Just wondering who, if any, has the Rancho 9000's shocks? And if they are everything they are supposed to be. Why did you choose them and why didnt you get monotubes? I have heard from many that Rancho is not as good as everyone claims and the there is much better shocks out there. Thanks for any input.

 

I just put a complete set of them on a 97' CTD an loaded a D-8 Cat tranny in the back, 8.0cbft freezer full of meat, tools and a whole bunch of other garbage in there and sent him down the alcan hwy. HEHEHEHEHE, I hope he is doing allright : , He is supposed to call me in a couple of days, I wil ask him how he likes them and get back to you. 8)

 

Well..I don't have them, but from what I've read, people really like them. that's the good news. The bad news being that pretty much everyone cranks them to the top setting which kinda defeats the adjustability and they dont have near the longevity running heavy as Bilsteins do. As I said this is not apersonal opinion, but rather a collective summary from what I've read. I'm in the market for shocks and I believe I'm goin with Bilsteins as I'm always heavy.

 

I have them and like them. Set on 4 in front and 3 in back.

 

I have 4 on my 92. Only had them a few months so can't tell ya about how long they last. I thought they were warrented for life. Anyway they make a big difference in how the truch handles for sure. I pull a 12k fifth wheel and have the fronts at 5 and the rear at 8. I would buy them again. I looked at the Bilsteins but couldn't get ones for my truck. Sam's had the Rancho's by three get one free. The set cost 210 to the door.

 

[quote author=Mexstan link=board=7;threadid=21335;start=0#msg200254 date=1066914134]
I have them and like them. Set on 4 in front and 3 in back.
[/quote]

Mexstan,

Is your truck still at the stock height? If so, what are the part #'s for the Ranchos you got and where did you order them from. The stock shocks leave much to be desired and i've been wanted to change them for a while now. If Bilstein doesn't come out with something soon, I might get the Ranchos.

Thanks,
Dan

 

I've had 9000's installed for about 3 weeks and so far, all is well with one exception. The bushing in the bottom of the front shocks is a little larger than stock and I get a clunking noise over rough surfaces when they're set to firm. I'm going to contact Rancho to see what the fix is.

I also got the remote, in cab controller. It works good, but the installation was a hassle. The plumbing under the hood for the compressor and all the lines going to the control head and to the shocks looks like an explosion in a spagetti factory! Some feedback I received said that there were leaks associated with the remote system. Some said they wouldn't hold the pressure without leaking down overnight. As a test, I set mine at full firm and left it that way for a week -- no leaks. At the full firm setting, it'll rattle your teeth on rough roads . With a lifetime guarantee, I'm not too concerned with longivity.

 

I've got Rancho 9000's on my Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4, which is primarily used for off-road & farm use. Haven't put them on my Dodge yet. They've worked great for me and I like the adjustability for loads & off-road use. I've had them on for the last 100,000 miles on 3 different Chevys and no probs. The truck also has Ranchand bumpers and a Warn 12k on the front - the other shocks weren't firm enough for the extra weight on the nose. Just my experience with them....

 

After trying RS5000s, then ProComp ES3000s, I put RS9000s on a '96 Ram x-cab. They were great! I typically had them set on 2 front and rear. I usually changed the rear to 3 for towing. Settings 4 and 5 were hard and bone jarring, respectively. 1 was spongy soft.

Back then, there wasn't much available in the mono-tube market. When I replace the shocks on my new truck, I'll go with either RS9000s or ProComp MX-6 shocks. The MX-6 shocks are adjustable like the RS9000s, but are of a monotube design; best of both worlds?

I don't think I'd by a non-adjustable shock again. Most of the good aftermarket shocks in the non-adjustable config are a little to firm for me. I really like to have the ability to change the settings for the type of driving I expect to encounter.

 

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...hreadid=169323
bilsteins are a much better shock. and i know of bunch of people that have got rid of rancho 9000,s. they are not a bad shock, just not as good as a set of bilstein's. and this guy has them for a good price.

 

I have had them on my truck for quite a while now and I like them alot. They are a billion times better than stock. I also have the in-cab remote, which is not worth it in my opinion and I will be removing it in the next couple weeks.


Tony

 

RamDan03, sorry to be so slow with your answer. Did not see your post until now.
The part numbers are: 99197 and 99269. Bought them from a dealer in San Antonio, Tx. Waited until they had a buy 3 get one free deal.
If you go for the Rancho's I would suggest that you do not get the remote. The shocks are easy to adjust.
My truck is at stock height.

 

I've had 9000's on my truck for about a year and love them. I drive daily with a truck full of tools so I keep the settings on 7 in the back and 5 on the front. My truck weighs out at about 8500 lbs, even, front to back. No overload slappin here anymore. ;D

 

Hey gunracer1, I was looking on that site you showed and there was an article talking about how a guy was using 9000's and they werent doing the job so he got these cool Bilsteins and he raved about them.

 

[quote author=Mexstan link=board=7;threadid=21335;start=0#msg200627 date=1066961461]
RamDan03, sorry to be so slow with your answer. Did not see your post until now.
The part numbers are: 99197 and 99269. Bought them from a dealer in San Antonio, Tx. Waited until they had a buy 3 get one free deal.
If you go for the Rancho's I would suggest that you do not get the remote. The shocks are easy to adjust.
My truck is at stock height.
[/quote]

Mexstan,

Thanks for the excellent info!

Dan