Collection: Shocks and Struts

Shocks and struts: how to pick the right ones

Shocks and struts both control how fast your suspension moves, so the tires stay on the road and the body doesn't keep bouncing after a bump. The difference is structure. A shock absorber only damps motion and bolts between the frame and the axle or control arm. A strut is a damper that is also part of the suspension: it holds the coil spring, carries weight and sets the alignment angles. Most cars have struts up front, and many trucks run shocks at the rear with either a shock or a coil-over strut up front. Our shocks vs struts guide covers how to tell which your vehicle has.

We list about 1,500 shocks, struts and strut assemblies from Bilstein, KYB, Monroe, Rancho, Koni, Gabriel, Skyjacker, Fox and more. Single replacement shocks start at $82.99, and most shocks and struts on this page cost $83 to $265 each. To choose, match three things:

1. Your vehicle and position. Front and rear are different parts, and many trucks split by 2WD and 4WD.
2. Your ride height. Stock-height, leveled, lifted and lowered vehicles each need a different shock length.
3. How you drive. Daily commuting, towing, trail use and spirited driving point to different lines.

Shock, bare strut or complete strut assembly?

Bilstein notes that its own struts ship without springs, which it says is normal in the industry, so check what a listing includes before you order. Complete assemblies cost more but save labor, and they replace a tired spring and mount at the same time.

Shock and strut brands we carry

We also list factory-brand replacements from ACDelco (GM) and Motorcraft (Ford), plus Pedders, QA1 street rod shocks and Carli shock packages for heavy-duty trucks.

Car shocks and struts

For a daily driver at stock height, an OE-style replacement brings back the factory ride. KYB Excel-G is a twin-tube gas shock and strut built for stock ride height, and Gas-a-Just is KYB's monotube option, also built for stock height. Monroe OESpectrum and Gabriel Ultra cover the same job. If your struts are worn and the springs or top mounts are tired too, a complete assembly like a Monroe Quick-Strut, KYB Strut-Plus or Gabriel ReadyMount replaces everything at once.

For sharper handling, Koni Sport and Classic shocks are adjustable twin-tube dampers, and Bilstein B6 and B8 car shocks are monotube upgrades; Bilstein pairs B6 with factory springs and B8 with lowering springs. If you are lowering the car, see lowering springs or go straight to coilovers, which replace the shock and spring together.

Truck shocks

Truck shocks are sized by ride height, so start with how high your truck sits.

• Stock height. Bilstein 4600 shocks ($92 to $214.99), KYB Gas-a-Just and MonoMax, Monroe and ACDelco or Motorcraft factory replacements.
• Leveled or mildly lifted. Bilstein 5100 shocks and ride height adjustable struts ($123 to $223.99), Rancho RS5000X, Skyjacker M95 monotube and Black Max.
• Lifted and driven hard off road. Bilstein 5160 remote reservoir shocks ($225 to $381.99), Fox 2.0 and Carli shock packages.
• Lowered. Belltech Nitro Drop 2 and Street Performance shocks are built for dropped trucks; see Belltech for what is in stock.

Shopping for one truck? Our truck pages group shocks with the rest of the suspension: F-150, Silverado and Sierra, Ram 1500 and Tacoma and 4Runner.

Front shocks vs rear shocks

Front and rear shocks are always different part numbers, with different lengths, mounts and valving. On most trucks the rear shock is a simple two-bolt swap, while the front is either a shock or a coil-over strut that needs a spring compressor. Monroe advises replacing shocks and struts in pairs on the same axle, because a new unit next to a worn one ends up doing more than its share of the work.

When to replace shocks and struts

Bilstein lists the common signs of worn shocks as bouncing that continues after a bump, more body roll and nose dive under braking, fluid leaking down the body, clunks or knocks from the suspension, and dents or heavy corrosion. It puts typical shock life at about 50,000 to 65,000 miles, sooner on rough roads or with heavy loads. If you see oil on the shock body, that one is done.

Shock and strut replacement cost

Parts are the easy part to price. A pair of KYB Excel-G or Monroe OESpectrum shocks starts around $166, a pair of Bilstein 4600 truck fronts runs $184 to $430, and a pair of complete Monroe Quick-Struts is $254 to $436. Shop labor depends on the vehicle: rear shocks are quick, bare struts take the most time because the spring has to be moved, and complete assemblies save part of that. Any strut job changes alignment, so add an alignment to the budget. If you do it yourself, you will need a spring compressor for bare struts.

What else you'll need

• Strut mounts and bearings. Monroe recommends fitting new mounting kits with new struts; see strut mounts.
• Bump stops and boots if the old ones are cracked: bump stops.
• A steering stabilizer on solid axle trucks and Jeeps: steering stabilizers.
• An alignment after any strut or ride height change.

Popular picks

• Bilstein 15-20 F-150 B8 5100 ride height adjustable front, $176. Levels the front on the stock springs.
• Bilstein 14-18 GM 1500 B6 4600 front, $123. Stock-height upgrade for GM half-tons and 2015-20 Tahoe and Suburban.
• Rancho RS5000X strut RS55840, $186.99. Listed for 2015-22 GM models.
• Monroe Quick-Strut 172114, $151.99. A complete strut assembly listed for 2003-08 Toyota models.
• Koni Sport 80401364SPT, $231.99. Adjustable, listed for 2005-10 Chevrolet and Pontiac models.
• Skyjacker M95 monotube M9537, $128.99. For lifted 2007-18 Jeeps.

Related guides

• Shocks vs struts: what's the difference?
• KYB vs Monroe shocks
• Fox vs Bilstein shocks
• Bilstein 5100 vs 5160
• Coilovers vs lowering springs

Sources

• Bilstein Academy: How do I know when my shock absorber is worn out?
• Bilstein Academy: Monotube versus twin-tube
• Bilstein Academy: Does Bilstein offer fully assembled struts?
• PMM: Monroe discusses shocks and struts replacement