I have a new TJ and need some input

[heady1]

Hello,
Been out of jeep of my own for a couple of years, but I just acquired another TJ so I am back in the fold. I am trying to relearn, or revisit, stuff I did 20 years ago with my last TJ. It has some things I want to address so I am seeking some advice on my options. I have already started making changes so I would appreciate any input or suggestions you may have.

Current setup:
RC 2.5" lift with their shock package and steering stabilizer. Almost new 31" ATs. I have already removed some 1.75" pucks that were on top the springs and a drop pitman arm. I am not sure of the brand bump stops, but they look like Daystar and probably extended 2" out of the cups. I haven't gotten to measuring them yet. It steers much better now, but still rides like a buckboard wagon. Oh it has what looks like a 1" transfercase skid drop and doesn't have any vibes. The front right spring appears to have .5" sag, but the rest seem good.

My plan is to keep the 2.5" of lift, and get some Rancho RS5000X for 2-3" lift to help the ride. I am thinking of possibly some new front springs to get it level again. So who makes good 2.5" front springs these days? OME makes a HD 2.5", RE has some 2.5" coils but their website doesn't give any specs other than TJ/XJ/LJ. Rancho, ProComp, Freedom, are all new from when I shopped before. Another factor in the mix is I will be adding my old Warn 8274 on the nose so another instant 100lbs. Jeep has some rake to it now, but I think some .75" or 1" spacers in front and .5" in back should get it back close. May not need them with new springs in front. How about shocks? Any other recommendations?

I have other things to do but they can come later.

Thanks for reading and I am interested in what you think?

 

[AndyG]

Some guys will chime in on other shocks - the Ranchos you mentioned work pretty good for me on several- don’t forget lower tire pressure (26-28 psi) helps a lot.

 

[JustDandee]

I can offer up that I just put the JKS springs onto mine and they ride nice. variable rate- running the skinny 33’s- pictured. …which was a budget hit so I just spaced the factory shocks up on the front at the moment- but looking to try the Ranchos out. B-day coming up and hoping the family does the right thing .then I will move onto the winch.

 

[Mac57]

Welcome back to TJ's. I run the Rancho RS5000x on my mildly modified ride, happy with them. If you are going with the OME springs might want to go with their shocks too that are said to be matched to the springs. What use are you planning for your new Jeep anyway? Everything you have outlined above would work well for a pavement daily driver with occasional moderate off road use. Won't work though if you are planning on using it like the picture in your avatar. Tell us what you are shooting for and we'll be happy to spend your money.

 

[DavidBT]

I went with RC 2.5" springs and 0-2" RS5000x shocks and pretty happy with how my TJR turned out. The ride feels firm and planted.

 

[JustDandee]

Springs are for ride height, not ride quality.

Honestly I don’t quite follow that logic that I see on the forum that would completely discount the spring in ride quality? Wire gauge sizing, spring rate do have some bearing on ride- said another way you can over spring and have a stiff ride -example with OME offering multiple springs with the same ride height but different spring rates. I get the logic and have experienced that shocks have a large roll But personally from my experience there is a relationship between these two components.

 

[heady1]

Welcome back to TJ's. I run the Rancho RS5000x on my mildly modified ride, happy with them. If you are going with the OME springs might want to go with their shocks too that are said to be matched to the springs. What use are you planning for your new Jeep anyway? Everything you have outlined above would work well for a pavement daily driver with occasional moderate off road use. Won't work though if you are planning on using it like the picture in your avatar. Tell us what you are shooting for and we'll be happy to spend your money.

Thanks, glad to be back.
I am not set on any brand of spring, just trying to figure out some of the better quality brands. There are a lot more vendors today. The 2.5" tightens the market some, but I know some 2" springs do settle out higher. I would rather get a quality spring that lasts instead of swapping out every couple of years. From what I have been reading the newer OME shocks don't ride as good as the older versions, but I am not counting them out. Rancho is just at the top of my list so far.
As for the plans. The jeep will spend a lot of running on the road or topless day trips, but still be capable of playing around offroad. The pic in my avatar is me in my last jeep. It had 2" Teraflex springs and 1" body lift with some armor in proper places, so I don't see why this one wouldn't be able to do the same. I already have a JKS BL in a box and plan on a 1" MM to hopefully do away with the transfercase drop. Set me up for a raised gas tank skid too. Also been looking at the Dirtworx rear bumper, but I don't think I will go with the full carrier this time around. Jury still out on that so I haven't committed on a purchase yet. I want to be able to pull a trailer and have good recovery points. Dirtworx looks like the best bang for the buck being offered for strength that I have found so far. I've got some other little things to tackle with it like treating the inside of the frame with Eastwood's and sell the boss on some Polks for the sound bar, etc. I am like everybody else and will have to do it in stages due to free time and funds. Just Empty Every Pocket.

