Many of you have been following my post on the Rancho 4" lift. I thouhgt I'd share why the lift is coming back off of my truck.

#1 reason; 16", 17", 18" tires will fit with the proper offset, however, the steering knuckle is less than 1/4" from touching the tire. So if you ever plan on off roading and airing down, the sidewall of your tire will touch and get trashed with their "required" 4.5" offest. I had to use a 1'4" wheel spacer so it would not touch the tire at the required aired up ammount.

when I called Rancho about this, they said the kit was desigend for a 20" rim with 5" of offset. using a smaller diameter rim will not allow for airing down. WTF is is good for than?

#2 reason: Your tires will stick out 3" to 4" at the top of the fenders. They stick out much more towards the bottoms of your flares. FOr those of you with the stock 33" tires and have driven through snow/ mud have seen what happens to your door/ door handles, and fender flares. Now take that X 10 and you can imagine what that looks like. This means the sides of your truck will be trashed in no time. After only 300 miles or so, the truck is already getting rock chips though the paint and the rear fender flares will look like swiss cheese in a couple thousand miles.

#3 Reason: When you get at highway speeds, the truck does not feel very stable at all. If you drive 75mph or higher on a daily basis, I would not get this lift.

On a positive note, this lift gives the truck a very aggresive stance and handles OK at 55mph or under. You will feel the tires grab your steering wheel on grooved surfaces or at places the road has those "trenches" in the blacktop from heavy trucks. But it's not too bad. You will get a ton of improved ground clearance, ap angle, and dp angle. You will also get somew vibration in the steering wheel and floor boards.

So, there's my 2 cents on this lift.

Many of you have been following my post on the Rancho 4" lift. I thouhgt I'd share why the lift is coming back off of my truck.

#1 reason; 16", 17", 18" tires will fit with the proper offset, however, the steering knuckle is less than 1/4" from touching the tire. So if you ever plan on off roading and airing down, the sidewall of your tire will touch and get trashed with their "required" 4.5" offest. I had to use a 1'4" wheel spacer so it would not touch the tire at the required aired up ammount.

when I called Rancho about this, they said the kit was desigend for a 20" rim with 5" of offset. using a smaller diameter rim will not allow for airing down. WTF is is good for than?

#2 reason: Your tires will stick out 3" to 4" at the top of the fenders. They stick out much more towards the bottoms of your flares. FOr those of you with the stock 33" tires and have driven through snow/ mud have seen what happens to your door/ door handles, and fender flares. Now take that X 10 and you can imagine what that looks like. This means the sides of your truck will be trashed in no time. After only 300 miles or so, the truck is already getting rock chips though the paint and the rear fender flares will look like swiss cheese in a couple thousand miles.

#3 Reason: When you get at highway speeds, the truck does not feel very stable at all. If you drive 75mph or higher on a daily basis, I would not get this lift.

On a positive note, this lift gives the truck a very aggresive stance and handles OK at 55mph or under. You will feel the tires grab your steering wheel on grooved surfaces or at places the road has those "trenches" in the blacktop from heavy trucks. But it's not too bad. You will get a ton of improved ground clearance, ap angle, and dp angle. You will also get somew vibration in the steering wheel and floor boards.

So, there's my 2 cents on this lift.

Maybe you should look into the rough country 5 inch lift. Its totally bolt on and looks great. I beleive the tires do not stick out the same as they do with the rancho kit plus you can use the factory wheels.

have also heard of inside tire damage from another when aired down , was at conejo offroad " local shop " the other day they didant have much nice to say about rancho and no info on the 5in yet .

Well Timco tried the Rancho and we all learned. Who will be the 1st to try the Rough Country. Thanks for all the good info and follow up's Timco I'm sure you saved alot of people some time and trouble.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by hmrlvr:
Well Timco tried the Rancho and we all learned. Who will be the 1st to try the Rough Country. Thanks for all the good info and follow up's Timco I'm sure you saved alot of people some time and trouble. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Glad I could help. Donations can be sent through paypal.

LOL so are you selling it then?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MyxH3:
LOL so are you selling it then? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, It's going back to Rancho!

