replacing the front shocks, ball joints, front tires and getting a front wheel alignment, my rig now is very stable at highway speeds.

I replaced the Ford OEM shocks with Bilstein shocks on our 2003 E450 back in 2009 and wrote up my experience in this thread. It is true that the front driver's side shock is difficult. The passenger side was easy. Read the entire thread as there were several comments further down that probably would have made replacing the front driver's side easier.

The new shocks did make some difference in the ride, but my replacement of the Ford OEM sway bars last year with Hellwig sway bars made a huge reduction in the sway (side to side rolling). Replacing the sway bars was much easier than replacing the shocks.

I did mine on my '98. On that year, at least, the plug/grommet did not provide any better access to the top mount. I found the tool that worked the best to remove the top nuts was a flex head ratcheting wrench. Of course, the nuts for the Koni FSD's I put on were a different size than was used on the factory OEM, so I had to buy two such wrenches.

I did notice a difference in handling when replacing them and the steering damper (which I replaced at the same time and is very straightforward to replace). The old/original ones were well beyond their use by dates, though, and not representative of how they ought to have been operating.

I did have a little bit of difficulty keeping the old shocks compressed enough to remove them; I ended up jacking up the corner (to compress the shock), looping some iron wire through and around it to keep it from extending, and then jacking down and moving the jack to the frame proper to let the rest of the suspension drop and release the shock. There's no similar problem with putting FSD's in as they do not have any spring force in them--they only damp.

The rear axle shocks are super easy to replace.

I put the FSD on my 2006 E450. DrewE has explained it well. Yes the drivers side is a real bugger, no rubber grommet on mine. I can't remember if there is enough clearance from the end of the shock mount to the sheet to get a nut on top and started. Check on yours because if the clearance is a problem it would be even more difficult to install a gas shock. I'd look at mine but it in a snowbank. I epoxied the nut to the washer so I could turn it more easily with my finger tips to get it started.

mikebreeze wrote:
I have an E350 chassis and had my shocks replaced a few years ago because one of mine was leaking.

I went with some heavy duty Monroe Shocks. I had an independent shop install mine.

A lot of people go with Bilstein or Koni shocks.

I had some major steering control issues at highway speeds initially. However, after replacing the front shocks, ball joints, front tires and getting a front wheel alignment, my rig now is very stable at highway speeds.

X2
I have a E450 and went with the Monroe shocks also.
I watched the frame shop install them - REAL glad I didn't attempt to do it! :W

Made a big difference in handling.

RV friends who went that way of Billstein or Koni said it made for an unnecessary hard ride.

rockhillmanor wrote:

RV friends who went that way of Billstein or Koni said it made for an unnecessary hard ride.

I'd be curious to know what specific Koni (or Bilstein) shocks those were; they each make several styles with differing characteristics. My Koni FSDs seem to work just as advertised, being comfortably gentle for minor road disturbances (taking into consideration the plushness, or lack thereof, inherent in the chassis) while being stiffer and providing nice control for bigger bumps. I wouldn't classify them as producing a hard ride at all, excepting perhaps for one's RV expense fund.

Edit: I don't want to suggest that there's anything at all wrong with opting for Monroe shocks, either; I've heard plenty of good things about them for motorhomes too.

First hand experience with Monroe on a heavy 4X4 Subarban with Monroe's removed them and went with Bilstein's
Up next two older MH's on both I replaced with Bilstein's

3rd MH read all hula about how great the koni's were , you know next best thing to slice bread. So I went against my gut feeling and went with the koni's.
Biggest mistake , they act like the old hydrolic oil filled shocks.
Meaning you can push them in or pull them out with very little resistance.
So what does that tell you its going to do when you hit a dip in the road yep like a drunken sailor in a boat going over waves and falling on the back side.

I offered this awhile back.
Since these koni's are about $300 more than the Bilstein's ,order up the Bilsteins ship them to me and I'll remove these "great" koni's and ship them to you..

OFDPOS wrote:
Since these koni's are about $300 more than the Bilstein's ,order up the Bilsteins ship them to me and I'll remove these "great" koni's and ship them to you..

One of the few OP's I've actually met in person and spent some time with. If he said he'll do it - He'll do it!

I swapped our 2002 front axle out for a 2012 axle, and just about the first thing I did, was remove the shocks. Tedious, awkward, slow job. Both upper shock stud nuts were frozen. I was able to back them most of the way off. Then they froze again, and I actually twisted both studs off. Wrench disappeared into the frame and I never found it.

Fast forward to reassembly. My axle "kit" from Quigley included a new pair of OEM Ford shocks so I decided to use those. (and BTW I can't really complain about them...) I was amazed how easy it was to install the top ends of the shocks BEFORE I put the Springs back in! Box wrench on the top nut, plenty of wrench throw for the hex that's welded to the shaft below the lower mounting on all the new shocks. Then the spring, then raise the suspension back into place.

The Springs are so easy to drop out of their top pockets, that I offer this: Jack Coach up, Support Frame with Stands, Remove Wheels, Disconnect Lower Shock Mount, Place Floor Jack at Axle under spring, Remove Top Clips from Spring, Lower Axle till Spring tips out of Top Pocket, Set Spring aside and easily work top end of Shock to remove Old and install New. With Spring set back in place, jack axle till lower shock mount aligns with it stud in the suspension and connect, Continue to raise axle till spring pockets at top, Install Clip.

Would be great to have a floor jack under each end of the axle because the Sway Bar probably won't let one side drop far enough to get the spring out unless the other side is dropped too. Otherwise, just disconnect one end of the sway bar from the suspension. The flimsy pre-2008 OEM sway bar might let just one end drop far enough. A robust bar like Hellwig or Roadmaster won't.

Sounds like a lot of work, but getting the spring out of the way of a wrench on the upper stud nut can really speed the job up.

I had Koni's installed on all fours and my friends shop did the work,his mechanic had the look on his face that told me they were a PITA.
09 Cambria 32'

Some have drilled a hole big enough for the proper socket in the top of the fender well, directly over the top shock stud. Use a long extension to reach the stud.