Short-term Review: Rancho MyRide
I bought the adjustable Rancho 9000 shocks last year when they had the deal where I got the MyRide system for free.
:) Woo hoo! Look at all the money I saved!
:mad: Crap. I haven't had a day off since so I wound up spending even more to have everything installed for me.
After tripping over those boxes sitting on the garage floor FOR FIVE MONTHS, I finally turned it all over to an off-road shop around the corner from where I work. Sorry, I will have NO insight on what is involved in the installation - just my opinion of the end results 3 weeks later. Another positive for me - that shop installs this system every day and probably did a better job than I could have dreamed of doing myself.
I'll be honest; I really miss the stiffer cornering and sure-footedness that came from the original shocks. I also admit I definitely love the increased comfort. Of course, that has everything to do with the shocks, not MyRide.
So on to the results:
http://members.cox.net/radamsokc/MyRide.jpg
The compressor fit on the left inner wheel well between the air box and the fender and they put the receiver on the wheel well in front of the air box. I'm going to redo the power wiring the next time I take off a 3rd day of LAST YEAR'S vacation (grumble, grumble.) The guys at the shop did a nice job, but I know I can make it look neater and I want to wire it so it's powered off with the ignition switch. *More on that in a minute…
The wireless remote control is MUCH smaller than I assumed and that is a good thing. The total width & height are each about 1/4" larger than the dimensions of a credit card and it's about 1/2" thick. Operation is as easy as you would expect. There are 4 presets that cannot be changed and 1 custom:
Highway...............Front 6, Rear 3
Sport...................Front 8, Rear 6
Work/Tow/Haul......Front 6, Rear 8
Off Road...............Front 4, Rear 4
My Ride (custom)...............whatever you want, independently adjustable front / back, on the fly (watch out for that tree!)
When changing from one setting to another I briefly hear 0 to 4 second-long blasts from the compressor - or the sound of air being released from the system - or both. The compressor is exactly the same volume as one of those small portable tire inflating units that plug into the cigarette lighter.
* This all means the system stays pressurized, hence my desire to wire it to the ignition and the importance of it being leak-free. If you spring a leak, the compressor could run until you fix the leak, or until you disconnect the power or the battery dies. In the event of a major failure, the manual adjustment knobs can be reinstalled and you can abandon/bypass MyRide.
In the end, I think this could be desirable for anyone who already enjoys the improved comfort from the Rancho 9000s - and as long as it's leak-free.
But… this is a short term test, so watch for updates.
As for the shocks themselves - I think it's very important for you to weigh your preference between cornering/harshness and "floatiness"/comfort. .
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Update: Ever Since Day 1...
Periodically I hear the compressor run for a second (or less) "for no good reason." Usually it’s within a couple minutes of changing the settings; sometimes not. It's not a regular occurrence - more like once every few days. Is it a minor leak in the system? Is it due to the adjustment typically taking place on uneven pavement or on the fly? Could it have something to do with temperature change? These are the questions I hope to answer over time and the type of concerns that made me hesitate to add this "always pressurized" system in the first place. It could be normal - we'll see. I'm just hoping it never happens unexpectedly while I'm puttering around in the garage in the dead quiet at night! :freek: To my knowledge it's never happened with the vehicle just sitting while parked. I should have noticed by now since I can hear everything that goes on in my garage when I'm home working/relaxing.
Update 4/6: Unable to Adjust Settings.
Starting with the easiest possibilities, I checked the original "no-name" batteries in the remote (they were OK) and then checked the inline fuse coming off the positive battery terminal. The fuse looked good and as soon as I put it back in, everything started working again. It seems like I have another good reason to redo the wiring!
As I was carrying the remote over to the counter to check the batteries, I dropped the remote on the garage floor. I was afraid I had killed it because the LED display was still active but none of the buttons worked. One of the 3 AAA batteries had popped out of place but once it was back in place, it worked properly again. The impact also broke two of the little plastic studs which house the screws that keep the two halves of the remote's casing together in place. A little JB Weld fixed that. Everything is now back into A-1 shape and only a slight scuff in the plastic gives away the fact that I'm a total klutz.
:slap:
Update 4/15: My Favorite Settings.
I've decided my favorite custom setting is 9/9 most of the time. I feel like the back shocks need a strong setting or it gets way too springy/bouncy on many surfaces at 35 MPH or above. When the pavement gets really choppy and rough, I'll switch to the preset Off Road 4/4 which keeps the ride comfortable. The nice thing is - once you're used to the remote, it's easy to switch back & forth by touch without ever taking your eyes off the road. Oh yeah, one day I set it to 0/0 on my way back on a rough gravel road and that was pretty decent, too!
Update 7/25: Uh Oh... It's Getting a Little Leaky.
I still haven't gotten around to replacing the in-line fuse holder. It's weird, sometimes it will need to be "reset" multiple times per day, or it may be OK for a month or so.
I should have knocked on wood after my first update post. Now I AM hearing a short "Brrrrrp" from the compressor as it keeps the system pressurized, even when the vehicle is resting in the garage. It happens once every several hours even when the VX has not been driven all day. And did I ever nail it in the earlier post - one night as I was about to open the door to get something out of the VX - "Brrrrrp!" Absolutely scared the CRAP out of me! :freek: Right now the drain on the battery due to this issue is probably miniscule, but it's another good reason to have the system wired to the ignition.
So, re-wire & leak check are on my list of Things To Do as soon as the temperature in the garage drops below "inferno."
Update 11/26, 12/4 & 12/20: Fixed! Broke! Duh… fixed again!
OK, first of all I haven't had to play with the in-line fuse since I mentioned it the last time in July. Weird.
11/26: The frequency of the "Brrrrrrps" from the compressor kept increasing and lasting longer, so I finally had to get off my lazy TV-watching backside and track down the slow leak in the pneumatic tubing. Kinda felt like an idiot after I realized how easy that was - just takes an old Windex bottle filled with soapy water. There it was - bubbles blowing out near the connection at the right front shock - I cut off a small section of tubing, reconnected…. DONE! FIXED! NO MORE LEAKS! YAY! FINALLY!
12/4: Drove 100 miles to visit my sister and help her and my bro-in-law do some construction work at their house. I wasn't out of her neighborhood on my way home when I hit that little dip in the road just a tiny bit too fast. "Brrrrrrrrrrrp" - and it wouldn't stop! Well, it actually did while I was playing with the remote and wondering if I would have to pull over and remove the fuse. It seems the system has a built-in safeguard that shuts off the compressor if it runs for 30 seconds. I drove 100 miles home on a 0/0 setting. Imagine driving a 1972 Town Car with 900,000 miles on the clock and the original shocks. Oh, and you're driving on a road paved with fresh marshmallows. ;puke:
12/20: Now it's too darn cold to go outside, so I took it back to the shop that originally installed the system and they fixed it in about 30 minutes. Afterwards I had to stand there feeling like a complete idiot once again when I realized I had cut off just enough tubing to not allow for enough flex for the suspension to travel. Yep, it pulled the tube completely out of the connection so they added a little extra length. LOL, oh well… if I have a best skill, it's got to be screwing up! :slap: :laughing: :slap:
Funny part is… I still really like this system. :o
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