Review on Rancho RS999187 RS9000XL Series Shock by Jamal Gignilliat

4WD. They were easy to install (usually truck shocks) and come with everything you need except instructions. Yeah right. No info from the manufacturer other than a tiny note saying you have to turn the shaft counter-clockwise to unlock the shock. The Rancho website has information on recommended bushing and shim order and valve adjustments, but they really should have printed a piece of paper with that information and included it. For reference, this is a nine-way fit, with 1 being the softest and 9 being the hardest. Internet research shows that 5-6 is about the same as the Bilstein 5100 you can buy. People use 9 in the rear for towing/hauling and 1 gives you great off-road articulation, although the company suggests a 4 setting for dirt. To start I set the front and rear settings to 6 and was very happy. tight but controlled road riding. The front of my truck tends to bounce over bumps (less so now but still noticeable), so I'll probably adjust the front a bit more. The adjustment knob itself is very cheap plastic and you have two choices (it will always be down on this model): 1. Place it away from the brakes, right in line with all the junk and evil in the world.2. Turn it over and put it towards the brakes to protect it, but you won't understand what it says. I went with the standard mount and hope the rocks don't knock it out. When that happens, research shows you're pretty much doomed if you don't install an electronic controller. To be honest this seems like a pretty flawed design. There is a slight tactile click when adjusting the damper, but only the numbers for 1/9 (right on the dial and therefore almost illegible when lying under the car) and 5. So the easiest way is to dial the punch to 5 and to make Go from there to hit softer or harder. I found a little resistance when moving the blocks to position 1 and will probably try to avoid it for fear of breaking the little grip. The bottom line is these shocks feel well built and come with quality parts (all polypropylene bushings). , nice rubber case, thick body with good coverage) and it's the only game in town if you need affordable customization. If you buy them during one of the many annual offers, you can get the equivalent of one rank (or more) for free. These sales usually take place once in the spring and again in October.