Going to put new shocks on my truck. Which are better and why? Pro Comp ES9000 or Rancho RS5000?
Yes I know about Bilsteins, I had them on my previous truck. Good shock, but my current truck is not a daily driver so I really don't wanna spend close to $300 on shocks

 

I have used PC 3000 and 9000 series over the years and have not had any issues with them. The differences may be that PC is gas filled and Rancho is oil filled. A friend of mine runs ranchos and he says they can be a bit stiff until they get warmed up. I switched mine out and went with some Bilsteins and depending upon what Rancho 5000 shock you buy, they may cost more than a comparative Bilstein shock. The down side that I found with PC is that the finish does not last long. After the first year I had to start painting them to prevent rust. I believe the PC 9000 fall in the 40-60 dollar range and the Rancho 5000 are 40-130. I am sure some “shock guru” will chime in and give far more info than me as my knowledge base on shock design is somewhat limited.

 

Well I put a level/lift on my front end as my truck is 2WD and I wanted it to sit level. Pro Comp does make a shock to fit my front end with the 2 1/2" lift in front The guy at 4Wheel Parts actually was telling me that the Pro Comp ES9000 is a better shock than the Rancho RS5000. Figured I need to ask the board!


Brian

 

If I remember correctly the Pro Comp 9000 are gas charged and the rancho 5000 are a hydraulic shock or at least they used to be. But the PC 9000 and 3000 (hydraulic) is what I run on the front of my race truck

 

Of the two, I would lean towards the Procomps. The RS5000 is more of an "entry level" shock. The Procomp would be an upgrade above that.
I have the Rancho RSX shocks and love them with the stiffer ride of my leveling kit and 1 ton SRW rear springs. They have been on there for over 5 yrs and have served me well.

 

Decided on the Pro Comp ES9000's. Gonna get 'em tomorrow
Thanks guys for the input!


Brian