Go for it,  for the price you can't go wrong.  I should have ordered a set of boots for the shocks though, they are not included.

Only other thing I will mention is that on one side the body of the shock is barely contacting a piece of the lower shock mount.  So im guessing my shock mount is bent a little since it's only on one side (the other side is also very close) , but after a week it would appear that there is zero damage from the contact.  If I wanted to I could just trim a 1/8" off the mount and that would do it.

I was out this weekend on a narrow, muddy hillly trail with rocks and logs..and I'm not using my 4x4 right now due to a crack in the front housing....it was easy to feel the off road performance difference with these shocks, they are stiffer so they stop the cab from rolling around so much giving me more control.  I dont know if it is the stiffness or extra flex but I could really feel the rear wheels keeping even contact with the ground which made climbing easier in 2wd.  Places where I would normally need a running start to go bouncing up the hill were easier to crawl up, solid as a rock. 

since work is quiet i'm trolling this site again...   i found what i used for the xl7... munroe shock # 55861, should list that this is for a 1985 for thunderbird.  the shocks were way longer than the crown vics and were a direct bolt up replacement, i would use these on a 4 door, on my 2 door i ran early 90's cavalier rear shocks.... 

i found what i used for the xl7... munroe shock # 55861

how were they as far as stiffness?

I was running Monroe # 5968, they bolted right up and were good for the first few months, but pretty quick they stared going soft from abuse on the logging roads.

Here are the specs:

5968 - Mustang
http://catalog.monroe.com/catalogPart/displayPartDetails.do?partKey=376714&catalogKey=389&partNumber=5968&catalogCode=monroe&loadStatus=ACTIVE&locale=en&methodName=displayPartDetails

5861 - Thunderbird
http://catalog.monroe.com/catalogPart/displayPartDetails.do?partKey=376641&catalogKey=389&partNumber=5861&catalogCode=monroe&loadStatus=ACTIVE&locale=en&methodName=displayPartDetails

The T-Bird shocks are longer, but I noticed they don't have bumper stops, while the Mustang shocks do.

I don't know about the T-Bird shocks, but it seems to me the problem with the Mustang shocks is that they are designed for a on road car, not an offroad truck. I know our little trucklette's aren't very heavy but flying down a poorly maintained logging road fully loaded with camping gear is bound to destroy a shock designed for cruising on the street.

I agree Dan, I think if you drive your truck around town with occasional wheeling the car shocks could last a long time but people like you and I who go bombing down logging roads, loaded with camping gear (they go on for thousands of kilometeres where i live) needs something more durable.  I dont think crawling over rocks and logs on a tough trail is nearly as hard on the shocks as goin 60 down a poorly maintained road.

I'm thinking anything will break if you beat on it hard enough and long enough.  For sure stock auto shocks weren't built to take sustained compressions.  The heat generated would kill them quickly, even given you are running the correct length of shock for your application.  Have you considered looking into suspension set ups like they run on the Baja trucks?  Probably expensive as hell, but they are designed to take a beating at speed... and still they occasionally fail.  Or how about checking out some shocks with remote reservoirs built into them to reduce heat build up?

I'm thinking anything will break if you beat on it hard enough and long enough.  For sure stock auto shocks weren't built to take sustained compressions.  The heat generated would kill them quickly, even given you are running the correct length of shock for your application.  Have you considered looking into suspension set ups like they run on the Baja trucks?  Probably expensive as hell, but they are designed to take a beating at speed... and still they occasionally fail.  Or how about checking out some shocks with remote reservoirs built into them to reduce heat build up?

I'm sure those are excellent ideas nprecon, but I doubt I have the time or money... at the moment haha.  

Funny, I was just talking with a guy who is parting out one of his trackers and he mentioned he had the calmini lift on 31s but after a few years he got sick of replacing the shocks and of course he mentioned that it was because he spends a lot of time in the bush.

If these ones last a couple years I will be happy.

why not just bolt on those 2" lift brackets? it allows you guys to put on the oem shocks. most problem with shocks with a lift is wen they bottom out either on both ways, it damage the seal and then starts leaking,then they will not last long after the oil is gone out of it. a shock is only design to go a certain distance. those "baja" style shocks would be best for long travel but are a pain in the ars on the wallet for sure. but if you change your shocks 2-3 times a year it may pay you off buying those "baja" style shocks on the long run... for me, im waiting to see sumone installing a set of shocks and are braggin about them and braggin they are lasting a long time as well lol

why not just bolt on those 2" lift brackets? it allows you guys to put on the oem shocks. most problem with shocks with a lift is wen they bottom out either on both ways, it damage the seal and then starts leaking,then they will not last long after the oil is gone out of it. a shock is only design to go a certain distance. those "baja" style shocks would be best for long travel but are a pain in the ars on the wallet for sure. but if you change your shocks 2-3 times a year it may pay you off buying those "baja" style shocks on the long run... for me, im waiting to see sumone installing a set of shocks and are braggin about them and braggin they are lasting a long time as well lol

Obvious reason? You dont get the extra travel and "flex" which is something these vehicles are naturally lacking.  Good thing its a quick and easy job to change the rear shocks (im getting good at it lol).  I suppose I cant expect to rack up the miles in the bush and have zero consequences right?

