i have a 1st gen runner and im upgrading my suspension soon i was wondering wether to go with rancho 9000s or bilstien 5150s.

 

Bils are suppose to be an excellent shock but the only down fall is that they are priced high. Ranchos are also a nice shock and not as expensive as Bils.

 

You get what you pay for

Though Rancho's are a great value, I have RS5000's on all 4 corners of my truck... I should add that to my sig

 

I`d go Bilstiens, money well spent.

 

I have the rs5000's and hate them. They smooth out the ride when I have 200-300lbs in the back of the pickup, but otherwise very stiff.

I wanted the 9000's but they had just been released and were very pricey, I love the idea of adjusting the dampening.

 

I have the 9000s and like them. If you get what you pay for, the 9000s cost just as much as the bilseins (or pretty close).

 

Another one to look at is KYB. Mine have been great. I had rs5000 on my old pathfinder and was not too happy with them. Bils are expensive. I got my KYB's for about $45. each,

 

I got blisteins in all 4 corners and love them.

 

How do you like your KYB's? I need new shocks cause mine are shot, and I have to fix many things on my truck (fixit tickets suck), so the $45 is sounding really nice right now.

 

KYB's are very nice. I've run them 2yrs. in my 240z and they're still good. I bought them when I couldn't find bils.

 

For a first Gen I would put the Ran. 9000's. On a 3rd Gen. I would recomend the Bilstien's. I have found that the lower settings on the Rancho's work better on the 1st Gen., But the Bilstien's seem to have been ment for the 3rd. Gen.

 

So t34418l3one what did you get? Or does anyone know what he got? Im in the same situation, RS9000's or the Bilsteins.... The RS9000s actually cost a little more...

 

Another vote for the Rancho 9000's. The adjusments are amazing. Goes from a ride like a Caddy to off-road beast in under a minute!

 

Bunch of us just bought bils from a dealer in Cali, really good price...
http://www.cabeperformance.com/detai...mance%20shocks
I think they are now backed up with orders because the price is great, set of four was only $169 for my first gen. Put them in a little over a month ago and I love the ride now, but they are a bit too stiff for offroad.

 

Woah! Is the price so low because they are TRD Bilstein shocks? Thanks for the link! I remember reading some of the guys with the TRD Bilstein's switching to the aftermarket Bilsteins?

 

i went with bils. My friends rancho 9000's snapped on his first real wheeling trip and after reading billavistas writing on pirate i went with 5100's out back and 5150's up front

 

Yeah, my eyes popped out too... It turns out there are no TRD bils for the 1st gens, so they are regular bils. I spent a lot of time on the phone with roger at the parts center there and he answered all of my incredulous questions with a lot of patience. Here's the last thread on the topic...

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/trd-shocks-3rd-gen-4runner-36779/

 

I just got the Bilsteins on my 2nd Gen and I love em...I mean there not like riding in a Lexus but there are very nice shocks!

Fink

 

I agree 100%, I have had the 9000 series since they came out, I put 70,000 miles on the standard 9000 then I got them replaced on Rancho because the bushings were shot and they did not have replacements! They sent me 4 of the new 9000x 9 ways and they are good. I keep the rears on 2 unless Im hauling something heavy “I have a pickup” then I will turn them up and the fronts on 4 90% of the time. I have BJ spacers and my T bars turned down so my front end flexes better and I found that with the shocks turned up a little they are perfect. To compare #5 is the same valving as a Rancho 5000 series. My dad has the Bils on his 02 Taco and they are great for that application and ride quite well but I like being able to adjust mine myself. I also have a 5000 series stabilizer kit installed.

 

Thanks guys for so much info and experience! I just noticed that the shocks at cabe performance are oe replacements (called and left a message to confirm)?... I was looking for 5100's.. t34418l3one how do you like the Bilsteins and your setup?