Rancho Coil-Overs, Good or Bad?

mjp1080 · Oct 16, 2006

Wanted to know if any of you have an opinion on the Rancho RS9000x remote reservoir Coil-Overs. Good or bad, I just have not seen many guys running them and at their price it is very tempting to buy a set. :corn:

KarlVP · Oct 16, 2006

I know GaryTJ has them on his rig.

Passenger seat opinions? He needs to tune them some more to get a better ride. I have ridden in his rig before and after he had them. It's a bit rougher after, but that could be to tuning.

Bunk1 · Oct 16, 2006

Personally i would go with a more proven company like sway away or king..etc. Time will tell though.

Jaydog · Oct 16, 2006

I'm with Bunk on this one, there are too many coil-overs that have proven thier worth.

crash2 · Oct 16, 2006

I love my sway a ways and lots of use on them to date....:;

mjp1080 · Oct 16, 2006

I definately here what you guys are saying about the tried and proven brands. However I am still hesitent to run right out and spend way more money just for a brand name. I have seen it too many times, same damn product, same manufacturing plant same ownership, but one is 20 or 30% more just because it has the big name on it. Plus its not like Rancho is some no name off brand.

crash2 · Oct 16, 2006

mjp1080 said:
I definately here what you guys are saying about the tried and proven brands. However I am still hesitent to run right out and spend way more money just for a brand name. I have seen it too many times, same damn product, same manufacturing plant same ownership, but one is 20 or 30% more just because it has the big name on it. Plus its not like Rancho is some no name off brand.

Rancho's coilovers are definately on there own fench.. Like I say I know at least 20 other rigs that ran sway a ways with zero problems except trail damage/comp damage....

Erik D_lux · Oct 16, 2006

IMO the rancho coilovers are crap. Buy an adjustable/rebuildable shock. You will thank yourself down the road.

benw1 · Oct 16, 2006

mjp1080 said:
I have seen it too many times, same damn product, same manufacturing plant same ownership, but one is 20 or 30% more just because it has the big name on it.

That is definatly not the case when you are talking about a Rancho coilover vs. a Swayaway/Fox/Bilstein/King/etc. coilover. The rancho is a glorified RS9000 with coilover hardware. It is not a rebuildable/tuneable monotube shock like the rest.

pbmcauliffe · Oct 16, 2006

I have not used them, but have seen them and held them at a few shows and wasn't that impressed on the build quality. Mainly, the rod ends are small, very little weld area, and just under built to meet a price point, imo.

Not Jobless · Oct 16, 2006

From personal experience I know that Rancho shocks suck ass and I will never purchase anything from them again.

Jaydog · Oct 16, 2006

mjp1080 said:
I definately here what you guys are saying about the tried and proven brands. However I am still hesitent to run right out and spend way more money just for a brand name. I have seen it too many times, same damn product, same manufacturing plant same ownership, but one is 20 or 30% more just because it has the big name on it. Plus its not like Rancho is some no name off brand.

Here is my two cents on name brands, a couple of years ago I bought a new winch, I have owned warn winches previously and I had heard a few people rag about ramsey winches, but I found a good deal on a ramsey and bought it, I saved about two hundred bucks, now a year and a half later I am looking at buying a new warn, I didn't end up saving anything, I am just out the time and money that I spent on the Ramsey, and have ended up in a pickle a time or two because I chose to save money on a shotty winch instead of spending a little more for quality.

crash2 · Oct 16, 2006

My 7 year old ramsey is holding up fine :redneck:

BTW jason you need to PM me your infor for a sticker:;

Jaydog · Oct 16, 2006

Must be my luck, I have had nothing but problems with it.
I'll have Gibby pick the sticker up along with the flange adapter for the 8.8 when he comes up there.

GaryTJ · Oct 17, 2006

I got Rancho Coilovers because I got a deal I could not refuse for them to see how they worked.

I have them on the rear of my TJ and much prefer them over any of the spring/shock combo's I have had previously.

I have about 1500 miles total on them with no problems. Yes, I agree that cosmetically they are not up to the standards of the "Brand name" coilovers, and you will have to play with the spring rates a bit, but I have not had any problems with them and they have increased the stability of my Jeep to the point where it is a pleasure to drive again.

They have done most of the local trails, the Rubicon twice, Fordyce and Barrett Lake trail and are still working fine.

The reason that Karl thinks they need to be tweeked is because I have them set on Max valving for street driving and don't bother turning them down for the trail. I am sure if I turned them back to a lower setting it would smooth the ride considerable.

So far so good. We will see.

Freeride · Oct 17, 2006

Anyone see the DVD "Built to Grind"? There's a clip where one of the Rancho big wigs snapped a coilover on the first obstacle he tried in Moab. I laugh, still. :flipoff:

powdr7 · Oct 18, 2006

Freeride said:
Anyone see the DVD "Built to Grind"? There's a clip where one of the Rancho big wigs snapped a coilover on the first obstacle he tried in Moab. I laugh, still. :flipoff:

Was that the red 4 seater?? I think it was, that's Bob's rig and I have seen him jump that pig huge, come down just fine and keep on going...for what it's worth.

pbmcauliffe · Oct 18, 2006

The first time I saw that buggy (and the contrasting two seater) they had coilovers on them with Rancho stickers, but looked nothing like the current Rancho pieces.

mjp1080 · Oct 18, 2006

Thanks for the input. I've still got some research to do and a decision to make but we'll see. I've read a lot of "Rancho sucks" and so on, with only one person who actually runs them saying their "ok". I'll keep saving my pennies and decide, thanks.:;