Rancho RS9000XL VS BILSTEIN 5100

I know it is probably a matter of opinion but I was wondering about which shocks and struts was the best choice. I was looking at the 4600 Bilstein's but the prices are almost the same as the others. I am kind of liking the idea of leveling the front but it's not absolutely necessary.

The specs on the Ranchos make them seem like they are a little heavier duty then the Bilstein.

Does anyone run either one and which seems worth the price. I don't do a lot of off-road but I do haul loads during the summer.

Thanks.

 

I ran ranchos back in the day on a jeep and a ram, they were pretty firm. They were the 5000s, maybe the 9000s are softer?

 

I converted to a set of 5100 on my 2000 Tundra last May for level and a firmer ride. I only drove it a month before it was hit and totaled. I loved the level, but the bilsteins were kinda ...meh. Firmer for sure and flatter around corners (Owned my truck since new and it had 95,000 miles on it w/original shocks/struts and I never really loved the original TRD Off Road setup) but I think I was expecting a bit smoother on bumps with the 5100. In their defense, they didn't get a chance to break in and they were fairly inexpensive. I would recommend spending as much as you can afford. All that work to install and saving a few bucks on parts doesn't seem worth it to me. I'm looking for a suspension upgrade to my new truck now, not sure which direction to go (TRD Pro setup/fox, Kings, Icons, Bilsteins) Good luck on your search!

 

I do not have experience on the Tundra but I have the 9000XLs on my Jeep Wrangler. I have used them for about 25,000 and they are still going strong. The adjustability is really awesome and I used it quite a bit for when the Jeep was off-road vs on road. My only gripe about them is the adjustment knobs get broken off, but that also might be because of wheeling.

 

What is this "T-town" you speak of in your avatar profile???

 

I was looking at the Rancho sand seen the adjustment knobs were a defect. Always breaking or seizing. Guys we’re having to coat the shocks to keep the corrosion from seizing the adjustment knob, and the knob is in a bad position for easy access. Otherwise I would have got them. 4600’s suck IMO.

 

It's a looong way from Babalama! T-town is just a bit south of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Seattle

 

Ahhhhh. Yes Sir. I lived there for 2 years (1988-1990) when I built a big hospital at the Madigan army base.

 

I've seen it --- it is magnificent! I was stationed at McChord for 16 years.

 

I have the Rancho 9000's on my truck and like them, the adjustment is nice but the knobs can be an issue from what I have heard. Haven't had any problem with them so far, they ride nice on the road and will adjust for firmer ride if needed.

 

I had Rancho RS9000X on my old Ram. Being able to adjust the firmness was great. I installed the remote air system in the cab to adjust them so I never had a problem with the knobs seizing up. Was great being able to make them firm for towing or offroading or soften them for a cushy highway ride. After about 50K miles (~7yrs old), I had one on the front start leaking. Rancho replaced BOTH fronts after I sent them a pic of only one of them leaking. I thought that was good service.

I haven't found anyone running the lift coilovers on a 2014+ to know how much lift they actually provide, just posts where some people tried them on a TRD or Rockwarrior and didn't get hardly any lift. If they provided 2.5-3" of lift, they'd be on my short list for upgrades.

I put Fox 2.0 on the rear of my Tundra to replace the blue/yellow Bilstein, pretty big difference. Back feels more controlled and damped without the jarring movement the original shocks had on small sharp bumps. Can't wait to get some Fox on the front.

 

Had the RS9000 on four corners of my 12 Tundra and the ride was a little better than the blue/yellow TRD Off-road. As far as lift it did level the truck out so I was happy. The one thing that really made a difference was the CB bushing that I replaced on the stock leafs. Those bushings allowed the bed to be more controlled and eliminated the bed bounce from stock. Might just be my imagination but the stock setup on the 3rd gen sport does feel a little like the RS9000.

 

I have another question. If I go for the 5100 Bilstein's should I get the entire strut and string assembly or just the strut?

 

Depends on if you have access to a spring compressor to remove your current factory spring. If you do you can reuse your factory spring and just reinstall it on the 5100. If you dont and just want a more simple swap, purchase your 5100's assembled set at your desired lift height.

 

can you expand a little more on the CB bushings you used to reduce bed bounce? What did you replace the stock with?

 

It’s the bushing that’s @Coachbuilder1 got made by Energy Suspension. You’ll basically press out the rubber bushing from the leafs and install these urethane ones.