advice on rancho 9000 shocks
 

i ordered a set of the rancho 9000 series adjustable shocks for my truck. plan on putting them on this weekend if weather permits. looking for advice on what setting to start on. im hopeing this will help with the bounce i have at around 45mph. we have talked about this bounce here before and alot of you guys have said these shocks have helped cure your bounce. i dont tow much but thats no problem for when i do, just turn them up right? im guessing my truck weighs around 7000 lbs. its a 06 F350 singles in the rear crew cab long 8ft bed and FX4 lariat.

any advice on where to start with the settings?
thanks.

If you have a wheel hopping at 45mph,get the wheels balanced.

i have already had them balanced and rotated and still have it. checked the drive shaft ujoints and the carier bearing all is good.

That's what a single cab XL FX4 eight foot bed weighs. You're pushing 8,000 lbs.

on mine, unloaded, front 3, rear 1.

If you lower your air pressure while unloaded, it might dampen or eliminate the bounce, front 55, rear 45. The tires wear evenly at this pressure.

When u say bounce, are you talking about a rebound when the front hits the bump stops ?

or a continual oscillation down the road ?

my ranchos are on 1 all around so I can leave the air press in tires a bit higher....

wow 8000 lbs. thats heavy right there.

i havnt played with the air pressure in the tires. havnt really payed any attention to how much is in them. they ware real even. waiting to ware them out so i can get a new set.

when i say bounce its not from hitting a bump or nothing, it starts at about 43 and bounces till about 47mph. it dont stop bouncing untill you are out of that range. after or before that its smoth with no vibrations. the closes thing i can relate it to is when your rotors are warped bad and you use the brakes. but in my case you dont have to use the brakes or nothing. as long as your in that speed range it bounces and bounces. it gets bad enough to make your eyes hurt from trying to focus on a mirror.


when i put them on tomorrow i will check the air pressure and make a note of it. think i will start with the settings at front 4 and rear 2 and take it for a ride and see how it does. good thing is i live on a dirt road and have alot of them around so i can see how they do on road and off in the same trip.

thanks for the advice guys

If your tires balance true at the shop on the machine, then the only other thing it could be is a bent axle. But it takes a mighty impact to bend an axle on a Dana60 (front) or a Ford 10.5 (rear). Was the vehicle in an accident? are you the original owner? what about carfax?

The bounce at 40-45 is on trucks with the FX4 package and effects all CC's from 99-11. Ford has a TSB out about it and it fixes nothing. My truck also does this and all is well there all u joints, tires balanced yada yada. Ive read the best way to cover it is with really good shocks.

My FX4 doesn't bounce like you guys are talking about. It didn't before I put the Rancho 9000s on and it doesn't do it after.

I have had trouble getting mine adjusted right. If I set them too low, the ride seems too bouncy. If I set them too high, the ride seems very stiff. I am currently running 8 in the front and 5 in the rear.

40-45 hop is not the wheels it is the suspension.

Goose I am wanting those shocks let us know!!!

well got the shocks on yesterday. also put in the leveling spacers for the front springs and installed a rancho dual steering stabilizer. i set the shocks at 3 on the front and 1 on the rear. went for a ride and feel nice. didnt notice the bouncing but just a little bit. if you wasnt looking for it i wouldnt have known it was doing it. real smoth ride. almost a cadi. lol i like the shocks though. im going across town to a buddys house today and will pay more attention. also the dual steering stabilizers really helped the very little vibration i had in the steering wheel. feels real nice and solid. i like the look the spacers added. now i have to get bigger tires. still waiting on them to ship me my wheels. orederd them 1.5 months ago. think im going to change the order so i can get some sometime this year.


i love the shocks so far.

also the hope i talk about i think mostly happens on the long wheel base models. not 100% sure on that but from what i have read.
as far as a bent axle... dont think so. im not the orig owner and have only had it sence feb this year. carfax showed a accedent in the rear was struck by another vehicle and said slight damage reported. so i figure somebody didnt stop in time at a red light.

thanks for all the input guys.

smokersteve, i like them so far. havnt rode much yet. will ride again today. but the cheapest place i found them was 4wheelparts.com i got all 4 for $380 they are on sale right now. i got them with a 2.5 inch lift front and 0 lift/drop rear. sence i put the spacers in at same time.

I run mine at 6 both front and rear. It's a little stiff, but the truck reacts well in all conditions. Anything less, I get too much body roll. FWIW, I weigh 8400lbs, run 35s, and I have a fiberglass top the makes me even more top heavy. Hence my distaste for body roll.