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I'll tell you my opinion after running them in my truck, you're right somewhere somehow they got a reputaton of bad quality overall, reputation that they can't seem to shake across some markets. i used to say exactly the same thing you're saying, I'll tell you they're a lot bigger in the Jeep market especially the Wranglers. Ranchos are the go to suspension in the Wrangler community like Bisltein seem be for us in the RAM community.
I guess people often associate the 5000 series, white shock with red boots ($40 tiwn tube shocks) with the Rancho name, you just did it in this post. Their shocks are not exactly worst that Bilstein unless you want to argue about finish and weld quality, people often associate the shinny finish and better overall weld quaility on the 5100's with everything that has the Racnho name, have you seen the welds and overall frame defects on the Bisltein 4600's ?? those are the ones we should compared to the 5000 series, arguably the 9000 series falls in the same category, i guess something in the twin tube desin makes them that way. Biggest complaint in the 9000 series has always been the little knob adjuster, it works but is cheaply made and if you live in the salt belt it might get stuck frozen, and then you the have those who think because they're adjustable that they can bomb whoops in the desert with them asides from this, the 9000 are solid street shocks that you make work to your advantage if you're running heavy loads or just wanting something to resemble the stock ride or even shofter if you wanted, , im more than happy with them that ill be yanking out the 5100's i have in silverado and getting the quicklift struts with their adjustable knob and rear 9000 adjustable in that truck. 5100's stopped impressing me long time ago.
You could compare the Rancho 7000 series with the 5100's, about the same price, shinny finish, better welds, and monotube design, the issue, they don't have an adjustable perch like option like the front 5100's in the 7000 series, live axles doesn't have that problem
the closest thing to a 5100 will be the 900 series quicklist strut, unfortuantely they're not heigh adjustable, and in this particular community it seems pennis size is measured by how tall your truck looks like compared to others, so 5100's can be set at 2.8, while Ranchos QL's go to 2.25", compared a truck with 5100's at 2.1 and the Rancho QL and they should be abut the same height, i ran mine hard and they did stay at the same height after setling down, (2" lift)
this should be the ones you should be looking to compare to the 5100's
https://www.suspensionconnection.co...mLKGTThExTv8LcrbqaaWGNexHNSoKM-IaAuBnEALw_wcB
