AllAmericanInfidel
Caught the Bug
I would first like to thank Rancho and Wayalife for the opportunity to win these shocks. Yes, I won the shocks for free, but I will be giving an unbiased review based off what I have experienced with these shocks thus far. I am not the type to pull any punches, and this review will be no different.
The baseline:
The shocks were installed on my 2014 JKU ‘Crystal’ with a soft top and half doors. The Jeep is equipped with the max tow package. The shocks were run in conjunction with a JKS JSPEC 2.0 suspension lift, which is running at exactly 3” of actual lift. For the sake of an honest review, nothing but the shocks were changed in order to get an accurate comparison of the Rancho RS5000X shocks to the shocks they replaced, which were Fox Racing 2.0 Performance IPF shocks. Tires are BF Goodrich KM2s in 35x12.50R17. These are a load range D tire ran at 30PSI.
The Shock:
Rancho’s new RS5000X is equipped with Rancho’s new cross tuned technology. These have a unique and patented rebound valving system and advanced compression phase. These shocks were designed to improve the overall handling of your vehicle both on and off road. For more information on these shocks, go to:
http://www.gorancho.com/products/shock-absorbers/rs5000x-shock-absorber/
Initial Impressions:
When I first received these shocks, the first thing I noticed was how big they are. With a 2.25” shock body, these look absolutely massive. They dwarfed the Fox 2.0 shocks they replaced. Install was pretty standard, with the exception of 2 things I feel are worth noting. On this particular install, the shock loops and bushings on the bottom of the rear shocks were so massive that I actually had to pry the shock mounts apart to make the Rancho RS5000X shocks fit. Even with the shock mounts pried apart to a V shape, it was still a bit of a chore to get them to seat properly to get the bottom shock bolt through. Once seated, everything was torqued to spec and they were very secure. This is more than I can say for the Fox 2.0 shocks, which had the exact opposite issue. Once torqued to spec, the Fox shocks would intermittently make a knocking sound, similar to what it sounds like when you have a loose shock. I would re-torque the shocks periodically, but the sound would always come back within a week. It has been 3 weeks since I installed the Rancho RS5000X shocks, with no issues like this to speak of.
The second thing I feel is worth noting is that the bushing on the top of the front shocks are noticeably thicker than the bushings that came with the Fox shocks. While these thick rubber bushings help greatly with vibration and noise dampening, it was pretty difficult to get the passenger side upper nut on. As any of you who have installed shocks on a JK know, this is always a frustrating task. The thick bushing on the Rancho shocks definitely made the task a little more difficult. Once the nut was finally started, these were very easy to secure to the proper specs. In total, the shock install only took about 1.5 hours from start to finish with the Jeep sitting on the ground and my 4 year old crawling around underneath the Jeep with me asking what EVERYTHING does.
The Ride:
I have been running the Rancho RS5000X shocks and steering stabilizer on my 2014 JKU for around 3 weeks now. In those 3 weeks, I have driven around 600 miles, hitting up 2 local trails here around Fort Jackson, driving on rough city streets, and on the interstate. The first thing that both my wife and I noticed is how well these shocks do at slower speeds (25-45 MPH). They do a great job of dampening all of the smaller bumps and vibrations on the road, giving the bumps a very ‘muted’ feel. On Ft. Jackson, where we live, there are lots of rough roads with asphalt that has been cracked, raised and cracked speed bump sized sections from tree roots growing underneath the roads, and washed out sections from all of the rain we get. The RS5000X has done a great job in these conditions. In comparison to the Fox shocks, I would have to say that the Rancho RS5000X shocks do a better job of absorbing all of the slower speed bumps and vibrations from the road. By ‘better’, I mean they ride softer and absorb slower speed bumps and vibrations with less of a ‘jolt’. For daily driving conditions, I was very impressed with the softer ride these shocks offered.
