Two years since the original post and not many people now would ever suggest Bilstein shocks for a TJ. Oh how times change.
H&R 1” lift
- Thread starter Cal
- Start date
No need for a ratchet strap. I just turn the steering wheel back and forth until it lines up.
I mean I have the H&R springs +Bilstein 5100s on mine with 31x10.5 BFGs and think it rides pretty good. My comparison is my daily driver BMW with sport suspension though, so maybe I'm just used to it? I don't see what people are saying about the Bilsteins...Two years since the original post and not many people now would ever suggest Bilstein shocks for a TJ. Oh how times change.
Do the H&R front springs handle added weight, like bumpers and winches (extra 100+ pounds), without sagging?
I can’t speak to how the front springs handle extra weight but my experience with the rears is that they sag quite easily. I got 1.5“ lift up front and only 1” in the back with an OME spacer (10mm or 0.4”). Jeep is stock except for Gobi rack (95lbs) and 2” hitch (~30lbs). Throw on the bike rack and 2x MTBs (~ 120lbs extra) and my rear is back down to less than 0.5” lift over stock and that is without the rear seat.
I have 5,000 miles on my H&R/Bilstein setup and I'm completely satisfied. It doesn't ride like my quadralift equipped Grand Cherokee but I wouldn't expect it to.
Yes, but honestly not as bad. My original motivation for the H&R springs was hoping for more load carrying capacity without much lift, but now I just have a worse reverse sag situation because I got ~1.5" of lift in the front. I thought the increased spring rate would help but it seems not enought.
I've found the opposite with my H&Rs. I have the TJ ones so they initially sagged more than the LJ ones probably would have. I put 3/4" spacers in to level it out. When we've traveled with it I don't notice much sagging even with the bike carrier and bikes loaded. I'm also carrying 125 pounds of sand for winter traction and it seems to shrug it off.
I’m going to have some time this week and decent weather so I’m willing to do a weight/sag experiment and document it here to give back to the community.
My question is how heavy is everyone interested in seeing? I’ll load weight in trunk.
My question is how heavy is everyone interested in seeing? I’ll load weight in trunk.
I'd be very curious to see how yours responds to 200-250 lbs. Mine seemed fine with ~150 lbs (Gobi rack, hitch, some tools) but as soon as I threw on the bike carrier/bikes or hooked up the small utility trailer I had squatted about 2" (only gained 0.75 with the H&R springs + 0.4 with rear OME spacer).
I am looking at buying some H&R springs too, for my stock SE with new Ranchos. If anyone else has any reports of how the spring rates compare to start, I’d be very interested.
Since my rig is so light (stock SE), and I rarely load up on gear, I’m wondering if they might be too stiff for me.
Since my rig is so light (stock SE), and I rarely load up on gear, I’m wondering if they might be too stiff for me.
I think the ride is great (slightly stiffer, more controlled) but I didn't find them to be overly harsh and doubt that would change dramatically with a little less weight in the front. You may just want to get a few rear spring spacers to compensate and adjust the rake to your liking/needs. This is what I used: Old Man Emu OMEWTJPR10
Don't worry about the spring rates. If you pair the H&R springs with a set of stiff shocks, you'll get a very different ride than you would if you paired them with a set of soft shocks. In this example the springs don't change, but the ride will. H&R makes quality springs that will work well in your case. Just use a decent shock.
Here's an old Jeep on H&R springs and OME shocks. The ride was the best of any jeep I've owned. I can't say the same thing when I ran the same spring setup on Bilsteins. The rebound was way to harsh for my liking.
Thanks @Irun . Seems a little counter-intuitive to think that even if I put on an incredibly stiff spring, it wouldn't impact my ride quality. I mean, surely, if I put extremely stiff springs on my stock SE, they could be stiff enough to prevent the shocks from compressing at all, right? But maybe your point is that within the range of my options (Moog, H&R, etc.), the differences are too minor to feel in that way?
Anyway, seeing what @TheBoogieman posted by @mrblaine , it sounds like these more minor changes in spring rate do indeed affect ride quality, but just more indirectly—not by their own resistance, but by by determining your ride height, which in turn determines what portion of the shock's range/length you are using. Am I getting that right?
So I guess now my question is this: if I put Rancho RS5000Xs on my all-stock 97 SE, which springs will put my Jeep at a height that will use the right range/portion of the Rancho shocks? I gather that Moog springs are supposed to give me about 0" of lift, whereas the H&R sport springs would give me 1"–1.5" of lift.
If this is indeed the right way to be thinking about how springs impact ride quality, I'm eager to learn more.
Anyway, seeing what @TheBoogieman posted by @mrblaine , it sounds like these more minor changes in spring rate do indeed affect ride quality, but just more indirectly—not by their own resistance, but by by determining your ride height, which in turn determines what portion of the shock's range/length you are using. Am I getting that right?
So I guess now my question is this: if I put Rancho RS5000Xs on my all-stock 97 SE, which springs will put my Jeep at a height that will use the right range/portion of the Rancho shocks? I gather that Moog springs are supposed to give me about 0" of lift, whereas the H&R sport springs would give me 1"–1.5" of lift.
If this is indeed the right way to be thinking about how springs impact ride quality, I'm eager to learn more.
I built something the way I wanted it then sold it. Not one of the smarter things I've done, but it was to necessary to stay true to my word!