My initial impressions of the Rancho RS5000X shocks

bobthetj03 said:
I wonder how many Rubicon owners with 16" wheels and E rated tires complained about the ride quality?
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I recall back when the Rubi came out, quiet a few. They were the Gen1 GoodYear MTRs, and I also remember a lot of complains about keeping them properly balanced too.
 
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Chris said:
Those of you who have been following my build, know that I've been forced to tick with load E tires, as I'm running 16" Moab wheels and I love my Duratracs. For whatever reason, they don't make a Duratrac in a load C in 285/75/r16.

Anyhow, I keep them at 26 psi, and they aren't really all that bad to be honest. However, they do ride a little firmer than a load C. Let me start this by saying that I've run Fox 2.0 shocks, Bilstein 5100s, and OME Nitrochargers on a TJ.

I was a bit skeptical to get Rancho RS5000X shocks mostly because of how cheap they were. I figured anything this cheap couldn't be that good. Boy was I wrong...

I've only had them on for a few days now, but the difference is night-and-day, seriously! They ride so soft and smooth over bumps, they absorb almost everything, and they make it so you barely even notice there's a load E tire on there!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that these things ride better than any of the shocks I've had on my TJs previously. This leads me to believe that a gas charged monotube shock is simply not the right choice for a TJ. The Bilstein 5100, Fox 2.0, and most of the others are setup for a very heavy vehicle near as I can tell. The TJ may be heavy to us, but it's nowhere near as heavy as a full size truck or something, which would be much more suited to one of those gas charged monotube shocks.

Now I will admit that the way a vehicle rides is largely preference. Some people like firm, others like soft. If you like soft and plush, these Rancho RS5000X shocks beat the others by a long shot.

I would have to say my only gripe about them whatsoever, is that I wish Rancho made a version that was finished really nicely. One thing I really like about the Fox shocks is the aluminum body and the way they look. The Ranchos just have cheap white spray paint on them. Nothing to really complain about (especially for the price), I just wish maybe they offered a version that was a bit more appealing cosmetically. Still, I think you could just paint them black very easily and be good to go.

Anyhow, in my honest opinion, these are the best shocks out there for the TJ, period. They ride so damn well it's amazing!

I ended up buying mine here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079VF6JN8/?tag=wranglerorg-20

With the $50 rebate from Rancho, they ended up only costing me a hair over $150, and they took me maybe an hour and a half to install all of them.

My final thought is that if you're in the market for shocks for your TJ, these Ranchos are absolutely the way to go, no question about it. Not only do they ride better than the competition, but they're considerably cheaper as well. It's really a no brainer if you ask me! It's as if these shocks were designed specifically for the TJ.
Click to expand...

I'm actually looking for shocks for my JL and while I know this is not a JL forum I am interested in these shocks. I am looking at Bilstein 5100 vs. Rancho RS5000x. My biggest concern is the twin tube setup. While I hear it is a very soft and basically OEM ride, the twin tube makes it not as desirable off road because it gets hot with the gas and oil sloshing between the in and outer tube and therefore doesn't last as long (so I'm told).
Bilstein on the other hand is a bit firmer leading to a more stable on road but "feel the road" a little more but better off road.

My needs are...
1. Keeping close to ride quality for the Mrs. She has back/neck problems and would like to maintain the factory ride and maybe a little stiffer.
2. Stability - We have a 2" budget lift with extension brackets so it tends to be a little squirrelly when you hit a pot hole or RR track and does have increased roll. Getting rid of those brackets and getting a 2" longer shock will def help eliminate some of that. I was told the Rancho will not offer as much stability as the Bilstein.
2. Off roading - while we don't do a ton of it, we do try to get out there and have some fun on trails and rock crawling (Nothing like Jerry does... lol)

Thanks!
 
mgroeger said:
I'm actually looking for shocks for my JL and while I know this is not a JL forum I am interested in these shocks. I am looking at Bilstein 5100 vs. Rancho RS5000x. My biggest concern is the twin tube setup. While I hear it is a very soft and basically OEM ride, the twin tube makes it not as desirable off road because it gets hot with the gas and oil sloshing between the in and outer tube and therefore doesn't last as long (so I'm told).
Bilstein on the other hand is a bit firmer leading to a more stable on road but "feel the road" a little more but better off road.

My needs are...
1. Keeping close to ride quality for the Mrs. She has back/neck problems and would like to maintain the factory ride and maybe a little stiffer.
2. Stability - We have a 2" budget lift with extension brackets so it tends to be a little squirrelly when you hit a pot hole or RR track and does have increased roll. Getting rid of those brackets and getting a 2" longer shock will def help eliminate some of that. I was told the Rancho will not offer as much stability as the Bilstein.
2. Off roading - while we don't do a ton of it, we do try to get out there and have some fun on trails and rock crawling (Nothing like Jerry does... lol)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would try the Rancho 5000X shocks. Rancho has a 30 day, no questions asked refund if you don't like them so you have nothing to lose.
 
mgroeger said:
I'm actually looking for shocks for my JL and while I know this is not a JL forum I am interested in these shocks. I am looking at Bilstein 5100 vs. Rancho RS5000x. My biggest concern is the twin tube setup. While I hear it is a very soft and basically OEM ride, the twin tube makes it not as desirable off road because it gets hot with the gas and oil sloshing between the in and outer tube and therefore doesn't last as long (so I'm told).
Bilstein on the other hand is a bit firmer leading to a more stable on road but "feel the road" a little more but better off road.

