Falcon shocks for towing. Any good?

[speediq99]

Hello,

I am thinking of adding the Falcon adjustable Tow Shocks to my 2021 F150 Powerboost crewcab. 

I tow a 7400lbs trailer. The problems I am trying to solve are slow bounce recovery when driving on roads with small bumps and a little bit of front end floating when driving in 20mph winds. I use an equimizer and it is set properly to distribute weight front and back. The truck just bounces and floats a little in windy and road imperfections. 

Would the Falcon shocks help?
Would adjustable airbags do better? 

They are priced about the same. I just need to make a choice if they both make any difference at all. 

???????MC

[goducks10]

speediq99 wrote:
Tongue weight is 750-850
Hitch is 10k equalizer
Trailer weights 6300 dry, loaded 7500

I don't have to raise truck to hitch but I do need to do it to load the bars.

WD has 7 washers on it and L brackets are all the way up. There is a lot of tension on the bars.

MC

Really hard to find fault with what you have and are using. 7 washers is a lot. BTDT.

[speediq99]

Tongue weight is 750-850
Hitch is 10k equalizer
Trailer weights 6300 dry, loaded 7500

I don't have to raise truck to hitch but I do need to do it to load the bars.

WD has 7 washers on it and L brackets are all the way up. There is a lot of tension on the bars.

MC

[Grit_dog]

speediq99 wrote:

I agree there are a couple of things to try before new shocks. The tires is the only one I have not tried yet.

MC

Pump them tires up and try it, like I mentioned in your other thread. Free test.
You can spend all day and a weeks pay dialing it in "perfect" and then it wont be perfect...

[goducks10]

Whats your tongue weight and what hitch are you using? You say you're maxed and can't get the front end down anymore. That says your WDH is too weak.
FYI air bags won't help the front of the truck.
Don't worry about the rear of the truck. It is what it is when you get the front set right.
Floating fronts mean you don't have the WDH cranked up enough. Are you needing to raise the rear of the truck to hitch up?

[Grit_dog]

Load range E tires will take some flex of bounce out of the equation. And they won't ride any different that Load range C tires, unloaded, if you adjust the pressure properly.

Based on your responses and questions, though, these "issues" sound more like your perception and not actual towing problems.

[speediq99]

I am at 50% already. The front end on this truck is pretty interesting. No trailer it sits at 37 inches. Trailer on, no equalizer, it goes to 37 1/2. Getting to 37 1/4 is nearly impossible but at least I am neither below 37 or above 37 1/2. The rear end goes from 39 1/2 to 37 so getting to 50% is easier. It looks like the rear is much softer than the front.

I wish I could try 75% in front but it looks like I may be maxed out and unable to add washers or raise L brackets and getting to 75% seems hard without messing the rear.

I read a little about 10 ply tires.. The truck comes with 6 ply and most people recommend 6 ply as a good compromise. I was wondering if the ride quality when not towing would get impacted too much with 10 ply. When the truck bounces, it certainly feels like the tires are flexing but it could be the springs/shocks.

I agree there are a couple of things to try before new shocks. The tires is the only one I have not tried yet.

MC

[Grit_dog]

I saw $1300 for a set. Not zactly cheap, but...

OP, when you say slow bump recovery, do you mean bounces too many times before settling down, or doesn't rebound in time before the next bump?
If the first, yes stiffer/heavy damping on rebound will keep the bouncing down. If the latter, you're towing a trailer, not running the Baja, and expectations may be a bit much.
Front end "floating", yup you have a heavy trailer on the back of a F150. I can't imagine its bad at all, especially with a wdh doing any sizeable amount of work.
To the floating, yes stiffening up the rear suspension can/will help with both conditions. But my guess is you may not have alot of towing experience and are looking to perfect "your" experience.

[mkirsch]

I would contest that you have your WD set up properly if your front end is floating, at all, ever.

Probably set up to that new "50% of unloaded height" spec they put out, right? Try putting a little more weight on the front, like 75%. Cheaper than the shocks.

[BenK]

Grit…you just described the Edelbrock Performer IAS mono shocke that was the first to have inertia valved shocks.

Had a set and confirm that in slow going…VERy PAINFUL but wonder when driving like Parnell Jones in the desert.

They have the valves on the rod piston and why hey are mounted upside down (rod down). As that is the only way to sense rate of change quickly.

They also leak and think because of the rod down mounting orientation. Switched to KYb MonoMax and they are best for all round usage, IMHO. Bilstein’s don’t do it for me, but many, many swear by them.

Might go back to iAS’s after rebuilding the Suburban to be mainly a pavement vehicle.

Also agre with Grit and the OP should look else where for a fix. Though shocks are cheap enough to try.

[Grit_dog]

Diamond c wrote:
I would always choose air bags over shocks if you can afford them.

It's not an either/or type of scenario. They perform 2 totally different functions.

[Diamond_c]

I would always choose air bags over shocks if you can afford them.

[Lwiddis]

Shocks won't fix frontend floating. You need to shift more weight.

[Grit_dog]

I'll say not enough to cover the cost of the shocks. Plus you would need to enquire how they are valved. In my experience, most off the shelf high $ remote res/rebuildable shocks are designed for quick compliant valving on small bumps and big resistance on ground out type bumps. Aka high speed off road driving.
That said, a properly valved set of big shocks could help.
I just don't see needing to put new shocks on a brand new top of the line pickup to tow a modest load.