Jspec shocks or Blackmaxx shocks?

[aidanm]

Hi all,
Been doing some research into which shocks ride the best on a Jeep on and offroad and was wondering about everybody’s personal experiences with the blackmaxx or the jks jspecs. I’m getting the 3” jks dual rate springs which if I had gotten the entire lift kit, the jspec shocks would’ve come with, but I haven’t really heard much about them. I’ve been reading up on forums and the overall quality of the blackmaxx shocks hasn’t been that great, there’s been dead shocks in some shocks after a few months of them being on. Any experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

[OldBuzzard]

I like the Black MAX shocks on my LJ. Two years on, and the ride is still good. But the only thing I had to compare them to was the worn out OEM shocks they replaced.

I had a problem with the steel bushings at the bottom of the rear shocks. Read about it here.

 

[06lj]

The reviews I have seen on here have compared the JKS to the Rancho shocks. I've never run the JKS but have run the Ranchos. JKS was reported to be a little firmer than the Rancho 5000x. The Ranchos are always rated highly for a budget shock. Throughout every review on here they are consistently rated the best performer for the price. I currently run the BlackMax and can attest that they ride very nice and smooth. They are hydraulic vs gas charged like the JKS or Rancho. That does give them a different ride and they are a bit spongey feeling. This could be good or bad depending on your usage. If the Jeep is a daily driver I prefer a more responsive shock for maneuvering. For a weekend use Jeep like mine I prefer the ride of the BlackMax. The BlackMax do have more complaints about leaking. I've had mine a couple of years but don't drive it enough to give a long term reliability assessment. If you really wan the smoothest ride go with BlackMax. If you want gas charged I would consider either JKS or Rancho. Both are reputable companies with good support. I'd cycle your suspension and choose the shock with the best travel.

 

[aidanm]

The reviews I have seen on here have compared the JKS to the Rancho shocks. I've never run the JKS but have run the Ranchos. JKS was reported to be a little firmer than the Rancho 5000x. The Ranchos are always rated highly for a budget shock. Throughout every review on here they are consistently rated the best performer for the price. I currently run the BlackMax and can attest that they ride very nice and smooth. They are hydraulic vs gas charged like the JKS or Rancho. That does give them a different ride and they are a bit spongey feeling. This could be good or bad depending on your usage. If the Jeep is a daily driver I prefer a more responsive shock for maneuvering. For a weekend use Jeep like mine I prefer the ride of the BlackMax. The BlackMax do have more complaints about leaking. I've had mine a couple of years but don't drive it enough to give a long term reliability assessment. If you really wan the smoothest ride go with BlackMax. If you want gas charged I would consider either JKS or Rancho. Both are reputable companies with good support. I'd cycle your suspension and choose the shock with the best travel.

Thanks for the insight

 

[MRChiefE7]

I had the complete JKS 3" lift kit installed back in 2018 on the 05 LJ. When we were on an off-road trip with a group it was noted that my socks did not get hot like other shocks on the ride did. The ride may be a little harder than others shocks but not bad. I have not had any other shocks to compare to. Bottom line is I like the ride for both on & off road.