General ride quality question

[Dmorton]

My 06 has a 2 1/2 inch lift of unknown manufacture and tires and rims from I think a 2017 rubicon, all on the jeep prior to purchase. The tires are BFG mud-terrain 255 75r17's. The tires are getting close to needing replaced, and I am hoping to replace them with something that might give me a better ride quality. I understand the "It's a jeep" thing, but this is downright uncomfortable to drive anywhere over a half hour, or really anywhere at highway speeds. I do not expect perfect, but my son is going to college about 300 miles away, and I know he wants to take this. I dont blame him, he will be in better weather and close to the beach. Anyway, do you all think that a less aggressive tire, and maybe some decent new shocks, would help the ride quality? Ive done too much to the jeep to want to sell it, but as of yet have done nothing to the suspension. If new tires/shocks would help, then Id rather go that direction. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Drew

 

[derekmac]

What pressure are you running in the tires? Tire pressure and shocks are the biggest factors for comfort.

 

[SvtLdr]

I would also suggest that the mud terrain tire you're currently running (32") on a 17" wheel is probably going to have a pretty rigid sidewall providing less comfort on the highway. Do you know what load range they are?

 

[Dmorton]

I try to keep them around 38 psi. Had them probably below 30 for a while, and the mileage was horrible and the ride really was not noticeably different.

 

[DaveC]

Good shocks, the right tires for your intended use and tire pressure are the keys.

1. What load range are the tires you currently have? If they're OME Rubicon takeoffs, I assume C but we need to know.
You want C load range; anything higher (D/E) will provide a stiffer ride/feel.

2. What tire pressure are you running them at?
Air pressure is a HUGE factor. I ran 31s on the first set I had, 28/29 psi was the sweet spot. I just replaced them with some
General Grabber ATX and 31/32 seems just right.

3. What's the intended use? If he's taking to college, is it safe to assume just around town and home to visit mom and dad once in a
while, or will there be any off-roading and if so, what kind? An AT will always provide a smoother ride than an MT, so unless you
really need the mud terrain or can't live without 'the look', a quality all terrain would likely be a better choice for ride comfort, less
road noise and better longevity.

4. What shocks do you currently have? You'll see Ranchos get a lot of praise here (not sure the specific model/part #). I have OME
(Old Man Emu); some here really like these and others don't. I like the ride, personally.

When I first got the TJ, I bought some crappy Rough Country shocks (before I knew any better) and ran the tires at 45 psi (just below the 50 psi max capacity - where the tire/auto shops tend to fill them to). Once I replaced the shocks and adjusted my tire pressure, the difference was night and day.

 

[Dmorton]

I would also suggest that the mud terrain tire you're currently running (32") on a 17" wheel is probably going to have a pretty rigid sidewall providing less comfort on the highway. Do you know what load range they are?

Load range C

 

[Mudflat]

New shocks are always good & try about 26-28 psi in your tires. In addition to a better ride it will probably track better in the highway.
On a side note- be careful about loaning your Jeep to your son to take it off to college. I loaned my old truck to my son & that’s what happened to me. Heck! He talked me out of a canoe, a kayak, the truck & a college education before I realized what happened.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I try to keep them around 38 psi. Had them probably below 30 for a while, and the mileage was horrible and the ride really was not noticeably different.

OMG that's way too high, that's one reason for your stiff ride. 28-30 is more appropriate for your tire which is roughly a 32" tire. Given a little time at the lower pressure you'd probably notice a better ride. They're also likely a Load Range D or E which is also too stiff riding for a Wrangler, metric sizes tend to have D or E Load Ranges. Load Range C is appropriate so if you'll go for an inch-size tire rather than a metric size tire, you'll be able to find an appropriate Load Range C more easily.

The two things most responsible for ride quality are tire pressure and shocks. So if it still rides too stiffly once you get the air pressure down to a more appropriate pressure, that's a shock model problem.

 

[Dmorton]

Good shocks, the right tires for your intended use and tire pressure are the keys.

1. What load range are the tires you currently have? If they're OME Rubicon takeoffs, I assume C but we need to know.
You want C load range; anything higher (D/E) will provide a stiffer ride/feel.

2. What tire pressure are you running them at?
Air pressure is a HUGE factor. I ran 31s on the first set I had, 28/29 psi was the sweet spot. I just replaced them with some
General Grabber ATX and 31/32 seems just right.

3. What's the intended use? If he's taking to college, is it safe to assume just around town and home to visit mom and dad once in a
while, or will there be any off-roading and if so, what kind? An AT will always provide a smoother ride than an MT, so unless you
really need the mud terrain or can't live without 'the look', a quality all terrain would likely be a better choice for ride comfort, less
road noise and better longevity.

4. What shocks do you currently have? You'll see Ranchos get a lot of praise here (not sure the specific model/part #). I have OME
(Old Man Emu); some here really like these and others don't. I like the ride, personally.

