What do you guys think of these? I just ordered 4 for my truck. I had bilstein's on my 01 and liked them.

You know I likes em. Adjustability is always a plus. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

I like the adjustability also,that was the main reason that I went with Rancho...

I just slapped a set of these on my '04 and WOW! what a difference. The thing rides anywhere in between a Caddy and a Rigid...you pick. I've tentatively settled on 6 in the front and 4 in the rear, but I might try 5 in the front on my way home tonight. It's an easy swap and well worth the money. The stockers only had 13000 miles on them and the rears were junk. You could compress it and it would jerk back out...not smooth. The fronts, you could hear fluid moving around in them and there was a large quantity of oil on the front left side...guess my fat butt overloaded them.


Be confident you made a good purchase.

sounds good to me.

Ranchos 9000s on about 3 weeks,hell of a difference 5 in front 4 in rear when not towing. Real nice ride at these settings, 8 in front 8 in rear when towing, has real secure feel. this is on a 2wd 2500hd cc sb D/A.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif

Two http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Thumbs Up.gif from me.

where did you buy them from?

I GOT SOME........LOVE EM ..... WOULDNT TAKE ANYTHING FOR THEM

Truck Add On's.com. They have a special now where if you buy a set, you get one free. So you are only paying for 3.

thanks!!!!!!!!

All you guys who have installed the RSX 9000's . . . did you get the shock for the stock 0" lift stock height or for the 4" raised height. I am installing the "now famous green keys" and I don't "think" this has any bearing on the shcoks, but then again, some have said it does. Just want to get the correct product from them.


The have RS99288 and RS99274 for stock height and the RS99289 and RS99297 for the 4" raised setup.


Any help would be appreciated.

TJ,


Cranking the torsion bars does have an effect on the shocks. As you lift the nose with the t-bars, you move the shocks out of their center of travel. While they don't have to be perfectly centered when at rest, if you get them too far out their dampening ability is impaired. This is the main reason why a truck with more than 2" of t-bar lift starts to get a very choppy ride.


I have had it both ways. Lift with aftermarket keys and cranked t-bars, and my current Rancho 4" lift. When I had the cranked t-bars I had Bilstein shocks. I put a 1" spacer under the top of the shock, which meant that when I had 1" if t-bar crank, the shock was centered. I found that I had an excellent ride up to about 2" of t-bar lift. After that, the ride became progressively more choppy. Unfortunately, no one seems to make a shock that is 2-3" taller than stock. Such a shock would work great with 2-3" of t-bar lift.


With my 4" Rancho lift and RS9000X, I have as good of a ride as I had with the Bilsteins, plus adjustability. I have found something interesting. With the Bilsteins on a stock suspension, when the suspension was at full droop the shock limited travel. While it's better to hit a bump stop before a shock runs out of travel, the plus with this set-up was the CVs could never droop so too far be put in a bind.


Now the RS9000Xs for a 4" lift have a lot of travel. So much that the upper a-arm hits the frame "pad" and the shock still has travel left. While this is better for the shock, it's bad for the CVs if you aggressively off road. If the CVs frequently go to full droop they can wear prematurely or even break--especially if you have a "knuckle" kit that has a steering knuckles that is much heavier than the stock knuckle.


The fix to all this is simple. I found that an 11/16" thick piece of plywood, placed on the metal pad on the frame under the upper a-arm, keeps the CV from binding. So I ordered some 11/16" x 1 5/8" poly bump stops. The place on the frame than contacts the upper a-arm at full droop looks like it was made for a bump stop, and all I have to do is drill a hole. I will experiment a bit and may need a 1/16" - 1/8" shim under the bump stop, depending on how far it compresses.


Reagrdless, I solve the problem of too much shock travel. I wonder if the RS9000s for a stock height truck have this problem?Edited by: afp1

Ranchos 9000s on about 3 weeks,hell of a difference 5 in front 4 in rear when not towing. Real nice ride at these settings, 8 in front 8 in rear when towing, has real secure feel. this is on a 2wd 2500hd cc sb D/A.


How hard or easy is it to change the shock settings?http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

Push of a button inside the cab if you get the super deluxe setup.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gif

afp1 --


Are you saying that the stock height Rancho shockis should work if I only raise the front 2" with the keys?

TJ,


2" seems to be okay, and I have heard (no personal experience here) the 9000s for a stock truck will work fine. It's more of a matter of when the ride becomes to choppy, and for most rigs that happens around 2" of travel, and become exponentially rougher as you go above 2".


While the CVs will be at an acceptable angle and most likely have excellent durability, your tie rods will be rather steep. Nor sure how much of a problem this is, but you can get a kit that allows you to flip the tie rods to the top side of their mount, which solves the steep angle.


