I need some help choosing shocks for my explorer it has torsion bar crank n have warrior shackles sitting in the box waiting to be installed im the occasional off roader what does everyone reccomend i have been looking at the rancho rs5000 reviews look to be good just looking for some personal input and experience

 

From my research the Ranchos ride like crap but perform well. I have them on my Bronco, and they are ok. Alot of people run Bilstiens and love em. I am planning on investing in some Bilstiens in the spring.

 

pro comp es9000 for the cheaper route or bilsteins for the more expensive route. Next time can you put some punctuation in your threads? That was a pain to read.

 

i looked at bilsteins, what would people that have them reccomend?

 

i like my rancho's.... but everyones butt is different, then again, i like to have stiffer setup. if you upgrade to adjustable ones, you can set it stiffer for road and highway then softer when you go off-road.

 

I like Bilsteins. I really liked them on my ranger but I also didn't have my torsion bars cranked much.
I never got around to replacing the shocks on our 97 Explorer (my wife drove it) or my sport trac, but I would have gone with the bilsteins again for sure. About the time I started thinking about new shocks and tires for the sport trac, I bought the F150. Which, by the way, also got new Bilsteins.

 

what is the difference im looking for a good ride quality how do they handle highway n some off road?

 

The Bilsteins are more firm than stock. They will not bounce (you will only feel a bump one time) so the ride is much more controlled. There is a lot less body roll from abrupt steering input or heavy braking, etc. The chassis stays more settled going around corners while hitting expansions joints or potholes. The ride is not rough, just firm.
Basically it is the same thing off road, I'm not sure how to explain it other than saying that they are more firm and the ride is much more controlled. The suspension will not bottom as easily. If the torsion bars are cranked a lot, the front is still going to top out but that's the nature of cranking the torsion bars. If you are spending some time offroad for the weekend, the ride is awesome with the Bilsteins and the sway bars disconnected.