Shocks. The good the bad and the ugly.

TJScott

TJScott

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 4, 2017
Messages
522
Location
Waterloo, ON Canada
I know this is like an oil thread. Totally subjective. I have a broken upper mount pin or whatever it’s called. My thinking is the shocks are shot anyways. So, it may be time. I’m taking it to a shop tomorrow that is familiar with lifts to hopefully get a handle on what I have. I’m third owner and no clue what’s in it. It drives great, no death wobble or other noticeable issues. I don’t rock crawl, mostly bumpy and rocky desert trails with the steepest being about 45 degree climb with lots of bumps on the way up. I want a good shock but can’t afford 800 dollar shocks. Was looking at the Bilsteins, 5100’s I think work for the TJ. Is there a shock I should avoid or one that people find good? I was thinking between 3 and 400, or less of course.


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At least in my as well as mrblaine's personal opinions, Bilstein 5100 shocks are too stiff and jittery. Blaine said install that shock only if you want to know if the quarter you rolled over was heads or tails lol. Rancho's 9-way adjustable RS9000xl would be in your price range, so would OME Nitrochargers which I used to run. But I and many others here are now happily running Rancho's newish gas-charged RS5000x. You could get a set of them for just over $220 or so. I really like mine, more than I expected. They're definitely not too stiff or jittery. They have a great ride on the highway yet they give great control even when hauling ass on a rough dirt desert road.
 
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I've run Fox 2.0 shocks, OME Nitrochargers (that was on my XJ though), Bilstein 5100s, and Rancho RS5000X shocks. I liked the Bilsteins, but I will admit that the Ranchos are better. That's the route I would go!

Another nice thing about the Ranchos is how damn cheap you can get a set for.

Case in point:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01963N4ZY/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
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Easy answer in my opinion ... Rancho RS5000x. Great shocks at an even better price. If you don't like them Rancho will refund your money in the first 30 days I think, so you can't lose, but it would be really hard to beat that shock's value.
 
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I really appreciate you guys giving me your opinions, this group is seriously the best. It really is helpful. I’m not sure what the shop will have in stock but this is a huge help. If I have to I can always drive it home and order the shocks. I just don’t want to damage anything with that shock hitting things back there. This is what broke, but, I think those shocks are shot all the same. Aftermarket bumpers, tire carrier, full size 33” spare and winch all add to the weight the shocks have to deal with. We beat it up pretty good on our last run, that might have contributed to its failure.
07a0ad8137321f7fe56dc55aae954b7f.jpg



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Oh yeah, those things tend to break with age, I'm not surprised one bit. At that point, I would definitely replace the shocks, especially if you don't know the last time they were replaced. For the price and reputation, you can't really beat the Ranchos.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
others here are now happily running Rancho's newish gas-charged RS5000x
Click to expand...
I'll have to agree with that too. So far I am one of those happy people. I installed the RS5000x shocks about last July and have been happy with the way it made me feel more connected to the road no matter if it was smooth or very bumpy. 20170311_160015 (1).jpg
 
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I wouldn't let the shop just put on any ole shocks. See what you can do to get what you want vice settling for something you'll regret.
 
If you can wait a few days I'll be able to report a direct comparison between the Bilstein 5100s and the Rancho RS5000x shocks with no other changes made to the Jeep, which was not something that I had been able to find when researching. I've been debating swapping out shocks for about a year trying to find a softer ride, and finally got the itch to really try it. Ultimately, I think the original purchase price of the Bilstein shocks was keeping me from pulling the trigger, since I really wanted to justify the purchase. However, when I found the Ranchos for $183 shipped I had to give them a try, especially because of their 90 day return policy!

PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE AND 90-DAY RISK-FREE RIDE OFFER
We challenge you to try our Rancho® RS9000™XL, RS7000®MT or Rancho® RS5000™X Shock Absorbers risk-free for 90 days - if these products* don’t meet the challenge, call us for your money back.

Try qualifying Rancho products* for 90 days. We guarantee you’ll experience the Rancho performance difference! If, for any reason, the qualifying products* don’t live up to your expectations within the first 90 days, return the products and we will refund your original product’s purchase price (which shall not exceed the manufacturer’s suggested retail price), plus labor (not to exceed $50 per pair). We’re that confident you will be satisfied with Rancho® RS9000™XL, RS7000®MT or Rancho® RS5000™X Shock Absorbers!
Click to expand...
 
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Chris said:
I've run Fox 2.0 shocks, OME Nitrochargers (that was on my XJ though), Bilstein 5100s, and Rancho RS5000X shocks. I liked the Bilsteins, but I will admit that the Ranchos are better. That's the route I would go!

Another nice thing about the Ranchos is how damn cheap you can get a set for.

