Texan,

If you search the forums for "shocks" you will see what everyone has to say about the different models. If I'm not mistaken, I think Hotsauce is the only one who has tried both the Bilsteins and the Racnhos. Many people have posted rave reviews of the Rancho 9000s (the 5000s seem to be too soft), but a couple of posters have noted that they are not as stiff as the originals even at the highest setting, and that the adjustment is only for the bump stiffness, not the rebound, which is the real key to an "athletic" ride. The few who have tried the Bilsteins (B46-1738-H1 or -H2 front and B46-1739-H1 rear) all posted favorable reviews of them. Those are the ones I've decided to go with in my VX, which had KYB Gas-A-Just shocks on it when I bought it. While I've never experienced the stock ride, I know that the wild pitching and rebounding I experience sometimes ain't right at all.

Good luck!