How come you didn't consider the Rancho 9000's (that have the adjustability that ProComp 9000 copied)?

Also, how come you didn't consider the Bilstiens (that are monotube like the Rancho 7000 copied)?

I'm curious why you ruled both of these out from the get go, when they are the market leading options in their respective catagories? The two types of shocks you did choose to compare are essentially johnny come lately copies, for a lower price. Your dissatisfaction with what you ended up with makes me wonder if the lower cost options are also lower performing for the category of shock style that they emulate?

If you liked the idea of monotubes, I wonder if Bilsteins would have worked out better?

If you like the idea of adjustables, I wonder if you should now consider the Ranch 9000's also?

 

Those Rancho's were OE & came standard on the FX4 so i figured if they can last that long & Ford chose to use Rancho i would too
I did consider the 9000's but ive never had adjustable Shocks & didn't figure they would be worth messing with but if u read my Post just ahead of yours i did say i wish i had bought the 9000's instead now.

I dont Hate the 7000's in fact there's no more Body-Roll while taking a ramp hard & they loved the extra weight of having the 5'er on, just a bit too stiff while running un-loaded.

Just posting my .02 cause i was asked too

 

I'm not challenging your decision... I'm just trying to figure out if there was some other reason you had for excluding the other two shocks.

I did read where you said you wished you went with adjustables, and speaking as someone who has had Rancho 9000s and 9000xls for the last 15 years, I'm not so sure that they are the best way to go.

Unless you have an in cab controller, which Rancho doesn't even offer any more, the adjustability is inconvenient at best (crawling under the truck in Sunday's church clothes?) and often a moot point, as road conditions and driving demands change too often (going 65 mph over bumpy expansion joints on a freeway to a banked cloverleaf exit... there isn't time for adjustment).

So that is why I checked out this thread... I'm looking for something better, and wanted to know why you didn't even consider some shocks when you were shopping.

 

I wish I would have seen this thread before you ordered. I would have suggested the Rancho 9000 for any of the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. They are absolutely wonderful. (Not that you would have just taken my word for it) They perform well and last a very long time. Just because they are adjustable doesn't make it necessary to adjust them, you can set them up for a wide range of uses.

 

Yeah looking back at it now, once u get them where u like them your done.
The only time i could figure it would be necessary to adjust them after finding that sweet-spot is when i would go on a long haul w/the 5'er, just give a couple clicks stiffer to the Rear....
Guess i over thought it before, oh well live & learn


No problem & here's your answer to that

 

King-BRanch,
Don't forget about this!!!

Rancho Suspension: Warranty & Ride Guarantee

Performance Guarantee and 90-Day Risk-Free Ride Offer
We challenge you to try our Rancho® RS9000XL™ Shock Absorbers or our Rancho® RS7000MT™ Monotube Shock Absorbers risk-free for 90 days - if these products* don't meet the challenge, call us for your money back.

Try qualifying Rancho® products* for 90 days. We guarantee you'll experience the Rancho® performance difference! If, for any reason, the qualifying products* don't live up to your expectations within the first 90 days, return the products and we will refund your original product's purchase price (which shall not exceed the manufacturer’s suggested retail price), plus labor (not to exceed $50 per pair). We're that confident you will be satisfied with Rancho® RS9000XL™ shock absorbers! For questions about this offer, please contact our customer service department at 734-384-7898.

*Offer limited to the purchase of four (4) RS9000XL™ shock absorbers. This offer does not include products which have been modified, improperly applied or installed on vehicles used for commercial or racing purposes. Offer valid only in North America and Canada on vehicles used for private, non-commercial use and may be withdrawn at any time.

 

Nice - now see THAT'S the kind of service from a mfg rep that gets and keeps my business. I'll be choosing the 9000s in the near future! Well done Rancho Suspension.

 

WOW
Maybe i can get some 9000's instead

Actually i just thought i remembered seeing a Rancho Ad in my Diesel Power Magazine & sure enough it says there's a 90 Ride Offer too, guess i'll check into the particulars tomorrow

 

Good luck with that - with all due respect to Rancho's post of a guarantee above....

