In my review on another thread early this morning, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being an absolute plush ride, I gave the Bilstein 5100's a 3 and the RAncho 5000X a 6-7. It is better, but it is by no means plush, It's a Jeep. Plus, as you point out, tire load will affect this dramatically. Tire pressure is also a dramatic factor. When I ran the Rancho's with 24psi on 33x12.5r15's, C Load, the ride was significantly softer than at 26psi. My rating of 6-7 was at 26psi. If I was rating them at 24psi, I would give them an 8-9. What I learned was that tire pressure is far more significant at pressures in the 20's than most might expect. I'm not sure that its a linear relationship through the 30's and into the 40's, and I doubt it is, but it is important to get the right pressure if you want the best ride you can get without compromising tire wear.