Front end bouncing cure?

[LTJGWorth]

I just replaced the shocks on my 1997 Ram 1500 2X4 today. There has been numerous complaints of the front end shaking violently after hitting a bump or pothole. My truck did that almost all the time. I put the new shocks on and took it for a test drive. Not only does the truck handle better, hug the turns, and have a better ride, but I hit a bad place in the pavement that my truck bounced on everytime and I barely even knew I went over it. I only replaced the front shocks and I got to tell you, they were gone. Especially the passenger side shock (the one that I thought to be behind my bouncing and shaking). They had almost no pressure on them and I could easily compress them without them coming back out. They were the original shocks, I might add. To those of you facing this problem, if you get new shocks post on here and tell us how it's worked out for you. If anything comes up with mine, i'll post. By the way, the shocks I bought were Gabriel gas shocks from Autozone.

[GregWeld]

I have a 2004.5 RAM 2500 Cummins shortbed Quadcab -- that shakes so bad when you hit a pothole/road pavement change - that you can't hardly get to the side of the road!! Took it to Dodge dealer --- they looked at me as though I lived on the moon.... then called to report "NO PROBLEMS"... So that's when I started to look on the Net to see if "others" were having the same issue. Have to tell ya - there's some comfort to know that LOTS of other people are having this same thing happen to them! I ordered new shocks from Edelbrock - through Summit Racing - but so far they're on backorder. Think I'll contact a friend at my yacht club that does automotive defect litigation and ask him what's up that he can find - in the legal world. I'd bet there's plenty. In the meantime - I'm afraid I'll get killed or kill someone else before the problem gets resolved - so next stop is the FORD dealer. I really hate to think of buying a POWER JOKE diesel... but I'd rather be found on the road with a broken "something" -- than in a ditch upsidedown from this GD Dodge shaking. I pull a 24' enclosed car trailer with my hot rods that cost a ton of dough and time... and I'm not about to risk those for some German excuses....

[2000mudder]

it just boils down to the never ending cycle of a part will eventually need to be replaced!!!

[fredjacksonsan]

Yeah, hold off on the ford until you get your new shocks installed.

Also, you should take the mechanic @ the dealer for a ride - the one who said there's no problem - and demonstrate the behavior for him.