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Z71 Rancho shock replacement options?

VictorLin0725

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VictorLin0725 Enthusiast

VictorLin0725

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Thanks for all the replys guys. Since my vehicle was bought used its probably time to change them out Ranchos or not. Going with popular opinion goingn to get myself a set of Bilstein 5100s. Dont need anything fancy, as long as they work well. Never knew to "lift" a truck all you need are shocks...I'd think you'd need new springs/struts/etc if you're changing the length of the shock, no? As you can tell I'm no car guy by any means haha I don't get how shocks determine your height when so much more is attached to the wheel. (Please excuse this dumb comment :D)

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TXGREEK Senior Enthusiast

TXGREEK

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Funny, my stock rancho's ride pretty well, even better in some instances than the few people I know with the bilstein's that are leveled. Granted that they pre-load the spring when lifting with bilstein's so it rides rougher in some instances; it does better in others though as well. Either way they are a very long way from riding like "cinder blocks"...
 
Sounds like your best bet OP is the bilstein's, just be known when lifting with the bilstein's it will increase the spring rate and be rougher in some ways while better in others. Still a great choice and when my stock rancho's are shot (they aren't at 58k) I will probably go this route as well.
 
Tyler


I’d look at Coil Overs, being better ride quality. Check out Fox 2.0 Coil Overs, better than Bilstein in ride quality which IMHO have somewhat of a rougher jarring feel to them. Only negative will be Fox 2.0’s $800 a pair versus Bilsteins $130 each up front and with Bilsteins you’ll have to use you factory stock coils.


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ForestryGuy Enthusiast

ForestryGuy

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1 hour ago, VictorLin0725 said:

Thanks for all the replys guys. Since my vehicle was bought used its probably time to change them out Ranchos or not. Going with popular opinion goingn to get myself a set of Bilstein 5100s. Dont need anything fancy, as long as they work well. Never knew to "lift" a truck all you need are shocks...I'd think you'd need new springs/struts/etc if you're changing the length of the shock, no? As you can tell I'm no car guy by any means haha I don't get how shocks determine your height when so much more is attached to the wheel. (Please excuse this dumb comment :D)

Shocks alone do not lift a vehicle, they just dampen the suspension travel. You need to put in a taller/stiffer spring, coilover,  or a puck over the strut to lift it. That said, if you are looking to level,  I would get whichever set of pucks fit in your budget (except urethane or plastic) , they all do the same thing so no need to get too fancy.

 

I've used ready lift pucks on my father's '16 sierra and they worked just fine. Also used pucks from a company called Supreme Suspension on my Frontier a while back, cnc'd aluminum pucks, made in USA, they are out of NC I think, you can get them on ebay. Depending on the lift you may or may not have to change out shocks. I'm partial to Bilstein, used them on my lifted wrangler and they were great and will put them on my Sierra when the Ranchos die. 

 

Good luck!

VictorLin0725 Enthusiast

VictorLin0725

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7 hours ago, TXGREEK said:

 


I’d look at Coil Overs, being better ride quality. Check out Fox 2.0 Coil Overs, better than Bilstein in ride quality which IMHO have somewhat of a rougher jarring feel to them. Only negative will be Fox 2.0’s $800 a pair versus Bilsteins $130 each up front and with Bilsteins you’ll have to use you factory stock coils.


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Will the Fox 2.0s feel too soft and floaty on the road?

HeySkippyDog Senior Enthusiast

HeySkippyDog

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Shocks alone do not lift a vehicle, they just dampen the suspension travel. You need to put in a taller/stiffer spring, coilover,  or a puck over the strut to lift it. That said, if you are looking to level,  I would get whichever set of pucks fit in your budget (except urethane or plastic) , they all do the same thing so no need to get too fancy.
 
I've used ready lift pucks on my father's '16 sierra and they worked just fine. Also used pucks from a company called Supreme Suspension on my Frontier a while back, cnc'd aluminum pucks, made in USA, they are out of NC I think, you can get them on ebay. Depending on the lift you may or may not have to change out shocks. I'm partial to Bilstein, used them on my lifted wrangler and they were great and will put them on my Sierra when the Ranchos die. 
 
Good luck!
Nope. The Bilstein 5100 will raise the front end, I believe they advertise it as a 2" raise if you move the snap ring to the top position. This snap ring holds the lower spring seat up. They wanted the shock to be able to be used to level the truck or lessen the rake on the intermediate levels, if that's your goal. Lowest snap ring placement is stock height.

