Stortest 12" travel shock-eye to eye

[NMB2]

Alright doucher, why is it then? The mounting location is the same so you're not gaining any mechanical leverage.

Do leaf springs have a linear spring rate? (ie. - not progressive)

Longer main leaf, centered pin.

there is also a difference between spring rate, and load rating. The chevy springs definitly have a higher load rating.

 

[disciplerocks]

Cheap, lifetime warranty, and you can pick them up today.

http://www.monroe.com/assets/downloads/english/08_MountingLengthSheet.pdf

 

[legoms013]

Aren't leaf springs progressive with ther spring rates? Conceptually it
Wouldn't make sense if they were linear...

 

[Bray D]

Longer main leaf, centered pin.

there is also a difference between spring rate, and load rating. The chevy springs definitly have a higher load rating.

'splain yoself fool.

 

[wahlstrom1]

They work.... end of story! Get some shocks that fit, and get wheelin!

 

[Bray D]

We're dukin it out on MSN. lol

 

[4x4junkie]

Those aren't 5100s.


And I wouldn't wish RS9000s on my worst enemy. I couldn't get those things off the front of mine fast enough (best way I can explain it, the loose valve mechanism (or air bubbles within the oil?) makes enough rattle the whole frontend felt like it was about to fall off. Went through numerous shocks with this problem, it was not because I simply got a bad one. And topping that off, even cranked all the way to maximum they had very little compression stroke damping, all it does is make the rebound stiffer). Went to KYBs (and later Bilstein 5125s on my BII), problem gone 100%.

And yes, leaf springs are nearly always progressive (definitely if there's an overload leaf present).

 

[NMB2]

Those aren't 5100s.


And I wouldn't wish RS9000s on my worst enemy. I couldn't get those things off the front of mine fast enough (best way I can explain it, the loose valve mechanism (or air bubbles within the oil?) makes enough rattle the whole frontend felt like it was about to fall off. Went through numerous shocks with this problem, it was not because I simply got a bad one. And topping that off, even cranked all the way to maximum they had very little compression stroke damping, all it does is make the rebound stiffer). Went to KYBs (and later Bilstein 5125s on my BII), problem gone 100%.

And yes, leaf springs are nearly always progressive (definitely if there's an overload leaf present).

they most certainly are 5100 series... 5150 to be exact

Its a never ending debate.

just curious, were you running your rancho's upside down? (old ones had to be body down)

comparing apples to oranges with these shocks.

If you search around you will find that the bilsteins get better reviews as far as ride quality (not that the 9000's are bad), but they break alot more often. The rods break, like mine. The threaded side breaks, and the seals leak alot. Also if you dent the body, the shock is pretty much trashed.

The rancho is a more rugged shock, and if you do low speed offroading, you wont make them fade.

Just remember, you cannot fix suspension problems with a shock (too soft, or too stiff) Your suspension needs to be right before you choose a shock.

 

[dangerranger83]

I will say my chevy 63's are stiff but are nice when it comes to flex. going over the seam swelling bumps on roads, my rear sometimes leaves the ground (can hear the engine rpms go up) but Im running 3/4 ton ones with the over load (to lazy to take it out and gives my truck just a slight amount of rake).

Im running procomp SE9000's on my rear but I wasnt looking for ride quility as much as I was a shock that would fit in a pinch due to I needed to get the truck back on the road.

As for my front, running skyjackers (same situation for sizing) and XJ coils.

My front is nice going over bumps but my rear can bust out your teeth.

I think shocks are one of the hardest things to shop for, you really cant try them out before you buy them and everybody has a different opinion about them, hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[4x4junkie]

they most certainly are 5100 series... 5150 to be exact

5150 does not = 5100

5150s have been known for some issues with the eyes breaking. 5125s and 5100s less so. Though if your bracket isn't wide enough for the eye to not bind up within it, ANY shock is gonna break.
Only thing where I agree is that if you dent them, they are ruined (they are monotube shocks). Because you typically mount a Bilstein body-up, denting them from a rock or something does not seem too likely.



As for the 9000s, that very thing was a huge issue I went through with them (and I actually had the ignoramus at the 4WD place get pissed off at me when I kept bringing them back because they sucked ). Someone at Rancho was apparently too stupid to realize you cannot switch a shock around that has a stud on one end... I eventually cut the eye & the stud off and re-welded them onto the correct ends of the shock so the body would then face down (yeah no more warranty now lol ). This improved them tremendously, but still did not get rid of the rattling effect of the sloppy valving on them (and the comp damping was still pretty weak, though at least there was some finally).

 

[NMB2]

5150 does not = 5100

5150s have been known for some issues with the eyes breaking. 5125s and 5100s less so. Though if your bracket isn't wide enough for the eye to not bind up within it, ANY shock is gonna break.
Only thing where I agree is that if you dent them, they are ruined (they are monotube shocks). Because you typically mount a Bilstein body-up, denting them from a rock or something does not seem too likely.



