Rancho Shock Selection Guide

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This data came from the Rancho Shock Selection guide on ORC. I found and corrected a few typos in that data, grouped it by similar mount styles and finally sorted that by travel. Within a given shock style, you can search for the desired amount of travel then cross reference that with the various model numbers. Alternately, use your browser's "Find in Page" feature to find the line for a given shock model. I have also embedded tags for each shock model number, so you can jump directly to a given model by just typing in the URL for each model, e.g.for RS9012 enter: #RS9012. This information was from around 2000, so you may find some older shock models NLA and some new ones not listed.

• There is also another Rancho shock page on old MotorCity page
• Rancho has a web site with some product information
  • Note: Rancho shocks are manufactured by Tenneco Automotive, same company that makes Monroe shocks, as well as Walker and Dynomax exhaust systems
• The Rancho/Australia site has additional technical information
• ORC has a good writeup on determining shock absorber lengths
• My Ramp Travel Index page has some tips for suspension measurements as well

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Shock Mount styles:

EB1 : Loop - 5/8" inside dia.

EB2 : Loop - 3/4" inside dia.

EB4 : Loop - 11/16" inside dia.

ES25 : Loop - Similar to EB1 but also has a removable metal bushing

ES113 : Loop - 16mm inside dia.

S1 : Pin type mount

Note: It is fairly easy to swap bushings in Rancho shocks. You can buy bushings separately and then press out the old bushing and replace it with a different size or composition bushing.

Also, I've modified bushings to suit my needs, opening up a 5/8" EB1 to a 3/4" hole with my die grinder

Hint: Drilling won't work, the polyurethane just stretches around the drill bit, unless you put the bushing in a deep freeze or dry ice for a few hours, then chuck the bushing up in a lathe, spin it up and run a drill bit through quickly before the poly warms up.

Here's some 3D printable Rancho shock bushing files I created. I made he EB1/L1 bushings in varying IDs from 1/2" un to 3/4", best printed in a flexible filament like TPU

• Shock Families:
  • RS50xx-series:
    • Non-adjustable
    • Black rubber bushings
  • RS9xxx-series:
    • 5-way adjustable, single-shock valving?
    • Red polyurethane bushings
  • RS9xxx-series:
    • 5-way adjustable, dual-shock (soft) valving?
    • Red polyurethane bushings
  • RS9000X series (p/n is indicated as RS99xxx)
    • 9-way adjustable
    • Red polyurethane bushings
    • See: //www.gorancho.com/documents/RS99000Interchange.PDF for interchange data
      • Indicated on the tables below with a red X

Color Coding:

Red - Stock Length for 1st generation 4Runner ('84-''85 front, '84-'89 rear)

Boots:

Rancho shocks come with red accordian-style boots to cover the extended rod. While many people install the boots because the look cool or perhaps because they think the boot will protect the polished and chrome plated rod from damage, in fact the reverse is often the case. The boot can trap moisture inside it which can lead to the rod rusting which in turn destroys the seals inside the shock body itself, leading to failure. I've never seen an exposed shock rod get pitted or scratched from gravel and mud, but every booted shock I've seen has heavy layers of rust on the normal unused part of the rod. However, hit that one big bump and jam the rusty rod into the shock can and that may be the end of the shock.

Mounting:

Can up or can down? The RS5xxx shocks are apparently supposed to be mounted can-down in order for internal valves to function properly. The RS9xxx shocks are recommended to be mounted can-down, but will work can-up, too. Can-up mounting has a number of advantages:

Less unsprung weight, as the can/valves/oil reservoir is attached to the frame and not the axle

Less chance of can damage, as it is up and away from trail hazards

Remote control air hose routing is easier as the attachment point does not need to move

When I ran RS5xxx, I ran the can-down and had no problems. With the RS9xxx, I had one shock fail after a few days of use in a can-up position. I think this was a mfg. defect as the other shock was fine. I've since been running my rear RS9xxx shocks can-up with the remote control setup and they work just fine. My fronts are mounted can-down because of design constraints of my long travel shock setup.

