Truck Shocks

Has your chariot lost some of that new car handling and ride? Do you feel like you're on a trampoline after hitting a bump? It might be time to get new shocks and struts (dampers) for your car, truck or SUV. 

Tire Rack offers a wide range of options from Original Equipment style replacements to performance upgrades. The KYB GR-2 line will firm up the ride 5-10% over factory new. KONI and Bilstein offer higher performance options — some with adjustability to give you that "on rails" feeling.

Look to the professionals at Tire Rack for all of your suspension needs. View specs, shock absorber reviews, and pricing for your specific vehicle.

A wide variety of vehicles have been installed with KYB shocks and struts because of their proven reliability and finely tuned ride quality. Tire Rack offers KYB gas shock absorbers for use on passenger vehicles, performance cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. KYB offers two distinct lines of shocks and dampers to match your performance needs.

Use KYB GR-2/Excel-G gas series shock absorbers, strut cartridges or complete struts when you want to blend like-new vehicle ride qualities with a little more control.
GR-2/Excel-G gas shock absorbers, strut cartridges and complete struts are affordably priced, twin tube designs that blend smooth ride quality and enhanced road control. A low-pressure gas charge and patented check valve minimize foaming and aeration providing a consistent ride, even under rough conditions.

Use KYB Gas-A-Just shock absorbers when you want more road control when towing or for higher performance.

Gas-A-Just shocks are high-pressure gas shock absorbers designed to deliver driving control and performance by keeping the tires stuck to the road. These high strength, monotube shock absorbers provide extra-rugged durability with fade-free performance.

Thinking about a suspension lift for your truck, but you don't want an overly stiff ride?

Consider the Traxda Lift and Level Kits.


Traxda kits lift your ride by relocating the mounting point of the spring that holds the truck up without changing the location of the stock suspension arms. Installation is simple and does not require the removal of all suspension components like many kits. Because spring pressure is not increased, it doesn't compromise the stock ride.
 
Each Traxda kit is fine-tuned to your vehicle to ensure stock compatibility and quality. 

With a coil-over style suspension, the strut length is extended while retaining the stock spring pressure. This keeps the smooth ride of a stock truck, with no increase in harshness. For a torsion bar style suspension, a re-indexed torsion key and shock relocator brackets are included to change the location of the torsion spring mount without changing the spring tension. 

All Traxda kits come complete with hardware, full instructions, alignment specs and dedicated technical support. Most kits are a direct bolt-in style, simple and easy to install with nothing more than common hand tools and require no modifications to your vehicle.

Worn out shocks and struts can not only give your vehicle that unstable feeling, but can also contribute to abnormal tire wear, pre-mature suspension wear and can affect your car's ability to handle in an emergency situation. Typical life expectancy is about 50,000 to 60,000 miles. Your shocks may look fine, but internally the components have worn and are not operating efficiently.

Shocks and struts are made for all types of vehicles and performance needs.

In the performance category, we have products from Bilstein, KONI and KYB. Each is engineered to provide excellent control and improve the responsiveness of your vehicle.

If comfort is more of a priority, Bilstein and KYB have replacement shocks engineered to bring back that new car feel.

For the off-road entusiast, or if you just need something heavy duty for towing or load carrying on your truck, the KYB Monomax will provide that higher level of control that you require.

As always, you can shop by vehicle to see products sorted by performance category.

See a tire or wheel package you would like to put on your truck or SUV but you do not have enough clearance for them to fit properly? Superlift and Traxda makes suspension lift kit or sometime it's called a leveling kit that will give you a little more clearance that you are looking for. These kits are designed to lift the front suspension to level the vehicle. On most trucks or SUV the clearance problem is the front, the rear usually have plenty of clearance. The kits work with factory suspension components to achieve modest ride height gains. Installation is straight forward and normally inexpensive. If you only need 1"-3' of clearance these kit will do the job. The Superlift and Traxda lift systems utilize one of three methods to achieve increased ride height depending on the vehicle’s suspension design. With the Coil Spacers system it allowed me to be able to put 33" tires on my Toyota 4Runner and I was able to install the kit in my own garage. Note that some special tools are required and this should only be attempted by a qualified person with experience.

 

 

Strut Extension - Most late-model 1/2-ton trucks and SUVs utilize a coilover strut for the front suspension; the shock and coil spring are together in one compact unit. A simple strut extension is utilized on these applications. This involves adding an application-specific spacer to the top of the factory strut assembly. This method does not preload the factory coil spring (which would degrade ride quality) or over-extend the factory shock. No modifications to factory-installed parts are required and no time-consuming dis-assembly of the factory strut is needed. The strut extension is easily removable should the vehicle need to be returned to stock, and some applications include modified extension stops if needed. Level-It strut extensions are the most cost-effective and efficient way to level the stance of your late-model truck.

