New lift riding a little too stiff!
- Thread starter LJ-MXer
- Start date
At the rate I am seeing people complaining about Bilstein shock you would think I could be able to scoop them up for cheap.
I would point the fingers at the shocks but won’t pass judgement until I see the entire suspension set up. Could be a lot to address. Can you post some good photos of the set up? Bump stops, track bar, control arms and the works?
I've only ever heard people complain about bilstein's in reference to TJ's and LJ's. It's a quality shock I think it's just meant for harder hits than what I'm giving it because above 55 mph the soak up bumps really well. I think with a much heavier rig, armor, axle combo, they would behave differently.
speeding_infraction
TJ Addict
Duplicate thread...
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/new-lift-riding-a-little-too-stiff.89011/#post-1863295
@Chris wanna merge them?
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/new-lift-riding-a-little-too-stiff.89011/#post-1863295
@Chris wanna merge them?
Bump stops haven't been touched yet sway bars haven't been disconnected either and I've hit some speed bumps at speed and done some mild flexing around the yard to make sure everything is settled. Nothing close to full stuff in each corner though.
Spotty cell service. Please can a mod or admin please delete? I apologize!
It does not matter what RK sent. These springs resulted in the ride height you have right now. Measure the shocks at the current ride height and figure out what the travel bias is.
You really really need to cycle the suspension without the springs to check the bump stops. Plus everything else folks are suggesting.
Otherwise you might smash in your oil pan...I have lots of videos of me trying to half ass this process and learning the hard way.
-Mac
To be clear even Bilstein 5100s at the correct ride bias would still be stiff yes or no?
Right, the Bilsteins are fine for heavier vehicles. I liked them on my Tacoma, although they were a little stiff there too. It's just the lighter TJ/LJ where they are way too stiff (for many of us).
This gets into the realm of shock valving. In order for the shock valving to work properly, the shock travel bias ought to be 50/50 from ride height. Or as close as they are able to be.
The shocks determine the suspension travel. Factory shocks did not allow the axle to smash the oil pan. No one is using shorter than factory shocks. If the bump stops are not limiting shock travel, they are a low priority.
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Don't you dare try to apply logic within the realm of Jeeps lol!
But seriously, I won't know if there's a shock available if I don't ask!
You're the only one who can answer that question. You need to know your extended shock length and the length between the upper and lower shock mounting locations.
To rephrase, half of the shiny shock shaft should be exposed at the normal ride height. That is the 50/50 travel bias we are looking for.
To be clear, this goat will never see full flex. Maybe a little light trail use but I have a "trail' TJ for playing. This my air conditioned, daily driver. I found it on the dealership lot that it was bought from by the first owner, on the stock suspension. Almost unmolested but never kept in a garage. I'm trying to get the best ride within reason for a 20 year old wagon with solid front and rear axles and a tractor motor! SW Florida doesn't have the terrain to challenge it but there's an awful lot of flooding in the rainy season so the lift and 33s made sense.
Thanks for speaking "Crayola Crayon" because from my motocross experience, suspension may as well be unicorn farts and fairy dust cus I can't grasp all of it but I know I need it so I let someone more experienced than me do the math. I confident that I can measure the shiny part!
Appreciate it!
Shocks and suspension is no where near as difficult as many make it out to be. The trouble most have is filtering out the continual tidal wave of less important details and irrelevant and wrong information out there.
It doesn't matter if it never sees full flex.
The 50/50 shock travel bias is just as important for on-road driving as it is for off-road driving. If you want the best ride, you need that 50/50 travel bias as a starting point.