I would consider the Rancho RSX's over the 5000's if it was me, however I have had no past expierence with either one, just basing my opinions on others' opinions expressed here and elsewhere. I belive they are somewhere around $175 a set, and would probably be a little less stiff (possible riding a little better on the highway.) If I had a 4x4, I would have probably got the Bilsteins.

 

I just bought a set of Rancho RSX from Summit Racing for $160 including shipping. Pretty good deal. I have not installed them yet. I also got the Hellwig sway bar for $129. Took about 2 hours to install. Would have been less if the instructions were not so poor.
I have a 2000 Expedition and you have to remove the fuel recovery tank in the rear to install the bar. No big deal, just two screws but they don't mention a thing about it in the instructions.
Definitely helped with the lean in curves. I'm hoping the shocks help even more.

 

I just put Bilsteins on my truck yesterday so i don't have a fully formed opinion but initial thoughts are that they are FIRM maybe hard....but that's kinda what i wanted. I went with the front shocks that were speced for the non SCrews as the dampening or compression was higher - the re bound is the same, rears are same on both. Highway handling is crisp bridges, expansion joints, small potholes give you a sharp budump-budump. Where i noticed the biggest difference is on a small smooth back road that I know every crack and pebble on. It is windy (err, curvy) with small abrupt elevation changes of 5 feet (over streams) to 40 & 50 feet over terrain with gullies. No more "controled floating". I can go 5-10 MPH faster in most sections without more risk.
I was hoping to eliminate body roll but I see now I'm definetly gonna have to get a rear sway bar- but that's just me.
I also just added a set of Revo's tonight so I'm a pretty happy camper but the next 400 miles will really tell. 1st impression on Revo's is WAY better on wet pavement than the RT/S's that came off. Much more aggressive tread with no more noise - ride quality is too soon to tell- they gotta break-in yet.

Go here to compare KYB, Monroe, and Eldebrock IAS shocks in a torture test
http://www.kyb.com/truckloops/tloops.html

This place sells them all so you can read about the different flavors
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/cgi-bi...ruck_make.html

WT

 

Guys the reason I bought the RS9000s over anything else was they were 'Rancho' and adjustable. I never know what feels firm to you wont be soft to me.

With the RS9000 I pick what I like and leave them there. When I have the ATV in the back I crank them up, when I am towing and hauling the ATV I crankem up higher.

The point is if I tell you the RSX are too stiff, how do you know what I consider stiff to be? With an adjustable you figure out what you like and your happy.

Good luck...

 

STX/98:

I am very interested in what you think of the Edelbrock IAS shocks since you have a 2wd as do I. I have been thinking about getting them or the RS9000s for the reasons NativeTexasHunt states, that you can adjust it to what "you" like the ride to be.

 

XLT,

I am still waiting to put them on... Hopefully will do the swap this weekend. Will post the results as soon as there on.

 

Thank you very much. Looking forward to what you think of the ride. By the way how many miles now on your truck? Are you replacing the factory shocks?

 

I've got right at 98,000 miles now, and will be replacing the stock shocks... (Needless to say they are ready to be replaced!) I'm planning on installing the Edelbrock's on Sunday (it's supposed to be 70 degrees out!)

 

Excellent, thanks for the information.

However, you can drop "any" information about how "warm" it is there, just cruel...

 

98k on factory schocks! Wow, I thought I was holding out to the very end by replacing mine at 72k. I'd say you got your moneys worth out of them at least. I put the Monroe Reflex's in my Expy last weekend and it doesn't even feel like the same truck. Big improvement. Those IAS's will make a huge difference for you. I'm sure you will enjoy them.

 

Was shopping around online and local stores for prices on the Rancho RS5000 and I couldn't believe the deal I found. Of all places I never would have thought Sears Automotive would be the best. Set of 4 Rancho RS5000 installed for 281.50 and the cool part is they include a 4 wheel alignment for free with any purchase of 4 shocks. My only delima is I'm not sure if the 5000 will be too stiff after reading up a bit? I'm trying to decide between the RS5000, the Monroe Reflex or the Rancho RSX. Too many choices!!!!!!!!!!! I don't do any offroading, well maybe once a year, so I'm not worried about that capability.

