Shock choice with LT Michelin LTX/ATs?

[wwwylie]

I have a '98 XLT 4 Dr. that gets a lot of highway miles but also a lot of trail/gravel running thru the woods. I have about 10k a a set of Michelin LTX AT tires thanks to Ford/Flintsone. I picked the LT truck tires for the toughness after loosing three to sharp sticks left by the county cutting crews and other hazrads. I like the tires, they are great off road and in deep snow and stick real good on the pavement. They also feel like truck tires which is good. With the stock shocks, I can take a speed bump at 30mph in strid, gravel washboards are handlable, but every little crack or joint on the freeway is felt. I think the tire is actaully hopping. Its not a big deal, just annoying. My question is has anyone else solved that problem. Curantly I'm looking at Rancho RS9000s to fix it, but would like a simpler(cheaper) solution. I know I do need shocks I just want to pick the right ones.

 

[VBVA]

I have Rancho RS 5000s and the same tires as you. I love the shocks, but the ride is a little stiff. That is my preferance though. You may like the RS 9000s since you can dial your own preferance on the road and off-road.

 

[wwwylie]

What do you mean by stiff. I'm looking for a stiff ride, but I'm trying to find a shock that will dampen the bumps. I try not to make it a habit of hitting speed bumps at 30mph, so the smaller bumps and washboards are more important.

 

[VBVA]

Not stiff in the sense that you feel every bump in the road, but stiff in the sense that they kick butt off-road. The RS 5000s were designed for off-road punishment, so you sacrifice a tad-bit of comfort on the road. But personally, I don't think the ride is that bad. I was sick and tired of soft car-like shocks, so I scrapped them and got some Ranchos.