Case in point:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01963N4ZY/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Click to expand...

@Chris that the link above is for the 2"-3" lift and the OP is on a 4" lift and 33s. I just want to make sure that if he decides on the Ranchos that he gets the correct shocks. He needs the RS55255 and RS55256. The price went up since the time I ordered mine, but here is a link to them on Amazon and through Allen AOR

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JBLRGH8/?tag=wranglerorg-20

https://www.xf_vendor_spam_manageme...ocks-TJ-LJ/RS5000X-TJ-LJ-4-inch-Front-RS55255

https://www.xf_vendor_spam_manageme...TJ-LJ/RS5000X-Shock-TJ-LJ-4-inch-Rear-RS55256
 
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Serbonze said:
If you can wait a few days I'll be able to report a direct comparison between the Bilstein 5100s and the Rancho RS5000x shocks with no other changes made to the Jeep, which was not something that I had been able to find when researching. I've been debating swapping out shocks for about a year trying to find a softer ride, and finally got the itch to really try it. Ultimately, I think the original purchase price of the Bilstein shocks was keeping me from pulling the trigger, since I really wanted to justify the purchase. However, when I found the Ranchos for $183 shipped I had to give them a try, especially because of their 90 day return policy!
Click to expand...
I’m anxiously awaiting this comparison. I have Bilstein 5100’s too (<1 yr old) and I could easily sell them and the spacers they came with for the price of the Rancho’s. It rides ok, but I have no comparison. This will be nice to see...
 
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Serbonze said:
...I had to give them a try, especially because of their 90 day return policy!
Click to expand...

The return policy is awesome and hassle free. In November I put the Rancho recommended RS5000x's on my F-250 diesel. They were terrible, way way too soft. I called Rancho and they refunded me the entire purchase price no questions asked. So I installed Rancho RS7000 monotube shocks and sent back the 5000's on their dime. Great customer service ... and BTW, the RS7000 are great on the F-250.
 
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A few months back I added OME shocks, thought about the usuals, Rancho, Fox, Billstein etc. I first ruled out Billstein for a couple reasons, mainly due to their terrible reputation on the German car forums.

Fox has great reviews but cost $150/each, expensive for me considering I am upgrading other stuff.

The Rancho RS5000X are freakin' loved by forum members, but at a $50/each price I was dumbfounded and know that you generally pay for what you get, so my assumption is that the longevity/durability of these would not be on par with Fox and OME.

The OMEs were about $100/each and had many many years of great reviews, with only a few people reporting issues which were generally a result of ordering wrong parts and not fully understanding how to install a lift.

I friggin love my OME shocks, very comfortable. I ordered the 2" lift shocks so I cannot comment if the 4" shocks are as good, but I assume they are. For a 4" lift you would need the 60047L and 60049L part numbers.

Another driver for me to get the OMEs was DPG offroad. Dirk has been installing OME stuff for many moons and I felt I got an honest opinion from an honest businessman.
 
skrelnik said:
...The Rancho RS5000X are freakin' loved by forum members, but at a $50/each price I was dumbfounded and know that you generally pay for what you get, so my assumption is that the longevity/durability of these would not be on par with Fox and OME...
Click to expand...

I totally disagree with that statement. Rancho has been around a long time and their shocks have really never had longevity or durability issues, assuming you have the correct valving setup.

Ruling them out because of price point makes no sense to me. Rancho produces shocks at a volume that most shock companies only dream of and that volume reduces prices.
 
CodaMan said:
I totally disagree with that statement. Rancho has been around a long time and their shocks have really never had longevity or durability issues, assuming you have the correct valving setup.

Ruling them out because of price point makes no sense to me. Rancho produces shocks at a volume that most shock companies only dream of and that volume reduces prices.
Click to expand...

How can you disagree with my personal assumption and my plan of attack to buy lift parts. Rancho has been around for over 60 years, and a lot of older companies have been offering a lower priced product to compete with Chinese products, but still maintain and offer their main product line.

If you are up to speed on Rancho then talk about the quality of Rancho, at a $50 price point, what is the difference in paying up for the 9000s, which cost $100? Clearly corners are cut, materials are downgraded, to get to a $50 price point over their 9000 shock.

Considering the OPs price range was 300-400, or lower, speak of the pros and cons of the Rancho 5000 vs 9000, and others in that range.
 
Time to replace my ES9000 Pro Comps that are in the front. ES3000 in rear. Pretty rough rider right now. Stock was much better but bottomed out.


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My stock 04 has 37,000 miles and seems to ride nice for a Jeep. The only other Jeep I've owned was a CJ-7. What's the opinion of the stock rubicon's shocks? They seem fine to me. Is the upgrade in ride quality the Ranchos provide a noticeable difference? Thanks
 
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