Replacement shock absorbers on a 4-corner air-suspension Ram.

[E.Hands]

@E. Hands, any more feedback on the swap? Any modifications necessary like it seems was required (shims) on the 4th gens? I'm looking at swapping 5100's on my front shocks since I've got 5100s on my rears already. Part number I'm looking at is 24-300872. Replacing the rears really helped the ride at 106k miles on my Limited. Now I'm realizing my fronts need swapped pretty bad. Hoping the extra grooves on the fronts will keep me away from needing to purchase the special ones with the groove machined in that special spot.

Only other feedback is, when you get it done, you will be happy that you did it.
And pleased with the money that you saved doing it!

 

[Loganator456]

Only other feedback is, when you get it done, you will be happy that you did it.
And pleased with the money that you saved doing it!

Thanks! Only question I have, or what I'm worried about, is potentially having to charge the system & whatever costs/dealer headaches that may entail. My air ride seems to be working just fine right now.
The standard step I'm seeing is to take the suspension down to entry/exit to keep the most amount of air in the system, not the shocks. Anything else you had to do?

 

[E.Hands]

Thanks! Only question I have, or what I'm worried about, is potentially having to charge the system & whatever costs/dealer headaches that may entail. My air ride seems to be working just fine right now.
The standard step I'm seeing is to take the suspension down to entry/exit to keep the most amount of air in the system, not the shocks. Anything else you had to do?

That's exactly what I did. And obviously you don't want to do it under extremely humid conditions, like while it is raining.
Once you have removed the air line's flare nut, you may hear a slight pressure release. Then back out the brass fitting on top of the shock. This will allow any residual pressure out and will allow the shock to fully compress during it's removal process.
I used a long pry bar to remove the shock from between the LCA (lower control arm) and the frame.
There was no need to remove the LCA.

Understand that if the system needs more air volume to work with once operational, it will simply take in outside air as needed.
So don't turn on the ignition until everything is buttoned back up.

 

[Loganator456]

That's exactly what I did. And obviously you don't want to do it under extremely humid conditions, like while it is raining.
Once you have removed the air line's flare nut, you may hear a slight pressure release. Then back out the brass fitting on top of the shock. This will allow any residual pressure out and will allow the shock to fully compress during it's removal process.
I used a long pry bar to remove the shock from between the LCA (lower control arm) and the frame.
There was no need to remove the LCA.

Understand that if the system needs more air volume to work with once operational, it will simply take in outside air as needed.
So don't turn on the ignition until everything is buttoned back up.

Your feedback and experience sharing through all this is greatly appreciated. Once I do the swap I will post here and share my experience/results. Thanks!!

 

[E.Hands]

Your feedback and experience sharing through all this is greatly appreciated. Once I do the swap I will post here and share my experience/results. Thanks!!

You 're quite welcome1
I'm curious, have you tried different settings on the 7793 ?
Where do you currently have it set?

 

[GSD222]

Thanks! Only question I have, or what I'm worried about, is potentially having to charge the system & whatever costs/dealer headaches that may entail. My air ride seems to be working just fine right now.
The standard step I'm seeing is to take the suspension down to entry/exit to keep the most amount of air in the system, not the shocks. Anything else you had to do?

If you have access to a tank of nitrogen it's actually not that hard to charge the system if needed. Dropping to entry/exit should get the job done but if you need to refill for whatever reason after the fact you'll just need the n2, a vacuum pump, and an a/c manifold gauge set, both of which you can probably borrow for a deposit from your local auto parts store. Even easier if you have Alfaobd because you can check the system pressure after the fact as well. I had to do it a couple times recently because the leak I had in my system wasn't obvious initially.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Just got a shipment notice for my OEM shocks so it looks like the nationwide back order may finally be over.

 

[1BADRAMLIMITED]

I see those listed as a 74 pound tire, stock size Michelin is listed as 39 pounds.
You are asking the stock shock to deal with a lot more load.
So picture how much force is needed to change the direction of 39 pounds at arms length. Now double that weight and change direction with it.
I would go with the higher dampening.

I’m new to trucks and knew a lot changes when adding a level and bigger tires. I will be getting the 5100’s soon. I did see from the article the other member posted referencing 4600 vs 5100 that there is a 5100 that is not adjustable. Are the adjustable 5100’s better if you are going for a level or which part # is the non adjustable 5100?

 

[Loganator456]

You 're quite welcome1
I'm curious, have you tried different settings on the 7793 ?
Where do you currently have it set?

I've tried all of them and swapped back & forth a ton. My preferences differ based on how nit picky I'm feeling about ride quality, tire pressures, etc. With worn shocks and lower tire pressures (32-34 cold), I liked the tightest position. Crazy good body control but definitely stiffens the ride - before replacing any shocks, at 36 psi or higher on wornish factory-style tires, the ride was harsh. Middle setting with worn shocks was perfect.

If I had new but relatively soft shocks (think Foxes) I would probably keep it as tight as possible. I'm riding on the softest setting now. Not a fan of how loose it feels (probably slightly better than bone stock), my worn tires and front shocks have me fatigued and it's something I can live with until the fronts are replaced. Replacing the rears w/ 5100's helped both with ride & body control perspective so I don't need the bar doing as much work. The Bilsteins are stiffer but I'm also wanting bigger tires so it's a long-term investment.

Dream setup would be (air ride or otherwise) - TRX style wheel tire combo (18's with softer-ply 35's, maybe narrower - more sidewall if anything), soft but new shocks (Fox style), and the 7793 at mid or tight setting. Whatever gets me the best combination of both super smooth ride and decent handling. I am nitpicky in general (if you haven't noticed) so that's my fault for being in love with a platform with limited options.