I recently installed a set of Rancho RSX shocks in my 2001 2wd Screw, and I cannot believe the difference (believe it or not, my wife even noticed the difference). Body roll is virtually gone, as is the dive and lift under braking and accelleration. The truck handles so much better it's like a different vehicle. Further, the truck rides a LOT better, that "self adjusting" works exceptionally well. For example, the shocks firm up the ride in most conditions, which eliminates completely that "floating" feeling the Screw gives at speed on the freeway, especially in sweeping turns. However, when you hit sharper bumps which cause a more significant excursion of the suspension, the shock re-valves to a softer setting, allowing the wheel to travel more freely. The result is really impressive, bad railroad tracks feel like they're barely there.

Anyhow, the shocks are unquestionably the best mod I've done to the truck, followed closely by the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo tires (which I also highly recommend, they too made a big difference) and if I bought a new one tomorrow, I'd put a set of these shocks and tires on immediately instead of waiting for the stockers to wear out.

 

I had my screw out in the snowy/muddy fields during hunting season. I did not get stuck, but my old Tacoma (now my Dad's truck) with the Michelon XCX's did a better job getting through it. I was at Sears last night looking at the Duelers. I'm going to wait for my tires to wear down first. My truck only has 6000 miles on it. The Duelers will be the next tires on my truck.

 

What kind of truck do you have? 4x4, FX4 or 4X2? I have an FX4 and I can't stand that floating feeling... I definitely miss my Bronco when it comes to highway and road hugging ability. I had Pro-Comp ES3000's on it, a little stiff but no floating and handled like it was on rails. The SCrew is a whole different story, handles like a hot turd on ice and you'll just about get airborne on rolling washboard type bumps that are spaced just right.

I'm not up on the current Rancho line, althought I still know about the 5000's (had them on the Bronco also) and the 7000's and 9000's, where do the RSX's come into the picture? Are they the competition for the Edelbrock Performers? Sound like it..

Also, what did you pay for the set?

Thanks,
Chris (ReelWork)

 

Chris,

You are correct, the RSX is Rancho's answer to the Edelbrock IAS, but it's cheaper and (I think) more durable. The durability comment is speculative, but I have heard of several people having problems with the IAS shocks quality. As to its place in the Rancho line, I think it falls in as a paralell to the 9000, but it really is hard to catagorize in that context, as it is a self adjuster while the 9000 is manually adjustable. The 9000 is probably the better choice for the serious offroader as you can set it up exactly as you want, while the RSX seems a better choice for a truck like mine, which spends the vast majority of its time on paved roads.

My Screw is a 2001 2x4 XLT with the 5.4 and the trailering package, which supposedly came with upgraded shocks (I say supposedly because it was supposed to include an upgraded radiator as well, but we all know that didn't happen)

As I said previously, the difference is enormous--I'm not going to make the cliche "it handles like a corvette" claim, because no truck does, but I will say it's now the best handling truck I've ever driven. I'll be using "self adjusting" shocks from here on, as they really do offer the best of both worlds--a very controlled and taut suspension that is not at all harsh or jarring. I know exactly what you're talking about with the rolling bumps and floating, and the new shocks cured that 100%

The RSX's are 49.95/ea at 4wheel parts, but I found them online at truckperformance.com for 44.12/ea and 4wheel parts matched it. With tax I came out just shy of $200.00, and it really was money well spent. It took me an afternoon to install them, the right side was really quick, the left more of a pain.

Hope this answers your questions, and if you do decide to put a set on, post and let me know how you like them--I'd be interested to see how they work on the 4X4.

 

I'd be interested in knowing how involved the installation was on these. I do all the work on my truck myself, but I normally wouldn't touch the front coils. How did you do it and what special tools did you need?

 

Thanks so much for the great reply. Very informative and you didn't just whip it out....

DuFunnel, Shocks are probably one of the easiest things to change out, two bolts per shock and that's about it.. Wait, maybe three, my Bronco had three but I don't know on the SCrew but it's still a cakewalk... Especially on a 4X4 where you can just crawl under it!

