I didn't have name shocks 10 years ago and shortly after that I remember going past speed bumps and the rear hitting the bumpers. It happened with no load in the truck and just me as the driver. Throw in the whole family and the rear shocks are dead. I spent a little more money this time and this is different. The ride feels rough and the truck no longer hits the bumpers. Shock absorbers cushion the ride like they should. They are usually easy to install, my only issue was that the welded screw on the Acura MDX was loose and took over an hour to remove. It has nothing to do with shocks. 2 months and so far so good.