RCD experience
#1
RCD experience
I just wanted to share my experience with RCD. I purchased the kit from a local shop reccomended by RCD. I installed it myself. The directions were not helpfull at all. The kit was missing alot of minor parts I had to get at hardware stores and such. When I finally got it installed I drove it to the shop to have it welded and aligned. Well The coilovers were so stiff that they acted like steel bars. The ride was terrible. It will not hold an alignment. The ball joints are wearing extremely fast. The axle shafts are wearing very fast. There is no articulation whatsoever in the front and I have to say it wheeled better stock. The rear lift is a joke. The shop looked everything over and spent several hours with it on the lift scrathcing their heads. It was installed correctly and they could find nothing wrong. They suggested I contact RCD. Then it got worse. The customer service is horrendous. I have been calling and emailing for over 4 months and get the run around every time. They have done nothing but empty promises. They keep saying " I will look in to it and call you back" Then I noticed that one of the parts was bent and tried to order a replacement. after a week I called to see what the status was and they are telling me that they cant even take an order. So basically I have to go to a shop and have a part fabricated. I love my truck and it has been really frustrating not being able to drive it for nearly 5 months. With no resolve in sight I think I just sunk almost 6 grand into suspension upgrades that need to be taken off and ebayed.
I would definately recomend against RCD. I have nothing positive to say about the kit whatsoever. I wish my truck was back to stock. Which it may well be if I ever get time to tear it all apart.
I would definately recomend against RCD. I have nothing positive to say about the kit whatsoever. I wish my truck was back to stock. Which it may well be if I ever get time to tear it all apart.
#3
yea ive had mine on for about a month..
RCD, body lift running 37s
im not using the rear lift..i got pro comp lift springs, beltech shackle..
i think mine rides better then what it was before i lifted which was body lift, cranked t-bars and add-a-leaf in the rear
its stiff but its going to its 37" tires and a 6" suspension lift..i havent flexed or had it offroad and i wont becuase i go for show..but i still have my old 33s so i might do it just to see how much flex i can get out of it
but i love the kit, install was a breeze, hardware was there everything bolted up welding was good..nothing gone wrong yet but your normal tighten everything after 500 miles or so..
RCD, body lift running 37s
im not using the rear lift..i got pro comp lift springs, beltech shackle..
i think mine rides better then what it was before i lifted which was body lift, cranked t-bars and add-a-leaf in the rear
its stiff but its going to its 37" tires and a 6" suspension lift..i havent flexed or had it offroad and i wont becuase i go for show..but i still have my old 33s so i might do it just to see how much flex i can get out of it
but i love the kit, install was a breeze, hardware was there everything bolted up welding was good..nothing gone wrong yet but your normal tighten everything after 500 miles or so..
#5
A friend of mine has the superlift kit and his rides fine. about what I would expect from a lifted ranger. mine rides like a beat up dump truck. If i lift one side up the other comes with it. removing the sway bar helps until I get up to speed and then it sways pretty bad. I think I could tinker with it and change out the coilovers and I would be happy but I dont think I should have to. Also if I cant get replacement parts for a trail rig I am not really sure I see the point. Do I have to buy a whole new kit every time something breaks?
Also In the rear I went with deaver springs and the RCD shackles. I had one break and one bend so I will probably go with somethiing else, belltech maybe.
The install wasnt too bad if all of the little pieces were there it would have been a breeze. but running to the hardware store 20 miles away everytime I noticed a part was wrong or missing got old. It was only fasteners and bushings and stuff that I could source locally but still not what I expect from a "kit"
Also In the rear I went with deaver springs and the RCD shackles. I had one break and one bend so I will probably go with somethiing else, belltech maybe.
The install wasnt too bad if all of the little pieces were there it would have been a breeze. but running to the hardware store 20 miles away everytime I noticed a part was wrong or missing got old. It was only fasteners and bushings and stuff that I could source locally but still not what I expect from a "kit"
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yea it really sounds like something wasn't installed correctly, I know the directions aren't the best but there are some writeups of other people who have installed the RCD kits which could help to figure out something that may be wrong. As far as a shop goes, unless it is specifically a custon truck shop that has dealt with custom ranger suspensions they won't know any more about the truck or the kit than you do.
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#18
Originally Posted by Urandaman
get the dixon bros long travel kit :) sure its a wider stance.. 3+ per side i think. and gets about 13-14" travel heh.... but then again i am against drop brackets...
but good luck with getting it all figured out. can you change the coil overs to a sway away or a king?
but good luck with getting it all figured out. can you change the coil overs to a sway away or a king?
i would say its decent for stock geometry and still ifs..
you didnt expect 24" of travel and the ride quality of a caddy for $2300 did you?
