Rancho Suspension & Accessories

Rancho Suspension is the world's largest 4WD shock absorber and suspension specialist.

Rancho's beginnings go way back to 1955, when a group of 4WD enthusiasts started modifying vehicles for desert treks. The original workshop was next to the Rancho Los Amigos (House of Friends) Hospital in Southern California and, as customers tended to call it "the Rancho place", the name was adopted for the rapidly- growing business.

Rancho did not become the world's best- selling 4WD aftermarket shock absorber brand by accident. Apart from their superior design, engineering and quality, Rancho RS5000 and RS9000X shocks also provide the best on-road and off-road ride.

Many of our customers cannot believe how much more comfortable their 4WDs  ride in rough-road conditions. This is because the Rancho shocks are much softer on the compression than on rebound.

Most 4WDs are relatively stiffly sprung. If you fit a shock which is also stiff on compression, the ride you may experience on rough surfaces could have you believing that your head will come off your shoulders! This is because the stiff spring and the stiff shocks are both resisting compression. And, once they have compressed, the spring is able to fire back with very little resistance from the shock absorber.

The Rancho RS5000 and RS9000X shocks let the springs compress more easily, and really hang on to them as they rebound. This results in a much more comfortable, and safer, ride in terrain that is not highway-smooth.

After a weekend away in the country, our new customers often phone to say how much more they enjoyed their off-roading with Ranchos fitted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Another shock absorber store said that Ranchos were just ordinary shocks in flash packaging. Is this true?

A: 4WD shops and suspension shops selling other brands wish it was. Unfortunately, competitors will often knock a product they do not sell. This occurs from either ignorance, or deception intended to make you choose their product.

It is true that Rancho has some of the most presentable packaging in the industry. They are proud of their products and they want you to be equally proud of your purchase decision. How would you feel if you bought a top- quality watch from a store, and the sales assistant handed it to you in a brown paper bag?

Remember, a company that uses cheap packaging may also be using low-cost components!

Q: Isn't Rancho just a re-badged version of a Monroe shock absorber?

A: We often hear this question from customers who have been listening to suspension "experts".

The basis for this rumor is understandable. A few years ago Rancho Suspension was purchased by Tenneco Automotive, one of the world's largest automotive parts companies. Tenneco also owns Monroe and, as a matter of course, Rancho now uses part of the Monroe facilities in the USA to manufacture the RS5000 and ride-adjustable RS9000XL shock absorbers.

Unlike other shock absorbers produced in the Monroe plant, the Rancho RS5000 and RS9000XL shocks are assembled using components designed and specified by Rancho engineers.

At one time, Rancho offered an 'RS1000'. This was a Monroe clone and marketed as a budget-priced replacement shock absorber. We have never stocked the RS1000.

Q: Does Rancho sell its shocks to any other 4WD shock absorber marketers?

A: No. The Rancho RS5000 and Rancho RS9000XL shocks are not sold under any other name.

The design and engineering that has gone into making the RS5000 and RS9000XL the most highly-regarded specialist 4WD shock in the world is not available to any other company.

Q: What does "engineered to suit the application mean?"

A: Many shock absorber brands have similar valving across the range. This means that a shock that will fit on a 2-tonne truck may also be sold to a customer with a Suzuki; if the ends and dimensions are compatible.

Look at a Rancho specification sheet and you will find shocks that are similar in size and end fittings, yet have different part numbers. This is because Rancho RS5000 and RS9000XL shocks are specifically valved to suit various applications, and it means that the ride you will experience will be superior.

Q: Which is better; the Rancho RS5000 or the adjustable RS9000X?

A: The choice is really one for the consumer. The RS5000 is the world's best-selling 4WD aftermarket shock absorber. It got to that position by offering an unbeatable combination of quality, performance, value-for-money and long-term durability. The RS9000X has extra features which make it superior to the RS5000 and way ahead of any other brand available.

The 9-position external knob on the RS9000XL allows you to decide how the shock should ride. Position '1' provides a very soft "luxury car" ride. Position '9' is rock hard. Or you can select seven settings in between.

Position '9' is 800% firmer than position '1', so the choice is immense. In addition, the RS9000XL features 15-stage velocity-sensitive valving, an advanced tri-tube construction and piston head design that allows for an amazing 17 times the oil-flow of its RS9000 predecessor.

Q: Does the adjuster on the RS9000XL alter the compression or the rebound?

A: It alters both.

Q: Some shocks absorber companies say that mono-tube shocks are the best because they run cooler. Is Rancho a mono-tube?

A: No. And we would never encourage anyone to fit mono-tube shocks to a 4WD that was intended to be used off sealed roads.

Mono-tube designs, as used by Bilstein, De Carbon, some Pro-Comp shocks, and a few others, may be fine on passenger cars, but can be a worry on off-road vehicles.

The mono-tube design means that the tube you see on the outside is the same tube that the piston is running in. So, in the event of a rock or something denting the tube, the piston will jam and the shock will be useless.

Rancho's double-tube RS5000 and triple-tube RS9000XL will withstand the hazards of trail-driving much better than a mono-tube. We have seen heavily- dented Ranchos that were still functioning well.