1998 Ranger shock selection for a nice street ride – HELP!

[kpgubert]

Long story short, back in 2012 I thought that after ~270k miles I should replace the original shocks. They weren't bad for every day driving, but when I carried a load (which isn't very often) the rears were really insufficient.

I replaced them with Gabriel Ultras. The ride quality has been terrible. The truck now has ~325k miles on it, and it hasn't gotten any better. I live in Michigan (TERRIBLE roads, especially this time of year). What's worse is (I highly suspect because of the really stiff shocks) is the piece of the frame rail where the rear shock mounts ripped out of the frame! Yes, please see attached picture. This was the driver side, but the other side had started to crack. I fixed both sides and put buckles over them (again, see second picture).

Now, three weeks later the actual upper shock mount broke! Enough already!!! I can fix the shock mount without a problem (going to be fun with so much weld metal on the outside...), but I'm completely done with these shocks. The have a terrible ride quality, and they are ripping my truck apart.

What shocks can I get that will give me a factory ride quality? Like I said, I almost never haul anything heavy, I just use my Ranger as transportation back and fourth to work. I see I can get Motorcraft p/n ASHV-1049 for the rear and ASHV-1 for the front, but I'm scared now that anything else I get will be just as stuff. I've even considered trying to find a used set. I really wish I could put my old ones on, but they're long gone.

Please help, and thank you in advance.

 

[4x4junkie]

Best shocks I've used so far for a bolt-on application are Bilstein (5100/5125-series). Nice smooth (but firm) ride with good control.

I've also used KYB "Gas-A-Just" shocks, though these were a bit more harsh than the Bilsteins (probably not much off from what you're experiencing... though I've never used the Gabriel Ultras myself).

 

[kpgubert]

From the searches I've done, it seems the Bilsteins are a popular choice. They definitely aren't a cheap choice, but it's the old "you get what you pay for" story.

Thanks for the input! If I wind up keeping the truck I think there is a good probability I'll go the Bilstein route.