Bilsteins vs Monroe Gas Magnum Shocks

[saenzm]

I just bought a 1997 Dodge PW. Called PW and asked which Bilstein shocks would be best and they said the Monroes are also dual action shocks, just as good and half the price.

Keep in mind, I am a weekend warrior vs full time RVer.

Any thoughts from you guys on the difference between the two?

I checked at O'Rileys and the Monroes come with lifetime warranty.

Thanks,
Mark

[peppster66]

Hi, I have a 97 Dodge Roadtrek, when it came time to do the shocks , I really did a lot of research on the different shocks, I have heard a lot of positive things about the Bilsteins, all the owner reviews were highly recomending them, with no down sides, but the high price was hard to deal with, my only other option was the Monroe heavy duty shocks, I was able to get an amazing deal from Amazon, about a 1/3 of the price of the Bilsteins, they were delivered to my door in 2 days, it was a bit of work but my neighbour and me installed them in my driveway in a day, and I will say they made a huge difference, the ride is improved greatly, even better than I expected. No more bouncing after a pot hole or a set of train tracks, Now my rig is heavy, so the ride to me is very firm, meaning I feel a lot of the road imperfections, but I have heard the same about the bilsteins. Its been over 2 years since I installed the Monroes, and they are still holding up very well, weve been everywhere form the east coast, and down to the Florida Keys, so all types of roads, and they have held up very well for me, for the money I spent......My only other comment would be that if money is no object, then I probably would have gone with the Bilsteins, but with a full family, I have to watch my pennies,,,, Hope this helps,,, take care,,,,

[saenzm]

Originally Posted by peppster66

Hi, I have a 97 Dodge Roadtrek... Hope this helps,,, take care,,,,

Great feedback! Thanks! So what did you get the Monroe's for? I found them for $46.00 at Oriley's for the front and $43.00 for the back. Did you find them cheaper?

Thanks,
Mark

[peppster66]

its been a few years, Ill see if I can find the receipt, but I remember getting them from amazon at amazing price, way lees than half of what the bilsteins were going for,,,,,

[booster]

I think what you would find is that the Monroes will be stiffer and have better control than old shocks or even new OEM shocks. They will be harsher ride to go with it. The Blilsteins will also give better control but will likely be less harsh on small bumps. They will possibly be more harsh on big bumps. The variable valving makes them softer on the small stuff and stiffer on the big bumps.

[saenzm]

So I went with the Monroes. I am happy to report...they are great! Van is running awesome. Let me know if you have any questions. Great value for the money.

Thanks,
Mark

[mkguitar]

It might save someone some time if you post the part numbers and approx. cost.

any tips for replacement to make it easier ( or harder ! )

Mike

[saenzm]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

It might save someone some time if you post the part numbers and approx. cost.

any tips for replacement to make it easier ( or harder ! )

Mike

Mike,
Good call! I bought mine at O'Reilly AP, part numbers 34910 - $79.18 for the pair, and 34794 - $82.78 for a total of $175.32 including tax.

As far as installing, I was in a hurry. Went to a local shop and they installed them for $25.00 each. I am glad I this because I just bought my rig and it had been sitting near the coast for a while. So they needed to be torched out...I would have been stuck. I also wanted it done before a short "test" trip I was going to take. So it all worked out and only cost me an extra $100 approx.

Hope this helps!

Mark

[nicaland]

Do you by chance remember the model number of the Monroes you bought? there are two Gas-Magnums types available. The heavier one's numbers start with 555, and are designated to be 'recreational package" shocks, and they cost about twice as much as the other gas-magnum option, and these shock model numbers begin with 34. Another hint: the heavier 555 numbered shocks have a 2 year warranty, but the lighter 34 shocks have a lifetime warranty. The recreational package 555 shocks are said by monroe to be suitable for both class B and C rv's, so I'm afraid that they might be too much on the stiff side for my class b Xplorer 230xlw. Any help will be much appreciated!

[nicaland]

Sorry. This request was directed to peppster66. I'm not real experienced with how forums work! As to you, saenzm, are you still happy with the 34 series that you bought? Do you find them on the soft, or the stiff side of things? Thanks..........

[GallenH]

Cool! I have a 1997 Dodge PW also. It was my father-in-laws RV and he sold it to me about 3 years ago. He was in Wisconsin; I'm in Phoenix. Had a mechanic go through it before trip down. + New tires. Has served us well. No real mods. I had read a lot about handling and had researched mods/fixes. But we've put about 10k on around the Southwest, through mountains, etc. Seems to handle ok to me. Right now Dometic 3-way on the fritz. After a lot of testing I'm going to start pulling it tomorrow (happy 4th).

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Cool! I have a 1997 Dodge PW also. It was my father-in-laws RV and he sold it to me about 3 years ago. He was in Wisconsin; I'm in Phoenix. Had a mechanic go through it before trip down. + New tires. Has served us well. No real mods. I had read a lot about handling and had researched mods/fixes. But we've put about 10k on around the Southwest, through mountains, etc. Seems to handle ok to me. Right now Dometic 3-way on the fritz. After a lot of testing I'm going to start pulling it tomorrow (happy 4th).

Here's what I did after talking with Super Steer in Grants Pass Oregon...call and talk to Dave... 541-326-4033.... it's just a phone call.... you'll be glad you did......

I got the new KONI FSD shocks, sway bar and trac bar.... here's a picture...

Made a significant difference in handling...

Good luck.....