My needs are...
1. Keeping close to ride quality for the Mrs. She has back/neck problems and would like to maintain the factory ride and maybe a little stiffer.
2. Stability - We have a 2" budget lift with extension brackets so it tends to be a little squirrelly when you hit a pot hole or RR track and does have increased roll. Getting rid of those brackets and getting a 2" longer shock will def help eliminate some of that. I was told the Rancho will not offer as much stability as the Bilstein.
2. Off roading - while we don't do a ton of it, we do try to get out there and have some fun on trails and rock crawling (Nothing like Jerry does... lol)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

At least in the TJ, the 5000X is much closer to a stock ride than the Bilsteins which are just too stiff and have found them to work great in all conditions. As far as off-road use, I have never heard of anyone having the twin tube issues you mentioned.
 
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I have a 2003 GMC 2500HD (3/4) ton extended cab truck. It has stock suspension, but I am beefing it up for a camper and a tow rig. I have been all over the internet looking for suspension advice and, I have never hauled a camper before so I want to do it right the first time unlike building my TJ where for some reason I have to try everything at least once.

Anyway, I am reading that even the Billstein 5100 are too stiff for my GMC. Most people are suggesting Rancho 9K or KYB shocks for my truck. I know that is different than a tj, but if the bilsteins are inherently too stiff, I would be skeptical that they got it right for the TJ. I mean I run Billsteins on everything other than my TJ, but I run the yellow ones. On my TJ, I run the Rancho 5000x, and I have run the OME and I really liked those, but they were an odd size for a 4 inch lift so I opted for the Ranchos. For price and size. If they do wear out which I doubt they ever will, I might consider upgrading to the Rancho 9K next time, but these are perfectly fine on my TJ now with the 4 inch lift.
 
I believe a lot of people confuse ride harshness with rattles. When your jeep hits a big bump and all of your tools, your dash, everything in the center console and glove box, everything that you carry around with you all simultaneously goes Bang! your brain perceives the event as being much "harsher" than it actually was in terms of suspension movement and dampening. It "feels" worse than it actually is. There is something very soothing about hitting bumps and there being zero audio feedback. Sometimes the problem isn't the shocks or tires.
 
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Chris said:
Those of you who have been following my build, know that I've been forced to tick with load E tires, as I'm running 16" Moab wheels and I love my Duratracs. For whatever reason, they don't make a Duratrac in a load C in 285/75/r16.

Anyhow, I keep them at 26 psi, and they aren't really all that bad to be honest. However, they do ride a little firmer than a load C. Let me start this by saying that I've run Fox 2.0 shocks, Bilstein 5100s, and OME Nitrochargers on a TJ.

I was a bit skeptical to get Rancho RS5000X shocks mostly because of how cheap they were. I figured anything this cheap couldn't be that good. Boy was I wrong...

I've only had them on for a few days now, but the difference is night-and-day, seriously! They ride so soft and smooth over bumps, they absorb almost everything, and they make it so you barely even notice there's a load E tire on there!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that these things ride better than any of the shocks I've had on my TJs previously. This leads me to believe that a gas charged monotube shock is simply not the right choice for a TJ. The Bilstein 5100, Fox 2.0, and most of the others are setup for a very heavy vehicle near as I can tell. The TJ may be heavy to us, but it's nowhere near as heavy as a full size truck or something, which would be much more suited to one of those gas charged monotube shocks.

Now I will admit that the way a vehicle rides is largely preference. Some people like firm, others like soft. If you like soft and plush, these Rancho RS5000X shocks beat the others by a long shot.

I would have to say my only gripe about them whatsoever, is that I wish Rancho made a version that was finished really nicely. One thing I really like about the Fox shocks is the aluminum body and the way they look. The Ranchos just have cheap white spray paint on them. Nothing to really complain about (especially for the price), I just wish maybe they offered a version that was a bit more appealing cosmetically. Still, I think you could just paint them black very easily and be good to go.

Anyhow, in my honest opinion, these are the best shocks out there for the TJ, period. They ride so damn well it's amazing!

I ended up buying mine here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079VF6JN8/?tag=wranglerorg-20

With the $50 rebate from Rancho, they ended up only costing me a hair over $150, and they took me maybe an hour and a half to install all of them.

My final thought is that if you're in the market for shocks for your TJ, these Ranchos are absolutely the way to go, no question about it. Not only do they ride better than the competition, but they're considerably cheaper as well. It's really a no brainer if you ask me! It's as if these shocks were designed specifically for the
Click to expand...
 
