Opinions on shock choices

[cal30_sniper]

Hey fellas, I'm looking for some experience with different types of shock setups that y'all are running. The vehicle is a 1986 C20 Suburban (3/4 ton, 454, HD suspension).

I currently have KYB Monomax shocks (and have had them for 30k miles). They still feel like the day I put them on, and are definitely not worn out, but I am beginning to tire of having my teeth jarred. I've taken quite a few offroading/dirt road adventures on these things, and I feel like I'm shaking my truck apart every time. They turn washboards into a horrible nightmare, and I feel every bump, rut, and rock in the road, even when going very slow with the tires let down to 25psi or so. I'm sick of it, especially when I'm getting passed left and right by trucks that seem to be go over the same patches effortlessly.

What's the general consensus for a smooth riding shock that will still handle well and take to the occasional heavy load without a problem? I don't tow a lot, but I sometimes load my truck up with 2k pounds or so of stuff and passengers. I'd like to retain that feature, but actually be able to go off-road without knocking my teeth out.

Are Bilsteins going to be any smoother than the KYBs, or are they valved extremely stiff too? I've had terrible luck with the Monroe/Gabriel shocks that I've tried (sloppy to begin with and don't last long at all). Has anybody had good luck with them on these trucks? What about AC Delco? How are the KYB GR-2 or Gas-a-just? Would either of those be significantly less stiff than the Monomax? I like the longevity of KYBs, but they've killed the ride on every vehicle I put them on. Shocks are not hard to change on these trucks, and I'd rather have a good ride even at the expense of more frequent shock changes.

Also, as a final note, I do have the large Air-Lift Air Springs that I will be installing on there as well (I had them on my old '90 1/2 ton burb, just need to swap them over). I normally don't put much air in them at all, and only pump them up when I'm loaded down to get it back to factory ride height. That being said, since I have the air springs, and a 3/4 ton suspension, I really don't think I need the shocks to be very stiff to get good handling/towing. I want the shocks to dampen well, not try to improve the handling by making it stiffer and more jarring.

Thanks for the help guys, I'd love to hear your experiences.

-cal30sniper