I have a 03 scab 4.6 2 wheel drive and about 6 months ago I replaced the stock shocks with the bilstein hd. Since then it has felt as if I've been riding on bricks. I feel every bump, the only time it seems to ride better was in the winter when I had sandbags in the bed. My question is are the shocks not "broke in" yet or is this normal for the bilsteins and I need to look for another type? Or could there be something else in the suspension system that needs replacing and I've overlooked it.

 

The Bilsteins might have a high percentage of compression resistance, something I don't like in a shock, that is tranfering wheel motion through to the frame.
A shock normally has very little compression resistance and a lot of extension resistance, the scheme that controls spring rebound and prevents "hobby-horsing".
Another possibility is extreme extension resistance such that when the spring is compressed on a bump the release of the spring after the bump has been passed is so slow that the next bump is going up against a partially compressed spring which makes things stiffer and rougher.
I've noticed that on some cars with super-stiff shocks on the front, the front will actually nose-dive when the car is driven over a series of washboards in the road. The stiff shocks don't allow release of spring compression in time for the next bump and the springs get compressed more and more.

 

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