Rancho 9000 shock question

[AndyC]

Ok this might be a dumb question but I'm not sure an am installing them now. I just got a set of the Rancho 9000 shocks and all the shock I've ever installed have a gas charge in them. Like the Original KYB. These Rancho don't have any gas return(extension). When you adjust the settings (1-9) it does get harder to extend and compress them. I figure all four can't be bad so I guess that's the way they are? I need help The original rear shock had no return pressure so I figure OK but when I got to the other side it did have it.

Is my hunch right these are messed up or am I just old school?
Help I'm in the middle of doing this now.

Andy

[transio]

The KYBs have a remote reservoir, but the Ranchos have a reservoir too... it's just an integral part of the shock body. Because they're adjustable shocks, changing the setting should make them easier or more difficult to compress. I'm not sure, but if there's no noticeable difference, it may be that they need to actuate a few times before they "settle in" at the new setting. I'd say try putting them on your VX and if they don't seem to work then exchange them.

[AndyC]

Hey Steve,
Ok I know that, but what has me stumped is that they do not extend out like a normal shock would. The first (stock)KYB didn't extend - I figure that it was bad but the other side did. So basically I can compress it but it retuns out to full extension - like all the shocks I've installed in the past. But these Rancho 9000 do not extend out with gas pressure. So it this right ? or is the set of Rancho's bad?

[transio]

I see what you mean now! Well, I've never seen a set of (good) shocks that don't self-extend, but theoretically that shouldn't be required for the shock to do it's job, right? I mean, mechanically it's just supposed to be a damper, which absorbs some of the energy from compression or extension. The springs are supposed to handle the job of suspension return from compression. Why not try them out and see what they do?

[Bulldoggie]

Gas shocks extending when unloaded is a good thing, as the VX hits a bump and becomes unloaded, it helps the tires maintain contact = traction = control.
As I have said before, race cars have VERY STIFF shocks.
cars with soft shocks feel more comfortable as they float over bumps at the cost of poorer handling and control.

[AndyC]

Well after trying to get ahold of someone I knew that would know -- it was just to late everyone's sleeping. I decided why not. It would have been a quick and easy job if I just did it. O-Well while I had it on the lift I greased the drive shaft and lubed all the suspension. I took it out for a quick ride and it seems fine. I have them set to 9. It was just weird I know steering dampners operate like that but I though all shocks were pressurized out. I guess you learn something new everyday

Well it's sleep time
Thanks Guys.

Andy

PS 3 of the originals were bad only one rear was good. I'm going to hold on to them and maybe get them rebuilt someday

[VehiGAZ]

You're fine, Andy. Gas-pressurized shocks will expand when they are unladen, but not all shocks are gas-pressurized.

The dampening of any shock is provided by the resistance of the oil to flowing through a narrow-diameter hole, and that hole size is adjustable on an adjustable shock like the Rancho 9000. But the gas pressurization does not really provide the dampening in the shock (although it does provide a little, I guess), nor does it provide any positioning of the car on its suspension - the spring does that, and the shock only dampens the motion of the spring.

[AndyC]

I also got a email back from Sams Offroad Equipment www.samsoffroad.com stating that these are hydraulic, not gas pressurized shocks and that they are fine Just to pass the info on they have a deal going for a set shipped for $275.
I just got back in from taking my Mom to a Dr appointment and I'm happy with the ride again.

[VehiGAZ]

Speaking of being happy with the ride again, I tightened up my steering this weekend per the procedure posted here and on the sister Isuzu board, and it worked great. I tightened the screw as much as it would go without sweating (about 3/4 of a turn), and it took all the slop out of the steering wheel. The ratio is still a little slow off center, but the 1.5" of slack is gone.

[transio]

Gaz,

Do you have a link to that? My steering is getting a little loose.

[VehiGAZ]

But of course...

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.htm/88

This procedure basically just takes up the slack in the string of ball bearings in the recirculating-ball steering system.

I want to add a correction of sorts, though. In this article (with pictures!), it says:

"Making the adjustment needs to be done in very small increments. Tightening the adjustor too much will make driving the truck VERY difficult. It won't return to center, and it will behave like the camber is out. By small, I mean like the distance from the 5 to the 10 on your watch."

That was not the case on mine. I loosened the lock nut, and while holding it in place with a box wrench, I tightened the adjusting screw probably about 3/4 of a turn until it didn't want to turn easily anymore. Another poster somewhere said they tightened theirs 3 or 4 full turns. I think it's a case of the looser your steering is, the more slack there will be in the adjusting screw. My advice is to tighten the screw until you feel the resistance, tighten the lock nut, then give it a test drive.

A couple of tips:

- Take a quick drive before you do this to fell out the slop in the steering wheel as a point of reference (I hadn't driven my VX in two days when I did this, and it was hard to figure out how much it helped until I drove to work on Monday.

- Definitely remove the top of the fan shroud. If you can figure out how to get the bottom half off, do that too. It gives you a the room you need to work.

- My steering box is mounted at an angle that did not allow the use of a 2-foot rachet driver extension and a deep-well socket, because the extension was blocked by the radiator itself. I ended up putting the deep-well socket on a two-inch extension and used a breaker bar as a crow-bar to break the lock nut free. Whatever works, right?

Good luck!

[VCAMILO]

Thank you VehiGAZ; I have been having a slopy stearing for the last 6 to 12 months. I will give this a crack this weekend.

[transio]

Looks a little complicated. Where is the gearbox located?

[VehiGAZ]

Not at all complicated! It'll take you less than 30 minutes, and that includes orientation and prying-loose time.

The adjustment box is pretty easy to find. Pop your hood, locate the right edge of the radiator and fan shroud (that's YOUR right as you look into the engine bay), follow it straight down, and look for the top of the cylindrical thingy with the bolts at the corners and the slotted adjustment thingamabob in the middle that looks like picture #2 in the article (sorry to burden everyone with all this technical jargon).

Itsticks out from the engine side, not on the radiator side, at approximately the same height as the bottom edge of the radiator. There are a couple of radiator hoses in your line of sight, but you'll see it.

The directions are easily condensed:
1) remove top half of fan shroud by removing the 2 screws on top and prying off the 2 clips on each side that hold the two halves together
2) loosen the lock nut around the slotted adjustment screw
3) tighten the slotted adjustment screw until it takes up the slack
4) retighten the lock nut
5) test drive
6) repeat as necessary

Good luck! It won't take any time at all!