In my experience, they don't always honor it !
I have a set of 4 barely used 5000's in my garage that they wouldn't swap for the 9000's like I asked...
they sent me to 4 wheel parts, who sent me to rancho, who sent me to.... etc...

bottom line - even though I had the 9000's on two excursions (and you can look over my post on rancho's over the years) - they didn't go on my third... nor on the two super duties since...

 

Well the promotion doesn't say the 5000s..

 

Miles is right the 5000's are NOT included in the "90 day Ride guarantee" only the 7000 & 9000's are....Sorry

 

Update:

Amanda from Rancho is great, i emailed her a copy of my Receipt & she already initiated the claim & sent me a Return Label
As soon as the 7000's reach her she will issue my refund....Seems Easy
I already ordered 4 new 9000's to replace them

 

Since we don't sell direct, we really aren't in a position to credit you for the 5000's and charge you the difference of a set of 9000's.

King B, glad customer service could help!

 

Rancho advertised and promoted a "LIFETIME" guarantee as the ultimate inducement to convince me to buy their RS9000 shocks. So I did. Back in 2001. I tested them at all the different dial settings, and never found a setting that truly damped the recurring oscillations of the factory springs on my stock truck.

On a tire rotation, I decided to pull a shock and cycle it by hand. When pulling the rod out, it would skip. There would be resistance, then suddenly no resistance, then resistance again, then none, for the length of the rod as it pulled out. An erratic, sticky, on again off again skippy pull. Pushing the rod back in, or compressing the shock, there was zero resistance whatsoever. A five year old girl could compress the shock.

So I called Rancho about it, who said "You can't test a shock by cycling it by hand."

I mentioned I had been testing it on the truck for years, and I wasn't sure if it passing that test either. Then, instead of asking me how I mounted the shocks, he accused me of mounting them upside down. I had not. But even if I had, the RS9000 were not gas charged with nitrogen... they instead relied on trapped air bubbles in a foam sleeve that actually permitted them to be mounted upside down, and Rancho's instructions even recommended mounting upside down for 3 specific applications. Still, in my application, I mounted them rod up, body down, meaning right side up.

He then accused me of choosing the wrong application. Um no, there actually was no written application for the chassis cabs back in 2000, so I had called Tenneco engineering before I ordered the shocks, and provided specific spring travel measurements, and was given, by Rancho, the shock part numbers to order.

Were they still mounted to the original truck they were first installed on? Yes.
Did I still have the original purchase receipt? Yes.
Was I the original purchaser? Yes.

Rancho's stream of questions probed every possibility to try and get out of keeping their well advertised promise.

He then reminded me that "Cycling the shock by hand is a waste of time. Is it leaking?"
No, none of the shocks leaked. "Well, then we're not replacing them." End of discussion.

Rancho's Warranty that came with the RS9000 stated "...The consumer will be responsible for removing from the vehicle and returning any defective item(s), transportation costs prepaid, to the dealer from which it was purchased or Rancho Suspension for verification, and for reinstallation of the part upon return by Rancho Suspension. Returns to Rancho Suspension can be made to the following address (Long Beach). Rancho Suspension will without charge repair or replace at its option, defective product(s) or component part(s). Such products will be returned with transportation costs prepaid within the United States from Rancho Suspension. You must contact Rancho, at (2 different phone #s) to obtain a RAN (return authorization number), prior to shipping."

And that is how Rancho weaseled out of making good on their promise. They would not provide an RAN number for me to ship their lifeless, but lifetime guaranteed, "for as long as the original retail purchaser owns the vehicle on which the units were originally installed," shocks back to them with.

Just one customer's experience.

 

^^^ Sorry to hear ^^^
That was a long time ago & maybe Rancho has learned the power of the Internet
Customers can now share their experience with thousands of people in mere minutes & let me be honest here i was a bit concerned ordering another set of nearly $400 Shocks without getting the refund first but there's really no other way without having the truck down for a couple weeks.
I also can NOT afford to purchase the 9000's & not get my money back on the 7000's but i have faith in Rancho & Amanda promised.
I will let everyone know the outcome