Help me pick some shocks

[TheBigTater]

I have an 82 Sierra 4x4 with a 4'' lift. Springs in front blocks in back (doing a shackle flip soon). I need some decent shocks. The truck sees 95% street time, but our city streets here are about as bad as logging roads. There are tons of massive potholes and deep ruts in all the streets. So I need something that will prevent me from hitting my head on the roof every time I go across an intersection and have to hit 4 lanes of ruts going the other way.

I currently have rancho 9000's in the rear that look to be 3-4yrs old, but seem to work fine. I was entertaining the idea of just putting new shocks at all 4 corners, but the front seems to be the majority of my problem. The fronts have the original kit shocks from when the PO lifted it (10+ years ago).

Would it be worthwhile for me to spend the extra money on some nice monotube/external res shocks? If so, any recommendations? I've been looking at the pro comps going for about 150 ea.

Keep in mind...this is my daily driver so ride quality is important. Offroad use is limited to the playing in the snow and drifting the city streets on winter nights

 

[78 K-10]

i would wait till you can get the best ones, shocks also help keep your tires on the ground for better braking.

 

[smurph20]

Avoid Procomp like the plague. I have them on my Grnad Cherokee and they ride like crap. Not to mention the bushing are long gone and the shocks are leaking and are only a couple of years old.

 

[TheBigTater]

Which Procomps do you have? I know the ES ones are pretty bad, but I was looking at the MX-6's. I'm also looking at the Doetsch Tech shocks too.

 

[smurph20]

I think it is the es but not sure they came with the lift that was installed by the PO. He put it on the week i bought it and it rode like **** then lol

 

[dirtroadoutlaw]

Bilstien 5100 series..... no comparison. I'll help you select the right ones if you want.

 

[TheBigTater]

Bilstien 5100 series..... no comparison. I'll help you select the right ones if you want.

Would there be any benefit to running the 5150's over the 5100's? Worth the price difference? I'm not opposed to the cheaper ones, just want to make sure I get the best deal I can find

 

[TheBigTater]

From what I can tell, they're the same shocks, but the 5150's have an external res. Like I said the roads here are really bad- equivalent to driving on a dirt road, lots of washboard, ruts, and potholes