The Rancho Lift

Hans3T · Sep 9, 2011

Can anyone who has/has had the kit share their thoughts and experiences with the Rancho lift? Positives/negatives?

JoshuaL · Sep 10, 2011

I have the rancho on my H3 and I have nothing negative to say about it. I have taken it off roading in some pretty rough places and it has performed great. On road it drives just like factory i can't tell a difference just taller. The place that installed it (4 wheel parts ) said it was a great kit. I asked them about the Tuff Country lift and they said thay had alot off problems with them. Not the installation but coming back with broken parts. I personally have no experience with Tough Country i'm just telling you what they told me.

JoshuaL

ahana · Sep 10, 2011

excellent kit, the only problem that i had witch was my mechanics fault not ranchos was that my leaf spring were not centered and the shackles were hitting on the body of the car. Just make sure for that.

skippy · Sep 10, 2011

:beaut:i have had it on two h3's and would do it again
i also had the shakle problem but only when i installed the arb rear bar
i have the whole arb catalog and that is the only beef

:au3::au:btw how good are the new smilies:thumbs:

06 H3 · Sep 10, 2011

I really wanna rancho mine, alot of people talk about how this lift made them more capable but I am being a bitch and cant bite the bullet just yet. I am a bit scared if I dont like it...lol

JoshuaL · Sep 10, 2011

06 h3 Man you shoud bite the bullet and quit being a bitch like you said. The rancho lift and your rig together would make one badass H3!

JoshuaL

06 H3 · Sep 10, 2011

JoshuaL said:
06 h3 Man you shoud bite the bullet and quit being a bitch like you said. The rancho lift and your rig together would make one badass H3!

JoshuaL

lol, thanks josh. I am a little on the cautious side before making a big mod. I have talked with every rancho owner I know extensively and most love it. I have also spent countless hours on the phone with timgco talking about this lift and it should benefit me with my type of wheeling. I believe it will, I do all types of terrain and the only area it may hurt is off camber. I also can build off that lift and add a spring over in the rear later on. I havent told anyone yet but I am starting to save my money and will hope to have it around christmas time.

kflips · Sep 10, 2011

gfbh3T has one and his T really looks great. It seemed to perform well at RC

gfbh3t · Sep 11, 2011

Rancho performs well, rear springs are weak far as weight is concerned so I added airbags.

08SolarFlareH3 · Sep 11, 2011

06 H3 said:
I really wanna rancho mine, alot of people talk about how this lift made them more capable but I am being a bitch and cant bite the bullet just yet. I am a bit scared if I dont like it...lol

Rancho had a really nice rebate but it ended a few days ago (end of August). You got $500 back on the purchase.

Portager · Sep 12, 2011

JoshuaL said:
06 h3 Man you shoud bite the bullet and quit being a bitch like you said. The rancho lift and your rig together would make one badass H3!

JoshuaL

06 H3 said:
lol, thanks josh. I am a little on the cautious side before making a big mod. I have talked with every rancho owner I know extensively and most love it. I have also spent countless hours on the phone with timgco talking about this lift and it should benefit me with my type of wheeling. I believe it will, I do all types of terrain and the only area it may hurt is off camber. I also can build off that lift and add a spring over in the rear later on. I haven’t told anyone yet but I am starting to save my money and will hope to have it around Christmas time.

Looking good is nice but off road capability, reliability and durability are far more important to me. I like the Rancho lift, but it doesn't improve your ground clearance unless you use the added wheel clearance to go to bigger wheels. Increasing the wheel diameter from the 33" that our rigs were designed for to 37" increases the wheel radius and therefore the torque in the half-shaft by an additional 12%. It will also reduce your acceleration by a comparable amount. If you go to a Rancho lift and 37" wheels I think you need drive extra careful to avoid snapping half shafts.

Hunner · Sep 12, 2011

When comparing please note there is a difference in the spelling of two of those other kits.
There is "Tough Country" and "Tuff Country" I don't think the Tough Country is available anymore. I have to check on those names but I think that is correct.
The Tough Country was out of Tennessee and showed an H3 with 37's on it running on a dealers test track. I think they ran into some sort of issue with those.
I'm sure others can help clear this up, meanwhile I will do some looking.

I know these don't show the components but for the sake of discussion and for those that have not seen these, at least on this forum and adds to the data we have.
Tuff Country on 37's. The angle of the photograph adds to a crazy distored larger look of the entire vehicle.

I had this saved that a guy was selling, I believe a Rancho but I do remember this was on 37's.

This is someone I wheeled with on a Tuff Country lift. Had some different size wheels and tires. I might can find out what.

I have posted this also but shows a Rancho on left me in the middle with torsions to 23 1/2 and Tuff Country on right.

Here is all three again where I pulled the foreground angle trick to look big but it shows examples of lift stance.

