Gabriel Max Control - Initial Impression

[metroplex]

I only have the rears installed (going to do the fronts this weekend if there's no snow), but I could experience a differnece nonetheless:

The stock front shocks do not dampen the harmonic motion of the springs adequately at highway speeds. So the front passengers are subjected to a "bobbing" motion where the van goes back and forth rapidly. You can easily get a headache if you rest your head on the headrest of your seat.

With the Max Control shocks in the back, that motion is killed ASAP. However as soon as you hit a new "bump" on the highway, the bobbing motion is started again, but the rear shocks dampen it.

The back wheels have now started a tendency to stay together, sort of like my Vic with the HD Bilsteins in the back. There's no more "wiggling" in the rear!

[metroplex]

It turns out Edelbrock DID make shocks for the 92-up E-series, but there wasn't enough apparent demand and they discontinued them.

I took the van for a spin and the Max Control shocks perform as advertised. The van no longer has a mechanical bull bobbing motion and rides like my 2000 Crown Vic on the highway (2000 Crown Vic has larger anti-roll bars, poly bushings, HD Bilstein in the back, Edelbrock in the front, HPP coils in the front, air springs in the back).

The van seems more reactive in the curves/turns, but most importantly that nauseating mechanical bull bobbing motion is gone.

[ddog]

How do they do on that section of poorly repaired road (Interstate?) that you mentioned in an earlier post. Can you run it at 70mph now with out slowing down?
ddog

[metroplex]

It's still kind of rough but the shocks are actually damping the spring's "harmonic" motion. There's a HUGE improvement over the stock shocks.

[toalpi]

[ QUOTE ]
There's a HUGE improvement over the stock shocks.

[/ QUOTE ] You said one of the stock shocks had lost the gas charge, so ANY new shock will be better than a failed stock shock.

[metroplex]

Only one of them lost the charge. The other 3 perform as well as a crappy stock shock can perform. Every single OEM factory shock on our Fords has proven to yield lackluster performance.

I also have to mention that the rear end of the E-250 tracks better over bumps/holes/rumble strips. It's not a Lincoln Town Car or a BMW 6-series, but it's a big improvement.

[reyjay]

Hey a few months ago I tried to say that these seemed like a pretty good shock when I put them on the CC F250 but nobody here (not in the E-series group) seemed to want to listen. Now I have almost 10,000 miles on them and they seemed to "break in" in the first 100 mi. and are performing very well IMO. Not too stiff, plenty of shock capability when going over big bumps and rough spots and is performing admirably, plenty of control too. Think I would at least put them up against any Monroe's.