What shocks seem to be best for Xterra's? I am looking into upgrading shocks, and don't want to make the ride too stiff nor do I want the ride too soft. Advice?

Bilstiens, no question. If you are keeping the truck otherwise stock, get the standard Biltien replacement. Do a search for shocks and you will see lots and lots of info, but there's no question the Biltiens are the best option. They just work well in all situations and they generally last a long time.

guess right and buy bilsteins..
buy rancho 9000's and change the valving from soft - hard - soft..
if you change your truck later, like a bumper & winch, or skid plates - you won't have to upgrade later..you are already set!

Bilsteins..

I second that.

Go with Bils.



Some people like the adjustable Rancho's...but they don't seem to last as long.

Thats funny because:

Rancho Industries U.S.A. Limited Warranty


LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc. (TA) warrants qualifying Rancho® products against defects and wear-out when used on private passenger cars and light trucks under normal operating conditions for as long as such purchaser owns the vehicle on which they were originally installed and TA continues to make the warranted product(s).

Qualifying Products
• Rancho® RS9000X™ Performance Shock Absorbers
• Rancho® RSX™ Performance Shock Absorbers
• Rancho® RS5000™ Performance Shock Absorbers
• Suspension Components

Tenneco Automotive's obligation under this warranty is limited to replacement of the worn-out or defective product in accordance with this warranty. Cost of removal and installation are not included, and any incidental and consequential damages are excluded under this warranty. This warranty does not apply to products which have been modified, improperly applied or installed on vehicles used for commercial or racing purposes.


gorancho.com

what about offroading?

The people I know with Rancho include those that needed to replace them...so, that is how long they lasted....the warrenty coverage is another matter, unrelated to how long they actually last.

So - The warranty on a Hyundai is longer than the warranty on a Mercedes...I guess that means Hyundai's last longer than Mercedes?



I'm not bashing Rancho, its just the Bilsteins last longer...I know people who like both, just more who like the Bils...And I liked the Bils better on the Jeep before I liked them better on the X.



And, as to the actual coverage...from what I've seen, "under normal operating conditions" does not include driving off road, at least for people trying to get new shocks, like in my club, etc.

So - the Bilstein recommendations on this thread are pretty much the collective experience of this group....including those that prefer the Ranchos.

cranky, offroading is not listed as an activity that excludes the warranty, as such.. go for it.

tj, I don't know which will last longer, but if/when the ranchos fail, it will cost you shipping for replacements, with the bilstiens it will cost you shipping + the cost of the shocks..

I am a fan of the 9000's due ot the fact that you can change the valving as you see fit. I tend to run stiff valving in the sand, to reduce the chances of bottoming out, super soft everywhere else offroad, to keep the tires on the ground, and somewhere in between for daily driving. It is nice to be able to stiffen the rear end when I am loaded, and soften it when I am not..

I have Bilstein' on the front and Rancho 99116's on the rear. As the quote says - I love being able to change the shocks for different loads.

Not sure if the 99116's will fit a stock rig.

Toy Man

If it matters I have the Bilstein 5150's on the back of the X for now. I was planning on putting a set of racerunners back there to match the front, but I might just keep the Bils at this point. They are doing really well.

Since it seems Bilstein's are the preferred shock for our Xterra's where's the best place to pick up a set? I did a search on Ebay and found a set of 4 for around $250 delivered. Does that price sound about right or is there some preferred place on the 'net to order them from?

Depending on what size and style (5100, 5150 and so on) you might want to check out eshocks.com They seem to have pretty good prices.

would the bilsteins make a noticeable difference in ride for on-road use?

Yes, very noticeable.

For a stock bolt in shock Bilsteins seem to be the best shock around. They make a big difference both on and off road. We recently put a set on a suburban - went from nightmare to drive to great

i'm looking at buying them off ebay and the seller tells me the 4wd shocks are the same as the 2wd shocks. is he right or wrong? i dont want to get screwed on a 250+ investment

Same ride height, same a-arms, same mounting points.. They should fit

They'd fit, might ride a hair different, as the unsprung weight in front is less on the RWD version...so the front might be a tad stiffer on rebound control...probably not enough to worry about, but I never had the opportunity to compare before/after 2wd shock to 4 wd shock set ups....so I don't know if Bil even makes a different shock for the different drives.

Anyway - that would be the only logical difference.

The front Diff cant be more then 60 or 80 lbs.. would you notice an 8 year old in the back seat? Other then the noise that is..

The kid is sprung weight, I was talking about unsprung weight...more akin to using a heavier rim, etc., than cargo, when the drive train is hanging onto/supported by the steering/ hub, etc.



IE: think of it like this - If your wheels weigh about 30-40 lb more each, it increases the forces on the shock that have to damp their motion....

So - A shock valved to control (Let's say a random weight) 60 lbs bouncing up and down (tire bounce, etc..) would be unable to control a load of 200 lb bouncing up and down, it would not be "stiff" enough...

If the load was only one pound bouncing up and down, that same shock would be "too stiff".

Does that make sense yet?



So - It might not be enough of a difference to matter, but if it does, that would be why it might.

How much difference in hub weight is there? I was thinking of front driveshaft, and diff.. kind on ignoring the cv's..
With the weight of the tires, rims, spindles, brakes, upper & lower a-arms.. The Hub assembly cant me more then ~1-3% of that...

They'd physically fit, but they aren't the same - the front 4wd shocks have a different part number than the 2wd shocks (the rears are the same). If I were you I'd get the proper part number.

You can get the proper shocks on eshocks for about $260 with free shipping. That's where I ordered from (though I bought Xterra front and T100 rears) and the shipping was fast.

im also looking into a set of shocks, i was leaning towards rancho, but bilstein seems to be veyr poplular among this group. new questions, im not looking in to voiding my
100,000 mile factory warranty, will something like new shocks void the warranty