Factory "Rancho" Tenneco Shocks Love 'Em or Hate 'Em/Upgraded

[Sierra Dan]

This Brand new Off Road Sierra AT4 truck has seemingly the same Ranchos as our current K2's

Notice the Bounce and out of control body roll?  Look familiar ?

I want to see GM offer a better shock off the factory line for such a cool, smart targeted Package in the AT4 and Trail Boss

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=jgvVs3RZQuI

[AllterrainX440]

41 minutes ago, Sierra Dan said:

For Members with Factory Rancho shocks on your K2, Do you still have them and Like/Love them or Have you ditched and upgraded to New Shocks?

The ranchos are cheaply made. This can be seen in the overall appearance and how quickly they rust. I will be upgrading one day but trying to get a decent amount of mileage out of them before they rust through. 

[aseibel]

2 minutes ago, Sierra Dan said:

Notice the Bounce and out of control body roll?  Look familiar ?

Yes, that looks just like my truck would if I drove 40 mph off-road.

But since I drive my truck mostly on roads and driveways and occasional slow driving on farm lanes, I rarely experience that "bounce and out of control roll".

 

If you are expecting GM to give you factory suspension like a pre-runner or rock crawler, I think you're going to be disappointed.

[Sierra Dan]

Please do not forget to Vote guys, either way!  Thanks 

[Darmichar]

Just now, AllterrainX440 said:

The ranchos are cheaply made. This can be seen in the overall appearance and how quickly they rust. I will be upgrading one day but trying to get a decent amount of mileage out of them before they rust through. 

That's what I did on my 2014, and will do again on my 2018.  They'll make it 30K-50K miles then dump their guts on the highway.  Then I'll replace them with Bilstein's.

[truckguy82]

Yes I already knew they were on the ‘19’s.

 

I’m sure they are still junk.

 

The quality of consumable items like shocks, tires, brake pads, etc are not too important to the overall purchase. Inconvenient, but easy to fix.

 

I would not be focusing on the rancho’s for the ‘19. Apparently they redesigned the suspension. I’d be focusing on that.

 

 

[AllterrainX440]

1 minute ago, Darmichar said:

That's what I did on my 2014, and will do again on my 2018.  They'll make it 30K-50K miles then dump their guts on the highway.  Then I'll replace them with Bilstein's.

I'm hoping to get 40k but mine look like garbage right now with 15k

[Darmichar]

Just now, AllterrainX440 said:

I'm hoping to get 40k but mine look like garbage right now with 15k

I had a rear blow out at around 28K, rode it until a front went in the late 40's then swapped them out.

[aseibel]

1 minute ago, AllterrainX440 said:

I'm hoping to get 40k but mine look like garbage right now with 15k

I get why you are annoyed by the appearance of rust, but that doesn't affect performance. Mine is over 3 years old, 25k mi and there is only light rust on the bottom ends.

[Sierra Dan]

1 minute ago, aseibel said:

I get why you are annoyed by the appearance of rust, but that doesn't affect performance. Mine is over 3 years old, 25k mi and there is only light rust on the bottom ends.

Rust is not an indicator of failure, but you have not hit the failure mark yet with mileage. Give them a bit more time/mileage 

[AllterrainX440]

4 minutes ago, aseibel said:

I get why you are annoyed by the appearance of rust, but that doesn't affect performance. Mine is over 3 years old, 25k mi and there is only light rust on the bottom ends.

I'm not a scientist but I think that rust could in fact affect the integrity of the shock and therefore its performance. My truck sat on the lot for about 10 months, I rarely park it indoors now, and Cleveland winters are brutal. I would not use the word light when describing the rust on the bottom ends of mine. 

 

The rust on my shocks is almost as pathetic as the rust on my frame (which I get is purely cosmetic) but at least the shocks are a replaceable part. 

Edited August 28, 2018 by AllterrainX440
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[aseibel]

2 minutes ago, AllterrainX440 said:

I'm not a scientist but I think that rust could in fact affect the integrity of the shock and therefore its performance.

 

The rust on my shocks is almost as pathetic as the rust on my frame (which I get is purely cosmetic) but at least the shocks are a replaceable part. 

I'm glad you referenced the frame because I was going to. I'd rather have surface rust on the shocks (replaceable) than the frame. My frame was all rusty too, I got the dealer to clean it and reapply the wax coating before my warranty ran out.

 

But surface rust on the shocks has quite a way to go before it eats through the cylinder wall and leaks the fluid out. If these shocks only last 40k miles, then I think you'd make it to that mark anyway.

7 minutes ago, Sierra Dan said:

Rust is not an indicator of failure, but you have not hit the failure mark yet with mileage. Give them a bit more time/mileage 

So you are speaking about worn out shocks after some 40,000 miles of use. I thought this thread was about if the ranchos are so bad that they should be replaced when new. Obviously if a shock absorber no longer works, it needs to be replaced. Its life is probably reduced by certain driving and weather conditions. But I'm surprised if they only last 40k in ideal conditions.

[Sierra Dan]

1 minute ago, aseibel said:

I'm glad you referenced the frame because I was going to. I'd rather have surface rust on the shocks (replaceable) than the frame. My frame was all rusty too, I got the dealer to clean it and reapply the wax coating before my warranty ran out.

 

But surface rust on the shocks has quite a way to go before it eats through the cylinder wall and leaks the fluid out. If these shocks only last 40k miles, then I think you'd make it to that mark anyway.

So you are speaking about worn out shocks after some 40,000 miles of use. I thought this thread was about if the ranchos are so bad that they should be replaced when new. Obviously if a shock absorber no longer works, it needs to be replaced. Its life is probably reduced by certain driving and weather conditions. But I'm surprised if they only last 40k in ideal conditions.

They should be replaced when new because they do not Last 40k

Factory Bilsteins on every previous GM truck with a Z71 package I owned lasted well beyond 80k after I sold the trucks.

There was no need to replace them when new.

[kevinfranklin]

28 minutes ago, Sierra Dan said:

For Members with Factory Rancho shocks on your K2, Do you still have them and Like/Love them or Have you ditched and upgraded to New Shocks?

Rode with my factory Rancho's for 8,000 miles.  This is my first truck, and was rather surprised at 3 things:   how much I could feel on the road (small bumps, ridges, pennies, etc) , how hard they hit over speed bumps and the like, and also at the amount of "float" I'd feel at speed over bumps on the highway. 

 

So I upgraded to Bilstein 5100's for $320(left stock rake, though) , and am happy with the results.  I don't drive offroad much, but they handle all terrain that I encounter much better.  Bumps, holes, ridges, etc.  Smoother, more "grounded," and feels safer.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

[smit303]

I had the factory Bilsteins on a 90 stepside Z71. They felt great for the 70K miles I owned the vehicle. It came with LT tires and real metal skid plates too. A very solid truck.