Best Shocks for 2017-2026 Ford F-250 & F-350: Bilstein 5100 vs Fox 2.0 vs ICON

The fourth-gen Super Duty is the best-towing Power Stroke Ford has ever built, and it ships with shocks that are already tired by 40,000 miles. Here is a straight comparison of the three shock brands we sell the most of for these trucks, with real fitment by lift height, real prices, and a clear recommendation for how you actually use your truck.

If you have read our Bilstein 5100 vs Fox 2.0 guide for the Ram 2500/3500 or the Silverado/Sierra HD version, you know the format. This time we are adding a third player, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, because on the Super Duty platform ICON has become the natural next step for owners who want to go past a bolt-in monotube and into true off-road hardware.

Why the Super Duty eats factory shocks

A 2017-2026 F-250 or F-350 crew cab diesel weighs 7,500-8,500 pounds before you hook anything to it. The front end rides on coil springs with radius arms, the rear on leaf packs stiff enough to handle a 4,000+ pound payload, and Ford's factory twin-tube shocks are tuned to make an empty truck feel acceptable on a test drive. They are not tuned for what most owners do next, which is put a 12,000-pound fifth wheel behind it, add a leveling kit and 35s, and drive it 200,000 miles.

The complaints we hear from Super Duty owners are consistent: rear-end hop and skate when the bed is empty, a front end that porpoises over highway expansion joints with a trailer on, chassis shudder on washboard gravel, and a steering wheel that never quite settles after a bump. Springs carry the load. Shocks control it. When the factory dampers give up, all of those symptoms show up at once, and the fix is far cheaper than most people expect.

Two things to know before you shop. First, every shock in this guide is for 4WD trucks, which is the vast majority of diesel Super Dutys; 2WD shocks are different part numbers. Second, lift height matters more than model year. Ford carried the same front and rear geometry from 2017 through the 2023 refresh and into 2026, so the deciding question is not "what year is my truck" but "how tall is my truck."

The three contenders at a glance

Prices are Alligator Performance pricing at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

Bilstein B8 5100: the proven workhorse

Bilstein invented the monotube gas-pressure shock, and the 5100 is the same core design that has been bolted to more lifted trucks than any other aftermarket damper. Inside the 46mm zinc-plated steel body, a dividing piston separates the oil from a high-pressure nitrogen charge. That single-tube layout puts the working piston right against the outer wall, so heat gets to the air fast, and the gas pressure keeps the oil from foaming under sustained load. Foam is what turns a shock into a pogo stick on a long grade with a trailer, and it is the failure mode the 5100 is specifically built to avoid.

The valving is digressive: firm at low shaft speeds for body control and steering response, then it opens up at high shaft speeds so a pothole or a sharp expansion joint does not punch through the cab. On a Super Duty this is exactly the right recipe. It kills the rear-end skate on an empty truck without making a loaded truck feel like it is riding on blocks.

Where it wins: value, reliability, and simplicity. It is a sealed unit with a limited lifetime warranty, so there is nothing to service and nothing to think about. Bilstein is our single largest suspension brand by volume for a reason, and the 5100 is the part most of those orders are for.

Where it gives ground: it is not rebuildable or revalvable, the fixed damping is a compromise across all loads, and on truly rough dirt the 46mm body will heat-soak before a 2.0 or 2.5 aluminum shock will. It is a street-and-tow shock that handles gravel roads well, not an off-road shock.

Bilstein 5100 fitment for 2017-2026 F-250/F-350 4WD

• Front, 0-2.5" lift: Bilstein 24-274951 (also covers Tremor and most leveling kits)
• Front, 4" lift: Bilstein 24-285285
• Front, 6" lift: Bilstein 24-285308
• Rear, 0-1" lift: Bilstein 24-274968
• Steering damper: Bilstein 24-286558

Fox 2.0 Performance Series: the enthusiast's step up

Fox's Performance Series is the street-legal descendant of the company's desert racing shocks. The 2.0 IFP model uses a 2.0-inch 6061-T6 aluminum body with a clear-anodized finish, a 5/8-inch hard chrome shaft, and an Internal Floating Piston that keeps the nitrogen charge and the oil completely separate. Aluminum sheds heat faster than steel, the larger 2.0-inch bore holds more oil than a 46mm Bilstein, and both of those facts matter when you are 30 miles into a rough ranch road or descending a long grade with 14,000 pounds pushing you.

