Review on Rancho RS999124 RS9000XL Series Shock by Matt Lewis

98 GMC Yukon, Standard Chassis, 124,000 miles. I bought four Rancho 9000XL's after reading other reviews and doing a lot of research. This is not a long term review but I may update it in the future. The biggest problem I've found so far has been that the passenger side shock didn't extend far enough during installation to accommodate the full travel of the shock. car suspension. To install it I had to lower that side of the car and slightly compress the suspension to allow the damper to line up with the mounting bracket. In comparison, the old Bilstien damper it replaced was simply unbolted and removed. The Bilstien's travel seemed to be a perfect fit, but the Rancho's didn't. It didn't make installation too difficult, but I do worry about what will happen if I hit a rut or pothole big enough to drop a wheel. Another problem is the adjustment knobs. They are made of fragile plastic that is completely unfit for use. One was broken when it arrived. All shipping materials were in good condition so it didn't appear like it had been mishandled. Another broke when I threw a shock absorber at the back of my Yukon, which was then carpeted and covered with a blanket. I now have two "adjustable" shocks with broken adjustment knobs. On both of these shocks, the lower adjustment surfaces (well-oiled brass) are exposed to the elements and can pick up dirt, dust, and grime until I can make a replacement. Shock boots are a joke. The ones I received will not match the shocks without cutting or other modifications (this applies to all four). If you manage to install yours, I commend your patience and ingenuity. Mine went to the landfill. The welds on the shock absorbers looked sloppy. They were serrated with visible spatter on all four dampers. The finish of the welds was so poor that there was light surface rust. To top it off, it didn't really improve the ride or handling of my car. In this respect they are basically identical and arguably inferior to the shock absorbers they replaced. I have swapped out shock absorbers on similar vehicles (e.g. 93 Suburban) and have been rewarded with a tremendous improvement in handling. I'd love to adjust these ranches and see if that helps, but I need to sort out those broken adjustment knobs. I drive a lot of cargo in my Yukon. When I first loaded a truck with inventory, these ranches sagged like breasts in a nursing home. I would choose the setting, but. Yes. The handles are broken (one in front, one in back). My geographic location (Alaska) makes it very inconvenient to return or exchange such a product, so it looks like I'll hold on to these shocks until they wear out or I sell the truck. Long story short, I paid a lot of money for these dampers and they just aren't worth it.