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dtbushpilot
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New Shocks
I'm getting ready to put the camper on the truck for a Baja adventure and thought that it may be time for new shocks. Truck is an '06 Dodge 2500 quad
cab diesel. I have air bags that help the ride with the camper but I still get some "battle shipping". I don't want the ride to be too stiff when the
truck is empty.
Any recomendations?
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Sharksbaja
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Yeah it's a trade-off. While gas shocks and/or airbags certainly help. it's sometimes really hard to dial it all in for multiple uses.
Can you adjust the pressure on those thangs? Imo if the rear is too stiff then switch to a system you can fine tune. There are many options out
there.
My 2500 felt to "springy" with a fully loaded bed so I switched to adjustable gas shocks & a leveler leaf. But now I have changed my suspension
and lift in the front and have yet to see how she does fully loaded across different conditions. I'm sure I'll have to tweak something.
It's interesting how different our vehicles feel from one another. Simple adds or mods can greatly affect steering, handling and ride performance.
I like enough stiffness and dampening to keep from bottoming out on the toughest dip or bump but the jarring you get on stiff setups like my old
Powerwagon can wear you out. Plus you know that is hard on stuff.
So soon I'll report on my new setup. I doubt it will be as smooth as my former cheap lift. The trade-off there was serious wear & tear on all the moving frt components.
Methinks it's better to stiffen with a quality arrangement rather than to opt for a cheaper remedy. You might want to look at eliminating the bags
and adding a leaf or so and quality shocks. Maybe coil-overs would work well. That looks like a lot of load there Dt. What's it weigh?
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Hook
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I mistakenly replaced my Rancho 9000 shocks with Bilsteins.
Dont get me wrong; I much prefer the Bilstein ride with the camper off. But with it on, the rear is too mushy. Wish I had saved the adjustable 9000s
for the back.
You situation might be different with the air bags. But if you want adjustability, the newer versions of the 9000 give you 7 settings, I believe.
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dtbushpilot
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Sharks, the air bags go between the frame and leaf springs and you can put whatever air pressure is needed to level the load. They help to stiffen
things up too and you can let the air out for normal suspension.
The camper weighs 1800lbs empty but by the time it's loaded it's all the truck wants. I've been in lots of places with it that I shouldn't have been
and it's never complained.
Hook, how long did the Rancho's last?..
Thanks for the help guys.........dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Hook
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They lasted for a few years, cant remember exactly how many. Probably about 2-3. They never failed; I was just looking for a smoother ride. These were
purchased after the production run of bad Rancho shocks that everyone seemed to experience (premature failure in Baja conditions). Haven't heard many
bad things about them lately but I dont hang out on off road boards. That's where you might find that info.
MY campers maximum allowable weight is supposedly about 2300, wet and loaded. It's a 9-4 Lance Squire; a 1993 model.
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Taco de Baja
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Rancho 9000s are great shocks.
I really like the adjustability on my Tacoma. I can dial in the ride for a fully weighted down Baja adventure, or an empty commute to work. No
failures in the 9 years-or-so they have been on except I had to replace the rubber bushings with polyurethane 6 months ago at ~$5 a shock.
You can get them in manual or a switch on your dash. As I don't adjust them too often I went manual. With the switch version though you get a
compressor that you can use to fill tires or your air bags…..I do have a Firestone hard mount compressor, which is a godsend for quickly filling
tires, I just chose not to plumb it into the Ranchos.
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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desertcpl
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Message: Hi guys,
I've run a number of tires over the years in Baja and my favorites are as follows:
BFG M/T. This is a very agressive, beefy tire. I don't use it today because it is not E Rated. The E rating is critical on my truck because it is a
diesel and very heavy. On a tacoma, you don't need e ratings, so this would work well. I used these on my ford ranger and dodge ram (gas) truck for
years and never flatted them. You can get 40,000 plus out of these.
The tires we currently use are the Toyo Open Country M/T. In my opinion, this is the best agressive tire on the market. The rubber is so thick it is
unbelievable. It comes in a lot of different sizes and you should be able to find a size to fit your truck. I know a number of people who have raced
the Baja 500 and 1000 with these tires and did not flat them in multiple races!!!!! I can attest to their durability. I flatted once, only because I
drove a huge nail right through it. Not much you can do about that. They take an amazing amount of abuse and hold up very well. I suspect I'll get
close to 40,000 miles out of mine. Much of that mileage is in Baja.
Another great option is the Goodyear MT/R. I haven't run this, but know many who have. It is not quite as thick of rubber as the Toyo, but thicker
than the BFG.
None of the tires I recommend are economical. I will tell you that. They are, however, very good. It all depends on what you are looking for.
Personally, I prefer to spend a little more on tires/suspension to know that I won't have too many problems down the road.
As far as shocks go, I'm running the Fox 2.5 Pro racing series with remote reservoirs. I don't believe there is a good bolt on system for the Tacoma
with the Fox set up. I would recommend one of the three below.
