Bottoming out rear left corner

afmoto

afmoto

DURTY TJ
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
215
Location
Silicon Valley, CA, United States
I have a 5.5” Rubicon Express short arm lift with Bilstein 5100’s. The front seems fine but the rear is very soft; I can jump up and down on my rear bumper and nearly bottom it out. Just driving around town I can make the left rear corner bottom out by making a sharp right turn. I’ve certainly bottomed out several times off-road, especially coming off big rocks on the Rubicon Trail.

I broke my back two years ago on a motocross bike and ended up with back surgery, so I’d rather not go back out on the Rubicon and take those kinds of big hits. I’ve read plenty of threads, so I’m wondering if maybe stiffer rear springs (Currie?) or a different shock might help. Interestingly, this seems to be more of an issue on the left side than the right. Before you ask, I’m 6’5” and 255lbs, so I’m not petite but I don’t think I’m causing the problem.

Thoughts?
 
Your shock maybe shot. I know bilstien are stiff from owning them and reading how stiff they ride on this forum. I never heard of their shocks being soft.
 
They seem to be about the same when I stand on the corner of the rear bumper and jump up and down, but I distinctly remember that the driver's side bottoms out a lot more often.
 
I have to admit, it sure sounds like a blown shock(s) to me as well.
 
I would think so as well but if it has gotten a lot softer and bounces or you can push it down and it bounces the shocks are shot for sure.


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What do the left side and right side coils measure? Is the gap between the bump stops the same?
 
Check the antisway bar to make sure it is hooked up. While I agree with everyone above if that bar is connected properly it should help one side of the axle help hold the other side in position too. But if you can get a spring to bottom out just by pushing or jumping then the shock has a problem. Perhaps its mount rusted through. Any chance the bump stops are an inch or three too long? Not often someone has a "too soft" issue with a Jeep.
 
Gap between bump stops is the same, antisway bar is connected, so I started out with just ordering a new set of those Rancho shocks everybody raves about. When I install them next week, I’ll pull the springs and measure them.
 
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You measure them while in the jeep. 8" is what a stock spring measures under compression. Depending on spring rate a spring on the bench can measure out to most any length. And you need to know that measurement to get the correct shock length for your application.
 
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