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what rear shocks are you guys running?

Teahead

Well-Known Member
Messages
138
Location
Tacoma
PO put on Ranch RS5000 shocks on the rear and I think they suck.

Way too stiff; any bumps in the road, my rig wants to bounce around and go sideways seems like.

I put on OME on the front and they seem OK. Tried to order OMEs for the rear; all out of stock.
 

Jeepwalker

Well-Known Member
Messages
928
Location
WI
I'm running AC delco's ...the OEM replacements for the Adventure Pkg, which I bought a long time ago. They're monotube. Probably made by Bilstein (but I don't know that for sure).
 

Happy Hummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,361
Location
Wisconsin
I've run:
Tennco HD (Gabriel)
KYB
AC Delco
Skyjacker
Now running 4200 series Bilstine

Non are really to great. I'd go for a better ride.
I know some of the guys run Fox 2.0 but to much baco bits for my lilol self. 😆

4200 series is bone rattling, teeth jarring. But there paid for so they stay.
 

Doc Olds

Well-Known Member
Messages
143
Location
Boat Town MI
Seen too many Bilstein shocks leak to bother with those. Used to put them on Steel Bumper Vettes (different animals) and they were great. For trucks today, not so much.

Rancho used to make great shocks for trucks 20-25 years ago, .............. now, not so much. Not what they where then.

IMHO the best shocks for the H3/H3T are either the OEM Adventure package shocks or Old Man Emu NitroCharger Sport. Similar in ride, both on and off road, but ARB made sure the OMEs are able to handle it all.
 

650Hawk

Well-Known Member
Messages
521
Location
SoCal
I'm running the Fox 2.0, front and back. A bit stiff on the road, but not too bad, and they work good off-road.
 

Jeepwalker

Well-Known Member
Messages
928
Location
WI
If a guy's H3 has the Adventure pkg...and depending on the tires he's running, expect it to be rough riding. That's how they were. The stiffness comes in handy for off-road use. Maybe some Monroe Sensatrac's might be softer, IDK. The OEM Delco's aren't smooth either. But they have lasted me a long time w/o leaking or going bad.

If a guy wants a butter-smooth ride, he might consider a Dodge Ram 1500! LOL..
 

Nikal

Well-Known Member
Messages
92
Location
California
I’ve got Bilstein 5100 (silver shock) on mine front & rear and it rides great.
I've run:
Tennco HD (Gabriel)
KYB
AC Delco
Skyjacker
Now running 4200 series Bilstine

Non are really to great. I'd go for a better ride.
I know some of the guys run Fox 2.0 but to much baco bits for my lilol self. 😆

4200 series is bone rattling, teeth jarring. But there paid for so they stay.
I think you mean the Bilstein 4600 (yellow shock) those should ride very smooth. That’s basically the Bilstein version of a OEM replacement. I’m surprised you feel they are bone jarring?

I have the Bilstein 5100 (Silver Shock) on mine, and it rides fine. The valving on the 5100 is slightly firmer, but the rebound control is slowed down so you don’t get that bounce.
 

LH3Lars7575

Probationary Member
Messages
1
Location
Pueblo Colorado
Running the AC Delco OEM’s. I’m curious I own a 2007 H3, all the rough riding comments, can you get this PIG to ride rough, mine floats and is pretty nimble if it weren’t a pig.
 

Can007

Well-Known Member
Messages
371
Location
Palmdale, CA
I am currently running the rancho shock that came with the ranch lift.

I am looking to replacement them. What is the best shock for a lifted hummer?
 

Jeepwalker

Well-Known Member
Messages
928
Location
WI
I’m curious I own a 2007 H3, all the rough riding comments, can you get this PIG to ride rough, mine floats and is pretty nimble if it weren’t a pig.
I guess what does 'rough' mean? Probably means different things to different guys. A lot probably depends on the tires a guy is running, the air pressure, and the surfaces driven on (rough roads??). Mine's got the adventure pkg with OEM shocks (they're monotube's), Load-E tires..it's fairly rough riding on certain roads. But just fine on other roads.

On rotten roads mine is pretty rough riding.
 
Last edited:

H3Hummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
604
Location
LUXEMBOURG in EU
Yep... my Bilsteins are a little bumping , depending of the terrain, but all in one , I like them and they didn't move a bit or rust since I've mounted them. I've purchased those because they were +2" extended front + rear, so the shocks are not pulled to the limit and they compress enough with the extended bump stops.
 

zebra

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Location
cold & windy
i just put Bilstein 4600s all around on my wife's, and they're a little softer than expected. they feel great riding around but still get a little raring back & nose diving when you start/stop moving. i've got them on my dodge 2500 & had them on my previous sierra 1500 (all three with 33-35" E-rated tires), and they rode fantastic for mostly DDing, some light trailering, and a little trail riding in the mountains with all three trucks.

on the H3, i'd likely go with 5100s next time around just for the slight firming up. people claim they're the same aside from the cases but they ain't - the 5100s are valved a little stiffer to provide similar compression & rebound rates while accounting for the extra leverage that a lift or heavier tires exert on the shocks.

another critical piece to consider is your air pressure. as soon as you increase the load rating of the tires, you don't need as high of air pressure to carry the same weight. if you keep the pressure up, you'll ride rougher & wear the centers of the tread out faster than the inside/outside... and reduce your traction due to the smaller footprint.
 

