How much for adequate shocks?
 

I wasn't going to bring up this subject because there are quite a few good posts already on the subject of which shock absorbers to buy. Some like Monroe Sensa-Tracs. Others say Monroe Reflex's are good too. Bilsteins may be orig equip but are expensive. Etc., Etc. Etc. The Advance Auto website has a crap-load of them that are an "exact fit" for my '98 LT. They start at about $27/each (Gas-Matics) and go up to over $100/ea for fancy adjustable ones. So I'd like others' opinions about whether the $27/ea Gas Matics are fine for a person - like me - who basically drives the Blazer as tho it was a car. No off-road. No towing. Less than 5% of the time hauling anything even remotely heavy. I don't want to be uber-cheap but if Sensa Tracs or Reflex's are gonna cost nearly 50%, then I want them to be 50% better! (or last 50% longer).

Thanks

I have heard the cheap blue Monroe shocks can fail in a matter of months, however I have no personal experience with them myself.

I just put Monroe sens-trac's on the wife's mini jimmy last year...I don't like the ride though...seems too stiff.

I just put Bilstein HD on my 2002 GMC envoy and love the way those ride. great responsiveness, tight but not too stiff, and body roll is greatly reduced.

I've had bad luck with thee blue tube monroes, no matter what they always start leaking in a couple months. My last set of fronts were sensatracs and they are dead in 1.5 years. Michigan potholes are not kind. Next I'm trying the Bilstiens...

It took a bit of web-seaching but I found out what you guys are taking about when you refer to the "blue" shocks. Wised up and went to Monroe's site, went thru the "select your vehicle" process, and under the "Economical Replacements" option, I found the blue ones. They call these "Monro-Matic Plus" and provide part #s. On the same page they list the better-performing options for Sensa-Trac & Reflex, etc., - also with part #s. Up to now the low-price one shown on Advance Auto's website was a bright yellow in color and called the "Monroe Gas-Matic LT". This yellow one has a part # too but if you input that # into the Monroe site you find it does not exist. The same thing happens when you try to input Monroe's blue part # into Advance Auto's site. Does not exist. (The Sensas, Reflex, etc having matching part #s on each site). The reviews given to the yellow ones cover the entire range. One person's great shock is another person's piece of crap. Go figure. At this point I'm gonna assume the yellow and the blue ones are the same things.

Don't know if your set on using Monroe shocks but I put a set of KYB Excel-G's on my wife's '96 LS Blazer last summer. She loves the ride.

Bilstein - KYB - Rancho - Monroe - Edelbrock Automotive Truck Shocks and Struts - Shockwarehouse.com

Not set on Monroes. Just want to stop the truck from acting like a porpoise every time I hit a bump! Thanks for the web-site. Prices seem a little better than Advance Auto's (before discount offers).

I need to correct myself on the prices between Advance Auto and Shockwarehouse.com. for the KYB Excel-Gs. Advance is $168 for a set - after 15% off current discount offer and before taxes. The warehouse is $136 before tax and shipping is free. AND thru April you get a $40 mail-in rebate when you buy a set of 4. Hard to beat that deal. Kinda wish they were made in US and not Japan though.

I went with the reflexes' just do some shopping around! Coupon codes for advance, if memory serves me right they were $150 for all 4