Which shocks are recommended more for towing and hauling in the rear

I have had great success over the years with Rough Country. It looks like the N3 would work for this much lift. I am happy with the ride and they hold up if you go off road.

I am sure some of the other guys will weigh in with their thoughts but this is what I would go with.

Thanks

Okay. These shocks are for 0-3.5 inch lift kits. As for the front, I would get rid of the spacers and put an actual leveling kit because the spacers just cause issues as you are seeing. I never liked them. If you get a leveling kit it will give you just about the same amount of lift as the spacer does and will be able to adjust for the added height so you aren't having these issues.

Clearly if you don't mind fixing things and the control arms rubbing then you just need the shocks. However, that would annoy me too much and I would need to change it.

First, if this was installed prior to you doing that work and now it is making the noise but it wasn't before, did you get an alignment after you did it? If not, that may be why it is rubbing now.

Even if you did, the leveling kit is still the better way to go because when doing a spacer it normally makes the ride a little stiffer as well.

As for which one, that depends on who you ask. Some people want the front to be the same height as the rear. I do not like this look because it actually makes the front look higher then the front. Vehicles were designed to be pleasing to the eye and have some rake in the front looks better. So if you want it perfectly level, then you are going to have raise the front more then the rear. However, I would suggest putting the same amount of lift in the front as the rear so you keep the same amount of rake. Clearly with your vehicle being a 4WD there is less rake then a 2WD but there is still some there.

Understood. I would stick with rough country for Fords only because I owned a few and used these kits and really liked them. I am sure there are others that are the same or maybe even better. However, when I compared prices they were about in the middle.

Just something to think about since you already have the spacer which would be part of a leveling kit, you could just get longer control arms and probably fix the noise.

However, if you need new shocks also, look at this actual lift kit I attached. You would get control arms, shocks, springs, and blocks for the rear to match. So it maybe cheaper to find a kit like this and replace the whole thing like you are thinking.

Since you mentioned towing and using the truck, you may want to call Rough Country or whatever company you decide on and ask if they have a staggered kit. Like a 3 inch up front and 3.5 in the rear because if you are loaded most of the time, that will keep your headlights from pointing up in the air when you are towing or hauling anything. Plus it won't look much different. I bet they would just send you another 1/2 inch block for the rear if they don't have a 3.5.

Just a thought. You can't go wrong either way. I attached a picture of this kit installed on your truck. Looks great!

Hello, I'm Danny.

Just to add my 2 cents. I've owned numerous 4x4 trucks the past few decades and after working at 3 different 4x4 shops I've tried every shock brand out there. I would recommend the Bilstein brand either 5100 or 6100 series. They ride like a Cadillac on the street, dirt, towing, etc. But you will be spending more. They also offer a leveling assembly for the fronts. Picture below for attention. Just food for thought. Hope this helps and thanks again for using 2CarPros.

Hello again.

As I stated Bilstein is the way to go. Rancho's tend to be a little stiff. Just my opinion though. I put a Rancho 6' lift on my 1997 K1500 and after 2 weeks I ditched their shocks and had to replace with Bilstein 5100's. Rode like a charm and can withstand four wheeling. Good luck ! Thanks again for using 2CarPros.

Hello again.

I choose the 5100's ! I got a good Labor Day weekend sale price for like $79.00 a shock from 4WheelParts. Hope this helps and thanks again for using 2CarPros.

Danny-