Making the Ford F-150 Ecoboost Drive and Tow Smoother with Eibach Shocks
My dad's Ford F-150 Ecoboost is something I frequently drive, usually to pick up car parts and to tow one of the racecars out to the track. Similar to many folks who also own a racecar, the majority of my focus and money has gone into the racecar, not the tow rig. In actuality, I'm spending hundreds of more hours in the truck picking up parts for the car and towing the car to the track, than actually driving on the track.
After making that realization, I figured it was time for a change! It couldn't hurt making the time in the truck a little more bearable. The truck has remained completely stock for the last three and a half years and since it is my dad’s daily driver, I didn’t want to do any over-the-top modifications. It was imperative that I didn’t take away from ride smoothness.
However, the truck was starting to show its age in the shock department. The stock shocks were getting worn out. The truck was getting wallowy in the turns and under braking, and although you might think the ride was getting better due to things getting softer, it was actually getting worse- like something that would make you seasick. Worst of all, the truck would blow through the travel and hit the bumpstops harshly. To top it all off, the front suspension was sagging and the truck was nosing down.
The shock is internally a monotube design, which includes large 46mm pistons, Nitro-coated rods, and heavy duty zinc coating. Nitro coated is the regular language for Nitriding, which is a hard, long wearing and slippery surface treatment. It is also a more eco-friendly process for manufacturing.
The stock shock piston is much smaller than the Eibach Pro-Truck shock, as it is a twin tube versus the monotube construction of the Eibach shock. A larger piston has more bearing area for longer life and better strength. A larger piston also displaces more fluid when it moves. More fluid movement means that the shock can generate more damping force more accurately.
