Off Road Ranchos - Junk ??

bestatchess · 11-19-2005, 12:10 PM

Are the off-road package Ranchos like the "Rockford Fosgate" stereo where Nissan puts somebody's well known brand on some cheap junk?

I replaced the fronts with DR coilovers the other day and the left front "Rancho" was leaking bad.

Today, I put Bilsteins on the rear. The right rear Rancho is completely shot, zero rebound and makes a strange gurgling on compression. The name "Nissan" is stamped into the body of the shock.

This is with 28,000 miles of mostly highway driving. Anybody else rolling on blown Ranchos without noticing? I know I sure was.

Cruising smooth now, however!!! Thanks Greg!!

PrerunnerGreg · 11-19-2005, 12:54 PM

Most OEM's consider shocks a wear item and spend as little as possible on parts like those. If you slide the boot up on the front shock you will see "monroe" on there too. It just has to ride good for your test drive, then they dont care anymore.

bestatchess · 11-19-2005, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

Most OEM's consider shocks a wear item and spend as little as possible on parts like those. If you slide the boot up on the front shock you will see "monroe" on there too. It just has to ride good for your test drive, then they dont care anymore.

Interesting. So "Rockford Fosgate" is really Clarion - Rockford Foster - Panasonic and "Rancho" is really Monroe - Nissan. I was, in part, induced to buy the truck because it had a "350-Watt Rocford-Fosgate" stereo and "Rancho" shocks. In actuality, it had neither. Probably a violation of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. Or maybe Nissan will tell me the plastic shock boots were Rancho? If my truck wasn't riding so great now, I would probably be upset. I hope Rancho and Rockford Fosgate reap the rewards of allowing their name to be used on cheap junk.

kartman · 11-19-2005, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestatchess

. The right rear Rancho is completely shot, zero rebound \

I have had probably had 20-30 Rancho shocks on various trucks and none of them ever had any rebound, even when brand new out of the box.

bestatchess · 11-19-2005, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kartman

I have had probably had 20-30 Rancho shocks on various trucks and none of them ever had any rebound, even when brand new out of the box.

The left "Rancho" (Nissan) had rebound, and wasn't gurgling. The Bilstein's have loads of rebound.

squatch · 11-19-2005, 09:14 PM

The reality is most big name shocks are manufactured to that names specs by a couple of manufactures like monroe and gabrial. The stockers (rancho) are better than without offroad group. But I've never been blown away by ranchos. I have a pair of Skyjacker softride nitros on another truck and really like them. Also have had good luck with Doeshe tech.

PrerunnerGreg · 11-20-2005, 12:55 AM

Rancho is part of the Tenneco Group that owns monroe, dynomax, daystar, and a bunch of other companies. The non off-road shocks are made by tokico, and are pretty nice. The reason you hear noise in the shock is that the "gas" is gone, that means there is a leak. Without any nitorgen pressure a shock will cavate and bearly provide control, especially on small bumps. THe bilstiens are charged with 350 lbs of nitirgen and the DRE's with around 200. This is not to be mistaken as an air shock and the pressure will not correlate to any difference in ride height or load carrying. The pressure can be described as follows; 200 psi on a 7/8" dia shaft (like the DRs) is about 120 lbs of "nose" pressure, and that would have a similar effect on spring rate and ride height as removing 120 lbs form the vehicle on that corner. Dont know if that really corelates to this thread, but it may explain "gas charged shocks" a bit more.

bestatchess · 11-20-2005, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

Rancho is part of the Tenneco Group that owns monroe, dynomax, daystar, and a bunch of other companies. The non off-road shocks are made by tokico, and are pretty nice. The reason you hear noise in the shock is that the "gas" is gone, that means there is a leak. Without any nitorgen pressure a shock will cavate and bearly provide control, especially on small bumps. THe bilstiens are charged with 350 lbs of nitirgen and the DRE's with around 200. This is not to be mistaken as an air shock and the pressure will not correlate to any difference in ride height or load carrying. The pressure can be described as follows; 200 psi on a 7/8" dia shaft (like the DRs) is about 120 lbs of "nose" pressure, and that would have a similar effect on spring rate and ride height as removing 120 lbs form the vehicle on that corner. Dont know if that really corelates to this thread, but it may explain "gas charged shocks" a bit more.

