My 99 F150 4x4 has 110K miles with stock shocks still. I'm getting ready to put new tires and wheels on it, and had thought about going ahead and replacing the shocks too. I had thought about go with the Rancho RS5000's($140 shipped after Rancho $50 rebate), but could get the RS9000XL's($257 shipped after Rancho $100 rebate) for only $117 more. I have stock suspension. Would love to install a lift kit down the road. Which one should I go with? Would the 9000's really be worth the extra $117, when my truck rarely goes offroad? Or do you recommend going with a different shock?

Also, the Rancho Rebates have got me thinking. I could get a $400-$500 rebate if purchasing 4 shocks and suspension lift. Are the rancho suspension kits any good? Are there better one's out there for the money?

THanks,
JOey

 

imo Rancho is the best 4inch lift out their and i also have the RS9000XL's on my truck my driving varies between highway and windy mountain roads and off road and its nice to be able to tune the shocks for diffrent drives totally worth it so take the plunge your trucks not getting any younger. I hope that helped

 

How hard is it to install the lift? Is it something me and a friend could handle, or would I need to have it professionally installed??

Thanks again for the info.

 

I bought Rancho shocks (RS 5000's), ONCE. I had better luck with Monroe's off the shelf of the local Auto Zone. I am not plugging Monroe, just attempting to articulate my extreme dissatisfaction with my previous Rancho experience. That being said, I recommend Bilstein shocks when people ask my opinion. Happy Shopping!

 

I've been relatively happy with my RS5000s. Replaced stocks around 60k, then replaced with new Ranchos again at about 140k. I'm totally highway driving, though, and 2WD. If you ever go off road, I imagine the dial-a-suspension feature on the 9000s would be pretty cool, for only $120 more on an item that should last many years. That's my $0.02, anyway.

 

Keep in mind, the 5000 is Ranchos bone basic, bottom of the barrel, cookie cutter shock. Not saying it's bad, just saying you get what you pay for. The 9000's are bad ***, and I'll leave it at that. Their 4" lift is a great product too. Only complaint is it's not a true 4" lift. The last 3/4-1" comes from crankng up the torsion bars. Again, not a big deal, just saying. Yes, you and a buddy could do it...no special tools or mods required. FWIW, you needed new shocks about 60,000 miles ago.

 

Thanks for the info.. I figured that it was getting time for new shocks, although the truck still rides great. I was actually wondering if I needed to wait a while. I have, however, noticed excessive wear on the inside of the front tires. Keep in mind that they tires had about 40K miles on them when I put them on, but they seemed to have even wear. I've since put 12K more miles on them (w/o rotating) and noticed the wear last week. Could this be due to bad shocks, or just needing an alignment?

Anyway, back to the lift. Any clue who currently has the best prices? I've found the rancho lift w/ the RS9000 shocks for $2200 shipped. Take in consideration the $500 rebate from rancho and it puts it at $1700. Anyone see a better deal out there?

 

The truck "still rides great" is an illusion...it's all peception burried in your mind. as the shocks wear out sloooooooowly and progressively, you progress with it and never notice the change. Just wait until you put new shocks on.