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.