ADVICE NEEDED: Dirt-road shock absorbers for lifted 2WD short bus

goatherder

no trepidation
Building a E450 short bus into a dirt road camper. Will have to stay 2WD for now. Installing 32" tires. Rolled my own suspension lift; about 2.5". Need shocks that will be compatible with driving dirt roads. Reading trip reports from Death Valley talking about miles and miles of washboard...

Called Bilstein and got a guy on the phone that basically told me what they had in their catalog. Which I already knew. Said the "comfort" RV shocks were the way to go, but I'd need to remove the lift. Said that with the lift...they didn't have anything valved appropriately.

SO - do any of you guys have any suggestions? I need something that will help keep from rattling the truck apart...
 

stageracer

Member
Call John at Agile Offroad. They're doing custom vavled Fox 2.0's and have installed on some heavy ambo conversions
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
Weldtech would be my other call.

Hard time believing Bilstein wouldn't have an option for a lifted rig. Are you planning on driving at reasonable speeds or 100 mph?
 

goatherder

no trepidation
Weldtech would be my other call.

Hard time believing Bilstein wouldn't have an option for a lifted rig. Are you planning on driving at reasonable speeds or 100 mph?

Come on...its a short bus. Won't even go 100mpg...but 35 would be nice.

I got the impression that the sales guy I spoke with at Bilstein was one of these "stance-bro" types that didn't really know much about offroad suspension. And I do know about the Fox 2.0's...but I don't want to spend THAT much on shock absorbers. This isn't my only toy.
 

Timjim

Observer
My thought is that if you are gonna take a vehicle out of it's stock suspension configuration you are pretty much gonna have to go the extra distance with the components otherwise you will suffer the consequences. You get what you pay for kind of thing really and going half way is typically a bad idea. Bottoming out on small potholes, poor handling at speed, steering characteristics that make it dangerous and tough to drive........But you may find some decent shocks for a good price that do the trick.

Just my thoughts after doing a lot of research on modifying a van.
 

goatherder

no trepidation
.But you may find some decent shocks for a good price that do the trick.

And this is what I'm after.

Anything is possible if you throw enough money at it. I could install an expensive aftermarket suspension kit, and then go to Fox or King and get all the damper I would ever need. $5000 later I'd have window-licker bus with awesome suspension. And a wife that thinks I'm an idiot.
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
Custom valved, rebuildable, Fox Shocks are around $600. OEM Ford shocks would cost me about $600. I know which way I'd go if I had the budget.

Bilstein are good shocks from all I've read over a wide range of OffRoad forums. Heck, I can do 35 mph in my short wheelbase 4x4 that has crappy Rancho 5000 shocks and no sway bars. I'd go with Bilstein for your budget... you're not building a prerunner. :D
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
Thanks.

I'd check if Bilstein has shocks with those same specs but a bit longer. Try maximizing compression and extension to determine the right length.
 
Are these guys any good thought about doing this if I get a cutaway down the road and if I did not do a ujoint 4x kit.
http://www.actionvansuspension.com/features.php
Kevin

its basically a drop down bracket kit, so while it does lift the van, i am not sure if it adds any performance, where weldtec's system adds travel/ride/cornering/etc

i personally don't care for the leverage/stress created by the drop down bracket kit.
 

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