I just might go this route and try the RSX's but I am curious as to the longevity, IAS's seem to suck after a year and go back to a near stock ride...

Chris (ReelWork)

 

You may want to give Bilstein's a shot. I have seen positive results myself with other trucks I have had, and other posts from this forum.

As for there longevity, they come with a limited Lifetime warranty. I have known people to go well over 100,000 miles with them, and they still work like a champ.

So you have an FX4? I was surprised to see your claims of the Screw 'handles like a hot turd on ice'. I have a 2003 FX4, and it is the best handling/riding truck (stock) that I have ever driven. They do come with Rancho's (well who knows) but when its time for me to replace, Im going Bilstein again.

Just my .02 cents.

Jim

 

I was thinking the same about my 02 FX4, handles fine, ride is good... for a truck! Maybe one of these guys could drop by sometime so I can get a side by side comparison

 

Ya know, when I say it handles like a turd, I am comparing it to my 94 Bronco and that sucker was like a sports car. It also rode a lot rougher, so I guess I have to compromise. It just seems like the FX4 has a lot of body roll and such. While I have driven many trucks, this is MY first, so I can't really compare it to anything in a similar class. I also put a 3 inch lift on the Bronco to make it look "right" which translates to stiffer springs and those Pro-Comps are notoriously stiff shocks.. I should also state that Broncos run 6 shocks (4 up front/2 in the rear), have a very wide stance on a short wheelbase, so that probably has a lot to do with it...

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about my FX4, I love it! I just think it can be tweaked to be a little better... Seems like we are all kind of doing that!

Bilsteins huh? I'll have to check them out... I used them when I lived in Europe, great shocks, but those were Autobahn screamers like Opels, BMW's and such...

Thanks,
Chris (ReelWork)

 

Familyman, Im glad you agree! I thought I was missing something.

Chris,

Absolutely, these trucks can be modified to handle/ride better. But IMHO, they are pretty nice stock (with the FX4 package anyway). I think with an aftermarket sway bar and steering stabilizer, these trucks would really rock!

As far as Bilsteins, you are correct about them being used in BMW's etc, but they have come a long way.

Check out there website.. www.bilstein.com and you can see for yourself they have won many offroad tests for ruggedness, durability, longevity etc.

And no, I do not work for them! LOL

Jim

 

2003 SuperCrew with the FX4 package? Are they self adjusting? Where do they show up in the Rancho shock line-up?

TIA

Tom

 

Chris,

I'm glad the post was helpful, let us know what you end up doing.

dufunnel,

Installation isn't that tough, and you don't need to touch the coil, the shock drops through a hole in the bottom of the A-Arm.

There is a bolt welded to the top of the shock which goes up through the shock tower. Remove that, then, on the lower A-arm, there are two bolts holding the shock on the bottom. Remove them and the shock will drop out through the hole in the bottom of the A-arm. You will need to jack the truck up some to get enough clearance to get to shock out (otherwise it hits the ground). The left front was a bit of a pain due to wrench clearance issues, but not terrible. The right front literally took 15 minutes, it was a breeze. As a note, I found that the boots on the RSX's didn't want to fit up through the hole in the bottom of the A-Arm (the RSX has a considerably larger diameter than the stock shocks), so I left them off on the front. It is my understanding that the boot is not necessary. I did, however, install the boots on the rears.

As to the rears, it's the same basic setup except the lower attachment is a single bolt. That bolt is on pretty tight, I used an impact to get it off but I don't think it was necessary, just convienent. The right rear is again a breeze, plenty of room to get at it, the left rear is a pain, because the top bolt is hard to get a wrench on. It's not really all that advanced a job, just tenuous. On the whole, if you're a moderately competent mechanic, with basic mechanic's tools, you should have no problem. If you have air tools, all the better, but they are not mandatory.

As I recall, there were some posts that discussed the best ways to get at the left rear shock top mount, how much to squeeze the bushings, etc. so do a search for shock installation or something of that ilk, and you should come up with some good data.

Good Luck,

Kevin

P.S. Your life will be MUCH easier if you have the help of a friend on this project.