Thread: Rancho shocks

Originally Posted by blackwilly

Anyone out there running a 2" lift with Rancho adjustable air shocks on their series 1 Disco?? I am just about to put the 9th shock in 3 years on mine. The rear has had 6, before the supplier finally realised that 'pin bottom, eye top' did not suit the geometry of the rear axle. Adapters, pin to eye, seem to have solved that problem. The first time the vehicle was asked to do some serious off-road work over the weekend, the front offside let go at the bottom mount after 60km. Ruined holiday, although it did drive ok, just knocked a lot. Would be interested to hear if others are having problems. The US site for Rancho does not list shocks for a Disco, just RRover. Can't fault 4WD1 for their service, keep replacing them immediately at no charge, but the product is lousy.

Try Dobinsons shocks. Bob

The US site for Rancho does not list shocks for a Disco, just RRover. Can't fault 4WD1 for their service, keep replacing them immediately at no charge, but the product is lousy.

D1 was never sold in USA and that is why Rancho only list for RRC.
D1 and RRC are identical.
This is a problem from TIME IMMEMORIAL, well ten years or so at least.

Ten years ago I saw Ranchos at Graeme Cooper from the back of RRCs with the eye peeled off. According to Graeme then, the eyes were not tube welded to the top but a bit of strip bent in a circle and welded.

I have broken the top off a british shock by accidentally leaving one too many washers on the shaft, so the ability to flex sideways is a key to long life for the rear shocks. If you want to persevere with the Ranchos , maybe have the weld reinforced, and also either loosen the nut holding the shock on
or get the tapered washers from a british shock, if you have changed them.
But I fear nothing is going to fix them.
Funny I have just had a Bilstein seal fail at about 30KK so none of them seem perfect. Your post is timely as it has remminded me that some things do not change and to avoid Ranchos.
Regards Philip A

The Ranchos aren't listed for RR etc because they aren't designed for them. DO NOT USE RANCHO SHOCKS ON A LR PRODUCT. I have lost count of how many I have tossed in the bin.

As far as the warranty is concerned, thats all well and good BUT having such a failure rate is at worst dangerous, these should NOT be sold in this country.

4WD1 should remove them from the catalogue IMO.

And you can send them this post if you like

JC

Originally Posted by PhilipA

D1 was never sold in USA and that is why Rancho only list for RRC.
Regards Philip A

D1 was very popular in the USA...

Check Discoweb! Many D1s there!!!!

Yeah you are correct . Maybe brain fade.
The only other thing I can think of is that the D1 had those stupid welded bottom cups which earlier RRC did not have.
BUT effectively they are identical.
Regards Philip A

They're still rubbish shocks for landies though

JC

From personal experience on my 98 model D1 I have to agree with JC, Rancho's are rubbish for Disco D1's. Now have Koni's, light years ahead, no comparison.

Cheers

Goldey

Originally Posted by blackwilly

Anyone out there running a 2" lift with Rancho adjustable air shocks on their series 1 Disco?? I am just about to put the 9th shock in 3 years on mine. The rear has had 6, before the supplier finally realised that 'pin bottom, eye top' did not suit the geometry of the rear axle. Adapters, pin to eye, seem to have solved that problem. The first time the vehicle was asked to do some serious off-road work over the weekend, the front offside let go at the bottom mount after 60km. Ruined holiday, although it did drive ok, just knocked a lot. Would be interested to hear if others are having problems. The US site for Rancho does not list shocks for a Disco, just RRover. Can't fault 4WD1 for their service, keep replacing them immediately at no charge, but the product is lousy.

I had them on my Deefer and the rears snapped off at the eyelets at the first hint of 4wd touring (cape York)

So, basically, I wouldn't touch them again with a bargepole..

EDIT: I was warned that they wouldn't survive the corrugations but thought I'd try them anyway... I should have listened to the warnings...