Shock absorbers KYB or Monroe

My suggestion - buy a set of regular aftermarket shock absorbers but from a reliable manufacturer like KYB...You'll ride lower, it'll be a bit stiffer but you'll not lose your teeth fillings each time you hit a pothole.

I use KYB's on beater passenger cars literally all the time because they last a lot longer than Monroe's and honestly they are good quality shocks (they are OEM on Toyotas and most Hondas I believe for a reason).

I use the Monroe version of these. Not too stiff of a ride but handle the extra weight very well.

2 year later update: finally decided to get new shocks, kyb this time. What a world of difference. No bounce and am using the same bump stops as before.

I went with nice, inexpensive low-pressure KYB shocks and they're about right for my use.

I tend to like KYB, as I like a stiffer ride/steering. I replaced all the shocks and struts on my wife's car and my car in 2019. We've been happy with the performance.

I really liked the KYB's that I put on my Miata, but I paired them with a nice set of springs. But they were stiff man, there's a reason people say that the brand name stands for "Kill Your Back"

I put KYB Excel-G on my 7th gen civic, they seem to ride fine, but for some reason the rear of the car sits an inch or two higher than the original stock suspension.

I've never had a good set or known anyone who did. I've had Monroes faill in less than 1k miles on my Rabbit.

My '04 VW Golf R32 came with Monroe shocks on the rear as OEM. They were 'floaty' feeling after less than 10k miles. I put a total of 25k on them before I just couldn't stand it anymore.