Shock & ride quality advice needed.

[j.whitbread]

I have the Rancho 9000XL which are adjustable. The adjustment works the way it's supposed to. You can set it to soft for highways. Or set it up hard, which does make a big difference.

I check the settings from time to time, and they do wander. I use the middle setting.

If I bought new shocks today, I'd buy the Bilstien's.

[UJOINT]

Originally Posted by avking

I see on this site the mention of the 5100, 5150 and 7100 shocks. How can I find out what 7100 or 5100 shocks fit on my Van?

There are "generic" off road sizes of each Bilstein series available from 6 to 14" of travel. A 7100 series is considered a race shock, even though they're commonly used on regular trucks. They're not really necessary on our vans, but can be a nice addition if valved properly. They're also 100% rebuildable, and a true reservoir shock. They use 1/2" bolts as mounts, so some custom mounts will be needed for a Quigley. You may also run into an issue finding a suitable home for the reservoir.

The 5150 series works great, and is available in 2 different valvings. A little cheaper too, and they have the piggyback res, which is a good size for our rigs.

[TwinStick]

avking- shocks will make a noticable difference, shocks & springs---you will wonder why you did'nt do it sooner. I don't have a SMB or Quigley's yet, but I went from a standard 3/4 ton 4x4 to a Power Wagon 4x4. Night & day difference. Both are 3/4 ton trucks, but with the Power Wagon pkg, we got Bilstein shocks & springs & leaf springs made by (some people say) Deaver. It has more but thinner leaves & rides 10X better then our reg 3/4 ton did, the front coil springs are softer but longer & progressive.