Procomp MX-6 shocks

[4x4junkie]

I can't seem to find much discussion about these

I just redid my BII shock mounts, and was looking at maybe getting Bilstein 5125s, but these being adjustable kindof had my interest (already had Rancho 9000s, they sucked)

Anyone running (or used to run) the MX-6 and know if they're any good?

 

[CopyKat]

I can't seem to find much discussion about these

I just redid my BII shock mounts, and was looking at maybe getting Bilstein 5125s, but these being adjustable kindof had my interest (already had Rancho 9000s, they sucked)

Anyone running (or used to run) the MX-6 and know if they're any good?

They are nearly identical to the 9000x's. Both made by Tenneco-Automotive. My only beef with the 9000's is that I had 2 of the adjusters freeze(rust) up on me. They sat in my shock bucket too long. Pulled the adjusters and worked some oil into them and they seem to work fine now.

 

[JohnnyU]

A pair of them came on the front of my Dodge. They seem to ride pretty well actually. I haven't played with the adjustability much though.

 

[4x4junkie]

Hmmm... that's not very encouraging...

Every single piece of Rancho (also Tenneco) anything I've ever had the misfortune of wasting $$$ on has been complete garbage. (their POS 9000 shocks, too ).



BTW, where did you find out they were Tenneco products? Does it say on the box or something? I see no mention of Tenneco on Procomp's website.

 

[seminaryranger]

I was under the impression that the MX6 shocks were gas-charged and the RS9000 were cellular gas.

My 9000 shocks have been ho-hum, especially for the price you have to pay for them. And, I'll 2nd the adjuster freezing/rusting up. One I was able to remove and lubricate to get working. The other seems suck on setting "1".

 

[4x4junkie]

Yeah I should've mentioned I had a rusty adjuster once too (the little POS O-ring that seals the base of the knob was pinched and out of position. Guess it must be common).

My much bigger complaint was the shitty valving on them. They just don't control the suspension well.

The MX-6 seems like a completely different shock though, just by looking at it's design.

MX-6 is gas-charged, the 9000 is not.
The MX-6 has the adjuster on the end of the rod, the 9000 is on the end of the body.
When the 6-position MX-6 came out, the 9000s were a 5-position adjustable shock.
Rancho had to quickly scramble to come up with a new little plastic knob to put on theirs so they were no longer being "outdone" by someone else (or so it seemed at the time anyway).

 

[CopyKat]

BTW, where did you find out they were Tenneco products? Does it say on the box or something? I see no mention of Tenneco on Procomp's website.

I know a few guys from Tenneco.

They are made by them, too ProComps specifications. That's the reason some are better than others. The companys get to chose their own valving. Rancho just makes bad choices in valving thats all.

If you have soft springs a single 9000 up front is not enough. I had mine cranked and it just wasn't enough damping. that's why I have 2 per corner on the front. They are all set to around 5 or 6.

 

[seminaryranger]

I believed the 9000s to be too firm in their valving, at least on the back of my truck.
I leave mine cranked all the way down to the "1" position. Position "9" is almost rediculous for my tastes.

 

[4x4junkie]

It's not the firmness of the valving that's the issue ("3" or "5", depending on if you had the 5 or 9-position knobs, was right about best for me), it's the sloppyness of it that's the problem.

It seemed like there was a constant air pocket or something in them, and when the piston moves through it, it makes for a tremendous amount of harshness.

For well over a year I was trying to chase down noises in my frontend thinking it was balljoints, bushings, wheelbearings, things of the like, and it finally occurred to me when I had one of the shocks off... "this isn't supposed to move like this", there was about a ½" of 'spongyness' that I could see & feel cycling the shock by hand (I tried returning them under warranty because of this and the brand new ones were exactly the same way too).

I went and put KYBs on and all the "looseness" vanished.

Anyway, I got the Bilsteins, so hopefully they'll work out.

 

[4x4junkie]

Well, I opened the Bilstein box, and out falls a piece of paper:
"Limited 90-day warranty"

Seems rather odd in a world where virtually every other shock manufacturer has a lifetime warranty of some sort on theirs.

I was under the impression they were lifetime as well. Oh well, they're on now. Now I gotta take it out somewhere and test 'em out