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It should be noted that this thread is 3 years old now. I no longer run these shocks as I now have outboard shock mounts with Fox Factory 2.0 smooth body shocks (12" travel front and rear).

These shocks and my current setup make the Ranchos seem like nothing but a joke.

The Ranchos are a good off-the-shelf shock as far as TJs are concerned. They are cheap, they ride reasonably well, and if you're on a budget, you'll be hard pressed to find a better shock for less money.

After running my current setup though I would never, ever run a Rancho RS5000X shock again.
 
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Chris said:
It should be noted that this thread is 3 years old now. I no longer run these shocks as I now have outboard shock mounts with Fox Factory 2.0 smooth body shocks (12" travel front and rear).

These shocks and my current setup make the Ranchos seem like nothing but a joke.

The Ranchos are a good off-the-shelf shock as far as TJs are concerned. They are cheap, they ride reasonably well, and if you're on a budget, you'll be hard pressed to find a better shock for less money.

After running my current setup though I would never, ever run a Rancho RS5000X shock again.
Click to expand...
..which is why I've developed the habit of reading build threads and 'impressions' threads backwards:p.
I just ordered Rancho 5000x, coming from Bilsteins that I drove very little on. I bought the x after cycling/measuring and finding they were the best lengths with a 4.5 - 5" lift, TT, BL.. not an easy task.

Outboarding and tuned shocks vs any 'standard' shock is an apples/oranges comparison, no?
If you were to go back to a TJ w/o outboarding would you still go with Ranchos?
 
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NOTNSUV said:
..which is why I've developed the habit of reading build threads and 'impressions' threads backwards:p.
I just ordered Rancho 5000x, coming from Bilsteins that I drove very little on. I bought the x after cycling/measuring and finding they were the best lengths with a 4.5 - 5" lift, TT, BL.. not an easy task.

Outboarding and tuned shocks vs any 'standard' shock is an apples/oranges comparison, no?
If you were to go back to a TJ w/o outboarding would you still go with Ranchos?
Click to expand...

You're much smarter for reading build threads backwards, that's for sure.

You're right too. It's an apples to oranges comparison when it comes to comparing standard off-the-shelf shocks to a good outboard job with custom tuned Fox shocks. You literally can't compare the two.

Why on earth anyone would outboard and use Ranchos as the shocks is beyond me. I mean maybe you're on a budget, but even then, save your money and get some good shocks.

Now if I had a TJ without outboard shocks and no intention of going that route, I think I'd probably stick with the Rancho RS5000X only because the ride is pretty decent.
 
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Chris said:
You're much smarter for reading build threads backwards, that's for sure.

You're right too. It's an apples to oranges comparison when it comes to comparing standard off-the-shelf shocks to a good outboard job with custom tuned Fox shocks. You literally can't compare the two.

Why on earth anyone would outboard and use Ranchos as the shocks is beyond me. I mean maybe you're on a budget, but even then, save your money and get some good shocks.
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Certainly wouldn't be me.
Chris said:
Now if I had a TJ without outboard shocks and no intention of going that route, I think I'd probably stick with the Rancho RS5000X only because the ride is pretty decent.
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We all know that "intentions" are very flexible for Jeep owners. New shocks aren't even here yet and I'm gonna research outboarding.
Gonna get a year or so of actually driving the new to me TJUR before I get on a new track, tho'.
 
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MikekiM said:
Don't want to send this thread on a detour, but what is the benefit of outboarding shocks?
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My unresearched guess (based on geometry), would be the closer it is to the force it's trying to control (wheel movement), the easier or better it's going to work. Also, you will be able to use a longer shock, which gives it more shock travel to control the same amount of wheel travel.
I welcome a better explanation from those that know.
 
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MikekiM said:
Don't want to send this thread on a detour, but what is the benefit of outboarding shocks?
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A wider shock stance improves stability. Raising the upper mount allows for more up travel. Raising the lower mount increases ground clearance. The ability to run a tunable shock has the potential to improve the ride and handling.
 
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Chris said:
You're much smarter for reading build threads backwards, that's for sure.

You're right too. It's an apples to oranges comparison when it comes to comparing standard off-the-shelf shocks to a good outboard job with custom tuned Fox shocks. You literally can't compare the two.

Why on earth anyone would outboard and use Ranchos as the shocks is beyond me. I mean maybe you're on a budget, but even then, save your money and get some good shocks.

Now if I had a TJ without outboard shocks and no intention of going that route, I think I'd probably stick with the Rancho RS5000X only because the ride is pretty decent.
Click to expand...
Ima just gonna put this right here. https://jeepspecs.com/tj-generation/rear-shock-relocation/ Blaine used Ford towers and RS9000s in the beginning. The benefits of the mod and better shocks have lead us to where we are now.
 
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Chris said:
Oh yeah, I remember those Ford towers and Rancho RS5000X outboard shocks. Man we’ve come a long ways!
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Yep. Something that would be a help for those wanting to outboard but are not ready for custom Fox shocks would be to find a couple shock numbers that match dimensionally so you can do the outboard and be able to just drop a Fox in later.
 
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