  

 

 

STRUT EXTENSION FEATURES

Mounts on top of the factory strut assembly Allows the use of plus-size wheels / tires Easy installation and removal – no strut dis-assembly required Ideal for restoring height lost from heavy front bumper / winch combos Enhances appearance by leveling the stance of the vehicle 10.9 grade metric hardware included Limited Lifetime Warranty

   

Torsion Keys - Vehicles equipped with torsion bars have a certain amount of adjustment built into the factory system. This suspension height adjustment takes place via a bolt that indexes on a torsion key attached to each torsion bar. Simply “cranking up” the factory system is not the right way to go about gaining minor amounts of lift due to a number of factors. Level-It torsion keys are direct replacements for the factory pieces but feature different torsion bar indexing. The forged-steel keys are 25% stronger than the cast factory pieces, and when necessary new metric hardware is supplied to prevent “over-cranking” the bars. Shock extension and mounting tool adapters are also included with some applications.

  

TORSION KEY FEATURES

Heavy-duty forged steel construction is 25% stronger than OEM keys Provided 1.5” to 2.5” of adjustable lift height Designed to grab the “flat” of the torsion bar for a tighter fit High-gloss powder coated finish Shock extensions included with some applications 10.9 grade metric hardware included Limited Lifetime Warranty

 
 

 

Coil Spring Spacers / Block Kits - Applications that utilize a coil spring front suspension utilize a coil-spring spacer to achieve lift. In most 4WD applications, this spacer is constructed from laser-cut steel and mounts on top of the factory coil. Most 2WD vehicles utilize a steel-encased urethane spacer that will not deteriorate or decrease ride height over time. Both designs ensure silent operation as the suspension cycles. When necessary, shock extensions are also included. With some of the taller lift heights (3" to 3-1/2"), the amount of lift exceeds the factory rake. This results in a slightly rear-low stance that is popular in some areas. However, for those that want to maintain a level stance, or the traditional rear-high stance, a variety of different block kits are available to suit every taste or preference. All block kits are sold separately.

  

 

COIL SPACER / BLOCK KIT FEATURES

Steel-encased urethane spacer construction will not deteriorate or decrease ride height over time Urethane provides a smooth and quiet ride Some spacer kits include shock extensions Lift blocks include OEM features for proper spring pad engagement and bump stop function Block kits include U-bolts and hardware Limited Lifetime Warranty

   

Some trucks are meant to be driven in extreme conditions—and we're not just referencing deep snow and rainstorms. Try rugged roads filled with sand and mud. You can only imagine what those off-road conditions feel like on the average passenger. The good thing is, you can combat that excessive bounce with a great pair of shocks. But not just any shocks. Truck shocks that account for the difference between trucks and cars. Even if you stay on everyday roads with always-annoying potholes and bumps. Here are some that have pleased our previous customers:

Bilstein HD Shock: "Put these on my S-10 after 20K miles. Handling was instantly improved over stock, high speed driving was more stable, cornering improved, slightly firmer ride. Great shocks. After 8 years, they still don't leak and work great." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chevrolet S10, KY

KYB Monomax: The rear end of my truck bounced like an old car since new, especially when towing. It was so bad that people in the back seat got nauseous...I put the Monomax on the rear to see if they'd help. The difference is dramatic. A HUGE improvement, I highly recommend them. I am ordering a set for the front!" -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, Chevrolet Silverado, NH 

Find your truck shocks.

If you're looking for state-of-the-art gas shocks, you'll be interested in KYB shocks.

KAYABA Industries is Japan's largest manufacturer of automotive shock absorbing equipment, and as such, they've been continually refining their products for over 50 years. As a result of their efforts, KYB shocks employ Kayaba Hydraulic Technology to generate smooth road conditions leading to greater ride comfort and steering control. And all of this technology comes from their experience with high performance racing.

Tire Rack offers a wide variety of KYB shocks for your passenger and performance cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. A simple search will produce a specific list tailored to your vehicle.

Greetings,  in order to add a little credibility to my ramblings let me begin by saying I was a working manager in a retail tire store for 28 years. My responsibilites included everything form hiring and firing to overseeing accounting and training. I have seen and worked on tire and wheel applications from bicycles and wheelbarrows to Buicks, Porshes and pick up trucks. 

My personality requires me to gather as much information as I can to make the best decision possible for the situation. Whether you have questions about all weather tires Bridgestone Blizzaks or Bilstein shocks if I do not have the answer have the resources to locate the answers.   

                                                                         Until next time, Bart

At Tire Rack, we make it really easy to buy shocks online. Search by vehicle, and we'll recommend the best suspension options for your car, light truck or suv. We've done the research, comparisons and testing. From Bilstein to KYB, KONI and more— every brand we offer is an industry leader that meets our strictest standards.


Shocks are an integral part of the suspension system. They help maintain tire performance and driver comfort. Want to learn more? Check out the suspension tech information we've compiled. And if you've still got questions, our knowledgable sales specialists are always ready to help. Just call 1-800-461-5527.