Bummer that it didn't work out Tim. I would definitely send it back to Rancho, AND try to get them to cover installation/removal costs. What a PITA.

Maybe the Rough Country lift is a better way to go. Good Luck!

Yes, thanks for the heads-up. As I had said, was gonna get one. Sorry it didn't work out

That sucks. Keep us posted on how Rancho responds.

Thanks for letting us know. I hate that it didn't work out like it should have. Seems like they rushed through the R&D to get it ready to market.

Thanks for all the info Tim. Will be interesting to hear how Rancho responds to this. Be sure to keep us updated.

BTW, the truck <STRIKE>looks</STRIKE> looked great. Hope you figure out a fix.

Tim, sorry I missed this. That sucks.

You need to keep us informed on how Rancho handles this.

Maybe Rancho needs to designate their lifts as not good for wheeling because of the rim requirements.

I drove the SEMA H3 that rancho did, last week, and I had the same feelings. Also the brakes were not up to the task.

Well off to plan B Tim

sorry to hear, er, read the news!

You obviously chose the wrong wheel design...did you do a trial fit, or did you choose, "Thats looks cool"....seems to me if you had performed a trial fit you would have noted what offest was required. There also the issue of backspace which you never noted as well.

Ranchos H3 system is a very well designed, quality suspension system.

What you describe as far as ill handling can easily be attributed to tire tread design, improper inflation, poor alignment.....on and on....

Having had multiple Rancho systems over the years, I have yet to see a poor design from them, including the H3.

The H3 suspension is not a rocket science setup....

Also the comment on brakes.....anytime you add rotational mass at the axle brake performance degrades.....

While the RC setup looks pretty nice, the Rancho won't void the drivetrain warranty like the RC probably will.

You guys need to recognize the difference between these two mfg's..

Rancho bar none produces some of the finest off-road suspension systems manufactured...H3 included.

There is a reason the RC isn't being mass produced an that is to address bump steer issues...I am sure thay will reach a compromise on the design.

Who are you....the spokesperson for Rancho?

IMHO Rancho is a decent and quick lift for most 4x4s out there. But there is alway other options. In the jeep world where I come from, rancho is not on the top of list for the serious wheeler. TeraFlex, Rubicon Express, Nth Degree, maybe full traction all come to mind. If any one of those companies made a lift for the H3, I'd buy it without hesitation. Truck companies I'd trust...well, one anyway is CST (california super trucks). They (CST) make durable well thought out truck kits. They're probably already working on kit for the H3, they're pretty quick with R&D. I know one of their former designers... he was crazy with his fabrication skills. Most of their staff is.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:
Whatdiddickforbrainssay? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well that was constructive.

I'm pretty sure Tall Jeeper is ghey

Nah, I dont work for Rancho.....in fact coming from a competitive racing fourwheelin' world Rancho is so so due to their conservative approach to suspension lifts.

To make a blanket statement that they suck based upon one individuals experience is ludicrous.

I ran down to 10# last weekend over some of the best trails Washington state has to offer and this was all day! Nary a rub....I am also running 35" rubber on 17" Moto's

The knuckle BOLT not the knuckle clears by over half an inch! If a guy was really tripped out over that clearance on the bolt (more than adequate by the way) you could easily replace it with a low profile quality high grade fastener...no biggy

With regards to the "knuckle" there is almost an inch clearance without the bolt....

If you notice the RC pics the tires extend past the fenders even with stock rims.....ok so....does that mean their setup sucks...hardly. Its a flippin wheel configuration.

Reason 3...truck doesn't "feel" stable....sounds like a personal subjective opinion to me....not a design flaw ( I guess if your cruisin north 25 out of Denver at 75-80 I could see why due to the construction, heII nothing would seem stable)

I could give a s*it less what people choose to buy for their rigs, but posting BS, is just that.