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Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS9120	14.38	9.70	EB1	EB1	4.68
RS5120	14.57	9.70	EB1	EB1	4.87
RS5171	14.57	9.70	EB1	EB1	4.87
RS5141	15.17	10.05	EB1	EB1	5.12
RS9006/X	18.31	11.66	EB1	EB1	6.65
RS9119	18.39	11.68	EB1	EB1	6.71
RS9123	18.39	11.68	EB1	EB1	6.71
RS9155	18.39	11.68	EB1	EB1	6.71
RS5119	18.57	11.70	EB1	EB1	6.87
RS5123	18.57	11.70	EB1	EB1	6.87
RS5155	18.57	11.70	EB1	EB1	6.87
RS5006	18.61	11.73	EB1	EB1	6.88
RS5148	18.67	11.73	EB1	EB1	6.94
RS9113	20.65	12.82	EB1	EB1	7.83
RS5601	20.22	12.38	EB1	EB1	7.84
RS5113	20.79	12.82	EB1	EB1	7.97
RS5140	20.79	12.82	EB1	EB1	7.97
RS5175	20.79	12.82	EB1	EB1	7.97
RS9205	22.75	14.18	EB1	EB1	8.57
RS5205	22.83	14.17	EB1	EB1	8.66
RS9008/X	22.36	13.68	EB1	EB1	8.68
RS9125	22.83	13.97	EB1	EB1	8.86
RS5118	22.82	13.96	EB1	EB1	8.86
RS5170	22.82	13.96	EB1	EB1	8.86
RS9118	22.80	13.94	EB1	EB1	8.86
RS5008	22.58	13.71	EB1	EB1	8.87
RS5125	22.82	13.95	EB1	EB1	8.87
RS5172	22.82	13.95	EB1	EB1	8.87
RS5165	22.87	13.85	EB1	EB1	9.02
RS9165	22.87	13.85	EB1	EB1	9.02
RS9246	23.38	14.25	EB1	EB1	9.13
RS9194	23.52	14.26	EB1	EB1	9.26
RS5194	23.74	14.27	EB1	EB1	9.47
RS9116	24.40	14.79	EB1	EB1	9.61
RS5116	24.57	14.79	EB1	EB1	9.78
RS5007	24.84	14.82	EB1	EB1	10.02
RS9112	26.65	15.94	EB1	EB1	10.71
RS5112	26.80	15.96	EB1	EB1	10.84
RS9126	26.82	15.97	EB1	EB1	10.85
RS9010/X	26.69	15.84	EB1	EB1	10.85
RS5126	26.82	15.95	EB1	EB1	10.87
RS5010	26.82	15.81	EB1	EB1	11.01
RS9012/X	32.91	18.94	EB1	EB1	13.97
RS5012	33.10	18.94	EB1	EB1	14.16

Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS5163	16.23	10.66	EB2	EB2	5.57
RS5164	18.73	11.91	EB2	EB2	6.82
RS5184	20.87	12.98	EB2	EB2	7.89
RS9180/X	21.76	13.53	EB2	EB2	8.23
RS5180	21.98	13.53	EB2	EB2	8.45
RS9144/X	22.55	14.00	EB2	EB2	8.55
RS5144	22.89	14.02	EB2	EB2	8.87
RS5202	24.21	15.16	EB2	EB2	9.05
RS5248	24.63	15.12	EB2	EB2	9.51
RS9248/X	24.63	15.12	EB2	EB2	9.51
RS5198	25.23	15.21	EB2	EB2	10.02
RS9143/X	25.67	15.47	EB2	EB2	10.20
RS9198/X	25.67	15.47	EB2	EB2	10.20
RS5143	25.79	15.47	EB2	EB2	10.32

Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS9152	17.75	13.38	EB4?	EB4?	4.38
RS9124/X	23.88	14.88	EB4?	EB4?	9.00
RS9114/X	24.92	15.10	EB4	EB4	9.82

Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS9188/X	12.24	8.40	S1	EB1	3.84
RS5188	12.49	8.40	S1	EB1	4.09
RS5019	14.79	9.67	S1	EB1	5.12
RS5153	14.79	9.67	S1	EB1	5.12
RS9019	14.80	9.67	S1	EB1	5.13
RS5167	15.79	10.16	S1	EB1	5.63
RS9136/X	17.65	11.10	S1	EB1	6.55
RS5136	17.90	11.10	S1	EB1	6.80
RS5176	17.90	11.10	S1	EB1	6.80
RS5117	19.29	11.92	S1	EB1	7.37
RS5139	19.29	11.92	S1	EB1	7.37
RS9117/X	19.30	11.92	S1	EB1	7.38
RS9115/X	21.24	12.92	S1	EB1	8.32
RS9138/X	21.20	12.88	S1	EB1	8.32
RS5115	21.29	12.92	S1	EB1	8.37
RS5138	21.29	12.92	S1	EB1	8.37
RS5179	22.82	13.94	S1	EB1	8.88
RS9179/X	22.95	13.95	S1	EB1	9.00
RS9017/X	25.25	15.15	S1	EB1	10.10
RS5137	25.79	15.17	S1	EB1	10.62

Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS5183	17.32	10.89	S1	EB2	6.43
RS9187/X	21.17	12.94	S1	EB2	8.23
RS9158/X	21.35	13.03	S1	EB2	8.32
RS5187	21.31	12.92	S1	EB2	8.39
RS5158	21.48	12.98	S1	EB2	8.50
RS5206	22.24	13.58	S1	EB2	8.66

Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS9145/X	13.99	9.31	S1	ES113	4.68
RS5145	13.97	9.26	S1	ES113	4.71

Model	Extended	Collapsed	UpperMount	LowerMount	Travel
RS9009/X	26.78	15.67	S1	ES25	11.11
RS5009	26.80	15.67	S1	ES25	11.13

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Visitor # 61425 since 10.MAY.2005

[Last updated: 08.July.2022 ]