Looking for smooth ride...sensa-tracs or es3000's?

[bwinterroth]

Ok I was riding in my friends jeep grand cherokee the other day and her ride was one of the most comfortable rides I have had in an SUV. My car just hit 65K miles and still have the stock shocks on it. I am looking for a similar smooth ride as I don't really go off roading. I am also a student and therfore don;t have much money...so I narrowed my decision down to the Explorer pro comp's (es3000 or es9000) or the Monroe Sensa-Tracs. Which of these would be better for my situation. Also, are there other better shocks in the $30 each price range. Thanks

 

[aldive]

You might want to consider Rancho 9000x shocks too.

 

[celly]

You might want to consider Rancho 9000x shocks too.

Just a bit more than $30/each and well out of his "starving student" budget.

 

[celly]

Ok I was riding in my friends jeep grand cherokee the other day and her ride was one of the most comfortable rides I have had in an SUV. My car just hit 65K miles and still have the stock shocks on it. I am looking for a similar smooth ride as I don't really go off roading. I am also a student and therfore don;t have much money...so I narrowed my decision down to the Explorer pro comp's (es3000 or es9000) or the Monroe Sensa-Tracs. Which of these would be better for my situation. Also, are there other better shocks in the $30 each price range. Thanks

I scored shocks for my Ex just about a year ago. Did a ton of research on all the offerings, and Monroe (manufactured by same company as Rancho) do make great shocks and had lots of good feedback on them. I was torn between Sensa-Tracs and the more expensive Reflex. I went with the latter but I felt pretty comfortable that the Sensa Tracs would be more than adequate for my needs. From what I recall, the Sensa Tracs have a slightly more "cushy" ride, and Reflex were a bit more firm. I don't think you'll go wrong with Sensa Trac and I remember seeing that many US retailers offer good deals on them. I'm in Canada and wasn't so lucky to get them as cheap.

I don't know a thing about the other shocks you mentioned, but Sensa Trac seems to be a great shock at a great price.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

Ranch 5000 may be a decent step down from 9000s and close to your price range

[edit: i don't mean a step down in quality]

 

[Lazzman]

I just installed the Edelbrock IAS shocks and they provide a great ride, firm but not stiff. I got them on ebay from an overstock for $50 a piece.

Reflex is the new version of Sensa Trac as Monroe is doing away with them as I was told. They sell for $45 a piece thats why I said look into the Edelbrock on ebay, also KYB Monomax is good.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

The IAS shocks you got, Lazz, were they just IAS "Twin Tube" shocks or were they something different? I picked up a pair of IAS Twin-Tube for the front for $50+shipping on eBay and they're nothing to write home
about. (not saying yours aren't, i'm just not ecstatic about them)

Also, i haven't heard that they're doing away with sensatracs. Reflex is a step up and wouldn't be considered a replacement-level shock.

 

[aldive]

I had a set of Edelbrock shocks and couldn't wait to get rid of them; worst riding shock I ever had ( they did handle great though ).

 

[celly]

Also, i haven't heard that they're doing away with sensatracs. Reflex is a step up and wouldn't be considered a replacement-level shock.

When I was buying Monroes, the guy explained to me that the Reflex is a newer alternative to the Sensatracs and wasn't meant to replace them. The valving, performance and ride are different and they cater to different drivers and a higher budget. He actually tried to steer me towards the Sensatracs because he thought the Reflex might feel too firm in my Ex. It took some getting used to the ride, but I love them now. I actually had an EE swaybar installed at the same time. Needless to say, my Ex handles way better than stock.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

When I was buying Monroes, the guy explained to me that the Reflex is a newer alternative to the Sensatracs and wasn't meant to replace them. The valving, performance and ride are different and they cater to different drivers and a higher budget. He actually tried to steer me towards the Sensatracs because he thought the Reflex might feel too firm in my Ex. It took some getting used to the ride, but I love them now. I actually had an EE swaybar installed at the same time. Needless to say, my Ex handles way better than stock.

In regards to firmness, just how "firm" are they. If you hit a decent pothole/manhole will it absorb it or is it gonna shake the truck? I've been leaning towards the sensatracs (low-budget) b/c i want a smooth ride on city streets and, b/c the city streets here are horrible, i need a set that is going to absorb the more-than-frequent rut/pothole/manhole/etc. Rancho 5000 would be the next up for me, but i'm trying to do as much with as little as possible (i've got other MAJOR issues - i.e.<10mpg - that i need to deal with)

 

[TheJMan]

I used the Monroe Reflex on my 1993 X 4wd and it made a dramatic difference in handling over the old 50k mile old ProComp ES3000 shocks. The ride is much more controlled and brake dive is almost nonexistant. They still allowed a bit of body roll, but far less than the old shocks. $47 per shock.

I have Gabriel MaxControl shocks on my 2000 Mountaineer right now. I like them much better than the Monroes because they feel firmer, but soak up dips and speed bumps better than the Reflex, and have the rubber boot. They were only $3 more per shock than the Reflex shocks.

I don't think you could go wrong with either Monroe or Gabriel, I think Gabriel makes some that are around $25 that would be comparable to the Sensa-Trac, which is around $35.

 

[celly]

In regards to firmness, just how "firm" are they. If you hit a decent pothole/manhole will it absorb it or is it gonna shake the truck?

All they told me was Sensa Tracs have a softer feel. I would not describe my ride as being harsh. Supposedly a tighter feel. Supposedly they suck up bumps better than Sensa Tracs.