ICON Vehicle Dynamics. These are the guys who used to be Donahoe Racing:
http://www.iconvehicledynamics.com/product_results.php?make=...
I used to sell suspension for a living and these guys make good, reasonable stuff for the Toyota. You will notice a huge difference in how your truck
handles the washboard.
The other products out there that I would recommend are:
http://www.kingshocks.com/perfkits_tundra.php
http://www.camburg.com/tacomaP05.html
I've run King shocks on my dodge and they are awesome. Camburg is very reputable as well.
Good luck
Marek
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Baja12valve
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I also have a heavy diesel. I put in Rancho 9000s in cab adjustable shocks, using their compressor and they have worked very well. A pain to install,
but once in there, I have liked them a lot.
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805gregg
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I run Rancho 9000 on my 03 Dodge 3500 srw long bed, with air bags. I have an 95 Lance that weighs about 2700 wet, no problems. I don't really need the
air bags as the camper just levels the truck off.
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BigWooo
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We've had Rancho's on three different trucks. Had failure at about 80,000 on one truck, and about 110,000 on the other. For the abuse they've
taken, hauling the load we have, I'm happy with how long they lasted.
Our new truck above has air bags and Rancho 9000's also. It handles well off road, on moderate straight washboard I can drive 30-35 mph comfortably.
I have a remote adjuster also, but haven't had the pleasure of installing it .
The ride with the truck empty is fine.
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dtbushpilot
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Thanks for all the great advise guys.
I found RS9000's at my local CarQuest for $23 less (each) than on line at Shockwarerhouse so I got them.
Now the question is: how about some settings guidelines?......dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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BigWooo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Now the question is: how about some settings guidelines?......dt |
I think that depends on your truck. My Fords had stiffer suspension so I had the shocks set at a lower #. My Chevy has a softer suspension so I ride
with the shocks a little stiffer.
Just play with them, but I usually have them soft on washboard and stiffer over rocks.
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cantinflas
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Are the Rancho 9000s you guys are talking about the 90$ mas o menos or the 190$? I'm looking for shocks for my old 4x4 diesel suburban. Thanks C
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elgatoloco
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re: battle shipping
Have you upgraded your anti-sway bars?
http://www.hellwigproducts.com/products/sway_control/sway_ba...
MAGA
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BigWooo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by cantinflas
Are the Rancho 9000s you guys are talking about the 90$ mas o menos or the 190$? I'm looking for shocks for my old 4x4 diesel suburban. Thanks C
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$90 each, although I've seen them for as low as $75 from time to time if you shop around.
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dtbushpilot
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Not yet, I'll look into it. Thanks for the link.....dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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elgatoloco
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The replacement sway bars for the front are 1 3/8" diameter and the rear 1 1/8". I know on my Ford F-250 1999 I did replace the stock unit as it was
not nearly as beefy. That and getting leafs reworked helps with camper as I use truck with and without.
MAGA
marooons Are Governing America
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Sharksbaja
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Maybe these would work
Does anyone use these wireless adj shocks? Looks like they will work with trucks lifted to 6" .
Rancho Shock Absorber - Polyurethane
2003-2005 Dodge Ram 2500"RANCHO RS9000XL SHOCK ABSORBER, REAR, DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE, LIQUID METALLIC, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY -- 32 in. Extended Length,
19.25 in. Collapsed Length, Bushing And Sleeve Upper Mount, Bushing And Sleeve Lower Mount, Twin-Tube Gas Shock Absorber, 9-Position Adjustability,
Allows Manual Adjustment And In-Cab Remote Adjustments Via MyRide Wireless Tuning Technology, This Premium Shock Boasts Compatibility With Rancho's
MyRide Wireless Controller Part Number RS999705, Includes Boot And Polyurethane Bushings, With Rancho's Limited Lifetime Warranty"
Fit Note: Crew Cab, Regular Cab, 4 Wheel Drive, Rear
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
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Russ
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I have, I think, the same dilema. Too hard riding empty and too soft with camper. I use the air bags to level the truck but as far as the "battle
shipping" the only thing that helped was to air up the tires to max rating. My original set of BFG's were only rate for 40psi. Now they're like 60psi
and it made a huge difference. And I got rid of the Rancho 9000s and now have KYB. That helped with the camper ride but the F250 ('96) is really
tough on rough roads. Even after airing down to 30psi. I don't know the best solution. Good luck
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Hook
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Russ, if your original set of BFGs were only rated at 40psi, I doubt they were rated to carry the load you were carrying. The 60psi tires may not be
either, especially if you are running a diesel.
You should determine your weight when loaded and wet and then check the sides of the tires and make sure you are within the limits. Dont forget to add
the weight of people and a full tank of all fuels and other liquid tanks. And if you tow, add the tongue weight of the trailer.
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