Stiill... it would be interesting to see if shocks with resevoirs would provide you guys with longer service.

****The T-Bird shocks are longer, but I noticed they don't have bumper stops, while the Mustang shocks do. *****

if you guys are not running extended bumpstops and the shocks are limiting compression you will blow each and every shock you install.  bush buster, have a look at the setup on my old tracker if it's still in your neighborhood, i ordered the rear bumpstop extensions from bits 4 vits.   high speeds on logging roads is for sure hard on trucks!  anyway i was probably one of the 1st guys on here to run the mustangs on my 2nd gen, ppl seemed to get on board with because they are a bit longer than the crown vics, about an inch if i recall correctly.  then a guy on zookpower turned me towards the cavaliers, much better and still cheap, then jeff pointed the part # to the tbirds for my heavy pig XL7 cause i knew the cavaliers were not enough..  guys are blowing the OME shocks and struts just like the cheap parts so it's a personal preference.  anyway in the 6yrs i had the tracker i put crown vics, then mustangs then 2 sets of cavaliers...

check this for your bumpstop requirements;

http://www.bits4vits.co.uk/store/vitara-/-x90/bump-stop-spacers/prod_35.html

Well, I installed my xl-7 springs today. I think they lifted the tuck (at least a little  ) and they do seem to be stiffer.

Its clear the old mustang shocks are not going to cut it. Not only are they not nearly strong enough to dampen the stiffer springs but they're not long enough. It feels like there's hardly any extension. One good compression and it quickly bounces back and top outs. I have a sneaking suspicion that hitting the extended bump stops so often is going to kill what's left of my mustang shocks.

So does a stock truck just use the fully extended bumpstop in the shock to limit the axles travel and keep the spring in place? Is bottoming more destructive then topping out?? I guess it must be because the truck has an external bumpstop to prevent bottoming but nothing to stop topping out.

Can someone help me figure out the ideal length of the shock I'd need with Jeff's spacer and XL7 springs that would still get close to a even amount of compression and extension? 

pretty sure i posted the answer to your question in my last post.  t-bird shocks,  they worked fine on my xl7, they are for a big fat heavy old car and are longer, just go to a parts shop and look at them, or run cavaliers, they worked great also but if you do not have an external bumpstop extension when running a 2 inch coil spacer out back like in the link i posted you cannot use a long shock or you're at risk of losing your coil under full droop/extension.  compressing the shock with no bumpstop extension can crush the shock with the weight of the vehicle.  

so order the external extensions, then go to a parts shop and line up the cavaliers and t-birds and look for yourself, you can read on here all day but seeing it is better, line these shocks up beside the rustang to see the difference.  

you may also need to disconnect the parking brake cable from the mount on the axle with either of these shocks, it gets way too tight otherwise and looks as though it may be damaged if not disconnected, this will not affect any functionality.

Well mine are 21.5/13 and hcgalvin's Rancho 5158 are a little shorter... not sure about the Tbirds. 

I dont believe I am going to need the extensions brian but I will have a look at Joannes tracker when we go wheeling.  Maybe this weekend...right now im heading outside to install my newly rebuilt front diff including a steel grand vitara housing...I am so psyched to get it in and go wheeling

i don't remember what the lengths were anymore, joanne's got cavaliers on hers.  flex yours out so a back wheel is losing ground contact, then have a look at your coil, you'll know if you need the extension or not.  now i'm sad, my old tracker    glad to hear you got a steel setup - you should be all set now!

Well last night sucked.  I ended up cross threading a mount bolt really bad then snapping the head off it, all because i thought i could put the mounts on the diff after inserting the passenger side cv to avoid releasing the steering knuckle and changing my alignment...big mistake!  I inserted the axle stub then propped up the diff and got 2 of 4 mount bolts installed then the third one cross threaded and i was using such a long handled socket wrench I didnt even notice it was cross threading....managed to remove it today with a tiny pipe wrench and fixed the threads with a tap..whew! Will have to try again tonight with the steering knucke opened up lol...

Remember kids: DONT DO WHAT DONNY DON'T DOES!