Ride quality is where most Super Duty owners notice the difference immediately. The Fox valving is velocity-sensitive and tuned specifically for this chassis, and it takes the edge off sharp inputs in a way the 5100 does not quite match. The truck feels planted rather than stiff. Owners who split time between highway, gravel, and a job site consistently describe it as the shock that made the truck feel "finished."

Two upgrades live inside the Fox lineup for this truck:

• 2.0 Performance Series Reservoir: same shock, plus a remote reservoir that adds oil volume and cooling for trucks that see long stretches of rough road. About $357 per shock.
• 2.5 Performance Series IFP HTO: a bigger 2.5-inch body with substantially more oil, plus Fox's Hydraulic Top Out piston, a secondary internal piston that cushions the shock as it reaches full extension. On a heavy truck that unloads its suspension over crests and washouts, HTO removes the harsh "tug" at full droop. This is the shock to look at if you tow heavy on rough roads or run 35s and up. About $347 per shock.

Where it wins: ride quality, heat capacity, and longevity. Every Fox Performance Series shock is fully rebuildable and re-tunable, which means a $230 shock can be serviced instead of replaced, and it carries a limited lifetime warranty.

Where it gives ground: price. A full set of 2.0 IFPs is roughly double the Bilstein package, and the reservoir and 2.5 HTO options climb from there. For a stock-height truck that lives on pavement, the extra spend is hard to justify. For a leveled truck that leaves pavement regularly, it is the best money you will spend on the chassis.

Fox 2.0 Performance Series fitment for 2017-2026 F-250/F-350 4WD

• Front IFP, 0-1.5" lift: Fox 985-24-154
• Front IFP, 2-3.5" lift: Fox 985-24-155 (Tremor and leveling kits)
• Front IFP, 4-5" lift: Fox 985-24-156
• Front IFP, 5.5-7" lift: Fox 985-24-157
• Rear IFP, 0-1" lift: Fox 985-24-151
• Rear IFP, 1.5-3.5" lift: Fox 985-24-152
• Rear IFP, 4-6" lift: Fox 985-24-153
• Front Reservoir, 0-1.5": Fox 985-24-161 | 2-3.5": Fox 985-24-162
• Rear Reservoir, 0-1": Fox 985-24-174 | 1.5-3.5": Fox 985-24-149
• 2.5 IFP HTO, 0-1.5": Front 987-24-000 / Rear 987-24-001; 2-3.5": Front 987-24-002 / Rear 987-24-003
• Steering stabilizer: Fox 985-02-132 2.0 TS

ICON Vehicle Dynamics: from 2.0 Aluminum to 2.5 VS

ICON builds its shocks in Riverside, California, and engineers them around one platform at a time rather than adapting a universal damper to a fitment. For the Super Duty that shows up as a wider spread of options than either Bilstein or Fox, spanning from a $196 bolt-in shock to a full coilover conversion.

ICON 2.0 Aluminum Series (V.S. 2.0)

This is the direct competitor to the Fox 2.0 IFP: a 2.0-inch CNC-machined aluminum body, internal reservoir, and vehicle-specific valving developed on a Super Duty rather than a generic truck. It comes in internal-reservoir (IR) and remote-reservoir (RR) versions. Rebuildable, and priced right between the Bilstein and the Fox. The IR versions are a smart pick for a leveled truck that sees dirt regularly and whose owner wants ICON's firmer, more controlled feel.

ICON 2.5 VS Series

Here ICON separates from the pack. The 2.5 VS shocks use a 2.5-inch body with a piggyback or remote reservoir, a much larger oil volume than any 2.0-inch shock, and ICON's CDCV option: a Compression Damping Control Valve you adjust by hand to firm up or soften the compression stroke. Hook up the fifth wheel, add a few clicks. Unhook it Sunday night, back it off. That is a level of tunability no fixed-valve shock can offer, and on a truck whose weight swings by 5,000 pounds depending on the day, it is more than a gimmick.

ICON's newest CDEV models (Compression Damping Electronic Valve) take the same idea and automate it with a controller and app-based drive modes. They are priced accordingly, at over $2,000 for a rear pair, and are for the owner who wants the most capable Super Duty suspension money can buy.