Also, see how far the shocks will let the suspension droop. If they let the suspension droop all the way until the CVs bind, then I recommedn installing short bump-stops. If the shocks "top out" before the a-arm hits its stop, then I recommended installing a bump stop to prevent that.

afp1 --


Are you saying that the stock height Rancho shockis should work if I only raise the front 2" with the keys?








Hope nobody minds if I add something in response to this ~


The stock shock will work w/OEM keys if its the same fronts p/n as used on the 2500. There is a newer p/n Rancho has specified for the HDs that have a limited (less) travel and could affect the extreme performance. Understand travel limit is the only difference and has most of us scratching our heads as to why. Can't recall if its 3/4 or 1" less travel.


Contact the tech shop at samsoffroad for specifics. My bars are cranked 1.75" and using the originally specified stock Rancho 9000 w/o difficulties but not doing any rigorous offroading yet.Edited by: ShumDit

samsoffroad.com has the best deal by far, $219 for a set of 4, free shipping.

Order the shocks for an H2 if running the green keys.

front and rear? how much longer are they?

I just got off the phone with Rancho.


Their front shocks made for the 4" lift have an extended length of ~21.6 inches, and compressed is 15.5 inches.


their front shocks made for the OEM height have an extended length of 15.75 inches and a compressed length of 12.75 inches.


Basically stock has 3" of travel and lifted has 6". The overall length is quite different.


They make a rear shock suitable for if you have the rear lifted a bit (mine's 2"), part# RS99297. It is made for a 2.5" lift.


Anyone that has removed their OEM shocks.. Can you please measure the front shocks, extended and compressed, and post the measurements here?


Thanks!

PS, the H2 shocks are the same part# as the ones for our stock trucks.

PS, the H2 shocks are the same part# as the ones for our stock trucks.


Could be.........My comment was based on some experience with Edlebrock shocks. My understanding is that the H2 shocks are longer than our stock shocks.


Rancho replacementfor stock shocks may be for 0-2"............

You're right, Edelbrock lists the H2 shocks as different part numbers than for our HD's.. I didn't check the Rancho listings but the guy on the phone said they were the same PN's.


He also mentioned that the dampening in the shocks is not progressive, so it doesn't matter where the ride height is or what extended length they ride at, the dampening will work as intended. That was one of my concerns with having a shock riding at its outer reaches.


Now as long as the no-lift Rancho front shocks are as long as the OEM shocks, we've got nothing to worry about.


I just bought a set of 98288 fronts and 98297 rears. The rears will be here tomorrow but the fronts are on backorder and will be a few weeks. Hopefully someone can post the measurements of the OEM fronts before the deal is over tomorrow, that way folks with green keys can mail order them without worrying about having to return them.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif

Thanks for all your input . . .


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif


I also talked with Rancho today and we came to the consensus that the shocks for the 4" lift "are not" the way to go. I purchased the Rs9000's for a non-lifted truck and will put a 1" spacer in the fronts. These shocks have very little travel (3") that is part of the problem.


I got them from Sams 4x4 in Tulsa for $219. A very good deal for 4 adjustable shocks.


I will report back once we get everything installed.Edited by: Trader Jack

Trader Jack,


Send details on how you are doing the spacer. Did Rancho recommend it? I just put the 9000x's on and I've turned up my torsion bars at least 1.5".

Apparently, IF rancho measures from the center of the lower eye to the center of the upper eye, here are how they compare to stock:





Rancho 9000X OEM replacement:


extended 15.75" compressed 12.75"


GM OEM shocks:


extended 16.5" compressed 12"





Can anyone who has a Rancho RS99288 front shock confirm this measurement? I got the numbers from Rancho over the phone.





If they are indeed 3/4" shorter than stock that makes me a bit concerned about using them on a green key lifted truck..Edited by: Camstyn

afp1 --


Are you saying that the stock height Rancho shockis should work if I only raise the front 2" with the keys?








Trader; The answer is NO! I ordered mine expexting to have custom made to order 2" longer then stock. Well that did not happen, and they are not long enough. If I ever get around to it, I`ll make 2-3" brackets for them, but until that the 9000X`s are stored in my garage. (all four corners need these brackets, as I have raised the truck 2+" all the way around) The factory shocks top out on fairly hard bumps, so I am not puting $300-$400 shocks (Including incab controler) on until I make the brackets.


You need the ones for the 4" lift if you have replaced the torsion bar adjusting keys with the green ones. (I do not think that would be to much) Let us know how it goes.


I just read you last post and see that I was to late on posting this.Edited by: hdmax

The Rancho shocks made for the 4" lift (front) will be too long for a stock truck with green keys installed. Fully compressed they are only 1/4" longer than your fully extended stock ones. They will be almost bottomed out at ride height, forget about getting any compression travel on them.


My truck is probably the exact same height as yours, ~2.5" on the front and ~2.25-2.5" on the rear. The rear shocks for the 4" lift kit are a perfect fit, I just installed them this morning. Part number RS99297. Reason being is when you buy the Rancho 4" lift kit it lifts the front 4" but the rear only 2.5".