I have a 1999 Ford F150 Crew Cab 4X4 with the offroad package in case you were wondering.


eidaj2

 

Is it just me or did I just read the above post in another thread? Long day I must be loosing it.

-Brian

 

I ended up installing the Edelbrock's last Thursday night, so I've got the chance to drive around on them for a few days. All in all, I think there great... Just about exactly what I was looking for. In all honesty, I had expected them to be a little stiffer then they actually are, which I consider to be good. On smooth surfaces, they are not that much stiffer than stock. The rebound seems to be a little stiffer, and the ride does seem much more controlled, but it did not make the ride (IMO) any more rough or harsh whatsoever like you would usually expect from a stiffer shock designed to eliminate body roll. If anything I'd say the shocks made a noticeable improvement in the quality of ride on the highway or other smooth surfaces. When hitting bumps or holes in the road however on rougher surfaces, I can tell an enormous difference over stock. When driving over about a 3 inch deep pot hole in the road, where it would have felt like you fell in and couldn't find your way out with the stock shocks, it 'takes' the rougher surfaces considerable better than stock. Bumps and holes in the road that would have jarred the driver pretty good stock seem much smoother and controlled with the Edelbrocks. I was able to tell much more of a difference over the stock shocks on rougher surfaces then smooth surfaces. As far as body roll, you can definately tell a difference over stock, however I have not done much hard cornering or lane changing to really see how much of a difference there is over stock. At lower speeds, it does seem more controlled in turns with far less leaning. I'm sure the difference over stock would be magnified at higher speeds. All in all, as far as the shock itself goes, the Edelbrocks were exactly what I was looking for in a 2wd truck. In retrospect, my only second thought whatsoever would have been the price. I wonder how close the Rancho RSX's would have felt to what I have for about half the price (or the Gabriel Gas Ryders for about 1/4th the price.) I have no idea if the difference in performance was worth the price, but if the price difference doesn't bother you and you are as concerned about your quality of ride on smooth surfaces as you are rough, I'd definately go with the Edelbrocks. If you are wanting to eliminate as much body roll as possible, and don't mind a little bit of a stiffer ride on the highway, I'd go with the Bilsteins.

 

Up until about 4 years ago all i use to buy where Rancho shocks, I have had them on Toyayta 4x4's and they siezed up after about 40k miles and Rnacho did not warranty them so I was forced to buy new. I had them on my 88 F150 4x4 and the same result siezed at about 35k miles. Now I do not a do a lot of hard off road driving mainly muddy rough roads for duck season and i do tow a boat. Saying this I want to make it clear that this was before the RS 9000 so those i cannot comment about they are supos to be good shocks. Myself I will nevber buy Rancho again. On my current truck 97 F150 4x4 I went with the Edelbrock IAS's and was pretty amazed at how much they improved the ride on my truck that I recomended them to My Stepfather who has an 98 Explorer and did not liek the body roll that it had after he had been driving a BMW for so many years. He had them installed and was thanking me left and right for helping him improve the way his exploere now handles. Recently I had one of the Edelbrocks on my passenger Front Blwo out and lose almost all its fluid yet it still seemed to be function quite well considering it had lost a lot of its flud.Well knowing they had a lifetime warranty I called Edelbrock and was waiting to hear something like it is a limited lifetime you need to buy a new shock but we will pro rate it. That DID NOT happen they told me you have to buy a replacement then when you get it take the old one off put it in the box and send it back to use when we get it we will refund your money for the new one. So id di all that and all is well.

Richard D.

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=2479

 

Good reviews, STX/98 and Richard D.

STX's experience and reaction to the IAS is very similar to mine. In hard cornering, my stock truck had horrible body roll under hard cornering.

If the Edelbrock's do not reduce body roll enough, you can add a rear anti-sway bar and polyurethane bushings for your front bar. These are not very expensive and do not compromise the trucks' smooth ride.