Teahead

Well-Known Member
Messages
138
Location
Tacoma
I'm at 35psi on my 35s. doesn't seem to high.

my ranchos are so stiff, a bump in the road will make the rear go sideways
 

Maria80386

Well-Known Member
Messages
49
Location
Detroit
My 09’ Champ just had the front left Adjustable Rancho fail after 7 years. Under warranty, putting in a full new set of Rancho Adjustables. I control the ride and can level-up in a few minutes if needed.
My ‘08 came with Bilstein 4600s, and they are rough. When they wear out, and if the current Ranchos are still good, I’ll put a set of Ranchos on. My elderly folks can’t handle bumps or swaying, so the soft ride is needed especially wit our garbage roads.
 

zebra

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Location
cold & windy
I'm at 35psi on my 35s. doesn't seem to high.

my ranchos are so stiff, a bump in the road will make the rear go sideways
I drive the 35" with 38-39 psi on all 4 since long time and it seems (for me) to be the right pressure ;)
like i said before - "proper" pressure is determined by your tires' load ratings/indices & how much weight is riding on them. if you run stock-spec tires, use the door sticker data; if you changed tire specs, then you need to do more research. a C-range 35 needs different pressure than a E-range 35; a truck with a trailer attached needs higher pressure in the rear than in the front (assuming you've loaded the trailer correctly for ~10% tongue weight).

saying "i run xx psi in my xx inch tires" is like saying "i bought Class 4 shingles for my blue house". other people with blue houses need more information to determine if Class 4 shingles are overkill for them or not.

practical example:
the factory Bridgestone Dueler A/T P265/75-16s (which are irrelevantly 31.6" tall) look to have a 114 load index & prescribe 30psi on the door sticker and are rated up to 35psi for their Standard Load construction. per published inflation charts, that 30psi spec is good for ~2400lb per tire. all's good in the world considering the front GAWR is 3050lb & the rear's 3400lb (only needing 1525f / 1700r capacity per tire before outperforming the axles)... technically a little over-inflated.

my wife's H3 is currently on Cooper Discoverer A/T3 XLT LT285/75-17s (irrelevantly 33.8" tall). these have a much heavier-duty load range E construction (being a Light Truck model) and a higher load index of 121. the inflation charts for these only publish capacities from 35-80psi, but even 35psi reads 2215lb each - still more than the axles. from there, you can plot the data & interpolate based on the trend line - then verify with a chalk test to ensure even wear once you dip below published figures.

her typical DD weight is ~5000lb (max GVWR of 6000), with a decent-enough distribution to call it 1250lb needed per corner for "normal use" & 1500lb tops. by that token, just over 25psi is all we'd ever really need, given how light duty these trucks are compared to the tires we're running. we drive at 30psi to keep the TPMS happy (because we get temperature swings of 30-50° sometimes), though it's still a little hard-riding because they're technically over-inflated for a max-loaded truck. 30psi does ride INFINITELY better than they did at 35-40psi that some shops have filled them to after doing a rotation.

that was a lot of words to highlight the bottom line of: compare your specific tire's inflation charts to the weight that you carry to determine what pressure you should run.
 

zebra

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Location
cold & windy
had one place fill to 80psi despite what my wife requested... you know, because it's an E-range tire 🙄
made it ~500ft before pulling over & airing down because it was rattling our teeth out.
 

Nikal

Well-Known Member
Messages
92
Location
California
My 09’ Champ just had the front left Adjustable Rancho fail after 7 years. Under warranty, putting in a full new set of Rancho Adjustables. I control the ride and can level-up in a few minutes if needed.
My ‘08 came with Bilstein 4600s, and they are rough. When they wear out, and if the current Ranchos are still good, I’ll put a set of Ranchos on. My elderly folks can’t handle bumps or swaying, so the soft ride is needed especially wit our garbage roads.
I too have a 09 Championship Edition and have the 5100 Bilstein’s and I don’t think they are rough at all. In fact my wife has commented on how smooth the Hummer actually rides, which is a shock to me as she hates the truck. The 4600 valving is even softer then 5100’s.

Which Rancho adjustable are you running? 9000? I’d assume you have them set to the softest setting?
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,541
Location
Scottsdale
My last combo on my H3 was OEM Adventure shocks with tires at 28 psi. (Yokohama Geolander M/T, a pretty stiff and loud tire.) That pressure was needed to get a decent tire patch on the ground. Any higher and I was riding a crown in the tire. I really enjoyed the ride of Bilstein 5100s but like Doc said, I had too many leaks. They are easy enough to change, and not crazy $, but they needed much more frequent replacement. But I'll admit I was not happy with the ride of the rear shocks/springs in the H3 - too stiff and bumpy. I'd probably go back to non-Adventure shocks.
 
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