It is obvious that many posters don't have a lot of knowledge when comes to fourwheelers, fourwheelin, or moddin trucks. Hopefully those that do will respond with accurate experienced based feedback.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Operator24:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:
Whatdiddickforbrainssay? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well that was constructive. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thx </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I took the liberty of nominating you here because of you're outstanding display earlier...

http://www.thestupidawards.com/

I bet you win the '06 award hands down.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Talljeeper:
You obviously chose the wrong wheel design...did you do a trial fit, or did you choose, "Thats looks cool"....seems to me if you had performed a trial fit you would have noted what offest was required. There also the issue of backspace which you never noted as well. <span class="ev_code_RED">4 WHeel Parts checked with Rancho and that backspace/ offset is what was required. 15, 16, and 17" all got the same. 18 and 20" was 5" of backspace. It wasn't enough and required wheel spacers ro it wouldn't touch the nuckle. Rancho's resonse to my questions/ issue was "the wheels should be 20" because that's what the kit was designed with and the kit was not designed to air down your tires." That quote is straight from their tech./ install dept. I'm sure since you drive a mighty Jeep off road, you know how great a 20" rim will do offroad and aired down.</span>

Ranchos H3 system is a very well designed, quality suspension system.<span class="ev_code_RED">It is well built, but the design of where that front nuckle ends up, is total BS... unless your cool with 20" rims or the entire tread sticking out of your fenders.I know you Jeepssters like that look. The problem with that is that some of the states that I go to, will pull you over in two seconds for that.</span>

What you describe as far as ill handling can easily be attributed to tire tread design, improper inflation, poor alignment.....on and on.... <span class="ev_code_RED">Nope, I was assured everythign was aligned and balanced and inflated properly. And it was. The tires are not very aggressive, so I cannot see that being an issue at just higher speeds.</span>
Having had multiple Rancho systems over the years, I have yet to see a poor design from them, including the H3.<span class="ev_code_RED">Good for you.</span>

The H3 suspension is not a rocket science setup....

Also the comment on brakes.....anytime you add rotational mass at the axle brake performance degrades..... <span class="ev_code_RED">Yep, that was his point! Having to use a 20" rim or larger is a bad design.</span>

While the RC setup looks pretty nice, the Rancho won't void the drivetrain warranty like the RC probably will.

You guys need to recognize the difference between these two mfg's..

Rancho bar none produces some of the finest off-road suspension systems manufactured...H3 included.

There is a reason the RC isn't being mass produced an that is to address bump steer issues...I am sure thay will reach a compromise on the design. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Talljeeper:
Nah, I dont work for Rancho.....in fact coming from a competitive racing fourwheelin' world Rancho is so so due to their conservative approach to suspension lifts.

To make a blanket statement that they suck based upon one individuals experience is ludicrous.<span class="ev_code_RED">that was my opinion on this lift! I don't see where anyone else even said that</span>

I ran down to 10# last weekend over some of the best trails Washington state has to offer and this was all day! Nary a rub....I am also running 35" rubber on 17" Moto's<span class="ev_code_RED">good for you and Jeep.</span>

The knuckle BOLT not the knuckle clears by over half an inch! If a guy was really tripped out over that clearance on the bolt (more than adequate by the way) you could easily replace it with a low profile quality high grade fastener...no biggy<span class="ev_code_RED">The nuckle was more the issue than the bolt was. When you air down to 18 (not that low of a preassure either) You can get the knuckle to stuff into the sidewall at certain angles. I didn't spend 5K on a lift/ rims, and tires so I can drive ti on the street,</span>

With regards to the "knuckle" there is almost an inch clearance without the bolt.... <span class="ev_code_RED">not true ont he setup I had.</span>

If you notice the RC pics the tires extend past the fenders even with stock rims.....ok so....does that mean their setup sucks...hardly. Its a flippin wheel configuration.<span class="ev_code_RED">And that's fine. Nothing some custom flares for $1000 couldn't fix. I think that would lokk like sh1t too!</span>

Reason 3...truck doesn't "feel" stable....sounds like a personal subjective opinion to me....not a design flaw ( I guess if your cruisin north 25 out of Denver at 75-80 I could see why due to the construction, heII nothing would seem stable)<span class="ev_code_RED">You are correct about the I25 North comment, but it was on 470, 25 South, I70 and didn't matter the road surface. But you are correct none the less. I 25 construction sucks in everything.</span>

I could give a s*it less what people choose to buy for their rigs, but posting BS, is just that.<span class="ev_code_RED">Yep, Rancho should advertise that a20' rim is needed. I agree with you.</span>

