I'm working on fixing up a 89 f150 farm truck that was given to me. One of the things need replacing asap is the struts. I tried looking at Autozone and Summit Racing site but wasn't to sure about the quality of what they had for sale. Anyone have any suggestions ?

 

Er, no struts, just shocks. IMO, be sure to use penetrant such as PBblaster a few days before changing to make things easier.


Suggest what you buy depends a bit on how you intend to use the vehicle. I chose Gabriel Super-E's about 15 years ago for routine daily driving - have worked out fine until recently where they seem to have lost their 'oomph'.


If the shocks are bad - almost anything will be an improvement. The concern is how long this improvement will last, so my suggestion is to look beyond brands and consider the warranties.


Good luck, and keep us posted. I, for one, will be interested in your choice, and how it works for you - seeing as how I'm also starting a search.

 

Awesome thanks for the reply!! Just ordinary use I guess I would say just will be my fishing truck and hauling some light stuff around. There is a total of 4 shocks correct ?

 

Yes, four total, two front and two rear, although I recall the fronts and the backs being different model numbers. Not aware of any dual-shock setups (4 total in front) from the factory for these model years.


You may also wish to check the spring sag in the front - my clue was the insides of the tires were wearing, found the springs had sagged over an inch through the years. For me, it was cheaper to just replace the springs than it was to buy all the spacers needed - plus was able to maintain full spring travel.

 

Yes there's a dual front shock option, so look and count.

 

Check out LMC Truck.

 

It's been over a year since he posted this so I'm assuming he's found some by now.

Also Rockauto.com and Amazon have way better prices and more selection than LMC.