Installed RS 5000's on the front of a 98 Blazer 4X4. These shocks fit poorly and were noisy. Luckly I kept my stock ones witch I realized were still good.
Returned the Rancho's. Front end no longer sounds like a Bag Of Hammers. Waste of time when parts don't fit like they should.

 

i've heard some other people complain about the new 5000, luckily i have the 9000 series and mine work great.

 

some how i knew i would see you post on this one lol...

 

I run ProComp ES3000's. Love um. I know what you mean with the rattle thing, min have about 1/16" of side to side travel, they rattle slightly when I hit bumps, but I will accept the noise for the ride they give. Especially off road.

 

I use monroe reflex and love them!!! they ride a lil stiff but thats what i want

 

The rattle issue is a common problem with many aftermarket (and some OEM) replacement shocks. The sleeve in the bushing on the top is not as long as the originals to make them easier to install.

I have seen this on many different brands of shocks and you always pull your hair out the first time you come across it. On some, I have been able to just tighten down the upper shock mounting bolt more to pull the sides in and tighten up the joint. On others, I have had to use an appropriately sized washer as a shim to get it to tighten up properly.

 

So, what are some brands/models of shocks that do fit well. I'm looking for something that gives OEM ride, or slightly better. Seems the ride on my 01 Jimmy (about 100K km) seems very smooth on even pavement and highways, a little bit wallowing during cornering, harsh as hell if the road (or parking lot) deteriorates. Don't know if this is expected ride for this truck, or whether shocks are going. Truck is in great condition, suspension bone stock and no funny noises or strangeness.

 

im running Blistien HD's and i like them... but i want something that rides a little harder... i would stick with Mono-tube shocks - they can take more abuse and dissapate heat better then the twin tubes... i hear a lot of the Jeep guys run the Monroe's they are like 40-50 per shock... Bilsteins are like 80 bucks a pop...

 

My ES3000 fit perfectly and offer no noise =). I do have a mystery noise that sounds bad when I hit a big bump going 10MPH or more. Its like a crunch sound but I do not think its the shocks.

 

I put these Bilstein's--> B46-1412-HO B46-1413-HO on my Blazer. The shop had to do it, because I didn't have the tools to cut the originals off. So I don't know how easy they are to install, but they perform very well. They're pretty stiff, but the handling quality has increased significantly.