Coilover conversions and Stage systems

The other reason Super Duty owners land on ICON is the 2.5 VS Remote Reservoir coilover conversion. It replaces the factory coil spring and shock up front with a true coilover assembly, delivers a 2.5-3" front lift with adjustable ride height, and fixes the geometry with caster cams. This is what you buy when a leveling kit and a bolt-in shock are no longer enough, and you want the front end of the truck to be as capable as the drivetrain.

Where it wins: range and adjustability. Nobody else lets you start at $196 and end at a full coilover build within one brand, and the CDCV adjuster is a real advantage for trucks that tow heavy some days and run empty on others.

Where it gives ground: price at the top end, and the ride is tuned firmer than the Fox at the 2.0 level. Some owners love the extra control; owners who want maximum comfort on pavement tend to prefer the Fox.

ICON fitment for 2017-2026 F-250/F-350 4WD

• 2.0 IR Front, 2.5" lift (leveled): ICON 66512 ($196) | 4.5" lift: ICON 66513
• 2.0 IR Rear, 0-2" lift: ICON 66516 ($201) | 2-5" lift: ICON 66517 ($196)
• 2.0 RR Rear, 0-2" lift: ICON 66516R ($309) | 2-5" lift: ICON 66517R
• 2.5 VS Piggyback Front, 0-2.5" lift (pair): ICON 67700P ($1,204)
• 2.5 VS Piggyback Rear, 0-3" lift (pair): ICON 37705P ($1,226) | 3-6" lift: ICON 37701P | with CDCV: ICON 37701CP
• 2.5 VS RR CDCV Coilover Conversion, 2.5-3" lift: ICON 61720C ($2,751)
• Stage 1 Coilover Leveling System, 2.5-3" lift: ICON K63141 ($2,860)
• Steering stabilizer: ICON 36511 2.0 VS Dual Opposing

Head to head: where each shock wins

Fitment: match the shock to your lift height, not your model year

This is where most online orders go wrong. A shock built for a 0-2" truck has a shorter extended length than one built for 4-6", and running the wrong one either tops out constantly or bottoms out on the bump stops. Measure from the center of the hub to the bottom of the fender lip, compare to a stock truck (or your kit's stated lift), and buy for that number. If you are not sure, call us and we will sort it out before it ships.

Tremor owners: the factory Tremor package sits roughly 2" taller than a standard 4WD Super Duty, so use the leveled row above. Always confirm your kit's actual lift before ordering rear shocks for a 4" or 6" truck; rear lift on a block or spring kit is often less than the front number.

Pricing: what a full set actually costs

Do not skip the steering damper

The Super Duty's solid front axle and big tires put a lot of load through a single factory steering stabilizer, and a worn one is the number one cause of the "wanders on the highway and shimmies after a bump" complaint. If you are already under the truck swapping shocks, a new damper is a 20-minute add. The Bilstein 5100 damper ($121) is the value pick and is already included in our 5100 package with damper. The Fox 2.0 TS stabilizer matches a Fox shock install, and the ICON 2.0 VS Dual Opposing stabilizer is the strongest of the three for trucks on 37s.

Our verdict, by how you use your truck

You tow a camper or trailer on weekends and commute the rest of the time

Bilstein 5100. Stop overthinking it. For under $500 with a steering damper, the truck will ride better loaded and unloaded than it did new, and you will never touch the shocks again. This is the highest return-on-dollar upgrade in the entire suspension category.

You leveled the truck, run 35s, and drive gravel or ranch roads every week

Fox 2.0 Performance Series IFP, or the ICON 2.0 IR if you prefer a firmer, more controlled feel. Both are rebuildable aluminum shocks that will outlast the Bilstein on rough roads and ride noticeably better. The Fox package at $920 is the sweet spot for most owners in this group.

You tow heavy (10,000 lb or more) and the roads to your job site or hunting camp are rough

Fox 2.5 Performance Series IFP HTO or ICON 2.5 VS with CDCV. The extra oil volume of a 2.5-inch body is what keeps damping consistent on the tenth mile of washboard with a loaded trailer, and the ICON's adjuster lets you dial the truck in for loaded versus empty. Between the two, pick ICON if you want the adjuster, Fox 2.5 HTO if you want the best ride at full droop for less money.

You want the most capable Super Duty on the road, on and off pavement

ICON 2.5 VS Remote Reservoir coilover conversion up front, 2.5 VS piggyback rears, and the ICON dual-opposing stabilizer. It is a serious investment, but it is also the only setup on this list that changes the front suspension architecture instead of just damping it.

Frequently asked questions

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