Last edited by 99ranger4x4; 10-30-2007 at 01:40 AM.
#19
I saw this post on ORR and laughed. I'll go with the general populace and say something isn't installed correctly. I'll definitely agree their directions suck at life though. My only other complaint about the kit is the coil sag, but t-bars sag too! For the price of a brand new kit they [RCD] could have used better coils.
99ranger4x4....what's crappy about the bilsteins? Being a level II I had the factory bilsteins and compared to the RCD shocks, I sure ride softer - though there are other suspension factors in play now, like coils up front and deaver leaf packs that deleted my need for OEM lift blocks in the rear.
99ranger4x4....what's crappy about the bilsteins? Being a level II I had the factory bilsteins and compared to the RCD shocks, I sure ride softer - though there are other suspension factors in play now, like coils up front and deaver leaf packs that deleted my need for OEM lift blocks in the rear.
#20
#21
yeah, I called and complained about the instructions while installing the kit. What I'm baffled on are some of the posts I see about poor customer service, etc. When I got the kit, used mind you, I had to order new shackles, driveshaft spacer, and a few other misc hardware kits from RCD. I ordered directly from them and the dealings couldn't have been smoother.
As it stands right now I'm waiting for my paycheck on Thursday so I can order new coils. Still undecided on 700 or 750 lbs coils. The RCD coils are only 600, so I'm worried 700+ lbs coils are going to ride stiff as hell.
As it stands right now I'm waiting for my paycheck on Thursday so I can order new coils. Still undecided on 700 or 750 lbs coils. The RCD coils are only 600, so I'm worried 700+ lbs coils are going to ride stiff as hell.
#22
I was just looking at jaysend5.0's profile and noticed he's got a 2000 ranger...
Wasn't 2000 the last year for PVH? Couldn't THIS be part of his problem, theoretically?
http://www.racecardynamics.com/produ...specsheets.htm
and I quote:
Wasn't 2000 the last year for PVH? Couldn't THIS be part of his problem, theoretically?
http://www.racecardynamics.com/produ...specsheets.htm
and I quote:
Originally Posted by RCD website
System Designed to work with manual or electronic front hubs. System will not work with pulse vacuum hub equipped vehicles.
#23
Originally Posted by Lefty04LevelII
99ranger4x4....what's crappy about the bilsteins? Being a level II I had the factory bilsteins and compared to the RCD shocks, I sure ride softer - though there are other suspension factors in play now, like coils up front and deaver leaf packs that deleted my need for OEM lift blocks in the rear.
and hell yea, for $2300 they could have thrown in some better coils, and maybe even better cv shafts
Originally Posted by Lefty04LevelII
yeah, I called and complained about the instructions while installing the kit. What I'm baffled on are some of the posts I see about poor customer service, etc. When I got the kit, used mind you, I had to order new shackles, driveshaft spacer, and a few other misc hardware kits from RCD. I ordered directly from them and the dealings couldn't have been smoother.
As it stands right now I'm waiting for my paycheck on Thursday so I can order new coils. Still undecided on 700 or 750 lbs coils. The RCD coils are only 600, so I'm worried 700+ lbs coils are going to ride stiff as hell.
As it stands right now I'm waiting for my paycheck on Thursday so I can order new coils. Still undecided on 700 or 750 lbs coils. The RCD coils are only 600, so I'm worried 700+ lbs coils are going to ride stiff as hell.
i thought the coils were 650, thats why i was looking at 750-800... if they were only 600 im only gonna go 700 to cope with all the extra metal on the front of my truck
#24
Originally Posted by Lefty04LevelII
I was just looking at jaysend5.0's profile and noticed he's got a 2000 ranger...
Wasn't 2000 the last year for PVH? Couldn't THIS be part of his problem, theoretically?
http://www.racecardynamics.com/produ...specsheets.htm
and I quote:
Wasn't 2000 the last year for PVH? Couldn't THIS be part of his problem, theoretically?
http://www.racecardynamics.com/produ...specsheets.htm
and I quote:
did anyone else's come with dustboots for the rear shocks?
#25
I could be wrong on the 600s, I'll have to check my subscribed threads, but I thought the coils were 600s. I know they are at least 600-something.
rear dust boots......yup mine came with.
from: https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...07&postcount=2
rear dust boots......yup mine came with.
Originally Posted by BIGDREAMER02
They are bilstein 5100's that are obviously a special coilover style:
Extd: 19.125"
Col: 14.625"
Dia: 2.0"
Spring Rate: 600 lbs
Inside Dia: 2.5"
Spring Length: 12"
Extd: 19.125"
Col: 14.625"
Dia: 2.0"
Spring Rate: 600 lbs
Inside Dia: 2.5"
Spring Length: 12"