Shock Comparison: Rancho RS5000X vs Skyjacker Black Max vs KYB Monotube

I did go ahead and get the fronts assembled today. The bushing pressed in easily by hand. I used a dead blow to start the pin in the bushing then used my vice to press the bar in. Once it’s bottomed out of the block of wood, I just rotated the shock on the pin and pushed a little and lined right up in the middle of the pin.

8559D054-5A8B-44CD-8A4C-FDC6E47C0AAF.jpeg
A4739E6C-FF05-40EE-A965-3115ADCD6C4A.jpeg
B31F2B86-58A8-45F5-969D-8FB9877E684B.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Irun
I like that I won't have to press the bar pin out, as I'm running
BPE's in the rear.
For me, the rear came with the bushings and bar pins installed. The front came unassembled andI I had to install the bushings and bar pins.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MountaineerTom
They are certainly softer. They feel a lot like the stock ride to me. I know everyone didn’t get their Jeep with a stock suspension, but for me, that’s comparable to how it feels.

When I put my lift on, I installed the OME Nitrocharger Sport Shocks. They were very rough over areas in the road like joints where roads meet bridges, man hole covers, your normal deteriorating pot-holed road or patched up pot holes. Around here it’s very sandy and some of the fire service roads get a lot rippled/wash board type areas on them and with the OME’s it was rough as hell and not enjoyable unless you were going very slow.

I replaced the OME’s with Rancho RS5000x’s and it was an improvement In all those areas.

These Black Max’s seem to me to be a ride improvement over the Ranchos. At first I thought they might be kind of mushy just pushing on the bumper corners before I drove it around. Even pulling out of my shop, thought the yard and out on the street I was still thinking it might be mushy. After driving around just a few minutes, I liked the feel a lot. I do have a newer style Antirock up front on the softest setting and the factory rear sway bar. A factory front bar or the ORO bar would probably be different, but I have no experience with those and the Black Max’s combo.

Im happy. 🙂
 
Great input @MountaineerTom . We need someone with the factory front sway bar to try these. I'm betting it would feel different. I wish I could remember what the stock suspension felt like. That was 17 years ago!

I don’t mind how it rides right now.

I drove it about 50 miles on the Ranchos yesterday to get it weighed. I drove some of the same roads today with the Black Max’s So I feel like I got decent comparison between the two. I also drove some of the route that I drive each day to work since I’m familiar with road conditions there too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobthetj03
I don’t mind how it rides right now.

I drove it about 50 miles on the Ranchos yesterday to get it weighed. I drove some of the same roads today with the Black Max’s So I feel like I got decent comparison between the two. I also drove some of the route that I drive each day to work since I’m familiar with road conditions there too.
So, correct me If I am wrong. OLD Man shocks are stiffer than Ranchos, which are stiffer than Skyjacker Blackmax (which are close to stock shocks)
 
I forgot to add in my previous post, I didn’t get to go down the nearby dirt/sand washboard road due to some construction in that area.


I don’t have all the technical info and measurements that @Irun has, but the front had right at 4.75 inch of the shaft showing. The rears had 4 inches.

Going by Skyjackers info of 9.21” of front travel and 8.87” of rear travel, am I correct in think I have 4.42“ of down travel in the front and 4.87” of up travel in the rear?

B8516 fronts
B8518 rears

I did put some zip ties on the shafts, slid up against the cans, before I went out. Here’s where they were when I came back.

36426FE8-D095-4DAE-8AD5-0BACDEB5190B.jpeg
8C411888-92FC-4405-A6DC-AFEB1FD48798.jpeg
1E02913B-4E95-4676-B6F0-CB7EB6EBACD4.jpeg
45BCA61B-5FE1-4BB9-A6F5-A551BB5E10C9.jpeg
 
Are Skyjacker Black Max shocks hydraulic shocks? Doesn't that mean that they could perform better on road but worse off road than a gas charged shock? (Such as Rancho)
 
Are Skyjacker Black Max shocks hydraulic shocks? Doesn't that mean that they could perform better on road but worse off road than a gas charged shock? (Such as Rancho)
Yes and maybe. It depends on your offroad terrain. I've always said the Zone hydro shocks rode better than any other budget shock I've owned. For some reason Zone discontinued them and only sell the stiff nitro shocks now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MountaineerTom
Yes and maybe. It depends on your offroad terrain. I've always said the Zone hydro shocks rode better than any other budget shock I've owned. For some reason Zone discontinued them and only sell the stiff nitro shocks now.
In which terrain would a hydraulic shock have the advantage over a gas charged one?
 
  • Like
Reactions: NOTNSUV