 

[heady1]

Some guys will chime in on other shocks - the Ranchos you mentioned work pretty good for me on several- don’t forget lower tire pressure (26-28 psi) helps a lot.

That one made me laugh, because with the harsh ride the first thing I checked was the tire pressure. All 4 were really close to the same with a measly 38 psi. I knocked them all down 10 and it did ride better. Still about like a CJ-5 on highway of control joints, but better.

 

[deadbeat son]

Honestly I don’t quite follow that logic that I see on the forum that would completely discount the spring in ride quality? Wire gauge sizing, spring rate do have some bearing on ride- said another way you can over spring and have a stiff ride -example with OME offering multiple springs with the same ride height but different spring rates. I get the logic and have experienced that shocks have a large roll But personally from my experience there is a relationship between these two components.

They do that to get the same ride height with different weights; the 2 spring options will not yield the same default ride height with the same static weight.

 

[deadbeat son]

From what I have been reading the newer OME shocks don't ride as good as the older versions, but I am not counting them out.

The people who emphatically state that as a fact are unaware that OME offers two different choices in valving, and cannot speak to which shocks they've experienced, the softer or firmer of the two options.

Regardless of how you decide to build, congrats on the purchase, enjoy the new Jeep and the build!

 

[AndyG]

That one made me laugh, because with the harsh ride the first thing I checked was the tire pressure. All 4 were really close to the same with a measly 38 psi. I knocked them all down 10 and it did ride better. Still about like a CJ-5 on highway of control joints, but better.

If you’ll be persistent you’ll get really good results- Some tires seem to do better in load range C, And honestly since everything is pretty much interconnected beneath the vehicle it sort of takes everything working together sometimes to give you the best experience-

A good example is if you have a great tires and shocks, But your control arms are giving you poor caster or allowing axle movement you don’t need you’re going to be so busy fighting it that you can’t even enjoy the other. It depends on how you count things but there are somewhere around 44 bushings beneath these and those things are largely controlling the quality of the connections.

Also it’s pretty hard to get a baseline because tons of these things have all kind of driving manners they should not have because of aftermarket modifications and inadequate shop knowledge-

At the end of the day if you will be persistent you will get the results the designers intended, And if everything is really good about the only thing that ends up holding you back is the quality of the tires the condition of the tires and the balancing.

 

[JustDandee]

They do that to get the same ride height with different weights; the 2 spring options will not yield the same default ride height with the same static weight.

I come From a school f thought that spring rate and spring length together determine ride height. An exaggerated example being that a 14” spring made of 1/2“ wire compared to 13” spring made of 1”. Could have the same ride height at a certain weight load- however the 1/2” would significantly softer in ride to the 1” wire…. But maybe that is the logic is that you have to reach and exaggerated proportion to notice that kind of affect?

 

[deadbeat son]

I come From a school f thought that spring rate and spring length together determine ride height. An exaggerated example being that a 14” spring made of 1/2“ wire compared to 13” spring made of 1”. Could have the same ride height at a certain weight load- however the 1/2” would significantly softer in ride to the 1” wire…. But maybe that is the logic is that you have to reach and exaggerated proportion to notice that kind of affect?

True, spring rate and spring length work in conjunction with the weight they are supporting to determine ride height. If a 16" tall spring compresses at a rate of 1" per 150 lbs and the corner weight it is supporting is 900 lbs, it will compress 4" yielding a 12" high ride height. Likewise, if a 17.5" tall spring with the same spring rate is supporting 1,175 lbs, it will compress 5.5" resulting in a 12" ride height.

This is how the OME 941 with a 140 lb rate and 15.5" free length and the OME 942 with a 160 lb rate and a 15" free length are rated for the same amount of "lift", but ARB notes the 942 is recommended for a 220lb constant load (110lb / corner).

But notice how similar the spring rates are between the two springs; an impact while driving will easily exceed the force required to compress either spring.

You can look at the spring sticky for free heights and spring rates for various ~2" springs to see the similarities.