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ForestryGuy Enthusiast

ForestryGuy

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34 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

Nope. The Bilstein 5100 will raise the front end, I believe they advertise it as a 2" raise if you move the snap ring to the top position. This snap ring holds the lower spring seat up. They wanted the shock to be able to be used to level the truck or lessen the rake on the intermediate levels, if that's your goal. Lowest snap ring placement is stock height.

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No, a 5100 shock absorber, or any shock absorber for that matter, will not raise vehicle height. The standard 5100 is just a longer shock or use with a lifted vehicle. You are looking at an adjustable coilover. Based on the Bilstein site the B8 5100 don't even fit these trucks. Is there a version that does?

 

Although I'm not a huge Rancho fan, these seem like a decent deal for the OP. Not sure on ride quality though. 

 

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/rancho-2-inch-level-it-lift-kit-rs66304r7/_/R-BCKM-RS66304R7

HeySkippyDog Senior Enthusiast

HeySkippyDog

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No, a 5100 shock absorber, or any shock absorber for that matter, will not raise vehicle height. The standard 5100 is just a longer shock or use with a lifted vehicle. You are looking at an adjustable coilover. Based on the Bilstein site these don't even fit these trucks. Is there a version that does?
 
 
I think you need to look up what a 5100 is. It is not a "longer" shock.

These trucks use strut assemblies up front. When changing shocks, you have to remove the strut as a unit and compress springs and remove the retaining nut at the top. The spring is then removed, along with the spring seats.

The 5100 has a snap ring on the tube and several grooves cut to allow you to adjust ride height. That snap ring sets the level of the lower spring seat. In doing so, the truck is raised if you choose.

There are countless members on here who did exactly that with the 5100 including myself.

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ForestryGuy Enthusiast

ForestryGuy

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1 minute ago, HeySkippyDog said:

I think you need to look up what a 5100 is. It is not a "longer" shock.

These trucks use strut assemblies up front. When changing shocks, you have to remove the strut as a unit and compress springs and remove the retaining nut at the top. The spring is then removed, along with the spring seats.

The 5100 has a snap ring on the tube and several grooves cut to allow you to adjust ride height. That snap ring sets the level of the lower spring seat. In doing so, the truck is raised if you choose.

There are countless members on here who did exactly that with the 5100 including myself.

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We are essentially saying the same thing. The strut/coilover is adjustable. Bilstein makes more than one type of 5100 series shock. I'm very familiar with the 5100, I had them on my Jeep, which was had coil springs which required a puck/longer springs to lift thus requiring a longer shock, which the 5100 is.

 

Not to argue with you or anything, I just have a problem with stating that shocks provide lift. Adjustable struts/coilovers provide lift. 

 

Can you find a link to the version you used? I cant seem to come up with anything that shows its compatible. This sounds like something I'll want to consider when I decide to level/lift. 

VictorLin0725 Enthusiast

VictorLin0725

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16 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

I think you need to look up what a 5100 is. It is not a "longer" shock.

These trucks use strut assemblies up front. When changing shocks, you have to remove the strut as a unit and compress springs and remove the retaining nut at the top. The spring is then removed, along with the spring seats.

The 5100 has a snap ring on the tube and several grooves cut to allow you to adjust ride height. That snap ring sets the level of the lower spring seat. In doing so, the truck is raised if you choose.

There are countless members on here who did exactly that with the 5100 including myself.

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Just to clarify. I can install the Bilstein 5100s on my truck, set the front shocks at a higher groove, and level out the rake of my truck without anything else- spacers/coils/struts/etc?

HeySkippyDog Senior Enthusiast

HeySkippyDog

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Just to clarify. I can install the Bilstein 5100s on my truck, set the front shocks at a higher groove, and level out the rake of my truck without anything else- spacers/coils/struts/etc?
Yes. If your rear end is stock, without blocks or anything, Bilstein 5100s up front WILL level your truck's suspension. It's a good system.

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wepiii Enthusiast

wepiii

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Just to clarify. I can install the Bilstein 5100s on my truck, set the front shocks at a higher groove, and level out the rake of my truck without anything else- spacers/coils/struts/etc?


Correct


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HeySkippyDog Senior Enthusiast

HeySkippyDog

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The assembled strut with the snap ring at the highest setting will be too long to reinstall. Leave one of the two compressors on your spring and compress it until the lower shock mount will go onto the lower control arm. Bolt it in, and then remove the compressor. Done. Easy peasy.

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