Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hey peoples.. i'm about to run rancho 9000 all round in my zook.. and i'm wanting to run them upside down, so the knobs cant get knocked around etc. Will this change the way the shocky works?? Tar lots

i don't think so mate, i've seen a couple of trucks runin shocks upside down, i think the only thing you have to worry about is the fact that the diff moves around alot more than the chassis so strength on the thin end might be an issue, but with a descent shock like rancho on a zook i don't think you'll have a problem. if you are worried about the adjusting knob just point it to the inside of the wheel. i haven't had any thing touch the knobs on my lux an i have driven it through a pine forest.

sweet.. thanks champ!!

suspension gurus should set this straight, but they dont work aswell upside down. something about the gas foaming and fading in bumpy conditions.

just run them right way round and take off the knobs.

Yeah, I didn't think you could run them upsidedown either.

To do that you've probably got to run a monotube shock like the Bilstein or a remote res shock where the gas is physically seperated from the oil and you dont get air in the valvings.

sorry rachos need to be the right way up.

Yeah, I just cycled by hand a set I had in teh garage. They work ok, except when the shock is compressed the piston comes out of the oil and for a period of time you lose damping control.

hmmmm.. thanks everyone!!! Very useful info

Yep, I've had a Rancho dyno'ed both ways after being told by the rancho distributor in Aus to run them upside down. They don't work upside down.

I have rancho's on my Gwagen and I have used them on other projects, and IMHO Rancho's aren't really all that great - they're pretty expensive for the quality you get.

A bigger problem is that there's no valving information for them available, so once youre "off fitment" (i.e looking for a custom application) you're on your own.

Don't believe the line that "they're adjustable so you can make them work on any car" It's just not true. I run my fronts at 1-2 and the rears at 5 (old 5 speed style) and I'm not really spot on for damping at either end.

Get it up there - you're running a Sierra, yes? I've seen several sierras ruined with Ranchos due to incorrect valving.

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:Yep, I've had a Rancho dyno'ed both ways after being told by the rancho distributor in Aus to run them upside down. They don't work upside down.

I have rancho's on my Gwagen and I have used them on other projects, and IMHO Rancho's aren't really all that great - they're pretty expensive for the quality you get.

A bigger problem is that there's no valving information for them available, so once youre "off fitment" (i.e looking for a custom application) you're on your own.

Don't believe the line that "they're adjustable so you can make them work on any car" It's just not true. I run my fronts at 1-2 and the rears at 5 (old 5 speed style) and I'm not really spot on for damping at either end.

Get it up there - you're running a Sierra, yes? I've seen several sierras ruined with Ranchos due to incorrect valving.

Steve.

Yeah mate... i am indeed. What do you mean "ruined"??

Either stupidly stiff or soft (often both at once on different end of the car) Imagine a front end that crashes harshly due to being hundreds of % too stiff and a rear that bounces and hops all over the place due to the rear being massively too soft. ( I have seen this as an example)

You can't buy a rancho just on length and eye/pin configuration but that's all the info you can get from Rancho unfortunately.

If you've really got youre heart set on Ranchos, try and do some research to find out what part numbers the yanks run- and maybe you can mail order them from the US. The aussie distributor doesn't stock all part numbers.

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:Either stupidly stiff or soft (often both at once on different end of the car) Imagine a front end that crashes harshly due to being hundreds of % too stiff and a rear that bounces and hops all over the place due to the rear being massively too soft. ( I have seen this as an example)

You can't buy a rancho just on length and eye/pin configuration but that's all the info you can get from Rancho unfortunately.

If you've really got youre heart set on Ranchos, try and do some research to find out what part numbers the yanks run- and maybe you can mail order them from the US. The aussie distributor doesn't stock all part numbers.

Steve.

hmmm.. when i bought the 9000's for the rear, i told my local 4x4 shop what length, any eye/pic config i was after, and he got them in no worries?? Might have been a flook!! I ran those upside down (untill now, im doing the lux diff conversion), and yes they did work to an certain extent, but not as well as i thought they would.. that is obviously cause i was running them upside down!! Well, looks like they'll be running the right way up now Tar lots

No, I think you've misunderstood me. If you ring the Rancho agent and ask them for a shock XX long and with XXX eye/pin configuration, they'll have something they're only too happy to sell you.

If you ask them how it's valved, they'll say "we don't know as it's proprietry information held with Rancho"
If you ask will the valving work in my car, they'll say "of course it will work they have 800% adjustability."

If you say can I dyno a shock then to see if it will work in my application they'll say "no, you have to buy it first"

The fact is they don't always work out for the application. Using a shock from a heavy coil sprung car in a suzuki application will almost guarantee it won't work. (HEAPS too stiff)

You may have got lucky, the supplier may have sold lots of shocks in this application an knows what works... but in general, its very hit and miss.

At the end of the day, you pay quite a lot of money for a shock that may or may not work and is of generally only average quality.

Steve.

oh ok... i see. Sweet.. thanks for the info

Gwagensteve wrote:No, I think you've misunderstood me. If you ring the Rancho agent and ask them for a shock XX long and with XXX eye/pin configuration, they'll have something they're only too happy to sell you.

If you ask them how it's valved, they'll say "we don't know as it's proprietry information held with Rancho"
If you ask will the valving work in my car, they'll say "of course it will work they have 800% adjustability."

If you say can I dyno a shock then to see if it will work in my application they'll say "no, you have to buy it first"

The fact is they don't always work out for the application. Using a shock from a heavy coil sprung car in a suzuki application will almost guarantee it won't work. (HEAPS too stiff)

You may have got lucky, the supplier may have sold lots of shocks in this application an knows what works... but in general, its very hit and miss.

At the end of the day, you pay quite a lot of money for a shock that may or may not work and is of generally only average quality.

Steve.

I think you'll find that very few aftermarket shocks are valved for specific vehicles and applications but they are out there.
Rancho's are American and work well on many yank rigs, especially Jeeps although they'll have a length and configuration for just about any rig like any aftermarket shock, but not specifically valved because in Rancho's view they dont need to be because they're adjustable
Adjustability doesnt change the inherent strength or damping abilities of the shock.
I mean, the same 9000X is the same shock (except for the length) for a little zook up to a heavy Patrol or Cruiser
The 9000X on my GQ are too soft when its loaded up with gear even though I have them set on full hard but other than that I've had a pretty good run with them and I think they're a reasonably good shock even though overpriced IMO but I think thats due to the Rancho price structure and a limited amount of Oz distributors here.

I'd like to know who is using the new 9000XL's on their Patrol but I cant find anyone at all on the net who is using them.

sudso wrote: I mean, the same 9000X is the same shock (except for the length) for a little zook up to a heavy Patrol or Cruiser

AFAIK 9000's are valved for each application. I have a 9000 application book and have had a couple of shocks dynoed and it bears this out - there is a massive difference in valving between different shocks. There are some generic part numbers for custom applications and these are valved the same as the 99012 which is "middle of the road" damping.

I also believe that there are some generic lengths (like the 99012) with soft valving for multiple installation.

Steve.