It is obvious that many posters don't have a lot of knowledge when comes to fourwheelers, fourwheelin, or moddin trucks. Hopefully those that do will respond with accurate experienced based feedback. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><span class="ev_code_RED">I'm sure that statement won't raise any hell! Well, Mr Pro Jeeper, I have responded to every one of your dumbass comments excpet for tha last one about the "posters" not knowing anything about fourwheelersm four wheelin, or modded trucks. that's just a troll statement. You should go back to your pro racing world of Jeeps. LMAO!</span>

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">quote:
Originally posted by Operator24:

quote:
Originally posted by Alec W:

quote:
Originally posted by Operator24:

quote:
Originally posted by Alec W:
Whatdiddickforbrainssay?


Well that was constructive.

Thx


I took the liberty of nominating you here because of you're outstanding display earlier...

http://www.thestupidawards.com/

I bet you win the '06 award hands down. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


You're the winner of the "Too much time on my hands Award"

Do you really think I nominated him son?

Please tell me you're not that gullable. Kids these days...

I bet you think the rancho kit is best thing since sliced bread because the guy at 4 wheel parts says it is!

How many "competetive racing Jeeps" have you seen lately? While I'll admit they are excellent four wheelers and can be built into awesome rock crawlers, nonecould be considered "racing" vehicles. Case in point, of the 359 entries in this years Baja 1000, there were only 3 Jeep entries and none of them finished the race (there was even a Camaro that entered and finished). All of Team Hummer finished and won their classes.

yea lets hear it for the camaro

Didn't I warn you all back in the beginning that Rancho made nothing but crap?

Maybe you'll believe me now

-C

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FormerJeeper:
Didn't I warn you all back in the beginning that Rancho made nothing but crap?

Maybe you'll believe me now

-C </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, talljeeper thinks they're the best!

I like their shocks still. I have had good luck with those, but after this, i'm done with their lifts.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Anonymous:
How many "competetive racing Jeeps" have you seen lately? While I'll admit they are excellent four wheelers and can be built into awesome rock crawlers, nonecould be considered "racing" vehicles. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ever heard of Jeepspeed? Its an entire class of cherokees that race all over the country.

Ever heard of UROC? ARCA? Jeeps and tube buggies all competing in rockcrawling events...and it is a race. You're timed. Therefore those are race trucks.

EDITED: (I think I missunderstood you originally Anonymous, sorry) I don't know what you mean by "race" vehicles but you're not comparing apples to apples here. Jeeps and baja trucks were designed to do two different things. Neither can do the other well. I don't see many baja trucks crawling in Lucern and yea, you don't see jeeps wining the baja 1000.

But this topic is less about jeeps vs. hummers than it is about rancho sucking ass at anything more than street wheeling. Lets focus here people.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:

Whatdiddumbf.ucksaynow?

Who gives a flying f.uck about your "coverage" for the largest off road publication in the world when all you did was suck a lot of dick.

Are you going to report me to some unheard of website for stupid people again

LMAO. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Its pretty easy to talk a lot of crap on the web... but to torque me, its going to take a lot more than anything you can come up with sport.

You can stop trying to act cool in front of your friends now.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Operator24:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:

Whatdiddumbf.ucksaynow?

Who gives a flying f.uck about your "coverage" for the largest off road publication in the world when all you did was suck a lot of dick.

Are you going to report me to some unheard of website for stupid people again

LMAO. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Its pretty easy to talk a lot of crap on the web... but to torque me, its going to take a lot more than anything you can come up with sport.

You can stop trying to act cool in front of your friends now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You’re already admitting e-enragement just by posting back, if you didn’t care you wouldn’t respond kiddo.

The ownage was easy with you </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You've posted many times on this topic but you've yet to say a single thing concerning the rancho lift (aka the topic at hand). I think you come on here because you can't get laid or someone didn't hug you enough as a child. Maybe mommy denied you the tit when you were 2 months old? Maybe you recently found out you were an accident child? We can rename your birthday "The Big Oooops" if we must. But it doesn't change the fact that you still haven't contributed to a single thing on this topic.

What does that tell you?

Go a head, say it... everyone else already knows, just blurt it out when you figure it out.