Finally sold the XJ now buying shocks and tires

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Stockli

TJ Enthusiast
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Just sold my XJ last night and will be buying shocks and tires here soon.

I'm down to the general at2 in 31 inch and bilstein 5100's.

My question is can I put the bilsteins 5100's and go with something a little cheaper in the back?

I'm looking for the best possible performance I can get for the money, I run mostly on the street but do a lot of forest roads that a completely a mixed bag of terrain. I am a graduate student so funds are severely limited.

Does this setup look good? Any suggestions?
 
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I wouldn't mismatch shocks. Who knows how that will ride.

The Bilsteins are so cheap as it is that you should not break the bank.
 
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Gah, now I saw a thread on Rancho Rs5000x shocks. Way less spendy, makes it possible to throw on Maxxis Bighorns or MT Baja ATZ tires, both said to be great on fire roads and in nasty winter stuff. Also will allow me to add one extra piece (bumper light hoop for my KC pencil beams).

My head is spinning.
 
I don't know if it helps any, but my K2500 Suburban has Bilstein 5100's on it. I've put about 100,000 miles on the rig, mostly on rough forest roads. Loaded or unloaded, they still function perfectly. Mixing and matching shocks is really a bad idea. (oh, and they do have the boots on.)

For tires, don't sweat the last 10% of available performance unless you are really going to try to get that last mile back into the hinter-boonies. Driving technique and experience has a much bigger impact in most cases.
 
I've had 8-10 different shocks on my two TJs and of them all, I have to say my previous OME Nitrochargers were the absolute best with my present RS5000x shocks being so good that I don't miss the OMEs (which finally gave up the ghost) at all. My previous shocks used to absolutely lose control on rough desert washboard roads between trails if I tried to get my speed up enough to stay up with others running various shocks including Rancho R9000, OMEs, etc.

Once I started running OME Nitrochargers and currently the RS5000x shocks, I stopped worrying/thinking about shocks... both of those provide an awesome non-jittery street/highway ride which my wife even likes, and they also allow me to "haul ass" as fast as I want to on desert washboard roads without loss of control like my previous RE Monotube (gas) shocks caused. Both are simply awesome in all conditions I have driven them in.

I know Chris likes his Bilsteins but they're a bit too stiff/jittery for me. A well-known jeep builder/designer here, mrblaine, hilariously said to run Bilstein 5100 shocks ibkt if you want to know if the quarter you just drove over was heads or tails. :D
 
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I will agree with Jerry in that OME Nitrochargers are amazing shocks. If I had to choose my favorite shocks it would be the Bilstein 5100 shocks and the OME Nitrochargers, no question about it.
 
I spoke to Ricky Garza at 4Low Parts and he hates the Rancho RS5000 shocks. He strongly encouraged me not to get them.

So, again, this just goes back to preference. I hear people that love them, and I hear people that hate them... Go figure.
 
Chris said:
I spoke to Ricky Garza at 4Low Parts and he hates the Rancho RS5000 shocks.
Click to expand...
The RS5000 shocks would indeed be a bad shock to go with, they have a horribly stiff ride which I have personal experience with. I steered many people away from them.

But the new RS5000x has a completely different design and has a great ride, I was very surprised how well they ride and handle/work offroad given my dislike of the older RS5000. I'll have to clue Ricky in if he's confusing the two shocks. My current RS5000x shocks are one of the two best shocks of the many I've run over the past 20 years on my TJs. :)
 
Jerry Bransford said:
The RS5000 shocks would indeed be a bad shock to go with, they have a horribly stiff ride which I have personal experience with. I steered many people away from them.

But the new RS5000x has a completely different design and has a great ride, I was very surprised how well they ride and handle/work offroad given my dislike of the older RS5000. I'll have to clue Ricky in if he's confusing the two shocks. My current RS5000x shocks are one of the two best shocks of the many I've run over the past 20 years on my TJs. :)
Click to expand...

It was long enough ago that I can't recall if he was referring to the X model or not. Chances are you're right, and he was referring to the RS5000.

Maybe I'll have to give the new RS5000X shocks a try!
 
I would say 99% of backcountry roads and almost all trails here have ridiculous washboard.

I have wanted the bilstein shocks since I bought my XJ years ago, but I think they may be just a little stiff for my application. I like to haul ass on washboard because it covers every road I need to get to go anyplace cool, for tens or hundreds of miles. As of right now anything over about 15 mph beats the crap out of you and a near complete loss of control when you go for anything north of 25.

They are both warranted for life as well. How long have you had them on your jeep Jerry?

Also, as of now the jeep will remain at stock height with only a one inch BL in the near future.
 
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Sounds good.

Also, I apologize for the miss-spellings etc. I am posting from a phone or iPad 99% of the time and the autocorrect fxn and no spellcheck makes it tough type at a reasonable speed.
 
I ran Bilsteins, OME's, RS5000x's, and RS9000XL's on my current TJ. I ran too-many-to-list on my first TJ and four different shocks on my XJ.

The 5100's and OME Nitrochargers (old ones, not the Sports) were the best shocks out of all of them. If I had to choose one it would the BIlstein's. I currently have em on the XJ (5" lift) and they are amazingly smooth. I don't get where people say they are stiff.

The RS5000x's were "ok" in my opinion, just a bit too stiff for my light TJ. I found the rear was bouncing up high from the stiff rebound. (They also attacked me but that's not related to performance LOL) I think these are better suited for a 6 cyl with accessories. I swapped em out for RS9000xl's (Thanks Allen) and these are a whole lot better cuz I can adjust the valving to fit my preferences/needs. I currently run em on 4 front/3 rear. I was rebuilding my sway bar recently (paint and all that) and had to drive a couple days without so I cranked the shocks up and it felt like the bar was still attached (don't worry, it's going back on).
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
I've had 8-10 different shocks on my two TJs and of them all, I have to say my previous OME Nitrochargers were the absolute best with my present RS5000x shocks being so good that I don't miss the OMEs (which finally gave up the ghost) at all. My previous shocks used to absolutely lose control on rough desert washboard roads between trails if I tried to get my speed up enough to stay up with others running various shocks including Rancho R9000, OMEs, etc.

Once I started running OME Nitrochargers and currently the RS5000x shocks, I stopped worrying/thinking about shocks... both of those provide an awesome non-jittery street/highway ride which my wife even likes, and they also allow me to "haul ass" as fast as I want to on desert washboard roads without loss of control like my previous RE Monotube (gas) shocks caused. Both are simply awesome in all conditions I have driven them in.

I know Chris likes his Bilsteins but they're a bit too stiff/jittery for me. A well-known jeep builder/designer here, mrblaine, hilariously said to run Bilstein 5100 shocks ibkt if you want to know if the quarter you just drove over was heads or tails. :D
Click to expand...

You just sold me on the rs5000x's. Time to order them up.
 
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