06 H3 · Sep 12, 2011

Hunner. You are right tough country had an awesome lift but they didn't come out with it.
Rancho lifts don't give axle clearance. Even solid axle lifts don't give axle clearance. A lift gives bumper clearance, rocker clearance, and clearance at the mid to rear end of the truck. That is why id do it. I don't have issues at the axles I have issues at the rockers and mid section of the h3

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

06 H3 · Sep 12, 2011

At the same time a lift can give u the space to run larger tires which will help axle clearance but then you run into strength and power issues. My brother can fit 37s right now on his jeep but he is running 35s for the same reason im not going to 37s. Power and strength, he would snap that dana 30 up front and he would have to regear to atleast 4.88s

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

skippy · Sep 12, 2011

You can fit 37" with but rancho but everyone runs 35" for the same reasons

06 H3 · Sep 12, 2011

I really should have put this all in one post not 3 :emb: I dont like to edit. Any rancho owner please feel free to measure your truck and we can compare #'s. I think axle clearance, rocker clearance bumper, crossmember, spring hangers are all good points to touch base on. We can then get a guesstimate for the differences between a TB H3 and a Rancho H3. They wont be exact but close enough. The things that can skew the height is added weight. Racks, skids, trunk usage and even fuel level but we can get a guesstimate.

Also Hunner I didnt see those pics on tapatalk. I have seen them before. The thing I am most interested in the the drop backet height. The T.C. lift needs an offset wheel like the rancho but it looks like the owner over offset them for personal liking. Is that true?

Hans3T · Sep 12, 2011

My goal in posting two separate threads asking about the Tuff Country in one and the Rancho in the other was so that we can make a comparison guide under one thread. There are tons of threads out there with tidbits regarding each, but nothing (as far as I have seen) comparing the X of the TC to the X of the Rancho, and the Y of the TC to the Y of the Rancho, and so on and so forth.

Hope that maybe spurs some more conversation... :blah:

M22KLARS · Sep 12, 2011

I know nothing about either. Is that good?

06 H3 · Sep 12, 2011

M22KLARS said:
I know nothing about either. Is that good?

That is not good, it is wonderful

Hans3T · Sep 12, 2011

M22KLARS said:
I know nothing about either. Is that good?

Yes. 'Tis probably better that way.

Hunner · Sep 12, 2011

Hans3T said:
My goal in posting two separate threads asking about the Tuff Country in one and the Rancho in the other was so that we can make a comparison guide under one thread. There are tons of threads out there with tidbits regarding each, but nothing (as far as I have seen) comparing the X of the TC to the X of the Rancho, and the Y of the TC to the Y of the Rancho, and so on and so forth.

Hope that maybe spurs some more conversation... :blah:

That would be comparing them under two separate threads. I know you only asked for replies from owners of the Rancho in this one but you can't drive cats any better than Hummer owners. So I threw my info in there while I was thinking about it even if it did have some about the others I could not separate.:roll:

While we are on this if you do a lift, lay out the steering knuckles beside the stock ones for a comparison and post up a picture. I have seen pictures of the kits but not that component beside a stock one. That would be interesting as if I understand it that is why the wheel spacing has to be changed to miss that knuckle. Being taller could or would hit the outside edge of the rim rather than being inside the rim more.
Is that the way it is? I also see most supplies saying it need 4.5 inch backspace but Teaka Toys recommends 5 inches.
Ranch lift kit with raised knuckles

One of my spare H3 steering knuckles.

Hans3T · Sep 12, 2011

Hunner said:
That would be comparing them under two separate threads. I know you only asked for replies from owners of the Rancho in this one but you can't drive cats any better than Hummer owners. So I threw my info in there while I was thinking about it even if it did have some about the others I could not separate.:roll:

No worries. I guess once this thread has run its course I can try to sift out the cream of the crop responses and post up an FAQ of sorts. That is my ultimate goal.

06 H3 · Sep 12, 2011

Ill post of up the link of the pic. The knuckle is way taller and that is the reason it wont clear on a stock rim without being spaced, or throw some 22's on it and you wont have issues with the knuckle :wink: That is why Mudbug and I always have talked about the tough country lift. It used the stock knuckles. That one never hit the market because the designer heard squeaking and he claims squeaking is the sound of quicker wear. Well hell! All the squeaking I have got in the past it makes it sound like my H3 would be dead already lol. That info was off of another forum when someone spoke to the designer personally that is why he never had it on the market.

HUMMER INVESTMENTS · Sep 12, 2011

Love my on the H3! I would add it to another H3 if i had the chance:cheers:

06 H3 · Sep 12, 2011

http://www.gorancho.com/assets/instruction_pdf/88558f.pdf

Go to page 7...on the bottom right hand side is the pic of the stock and rancho knuckle. Illustration 14. This is off of the installation guide.

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