Like the car but harsh ride

[SGT.BATGUANO]

monomax on epay $185 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEBWA%3AIT

[SPAZZ]

I thought my VX had a harsh ride untill I changed out the rear shocks for some extra firms...solved problem

[doubleadesign]

what kind of "extra firms"?

[Robert]

Guys,

How can I tell that the shocks are shot . I am used to the harsh ride from the beginning but now I am curious whether my shocks are OK before my warranty expires.

Thanks for any instructions.

Robert

[Navigator]

Originally posted by Robert
Guys,

How can I tell that the shocks are shot . I am used to the harsh ride from the beginning but now I am curious whether my shocks are OK before my warranty expires.

Thanks for any instructions.

Robert

If the car stops and a corner dips and bounces... chances are that shock is bad.

If you hit a bump and the wheel bounces like a ball and the VX leans to the side of the bouncing wheel...chances are that shock is bad.

If all four wheels are glued to the ground regardless of what you run over...Your shocks are GOOD.

The stock ride is hard, but it keeps the wheels planted firm to the ground. It's a compromise going to a softer ride, but if you don't drive extreme you will benifit from changing your shocks to something softer.

Rancho 9000's are ajustable and have 9 settings, none are as firm as stock, all are comfortable. Ride control is near stock from setting 7 and above, but even at 9 the VX feels less agressive than stock. IMO you retain about 70% performance in high speed cornering with the Rancho 9000's on 9. Bear in mind, there is no real need to corner at high speed and the comfort factor you experience in day to day driving can far outweigh the ability to corner without braking (or minimal braking). Also you get a tad bit more body roll and crosswind effects with softer shocks. Rancho's have a lifetime warranty, so failure's should not effect your pocket again.

Haven't tried Rancho 5000's, they are not ajustable, but carry the same lifetime warranty as the 9000's. So you have nothing to loose.

I tried Gabriel Ultra Premium SUV shocks. They were luxurious, aka very soft. Bumps are a thing of the past and so is sporty handling. again, not a problem, If your driving style is not sporty.
BTW these shocks held up great on the same washboard roads that killed one of my OEM stocks. They also have a lifetime warranty, so you'll only buy new shocks again if you need to change your driving style.

There are others, I just haven't tried them, but to summarize make sure what ever you buy has a lifetime warranty so you won't need to digg deep in your pockets again. Shocks fail because of USE. The harder you use them the sooner they will fail, solve that problem with a warranty and smooth out your ride. Nothin beats stock IMO, but the warranty is limited on those, and like anything they will fail if you ride them too hard.

[Robert]

Thanks Nav,

I hope you can make it to Kahunaville this weekend.

Robert

[azskyrider]

Anybody try sending them out to overhaul them?

My race bike had shocks with remote resevoirs and there are shops that will revalve the shocks and change the internals,fluids, and recharge it to handle what ever dampning you want.
Lindleman Engineering in one company. They also will Nitrate it for less resistance on compression. On the Race track in made one hell of a difference.


Just a thought....

[t2p]

Robert:
.
The 'bounce test' may help ..........
.
there should be a spot somewhere around the front bumper cover that you can use to push down .....
.
and for the rear - open the rear door and then there is a good spot to push down on the rear of the VX .........
.
you can also perform a 'brake test' to determine the condition of the fronts: spike the brakes pedal while moving forward (slowly) .....
.
t2p

[WormGod]

I changed up from the stock to the Rancho RS9000 series shocks about a month ago. I like them a lot, as they offer a smoother, more lush ride, however.... I do miss that ultimate firmness. When the roads are in good shape, the stock shock is ideal, in my opinion. After this winter though, the road is ridden with potholes and the stock shocks made for a very hard, rough ride. The Ranchos offer a softer touch to those potholes.

In all, I am still a fan of the stock shocks. I guess you really need to use your best judgement when selecting a shock according to your ride enjoyment.

[Dallas4u]

I love the ride of the stock shocks (yup, mine are still working fine). I don't think I could make myself go with something else unless mine crapped on me... even then I would need something stiff.

If we can find something, preferably adjustable, that can produce something really close to stock siffness on the siffest setting... I would be all over that. Until then, I will wear these things out.

[visconte]

... the car has the stocker shocks and one of the front wheels is definitely bouncing when taking the bumps, so the fronts are bad. No issues with rears, and I was wondering about Monomax or Ranchos on the front and leaving the rears alone but that might make things worse. Best to replace all four. Vis

[VehiP&J]

I love the stiffness of the stock shocks. My vx is at 48,000 and the shocks are still holding strong. I am used to feeling ever bump being that all my cars have had suspension modification. Normally lowering my cars but, I just couldn't see going with something else. I love the feel of the VX. It feels like it can handle like a sports car. The tires are allways stuck on the road.

[SuperDave]

I like the tight, almost dune buggy ride that the original shocks provide at speed. Although Rust Belt streets can present off-road type challenges, I' ve really babied the '99 VX and still enjoy excellent handling even after 31k.

[visconte]

Just a shot in the dark but went with the KYB Monomax shocks in the end, these have been fitted and I am very pleased with the results! Pls bear in mind these are for the streets of LA [potholes] and so far all is well.

This leaves me with the four stockers, three of which are okay - one of the fronts is bad. If anyone is interested in these four stock shocks they have 47K miles on them but again three are okay. Asking $50 plus UPS shipping for all four stock shocks, I am in California and can accept Paypal if anyone is interested... thx, Vis