As for the 9000s, that very thing was a huge issue I went through with them (and I actually had the ignoramus at the 4WD place get pissed off at me when I kept bringing them back because they sucked ). Someone at Rancho was apparently too stupid to realize you cannot switch a shock around that has a stud on one end... I eventually cut the eye & the stud off and re-welded them onto the correct ends of the shock so the body would then face down (yeah no more warranty now lol ). This improved them tremendously, but still did not get rid of the rattling effect of the sloppy valving on them (and the comp damping was still pretty weak, though at least there was some finally).

you know what I meant by 5100 series, fugger
all research I did before posting says the 5150 is the exact same build construction as the 5100 and 5125 with an external res... take it up with them

As for binding in the brackets, absolutely agree that that would cause breakage. However... I have run my skyjacker nitro's in the front for years and havent broken a single one..... axle wrap happens beings I am leaf on the front, but I'm going with the bilstein's having weak shafts, due to one being snapped off, and the other being almost snapped off. My shitty skyjacker nitro's are still straight.

Hitting the shaft is just as bad as hitting the body, either way, the bilsteins cannot take damage.

Thats interesting that you had that issue with rancho, were you buying them for a Bronco II? I'm just curious how that ended up being that way.
I'm also wondering about the issues you had, as I searched and searched and through all of the bad I read on the rancho's, I didnt find that issue....
I have not dealt with any other 9000 shock than the 9012, which was the popular rancho... maybe the valving in the RBV rancho was not suitable for your modified suspension... seems plausible to me. There is no way your suspension could make my 9012's do what you are describing. If you cranked them up all the way, your truck would ride stupid stiff, nothing rattling other than your brain and teeth.

Now dont get me wrong, the Bilsteins have a great reputation and are a great shock company, I'm just not sold on the 5100 series of shocks (unless the new ones have bigger shafts and better seals)

I think the best budget shock right now is the BBCS.

Rancho 9000xl's are also AWESOME shocks from what I've seen... completely different than the 9000 and 9000x's. Nitro charged, mount them shaft down, 9 position vs 5, still twin walled.

Downside is price

 

[4x4junkie]

This was for my Ranger (at the time I had nothing more than a straight bolted-on 2.5" Rancho suspension lift kit with the D35 axle). The shocks were the actual recommended pt# specifically for the application (9136 IIRC). The fukkin' things were upside down and you couldn't do shit about it other than what i did.
There's been numerous other issues I've had with various Rancho products, but that's another subject.



Oh and "5100 series" includes many different shocks. The 5100 is just one of them (and I suspect what the OP here was originally asking about). 5150s are made different to allow you to put that fixed reservoir in different positions.

 

[NMB2]

This was for my Ranger (at the time I had nothing more than a straight bolted-on 2.5" Rancho suspension lift kit with the D35 axle). The shocks were the actual recommended pt# specifically for the application (9136 IIRC). The fukkin' things were upside down and you couldn't do shit about it other than what i did.
There's been numerous other issues I've had with various Rancho products, but that's another subject.



Oh and "5100 series" includes many different shocks. The 5100 is just one of them (and I suspect what the OP here was originally asking about). 5150s are made different to allow you to put that fixed reservoir in different positions.

I got nothing on the rancho issue...bad calls and design right out of the box. No other excuse

5150's have a jamnut and the eye on the body threads in.... yes, that is different, but I didnt have issues with that side. Everything else is the same.

The 5100HD's (yellow bodies) are pretty good shocks from what I've seen.

I talk with bray on the phone and off of here often, so I knew what he was trying to figure out. He is trying to solve a stiff ride as well as go to a shorter shock, Bilsteins are definitely NOT the solution for that.... our preferences aside.

EDIT: a quick search for that shock pulled up this:

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.htm?id=53&Isuzu_Rodeo_and_Amigo_Rancho_RS-9000_Shocks

Looks to me they were built that way to clear the IFS parts. The rears however (9179) look like what you were needing.

 

[4x4junkie]

EDIT: a quick search for that shock pulled up this:

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.htm?id=53&Isuzu_Rodeo_and_Amigo_Rancho_RS-9000_Shocks

Looks to me they were built that way to clear the IFS parts. The rears however (9179) look like what you were needing.

Pretty sure the RBV lift I had was the sole application for #9136 (that page just shows someone adapting it to their Isuzu). There's nothing at all that needs to be cleared on a RBV (and even if there was, the shock still doesn't work properly that way). It makes no sense to me.

As for Bilstein, I have to disagree about the ride... Though my experience was on the front, I found the Bilsteins a lot smoother than the Ranchos, even dialed to their lowest setting. However the ranchos left no control set to their lowest, the frontend would bob and bound all over the place if I didn't have them set at least halfway or so ("3" in my case, the plastic knobs on them were the original 5-position ones).

I have the 255/70 valved Bilsteins. IIRC they also offer a softer 170/60 version.

Edit:
I just remembered (getting back to the topic on hand here)...
I had a set of Skyjacker Nitros made for their 6" RBV lift that were a little longer than your typical 6" RBV shock (22.5" vs. 21 IIRC), yet had the same compressed length dimension as most others. Maybe something in the SJ Nitro line is what you're after, Bray D? (I tried to look up some specs, but none of their PDFs work for me).

 

[86 slo-vo]

run the shocks through the damn bed already