Good info, thanks. "Daystar" ahhh, it's all falling into place for me. . . .makes perfect sense. . . .make lift kits that blow your own shocks.

smoketitan · 11-20-2005, 04:44 AM

so how does one know there shocks are bad

do the bumps, become unbearable, or is it someother sign?

is the "bound" effect something I can go in and test personally, or do I have to go in for that?

thx

**loufish** · 11-20-2005, 07:16 AM

Quote:

so how does one know there shocks are bad?

Actually that's very easy......If they're painted white, or say Rancho on the side, they're JUNK!

PrerunnerGreg · 11-20-2005, 08:03 AM

C/mon Lou, thats a bit harsh. Most of the aftermarket shocks by companies like Superlift, Rancho, Skyjacker, etc all use the same type of "twin tube cellular" shock. They are all about the same build quality, they may ride different, but they will all last about the same. The easiest way to tell if a shock is bad is if its got alot of oil around the shaft seal, second is if the shaft wont extend on its own becasue it has lost pressure. On the factory Titan front shocks, if you use a tube or a stethesope, you can often hear the piston "clunk" on the insde of the shock. That is literally the internals of the shock coming apart. Becasue nissan decided to use the shock as the suspension down-travel limit, everytime you let the supension extend fully it tries to tear the shock apart, the heavy spindal, big tire/rim assembly, and lots of spring preload (alot more preload using the daystar kit) is just too much for the small shock to handle (plus the way the piston is held onto the shock shaft is very weak) and will eventually fail. Our leveling kit, eventhough the upper a-arm will contact the coilbucket at full extension, will keep the shock from over-extending and prolong the shcoks life. THe bigger race-sytle shocks are many, many times stronger and, like the DRE, are actually designed to used like this and will last a very, very long time.

**loufish** · 11-20-2005, 08:15 AM

Quote:

C/mon Lou, thats a bit harsh.

I'm sorry...I couldn't control myself....

K-MU · 11-20-2005, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

Becasue nissan decided to use the shock as the suspension down-travel limit, everytime you let the supension extend fully it tries to tear the shock apart, the heavy spindal, big tire/rim assembly, and lots of spring preload (alot more preload using the daystar kit) is just too much for the small shock to handle (plus the way the piston is held onto the shock shaft is very weak) and will eventually fail. Our leveling kit, eventhough the upper a-arm will contact the coilbucket at full extension, will keep the shock from over-extending and prolong the shcoks life. THe bigger race-sytle shocks are many, many times stronger and, like the DRE, are actually designed to used like this and will last a very, very long time.

GREG:
Im about to go with the rancho 4" lift but dont have enough money to upgrade to the DR or FOX coilovers for now(will do in about 6 months), now the local rancho dealer will trow in for free the front RSX9000 shocks if I get the lift kit from him. I think I will go for them for now because my oem shocks have about 24,000k and alot on rough roads..

Will the RSX9000 shocks also bottom out on the 4" lift like the oem does with the oem suspension?

THX in advance

PrerunnerGreg · 11-21-2005, 05:37 AM

K-mu, the 9000's will rpbably bottom aboutt he same amount as when your shocks were new, maybe a bit less, but im guessing about the same. Shocks are like brakes, they always feel better when thier new, even if its just a replacement.

K-MU · 11-21-2005, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

K-mu, the 9000's will rpbably bottom aboutt he same amount as when your shocks were new, maybe a bit less, but im guessing about the same. Shocks are like brakes, they always feel better when thier new, even if its just a replacement.

What could I do until I replace the RSX9000 for the new DR coilovers that can be used on lifted trucks, limit straps???

THX