On the same terrain at slightly higher speeds, these shocks also did an excellent job of absorbing hits and bumps. They seem to stiffen up a little when pushed hard, and inspire confidence when cornering. Most importantly to me, although you can still feel larger high speed hits, they took the hard edge, or ‘jolt’ off of the bumps. In this respect, I was hard pressed to find any difference in ride quality between the Rancho RS500X and the Fox 2.0 Performance series shocks. In my opinion, that says a lot, considering the Fox shocks sell for a considerable amount more than the RS5000X’s do.
Off road, I have equally impressed. High speed washboard sections were absorbed very well. The shocks stiffen up just enough to keep you in control, yet still give the same ‘muted’ feel I mentioned earlier when going over washboard roads. In comparison to the Fox shocks, I would say that the Ranchos again offer a slightly ‘softer’ feel when running faster washboard sections as described. The Fox shocks do feel slightly more planted in the faster stuff, but also offer a slightly harsher ride. While flexing the Jeep out a bit, the Rancho RS5000X shocks were sized appropriately and offered a good amount of flex. I experienced no binding, harshness, or rebound issues while off road. The Rancho RS5000X shocks remained quiet and compliant throughout the trails I drove.
Overall, I am very impressed by the Rancho RS5000X shocks. I am not going to blow smoke at anyone and say that these shocks will make you drive like Robby Gordon, but they are impressive. At this price point, they are very similar in comparison to my Fox 2.0 Performance series shocks, which cost a considerable amount more. That alone is impressive to me. They offer a softer, compliant ride off road, and are very impressive on the road where most of us spend a lot of time. They do a great job of absorbing small bumps while still being soft, at least equaling the ride of the Fox shocks at slower speeds. At faster speeds, they offer just enough stiffness to remain planted, while still doing a good job of absorbing bumps. They may not rebound as quickly as the Fox shocks, but in my opinion do offer a slightly softer ride. Overall, I would have to say Rancho did a great job in the development of this shock. They managed to create a twin tube shock that offers a ride very close to that of a more costly monotube like the Fox 2.0 shocks. Two thumbs up from this guy!
If you have any questions, please feel free to post them up and I will do my best to answer them based on my experiences with them thus far.
The baseline:
The shocks were installed on my 2014 JKU ‘Crystal’ with a soft top and half doors. The Jeep is equipped with the max tow package. The shocks were run in conjunction with a JKS JSPEC 2.0 suspension lift, which is running at exactly 3” of actual lift. For the sake of an honest review, nothing but the shocks were changed in order to get an accurate comparison of the Rancho RS5000X shocks to the shocks they replaced, which were Fox Racing 2.0 Performance IPF shocks. Tires are BF Goodrich KM2s in 35x12.50R17. These are a load range D tire ran at 30PSI.
The Shock:
Rancho’s new RS5000X is equipped with Rancho’s new cross tuned technology. These have a unique and patented rebound valving system and advanced compression phase. These shocks were designed to improve the overall handling of your vehicle both on and off road. For more information on these shocks, go to:
http://www.gorancho.com/products/shock-absorbers/rs5000x-shock-absorber/
Initial Impressions:
When I first received these shocks, the first thing I noticed was how big they are. With a 2.25” shock body, these look absolutely massive. They dwarfed the Fox 2.0 shocks they replaced. Install was pretty standard, with the exception of 2 things I feel are worth noting. On this particular install, the shock loops and bushings on the bottom of the rear shocks were so massive that I actually had to pry the shock mounts apart to make the Rancho RS5000X shocks fit. Even with the shock mounts pried apart to a V shape, it was still a bit of a chore to get them to seat properly to get the bottom shock bolt through. Once seated, everything was torqued to spec and they were very secure. This is more than I can say for the Fox 2.0 shocks, which had the exact opposite issue. Once torqued to spec, the Fox shocks would intermittently make a knocking sound, similar to what it sounds like when you have a loose shock. I would re-torque the shocks periodically, but the sound would always come back within a week. It has been 3 weeks since I installed the Rancho RS5000X shocks, with no issues like this to speak of.
