Best DD Shocks?

Been running 5100s on my 2nd gens for years and have really liked them over Monroe and Ranchos that I’ve had but I’ve also read they have been having quality issues lately according to Thuren.
 
Chris Tobin said:
Rancho is a subdivision of Tenneco (sp?) that is a huge OEM shock and suspension builder. They are much more than just lift kits and shocks and have a ton of engineering behind them.
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That's good to know. I haven't had a moment to stop and dig into anything, but I'm definitely leaning toward Rancho. :Cheer:
 
CorneliusRox said:
That's good to know. I haven't had a moment to stop and dig into anything, but I'm definitely leaning toward Rancho. :Cheer:
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They make a good factory style replacement shock... I do not know how well they will hold up in the rest belt. But for a diesel truck I'd suggest the XL version of whichever one you go with for additional capacity and cooling.

If you are doing serious off roading I'd recommend King or Fox, but for daily driving Rancho builds a good shock as does Bilstein. I dont know whether the paint/powder coating on the Rancho shocks or the Zinc coating of the Bilstein would resist rust better.

On my offroad truck I am currently running the Pure Performance shocks and they are VERY good! The shock body is aluminum so it wont rust, and the shafts are not plated so they wont pit or flake to screw up the seals.

Pure Performance Suspension |

The make everything from basic replacement shocks to full race shocks but they are more spendy than something like a Rancho or ProComp shock...
 
My bilsteins have held up great in the rust belt. I have 5 years on them so far

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I've had the Bilstein 5100's on the front of my truck for about 9 years now, seem to be okay.

I'd see what Don Thuren has to offer.
 
UPDATE:
I called Bilstein first. They told me about their B8 5100 series shocks, how they're monotube, and how they're great on a pretty stock diesel. PN's for stock to stock+2" B8 5100 shocks: 24-185776 front, 24-191203 rear.
What I didn't like is their limited lifetime warranty does not cover oil leaking, normal wear and tear, or rust.
https://productdeskapi.cart.bilsteinus.com/media/products/bilstein/limitedlifetimewarranty.pdf

I then called Rancho (Tenneco, and also does Monroe fyi). They recommended I not get the 7000 series shock since it's valved really stiff for pre-runner ish driving. He said if I don't see myself going fast off-road, I'd be happier with the 5000 series and it's going to give me plenty of performance for DDing and towing. The 7000 is monotube and the 5000 is twin tube, but mounted in a vertical orientation, it shouldn't matter. The new 5000x now has a nitrogen charge as well.
RS7000MT PN's: RS7044 front, RS7269 rear
RS5000X PN's: RS55044 front, RS55269 rear
What I really liked is their limited lifetime warranty covers anything that would cause the shock to not work, other than bending it in half from misuse. They said if oil ever escapes, even if it's 15 years down the line, it's covered. If the piston ever rusts, and it causes a performance issue (like oil escaping or seals tearing) it's covered. And in the first 90 days, if I don't like them, they'll refund me and pay up to $50 per axle based on labor.
They also recommended, if I'm worried about finish in the rust belt, to spray the body with a really thick layer of clear, or use that 3M clear sticker stuff. They weren't worried about the paint they used, but were more concerned that a rock chip would leave an area unprotected.


So... I'm definitely going to go with Rancho, especially since comparing the 7000 series and the Bilstein 5100 series, they're almost the exact same price and the 5000's are cheaper. I just need to do some reading on if I want the 7000's or not. They sound better to me, but the guy on the phone sure sounded like he knew his stuff pretty well. I played dumb and let him talk and he was not just some sales guy.

I'll keep you guys updated!
 
Damn good info and thanks for posting this. I’ve been following along as my 2014 1/2 ton needs shocks.

Saw a new Chevy 3/4 ton Dmax 4wd the other day with paper tags and Rancho’s.
 
I have the Rancho RS9000s on my 2WD 2000 Tahoe Limited (last of the 1999 body style) with their 4-inch lift kit and I like them. The adjustability works and is easy and nice. When my wife had surgery, I made them soft for a plusher ride then cranked them back up to firm for better handling. They also have an in-cab adjuster kit if you don't want to crawl under the truck to make adjustments.

