|
I'm sure it has a lot to do with the shock's valving and particular design. At a cursory glance (and feel), it would seem that these Ranchos are stiffer than the Monroe shocks. When you lean on the back of the truck, it's pretty stiff. You can bounce it some, but not much. On the road, though, the rear suspension feels more plush than with the Monroes, but it's somehow also more controlled. I figured those would be mutually exclusive, but that's really not the case.
The state highway between my neighborhood and one of the major roads in town has a few large curves in it, and it's a fairly broken highway, with lots of perpendicular ruts and cuts, similar to a concrete freeway, but in asphalt. The truck used to feel almost uneasy while negotiating one of the turns at the speed limit (50 mph). The back end felt "trampsy", like it was just bouncing up and down and skipping across the road, and jumping sideways some. At the same time, the ride was harsh and I seemed to feel every bit of the axle's movement through the cab. It felt clumsy. With the Rancho shocks, the rear end feels much more planted, yet much more supple at the same time. The bed doesn't bounce around as much and the truck is more stable. It feels lighter on its feet -- like the suspension is taking a more active role in the truck's ride than a passive one. I felt the same sensation after swapping out the front Monroes for Ranchos. The front of the truck didn't seem to fall on itself after bumps anymore...it felt like it was "keeping its chin up" if that makes any sense. Same good results with the rear shocks.
In summary, I'd suggest that maybe the Monroes don't keep the truck as planted as you think, or as glued to the ground as the ride might suggest. Switching to the Ranchos, I got a smoother ride and more control.
|