The second thing I feel is worth noting is that the bushing on the top of the front shocks are noticeably thicker than the bushings that came with the Fox shocks. While these thick rubber bushings help greatly with vibration and noise dampening, it was pretty difficult to get the passenger side upper nut on. As any of you who have installed shocks on a JK know, this is always a frustrating task. The thick bushing on the Rancho shocks definitely made the task a little more difficult. Once the nut was finally started, these were very easy to secure to the proper specs. In total, the shock install only took about 1.5 hours from start to finish with the Jeep sitting on the ground and my 4 year old crawling around underneath the Jeep with me asking what EVERYTHING does.
The Ride:
I have been running the Rancho RS5000X shocks and steering stabilizer on my 2014 JKU for around 3 weeks now. In those 3 weeks, I have driven around 600 miles, hitting up 2 local trails here around Fort Jackson, driving on rough city streets, and on the interstate. The first thing that both my wife and I noticed is how well these shocks do at slower speeds (25-45 MPH). They do a great job of dampening all of the smaller bumps and vibrations on the road, giving the bumps a very ‘muted’ feel. On Ft. Jackson, where we live, there are lots of rough roads with asphalt that has been cracked, raised and cracked speed bump sized sections from tree roots growing underneath the roads, and washed out sections from all of the rain we get. The RS5000X has done a great job in these conditions. In comparison to the Fox shocks, I would have to say that the Rancho RS5000X shocks do a better job of absorbing all of the slower speed bumps and vibrations from the road. By ‘better’, I mean they ride softer and absorb slower speed bumps and vibrations with less of a ‘jolt’. For daily driving conditions, I was very impressed with the softer ride these shocks offered.
On the same terrain at slightly higher speeds, these shocks also did an excellent job of absorbing hits and bumps. They seem to stiffen up a little when pushed hard, and inspire confidence when cornering. Most importantly to me, although you can still feel larger high speed hits, they took the hard edge, or ‘jolt’ off of the bumps. In this respect, I was hard pressed to find any difference in ride quality between the Rancho RS500X and the Fox 2.0 Performance series shocks. In my opinion, that says a lot, considering the Fox shocks sell for a considerable amount more than the RS5000X’s do.
Off road, I have equally impressed. High speed washboard sections were absorbed very well. The shocks stiffen up just enough to keep you in control, yet still give the same ‘muted’ feel I mentioned earlier when going over washboard roads. In comparison to the Fox shocks, I would say that the Ranchos again offer a slightly ‘softer’ feel when running faster washboard sections as described. The Fox shocks do feel slightly more planted in the faster stuff, but also offer a slightly harsher ride. While flexing the Jeep out a bit, the Rancho RS5000X shocks were sized appropriately and offered a good amount of flex. I experienced no binding, harshness, or rebound issues while off road. The Rancho RS5000X shocks remained quiet and compliant throughout the trails I drove.
Overall, I am very impressed by the Rancho RS5000X shocks. I am not going to blow smoke at anyone and say that these shocks will make you drive like Robby Gordon, but they are impressive. At this price point, they are very similar in comparison to my Fox 2.0 Performance series shocks, which cost a considerable amount more. That alone is impressive to me. They offer a softer, compliant ride off road, and are very impressive on the road where most of us spend a lot of time. They do a great job of absorbing small bumps while still being soft, at least equaling the ride of the Fox shocks at slower speeds. At faster speeds, they offer just enough stiffness to remain planted, while still doing a good job of absorbing bumps. They may not rebound as quickly as the Fox shocks, but in my opinion do offer a slightly softer ride. Overall, I would have to say Rancho did a great job in the development of this shock. They managed to create a twin tube shock that offers a ride very close to that of a more costly monotube like the Fox 2.0 shocks. Two thumbs up from this guy!
If you have any questions, please feel free to post them up and I will do my best to answer them based on my experiences with them thus far.
