Anyone here gotten "warranty replacements" on Rancho 9012s????

[Greg72]

I don't know if it's these NH winters or what....but my truck has been riding like crap for the last couple of weeks. Today I took a closer look at my shocks and there's fluid running down both pistons on the front shocks (I run my shocks inverted).

So obviously something's let go internally... I went to the Rancho site and was only able to find this warranty statement:

Limited Lifetime Warranty

Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc. (TA) warrants qualifying Rancho® products against defects and wear-out when used on private passenger cars and light trucks under normal operating conditions for as long as such purchaser owns the vehicle on which they were originally installed and TA continues to make the warranted product(s).

Qualifying Products

• Rancho® RS9000X™ Performance Shock Absorbers
• Rancho® RSX™ Performance Shock Absorbers
• Rancho® RS5000™ Performance Shock Absorbers
• Suspension Components

Doesn't mention anything about the 9012s (an admittedly older shock in their lineup) and I'm also concerned about the "when used on private passenger cars and light trucks under normal operating conditions " statement. Has anyone here taken a bad RS9000-series shock back to 4WPW or any other retailer and actually had success getting it replaced with a NEW one???


I have a set of Bilstein 7100s that I was planning to install in the spring, but I'm not sure if reservoir shocks can handle the cold weather any better than the Ranchos did???? I've held a rather low opinion of the Ranchos and consider them to be a "throw away"-type shock but I don't feel the same about those new Bilsteins I've got....and I don't want to find out the hard way that they are only designed for "fair weather" operating conditions. Any input??


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[HarryH3]

When I lived in Mass I had a couple of RS5000's traded out under warranty because the road salt had rusted the tops enough to start them leaking. The RS9012 is just one of many different RS9xxx part numbers, generically referred to as RS9000's. I'll bet that Rancho will warranty them out for ya.

 

[therobzilla]

Greg,


No problem, find a source that sell them, and bring them in. I have had no problems whatsoever with warranty with Rancho. I have busted two shocks and cut one and they have replaced all three of them.

I drag them down to Desert Rat here locally and they just swap them out. I had the 5 way adjustable and they swapped them for the 9 way.

The Rancho guy usually comes by most shops that stock there stuff at least once a month.

Don't let them give you any #hit about it.

Good luck
Rob

 

[hardcore71]

I know that as far as the Bilstein's go you can go to bilstein.com and they have a section on warranty replacement. It looks like it was written for retailers and has pictures/descriptions of what is acceptable for warranty replacement.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

Just so you know, Greg, twin tube shocks don't work upside down, so running them inverted probably wasn't a good idea.

I can't imagine the retailer you bought them from making an issue out of warrantying them though.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Tim, you better take a better look in Rancho's book, it says right in the book that the 9000 series shocks can be installed in either direction.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

Tim, you better take a better look in Rancho's book, it says right in the book that the 9000 series shocks can be installed in either direction.

No it does not, and you better look inside a twin tube shock sometime and tell me how the hell it can work with the oil on the wrong side of the piston.

 

[Greg72]

No it does not, and you better look inside a twin tube shock sometime and tell me how the hell it can work with the oil on the wrong side of the piston.

Maybe you should contact RANCHO directly.....

Here is an exerpt from their latest FAQ (The website has been reworked, but this same verbage was used in the 9000-series FAQ when I first bought my shocks)


FAQ: Rancho® RS5000™ High-Performance Shock

• Twin-tube cellular gas design and ten-stage valving deliver a comfortable highway ride and superb off-road performance.
• Provides exceptional performance on either stock or raised vehicles.
• Covered by Rancho's Limited Lifetime Warranty.

1. Can I mount the RS5000 upside down?

The RS5000 are designed to operate in either direction. In most applications the position of the shock is determined by the vehicles mounting configurations. Rancho does not recommend nor warrant the use of shocks that are not specifically listed for your vehicle in the Rancho catalog.




"You can't run Ranchos upside down"....is an Urban Legend. Just because a lot of people have said it, doesn't make it true.

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[SLOK5]

The REAL Answer

Heck lets revive this thread too with some proven results from 2 balzers :
I have been having crappy ride ever since I flipped my rs 9000 upside down to better mount the onboard air unit to adjust the shocks. Heck Rancho said it was OK on their on site right?????? After Tori89K5 Flipped his back around he said ride improved back to being adjustable. So heres my story:

Ok Folks, I finally found my manual adjust dials today so off came the air lines to flip them body down (right side up). Two things, first there is an arrow at the bottom of the shock pointed down.... second is with the shock inverted (as I had it mounted), I confirmed what Tori had told me, no resistance (minimal at best) when actuating shock upside down. Flip it over and you get the resistance back. I put all 4 back to body down and set the dials at 6 . I took it on the same overpass that use to buck like a freaking bucking horse, even with the air set at 9! I took it to that same over pass and was like having my old blazer back. No bouncing at all! So of those of you that say yours work fine I say nay..... Try it yourself...hell just flip the fronts around .... you wont have to change any bushings, and see for yourself. I recommend you take it on that nice bouncy part of the road you know before and after. Im calling Rancho next and demand they send us some new air line kits as ours are too short now. Since their website stated the could be ran this way I think they owe us. Ill let you know what they say.

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[BKinzey]

I've got some Old, OLD Rancho 9000s they are beat-up but other than oil leaks how can I tell if they are worn out?

Oh, I should mention they aren't on the vehicle. Neither are the axles for that matter

 

[SLOK5]

I've got some Old, OLD Rancho 9000s they are beat-up but other than oil leaks how can I tell if they are worn out?

Oh, I should mention they aren't on the vehicle. Neither are the axles for that matter

I put a bolt on mine thru the bottom eye to stand on and worked the shock up and down... I didnt try to turn the dials to see how stiff the got but you can start at 1 and then 9 and see if there is a change. If your geting some up and down resistance Id say they are still good.