Since you've got the RS99288 fronts sitting on the shelf can you measure the length, fully compressed and fully extended, center of lower eye to center of upper eye?


Mine are on back order and won't be here for two or three weeks.

Let me help out guys. As mentioned by another member, and referenced by Camstyn, the factory shocks measure :

12" compressed
16.5" extended

Rancho oem front replacement shocks pn 99288 measure:
12.75" compressed
15.250" extended

For anyone running the torsion bars set at/around 2" I would recommend pn 99283:
13" compressed
19.250 extended

The lower mounts on pn 99283 are the same as the oem replacement shocks, the upper mount is slightly difference but according to Rancho's website that particular shock comes withs extra mounting hardware so you could probably make them work.

I would hate for someone to try this and it not work so here is my disclaimer: Consult Rancho before purchasing to make sure you can get the lower mounts to work. All measurements were taken directly from Rancho's website.

Hope this helps.

Ok so back to the original post, how hard is it to go from stock shock to the 9k's? Is it something the garage mechanic can do or do you need a lift of some kind? I have never change shocks before.


Was it a big difference in ride over stock? I saw someone say Caddy to Brick but does it soften or eliminate the kidney punch on street bumps and jumps?

wickedfn4u: Makes the truck ride much better, that hop or kidney punch is GONE! Do it!

This is weird. When I bought my 9000's -- about 1 1/2 years ago -- they specifically said for trucks with 0"-2" of lift. I used them before I installed the green keys, and there wasn't any problems. And with the green keys it's the same; no problems. Wonder if Rancho changed something...

Do you know if it was the RS99288's that you bought or did they have a different part number at the time?

? for CAM and others that know about this - will I need to get new shocks if adjusting the torsion bars only to fit slightly bigger tires or can i just use the torsion only without shocks ? Also, if adjust the torsion bars and raise it about 1 1/2 " how will that affect my ride and more importantly how will it affect the ride when towing a 24' toy hauler. thanks in advanced

Do you know if it was the RS99288's that you bought or did they have a different part number at the time?
They were 99274 and 99295.

T-bone,


You can use the stock shocks--I did. My shocks were "gone" at 11,000 miles (about 6K with t-bar lift), but this is not unusual even with no t-bar lift.


It seems that within 2" of t-bar lift the ride is fine. We think this has something to do with a minimal increase in effective t-bar rate and how well the shock responds to that minimal increase. Even with Bilsteins and a 1" spacer under the top, the ride on my truck became noticeably and progressively more choppy the more above 2" I cranked the t-bars. This seems to be the case even without a shock spacer. However, ride quality is an individual preference, and what one person finds acceptable another may not.


When I ran 265s on factory rims and 1.5" of t-bar crank, I had no problems with ride or rubbing. I didn't have a lot of ground clearance either, and with the Std Juice on level 4, I had lots of power. Best freeway MPG was 21.6, typically city mpg was 14.5ish. Ride was fine with stock shocks and the even better with Bilsteins.


I then put 285s on 8" rims with 4.375" of backspacing. "Everyone" told me they would clear. NOT! With that, I had to crank the t-bars 2", then tie back and reform my inner fender liners for tire clearance. Even with all that, I had about 1/2" of clearance at the aft portion of the wheel well when I turned the steering wheel around 3/4 travel. Oh, and I had an aftermarket front bumper too. All this meant I would rub when hitting a bump in a turn, and snow chains were not an option on the front tires. However, with Juice on level 4, I got a best of 21.9 mpg and had lots of power. In town mileage was 14.5ish. Juice on level five is even better power, and mileage seems about the same--although it is sensitive to a heavy foot on level 5! Ride was great with Bilsteins.


Here is a pic of my tire clearance with these 285s and the 16x8 wheels with 2" of t-bar crank. The steering wheel is turned about 3/4 of a turn to the left.


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/D1A_100_0164A.JPG


Because of all that, I went with a 4" Rancho lift. With a stock t-bar setting, keeping CVs at their factory angle, I can clear 295s and I have better than an inch of clearance with the steering wheel turned. Power is great, I'll know on the mileage in a bit.


Blaine

Rancho 9000X's http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif Eric installed mine and I am glad I didn't tackle it in my garage. He did it in less time than it would have taken me to get the front tires off !

Push of a button inside the cab if you get the super deluxe setup.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gif


I do. and I like it http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif. Only problem has been leaking and failure of the gaskets at the bottom of the shocks. I made some of rubber and they seem to hold well for now. If they leak again I will try some firmer material for the next gaskets. Trick seems to be to always keep some pressure on the shock controllers. I hauled a number of yards of dirt this last weekend and the ability to change the firmness of the shocks in-cab before and after filling and emptying was cool. Only real issue was that it ain't a dump truck http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif.