Rancho shocks troubleshooting...

[TheUltimateMan]

Hi everyone!

I recently installed a set of 4 Rancho9000x shocks and Energy Suspension sway bar bushings(thank you PHO2GR4 for all the info!).

The first two days I was blown away by how smooth the ride had gotten(which is the main reason I did the mod).

But since then the ride has gotten back to it's original bumpiness, and I hear squeaks with each big (or even medium) bump.

When I took my Baby back to the mechanic, he re-greased the bushings, but the bumpiness and squeaks are still there.

Any ideas?

Please...?

Oh, and I've kept the Ranchos set at 'zero' for maximum smoothness. I know no matter what I do, the VX has a distinct ride, but it feels as if I didn't do any mods at all!

[Y33TREKker]

Did the squeeks ever go away? Maybe they weren't eminating from the shocks or sway-bar bushings to begin with. I don't know if the Ranchos have anything like a break-in period since they were already installed when I purchased my VX, but maybe they've "settled" a bit and now need to be adjusted to a different setting? I think you could dial away from zero and still get a smooth ride around town. As a matter of fact, my driving is mainly on-road and I believe mine are still set more towards the middle.

[PHO2GR4]

Wow...not a clue! Sorry! I feel responsible.

I'm still digging my ride, and it's been two or three months. No squeaks, and still a nicely smooth street feel.

Anybody else?

[TheUltimateMan]

...I'm due for some new tires too, could that be part of it?

Any other ideas VXers?

In general, what's caused squeaking for the VX?

I don't have the Rancho in cabin hookup, I've only changed the settings manually. Could I not really be driving on 'zero'?

(oh yea, I kept my original 4 stock shocks with only 28K miles on them- mechanic said they were still good- anyone want them?)

[SlowPro48]

Oh yeah... I'm coming up on 60K and the rears are getting soft and blowing through the stroke. Makes for a harsh ride. How much do you want for the set? Less than a rebuild?

...

(oh yea, I kept my original 4 stock shocks with only 28K miles on them- mechanic said they were still good- anyone want them?)

[deermagnet]

The setting is 1 to 9 and you absolutely should not have 'em set on the lowest number. That's like having almost no shock absorbtion at all. I don't know why the first two days were okay, but go crank 'em up to 7 or 8 right away. That should give you a real nice ride.

The squeaks could be caused by the springs and other suspension components taking such a hit with every bump, with there being very little shock absorbing happening. If your VX didn't squeak with the stock shocks, then it shouldn't squeak with the Rancho's cranked up to a reasonable number.

I've been drivin' on the those shocks for 96,000 miles set on 7 or 8 and I love 'em. My third set of Rancho 9000X shocks will go on in about a month.

If you have 18" wheels with the stock size tires you can improve your ride even more by getting 16" wheels with 245/70R16 tires. That way you'll have the same diameter tire so your speedo and odo will be correct, but you'll also have a lot more rubber on the sidewalls between you and the road. Very comfy indeed!

Mark Griffin

[creeg]

I just had my Rancho shocks installed yesterday, and I set them to 4 as a starting point. Im going to dial them up to 6 (thanks for the info), as they seem kinda bouncy, even for on-road use at 4.

If they start squeaking, Ill let you know. If not, then its gotta be something else- like the bushings (or something other than that).

If I dont write back soon, then the squeaks havent started.

[Kenny]

squeaks...
If it's from the rear, I agree that you could take a look at the top and bottom of the coils to see if dirt and dust is causing the squeak as they twist when you compress em.

If it's from the front, could it be your hood latch? Thats been known to squeak..

Good Luck.

I have the Ranchos and really liked the ability to soften up the fronts when I cranked my torsion bars up a few inches. I think it made a bit of a difference.

