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Chevrolet Truck Suspension Competition - Chevy Runaround

First Annual 4x4 Truck Suspension Program

By Jerrod Jones, Photography by , John Lukar

Rancho might be the first off-road company name you ever learned. The company's products have been the very definition of what a well riding kit is supposed to be, seen as the benchmark for many new companies over the years. The Rancho kit was probably one of the softest-riding kits in the program, though you could change a bit of that very quickly with the help of an in-cab adjustable shock controller that let testers stiffen or soften the truck's suspension as they got into different terrains. It was the kind of Cadillac cruiser kit that we would want to put on our daily driver through the harsh freeways of Southern California, and go out and run a trail or two with on the weekend. The kit was clean-looking, nothing hung too low on the undercarriage, and we knew that we were getting Rancho's off-road heritage and experience with years of lifted truck suspensions.

New A-arms? No
New CV shafts? No
New knuckles? Yes
New tie rods? No
Rear suspension Add-a-leaf, and block combo
CV-shaft bind? No
Steering correction Knuckle
New front sway-bar links or brackets? Yes
Remote-reservoir or dual shocks? Yes
Type RSX9000 remote-reservoir shocks with in-cab adjustability
Shocks included in kit? Yes
Brake lines addressed? Yes, new lines
Front skidplate included? Optional
Emergency brake cable length addressed? Yes
Cut fenders to fit tires? No
Anything break this weekend? No
Base price $1,667
Price as tested $2,788
True additional height (measured from center of hub to top of fender in inches) 5 1/8
Claimed lift (in) 4
Ground to subframe (in) 13
Track width (in) 69 1/2

Praises
* Easy in-cab shock adjustability
* Steering stabilizer is a good addition
* Clean package with good welds, and nothing hanging too low

Complaints
* Twin-tube reservoir shocks? How does that work?
* Add-a-leaf didn't look right
* Drove like a stock truck

By Jerrod Jones
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