Replacing front shocks with Bilsteins

Thank you! I know the Blistein shocks are also popular in the Jeep community, some whom swap shocks...just to swap shocks...lol! We are looking at the Sunseeker / Forester Cs at 30 feet (3010 & 3011 model).

Steeljag wrote:
Just starting to look at newer class Cs ( 14 /15's) and reading this with interest. Do the newer model E450 shocks NEED to be replaced ? Or just to improve the "driving" ?

I found the improvement in driving to be well worth the cost of the shocks and installation. I drove it a couple years on the stock shocks-and they were in the same condition when removed as when they were new. Just didn't have enough control for a 24' class C at 11300 lbs. I regret waiting two years to change the shocks(!)..yes it was drivable before... but the improvement was very rewarding and made the RV much more pleasurable to drive.

Many of the comments about the difficulty of putting Bilsteins in the front seem to come from the difficulty of holding them compressed while trying to insert them. I believe that Bilsteins are gas (pneumatic) shocks - so that their natural rest position when not mounted is the extended position.

I don't believe that this would be an issue with hydraulic shocks. If so, then hydraulic shocks probably would be a lot easier to front-mount on the E350/E450 chassis.

Top quality hydraulic shocks on an RV should match or exceed Bilsteins in performance, such as Koni's Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) shocks. Here's a link to them ... to understand how they work click on "how FSD works" down at the bottom of the page in the sentence above the last paragraph:

http://www.koni.com/car-racing/products/performance/

We just completed a 10,000 mile trip with them on the rear of our Class C and what they did for bounce control, sway control, and highway crack jolts was spectacular - and this was from them being only on the rear. We'll have a couple more installed on the front in a few months - hopefully no hassle because they can be easily pushed or stretched into any length for front-mounting. Koni has FSD part numbers for the front and rear of the Ford E350/E450 series.

Steeljag wrote:
Just starting to look at newer class Cs ( 14 /15's) and reading this with interest. Do the newer model E450 shocks NEED to be replaced ? Or just to improve the "driving" ?

No, the original shocks should be good for around 30,000 miles depending on how/where you drive. Towing and or loading heavy, often the case on E450's, will shorten their working life. I replaced the originals on my E350 at 34,000 miles (with Bilstein's), and was amazed at the difference.

In day to day driving you tend not to notice that the ride is quality is deteriorating as it is a gradual process. This is why the change to new shocks is so dramatic. Before you buy that new (ish) E450 Class C do a thorough test drive. Some are real pigs on skates and they won't get better with time, only money and lots of it. You should not have to spend dime one to improve the ride and handling of a new coach. Any rig that does not drive and handle well right off the showroom floor is the wrong rig.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

I had my friends shop do it and his heavy duty truck mechanic with 30 years experience told me it was horrible.The fronts anyway,

rears were a breeze. 2009 E-450 Cambria.


The shocks had to be drilled to let the hydraulic pressure out so they could be compressed...

Just starting to look at newer class Cs ( 14 /15's) and reading this with interest. Do the newer model E450 shocks NEED to be replaced ? Or just to improve the "driving" ?

Glad I had it done at a shop and for only $50, should have been twice that!

ernie1 wrote:
I changed the shocks on my Ford E350 to Bilsteins. The rears were easy but the fronts were a REAL bear to change! Not only do you have to fight the hard to get to nuts on the top of the shocks but you still have to compress the gas filled shock by hand to attach the lower bolts. How strong are you? If you're afraid of developing a few hernias I suggest you farm it out. No I didn't develop a hernia it just felt like it.

Said it all!

Jim

I changed the shocks on my Ford E350 to Bilsteins. The rears were easy but the fronts were a REAL bear to change! Not only do you have to fight the hard to get to nuts on the top of the shocks but you still have to compress the gas filled shock by hand to attach the lower bolts. How strong are you? If you're afraid of developing a few hernias I suggest you farm it out. No I didn't develop a hernia it just felt like it.

DAS26miles wrote:
Had a local tire shop install the front shocks today. They had a whopper of a time taking 2 1/2 hours for $50. Hope they are tight!

When I installed my Bilsteins on my f250... It was a monster... The fronts were the worse. Maybe having the truck on a lift it might have been different. Compressing them was a monster.

I have had my bilsteins on my 94 f250 for 70K+ miles and the truck and camper has been to the Arctic circle.....The notorious Dalton Hwy last year. Lots of rough roads... They are still in great shape... Lots of rough roads with that Bigfoot 4K lb camper.

Jim