Review on 🔧 RS55265 Rancho Shock Absorber: Optimized for Enhanced Performance by Christian Byrd

These are the new RS5000 "X" shock absorbers. First, I sent them back to Rancho (Tenneco) as part of their safe-and-sound guarantee (I copied this at the bottom of the review). I haven't received a refund yet, but we'll see if they refund my work (I'm a professional auto technician). I mounted them on a 2005 long cab Silverado 1500 4x4 with a short deck and an all aluminum 5.3. I installed the previous dampers a few years earlier but the then owner didn't want to do the rear ones. I bought a truck from them and wanted shock absorbers all around. I used to have Rancho 5000s on a 2002 Superduty F250 Diesel and was very happy with them and the cushioning. This truck is different. The car has fairly light suspension, the chassis is a bit more responsive and the torsion bar setup doesn't put much stress on the front shock absorbers at the wishbone. The shocks I removed were Tenneco's Monroe Relfex shocks. It's a more expensive option, but I was hoping the off-road ranchos would be a little more muted. Not this case. When testing the car, the Ranchos had about 1/2 Relfex static damping. Since the 5000 "X" is supposed to have a better valve system than the previous generation, I thought maybe I feel the same way. In the city they were fine, but on the freeway they were almost gross. Particularly noticeable when driving through the overpass when the truck rolled up and down several times while exiting at highway speed. The processing of the shock absorbers is not that good either. The tubes have quite a bit of burr, some edges are already rusty, the paint seems thin and the labels are attached randomly. In some cases, the boots did not hold up well on top of the steps. The upper bushings in this application are smaller than the stock muffler and the reflex muffler. I replaced them with Bilstein 5100 Bilstein (24-186643) 5100 series shock absorbers which are much better and justify the price difference. However, I didn't buy from Revain because the installation guide didn't say they would work with the car, which is incorrect. That's the blow.<<<< PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE AND 90-DAY RISK-FREE TRAVEL OFFER If these products* don't meet the requirements, call us for a refund. Try eligible Rancho* products for 90 days. We guarantee you will feel the difference in Rancho performance! If Eligible Products* do not meet your expectations for any reason within the first 90 days, please return the products and we will refund your original product purchase price (which must not exceed MSRP) plus labor. (no more than $50 per pair). We are sure that you will be satisfied with a Rancho® RS9000™XL, RS7000®MT or Rancho® RS5000™X shock absorber! If you have any questions about this offer please contact our Customer Service Department at 734.384.7898. *Offer limited to purchase of four (4) Rancho® RS9000™XL, RS7000®MT or Rancho® RS5000™X shocks. This offer does not apply to incorrectly installed or replaced units. Applies only to vehicles used for private, non-commercial purposes and can be revoked at any time. >>>>>