When I first got the TJ, I bought some crappy Rough Country shocks (before I knew any better) and ran the tires at 45 psi (just below the 50 psi max capacity - where the tire/auto shops tend to fill them to). Once I replaced the shocks and adjusted my tire pressure, the difference was night and day.

1. C
2. Ill lower them from 38ish to 28ish and see if that does anything.
3. No off-roading, just back and forth to school and around town. But getting to school from where we live is about a 5 hour ride. I dont expect him to be home much, in fact we will probably visit him a lot more than he visits us, but I do want something capable of making the ride without too much discomfort. He will be only a short trip to Virginia Beach, so who wouldnt want a Jeep to go there??? I know I would as an 18 year old...
4. Shocks are unknown, my guess is they are original. They are white in color. Thats about all I can tell you.

Thank you for your response.

 

[Dmorton]

New shocks are always good & try about 26-28 psi in your tires. In addition to a better ride it will probably track better in the highway.
On a side note- be careful about loaning your Jeep to your son to take it off to college. I loaned my old truck to my son & that’s what happened to me. Heck! He talked me out of a canoe, a kayak, the truck & a college education before I realized what happened.

 

[Dmorton]

OMG that's way too high, that's one reason for your stiff ride. 28-30 is more appropriate for your tire which is roughly a 32" tire. Given a little time at the lower pressure you'd probably notice a better ride. They're also likely a Load Range D or E which is also too stiff riding for a Wrangler, metric sizes tend to have D or E Load Ranges. Load Range C is appropriate so if you'll go for an inch-size tire rather than a metric size tire, you'll be able to find an appropriate Load Range C more easily.

The two things most responsible for ride quality are tire pressure and shocks. So if it still rides too stiffly once you get the air pressure down to a more appropriate pressure, that's a shock model problem.

Thank you

 

[Dmorton]

As a follow up, the jeep currently has H7051S Skyjacker shocks. Im going to replace them with the highly recommended RS 5000X and see what that does along with a new set of more forgiving tires. Because I do not know what kind of springs this lift has, how much effect would springs (cheap or otherwise) have on the ride quality?

 

[Gollywomper]

As a follow up, the jeep currently has H7051S Skyjacker shocks. Im going to replace them with the highly recommended RS 5000X and see what that does along with a new set of more forgiving tires. Because I do not know what kind of springs this lift has, how much effect would springs (cheap or otherwise) have on the ride quality?

Zero. There isnt enough spring rate change in available TJ springs to change ride quality. Springs set ride height not ride quality.

 

[Dmorton]

Zero. There isnt enough spring rate change in available TJ springs to change ride quality. Springs set ride height not ride quality.

Thank you

 

[Dmorton]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent tire that looks like it belongs on a jeep and still gets decent ride quality? I told my local tire shop that I was looking for something with maybe a better ride quality than the mud-terrains, and he recommended a few light truck options, but they just dont look right for a jeep...

 

[Meanjoegreen]

I noticed a big difference replacing the control arms on my 97 after my lift. Before I would get lots of shake and shudder every bump I hit. After replacing the control arms it feels much more stable and planted on the road. Helped eliminate the shake and shudder over bumps. Feels like the shocks and springs are able to do their job now.

 

[Meanjoegreen]

I noticed a big difference replacing the control arms on my 97 after my lift. Before I would get lots of shake and shudder every bump I hit. After replacing the control arms it feels much more stable and planted on the road. Helped eliminate the shake and shudder over bumps. Feels like the shocks and springs are able to do their job now.

 

[Bluovalguy]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent tire that looks like it belongs on a jeep and still gets decent ride quality? I told my local tire shop that I was looking for something with maybe a better ride quality than the mud-terrains, and he recommended a few light truck options, but they just dont look right for a jeep...

I looked for several months at reviews on tires for my truck and finally settled on Falken Wildpeak AT3W all terrains. Good tread pattern, good looks, 3 peak rated if snow/ice is an issue where you’re at (and they work extremely well in snow and ice from experience) and very smooth and quiet riding tire.

I have take-off JK rubi wheels and MT tires on my TJ now, when the tires need replacement, the Falkens will absolutely be going on the Jeep.

 

[SSTJ]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent tire that looks like it belongs on a jeep and still gets decent ride quality? I told my local tire shop that I was looking for something with maybe a better ride quality than the mud-terrains, and he recommended a few light truck options, but they just dont look right for a jeep...

Another popular tire, both on this forum and on most Jeeps I see around here in SC, is the BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrain. But I don't know if they make a Load Range C for a 17" wheel. Mine are 15" wheels.

 

[Dmorton]

As a follow up, I got new BFG KO2's put on yesterday. Not a ton of difference from the mud-terrains, but definitely quieter. But this morning I put 2 new Rancho 5000X shocks on the fronts (I'm still waiting for the rears to be delivered), and wow what a difference in ride quality. I hate to use a cliché, but it really is almost night and day difference. And when I compressed my old shocks to take them off, they didn't expand. They stayed compressed. So obviously, they were beyond bad. So if anyone is looking to replace some old shocks and concerned about ride quality difference, I would recommend the 5000x's, as many members already have.