My experiences with them have been great.
 
Yeah, so I just ordered the 7000MT's and a 7000MT stabilizer with the dueal stabilizer bracket. I'll keep that ****ty ProComp one on as a secondary since I paid for it and 4WheelParts wont take it back after I installed it...

It should be here in a week or two and I'll report back.

I also have to do a full suspension on my wife's car, so this might be on the back burner a little.
 
Chris Tobin said:
I have the Rancho RS9000s on my 2WD 2000 Tahoe Limited (last of the 1999 body style) with their 4-inch lift kit and I like them. The adjustability works and is easy and nice. When my wife had surgery, I made them soft for a plusher ride then cranked them back up to firm for better handling. They also have an in-cab adjuster kit if you don't want to crawl under the truck to make adjustments.

My experiences with them have been great.
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Wow, they made that big of a difference? That's pretty impressive.

79powerwagon said:
Corey, did they say anything about the 9000xl?
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The 9000's look pretty great for a pretty low cost, compression adjustable shock. This is my DD though and I like just driving it and not having to adjust things all the time, so I didn't ask about the 9000's.
 
That's nice to hear about ranchos warranty, I'd never really looked into it. I'll be curious to see how you like the 7's, I'm really thinking about switching and it sounds like you prefer a firmer suspension like I do.

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CorneliusRox said:
Wow, they made that big of a difference? That's pretty impressive.



The 9000's look pretty great for a pretty low cost, compression adjustable shock. This is my DD though and I like just driving it and not having to adjust things all the time, so I didn't ask about the 9000's.
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They are pretty much set and forget, but if you have a creeper it is quick and easy to adjust them when needed. And yes the adjustment from the softest setting to the firmest setting is very noticeable. The adjustment range if I remember right is 9-clicks of adjustment. I think I run the Tahoe on 5 or 6 in general and went full soft for my wife when she needed it.

The XL shocks are larger diameter versions with more volume for heavier trucks that work the shocks more so they won't fade or overheat. I'd recommend the XLs for any diesel rig.
 
J-Pipes said:
What, they take some "tire shrapnel" damage the other day?
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No. The front always cup on the outside edges. New ball joints, alignments, etc. Still wear funny. I'm at 140K on originals so it's probably time to replace them. Going to order some new Michelin Energy Saver A/T's soon for the front and would like to probably do shocks to try to save them as much as I can. Going to get a spare set of rims from someone to put and old set of off-road tires to swap onto the truck if I need to move cattle or get in the mud. 95% of the time I'm on the highway and I'm tired of rotating nice A/T type tires to the front and having them all 6 ruined in 25K miles.
 
chevota84 said:
That's nice to hear about ranchos warranty, I'd never really looked into it. I'll be curious to see how you like the 7's, I'm really thinking about switching and it sounds like you prefer a firmer suspension like I do.
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I usually do like a stiffer ride, and honestly, I don't want this to be too stiff, but I want it responsive. I've tried crappy/cheap shocks in the past on my 12V and it's just so heavy of a truck that the shocks don't even feel like they're there. I would have gotten the 5000's is I wasn't worried of that. Plus... I like how the 7000's look more :lolly:

Chris Tobin said:
The XL shocks are larger diameter versions with more volume for heavier trucks that work the shocks more so they won't fade or overheat. I'd recommend the XLs for any diesel rig.
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I don't think they offer the 7000's in an XL, and I think they even did away with the XL when the 5000X came out. The 5000X added a nitrogen charge and increased bore considerably.
 
CorneliusRox said:
I usually do like a stiffer ride, and honestly, I don't want this to be too stiff, but I want it responsive. I've tried crappy/cheap shocks in the past on my 12V and it's just so heavy of a truck that the shocks don't even feel like they're there. I would have gotten the 5000's is I wasn't worried of that. Plus... I like how the 7000's look more :lolly:



I don't think they offer the 7000's in an XL, and I think they even did away with the XL when the 5000X came out. The 5000X added a nitrogen charge and increased bore considerably.
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10-4, it's been a while since I looked at them closely...:what:
 
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