quick Rancho Shock Questions

[69bronco69]

69 bronco that is stock with no lift running 235/75 r15's. I have access to some shocks. Will 5000 series Rancho shocks fit without modification? Two of them are rs5116's and two are rs5118's. Do they need to be the same or is there a pr better for the front. I do have a heavy bumper and winch on the front.

 

[SteveL]

Don't know about sizing but buy one of those mouth guards so your teeth don't slam together. Those suckers are stiff.

 

[Crush]

Fronts have shaft mount. Rears have eye mount. Those numbers appear to be correct numbers. Cant rmember exactly what mine were. The older shocks are numbered like yours, rs5116 etc. the new shocks are numbered rs55117 etc but the didnt use the same last 4 for a shock. In other words and okd rancho rs5117 is not the same fit as a new rs55117. Ill go check the numbers on mine later

 

[jmangi62]

Fronts have shaft mount. Rears have eye mount. Those numbers appear to be correct numbers. Cant rmember exactly what mine were. The older shocks are numbered like yours, rs5116 etc. the new shocks are numbered rs55117 etc but the didnt use the same last 4 for a shock. In other words and okd rancho rs5117 is not the same fit as a new rs55117. Ill go check the numbers on mine later

Exactly! Front shocks are studs, rears have eyes on both ends.

 

[DirtDonk]

I could be wrong, but I thought the x116's had eye mounts at both ends too?
The x118's are sized for a 2.5" lift approximately, so would fit the back of yours, but be a bit longer than optimum.
There is some precedent for doing that on a rig that's going to see off-roading action and you want to let the rear droop down more, but for a street rig I think they'd be longer than I would like to use myself.
I had 5118's on the back of mine at one point, but that was after the first lift kit.

The standard front I think is a 5117 for a stock height to 2" lift Bronco.
I don't have my book handy right now, but that's what I remember.

And what was already said about them riding stiff is definitely true. But as long as they have not changed the valving in the last 20 years or so, the ride is not going to be any worse than what we would have been putting up with all those years anyway. Lots of us ran around on Rancho shocks for a long time.
We knew it didn't ride well, but we put up with it for a time because there were not many options that were better. Most rode just as bad.
But that's why nowadays many of us (even those of us still on a tight budget) will spend the extra for Bilstein's or Duff's, or even the adjustable RS9000 series from Rancho.
For a budget shock that is soft, our Extreme series is actually pretty good. For many they're too soft for a heavier truck or one they want to do some bouncing around off-road. But for others that's not a bad thing.

The adjustable Ranchos are cool and all, and capable of being both the softest shock you'd never want, and the stiffest. Depends on where you turn the dial.
But nobody has ever done a full shoot-out that I'm aware of where they tried all the different Ranchos that would fit physically, to find out if one had better manners than the other. Too expensive to experiment!
And perhaps with limited results. The way they ride on the street is just "average" and not as well mannered as the Bilstein's are for most that have tried them.
There are some that find them too soft, but most find them just right.

Do you have access to the shocks? Can you verify the mounting type and dimensions?
Or at least that the part numbers on the shock body match what's on the box, and then compare them to what the Rancho application guide says.

Good luck.

Paul