[Cobrajet]

I ran my Ranchos through the whole range of settings a couple weeks ago, starting at 1 and ending the week on 9. Definitely NOT the best ride at 1. It felt too soft and, yes, bouncy. 9 was a bit too harsh, but handling was great. I've rolled them back to 7. I've probably got 30K miles on my shocks.

As far as the squeak is concerned, there are several threads related to squeaks and solutions that are not related to the suspension, but the hood. Run a search and check out the latest solutions, including wrapping the hood latch with tape.

[creeg]

[said in a british accent] I'm turning mine up to 11.

[TheUltimateMan]

Thanks for the response everyone!

I'm going to experiment with the shock settings, and see it there is a change.

Could someone explain to me the difference in settings, because apparently i don't know...

1 setting= What kind of ride?

9 setting= What kind of ride?

I don't like bouncing all over the place, and I'd like as smooth a ride as possible- thoughts?

Also, I'm switching soon from the stock 16"ers to 18"ers- What kind of difference can I expect in the ride?

As always, thank you everyone in advance for the responses!

[Ldub]

Hmmmmm...

Thanks for the response everyone!

I'm going to experiment with the shock settings, and see it there is a change.

Could someone explain to me the difference in settings, because apparently i don't know...

================================================== ========
Re-read Cobra Jet's post...

#1 = Soft/bouncy (think cadillac)

#9 = rough/harsh (think gravel truck)
================================================== ========

1 setting= What kind of ride?

9 setting= What kind of ride?

I don't like bouncing all over the place, and I'd like as smooth a ride as possible- thoughts?

================================================== ========
If you want a cushy ride, you are starting with the wrong vehicle.
================================================== ========

Also, I'm switching soon from the stock 16"ers to 18"ers- What kind of difference can I expect in the ride?

================================================== ========
18" rims will give you less height in the sidewall, making the ride MORE harsh...
re-read deermagnet's response...slowly.
================================================== ========
X
As always, thank you everyone in advance for the responses!

[VehiGAZ]

Ultimate, suspensions work like this:

Most of the vehicle's weight rests on the springs, but springs are really bouncy. Shocks (or struts on other vehicles) dampen the bouncy motion of the springs, ideally giving you a compliant but well-controlled ride when the springs and shocks are well-matched. A "soft" ride isn't necessarily a "smooth" ride, as you've figured out.

VX springs are super-duper-sports-car-strong and require a very stiff shock to match their spring action, but not too stiff, because then you get a really hard ride. That said, it is not necessarily possible to give a vehicle like the VX a perfectly smooth ride - the weight, dimensions, and suspension design of the VX limit what can be accomplished. The shocks can be appropriately balanced against the spring stiffness, but that balance may not yield the ride you might want. It is a real challenge to find an appropriate shock for such strong springs without taking the engineer's approach to the problem by calculating spring rates and shock force and unsprung weight.

Anyway, to answer your question, if your shocks are set on their lowest (softest) setting, then you will avoid getting sharp jolts over bumps, but you will get a lot of bounciness from the springs. If you have them set at their highest setting, you will max out their stiffness, and control the bounciness of the springs better, but at the expense of getting sharp jots/vibrations over bumps.

Somewhere there is a sweet spot between stiffness of the springs and shocks. Hopefully that sweet spot is within the adjustment range of the Ranchos. :-)

Hope that helped! Good luck!

[WormGod]

Gotta agree, if you want a comfy vehicle, the VX is NOT THE ONE. I personally love feeling the road, and unfortunately, I found the Ranchos take much of that away. They were too bouncy for me, no matter what the setting. I have had them on for about 20k miles I guess and am ready to roll back to the stockers. One may be blown however, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is not....

[Y33TREKker]

Could someone explain to me the difference in settings, because apparently i don't know...

1 setting= What kind of ride?

9 setting= What kind of ride?

You can check out their website for a flash explanation.

http://www.gorancho.com/flash/rancho.html

Click: Products --> Shocks --> RS9000X Series--> Dial Your Ride --> Then move the slider with your mouse.