Full Disclosure - Rancho Quicklift Loaded Leveling Systems

If you're here, then you've probably heard of Rancho's Quicklift setup, or at the very least, leveling kits for late model trucks, you may recognize these by metal pucks being installed on top of a truck's front struts to provide 2-3" of lift. Rancho's answer to customer demand for leveling kits doesn't lie in inexpensive metal pucks to level your vehicle, but rather a full coilover shock with new coil springs and brand new adjustable RS9000XL struts. We will compare these to other popular options such as Bilstein 5100s, 6112s, and the Fox Performance coilovers to help you figure out where to spend your money.

Quicklift Overview

The Quicklift shock is a twin tube gas charged shock, with 9 settings of adjustment controlled by a red knob on the bottom of the strut. These struts which are included in the Quicklift package are no different than the struts offered separately without the lift springs. The Quicklift assembly comes with lifted coil springs, which are roughly the same *size* as the factory springs, but with increased spring rate (which provides the ~2in of lift).

• Easy installation, can be done without a coil spring compressor
• Levels the front of your vehicle with the rear.
• Adjustable compression dampening, from very soft to very firm
• $220 / each

Common Problems

The Quicklift is by no means the perfect product. It is a very popular seller, as its a very convenient replacement part for your vehicle in an affordable package. But lets get into some of the common issues we see with our customers.

• Warranty issues within the first 1-2 years. Most of the warranty issues that we see occur within the first year, with shocks leaking fluid.
• Broken adjustment knobs on delivery are uncommon, but do happen, these are easily replaced, although inconvenient, you don't need a new shock with a broken knob.
• Poor feedback on the ride quality, while this is subjective, we see a much larger ratio of poor/good feedback on these parts. Rancho is providing base level struts to be paired with firmer coil springs that stiffen the ride, we dont believe the strut/shock valving matches the springs well.
• Sometimes poor QA, recent issues (as of this writing) that we've seen have been broken coil spring collars on their Quicklift setups, which caused issues with numerous customers. We've also seen batches of Nissan Quicklift parts that passed QA with improperly mounted top plates.

These are examples of broken coil spring mounts, that we found out about (and promptly refunded) from our 3 different customers

Popular Alternatives

Bilstein 5100 shocks at their core are a far superior shock. This series is a monotube gas shock, which is the evolution of shock design over a twin tube build (used in the QLL). The Bilstein 5100 is one of our most popular shocks, especially for their double-duty as a leveling kit.

• 3 Height adjustments for the front ride height of your vehicle, but you will need to reuse the factory springs and top mounts. Through the use of the factory coil spring, and Bilstein's valving in these parts, there is a much closer match of spring rate + shock valving. Better Ride Quality
• Less expensive as these are the shock absorbers only, no new springs, no new top hats, and you will need to add shop-labor into this for assembly / install
• $115 / each on average

Fox 2.0 Performance Coilovers are on the highest end of a factory replacement part. These are race-level parts at a semi-affordable price ($900/pair).

• Threaded coil spring collar, allowing for numerous ride heights in the front from factory height up to 2"
• Fully assembled and ready for install
• Lasts incredible long, very few warranty issues, virtually non-existent ride quality complaints
• $449 / each

Pro Comp ProRunners and Rancho RS7000MT shocks are also a good alternative similar to the Bilstein 5100, all are monotube nitrogen gas charged design with zinc/silver plated shock bodies.

Conclusion

While Rancho has achieved something great with the Quicklift Loaded Leveling system, the real question is if it will be great for your vehicle and use. If you're looking for performance off-road or aggressive driving, these will "work", but they will not excel. There are many other alternative options, whether fully assembled or piece-together, that will last longer, potentially cheaper, and instills more confidence in your vehicle's handling. If you want a budget friendly solution, or need to be able to do the install yourself, these are a good choice.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have the QLL, let us know what you think about the ride on instagram at @shocksurplus