Which front shocks are better?

The HCR shocks are longer so they will only work with HCR or crossfire a-arms. I havn't ridden both back to back to I can't tell you if one is really better or not. I would guess the HCR shocks are better suited for taking big hit and are slightly stiffer. They are both good shocks but it depends how they are set up. Stock settings are usually ok for most people but not great for anyone. This is just due to the fact that they have to set them all up the same when they come off of the assembly line.