Just curious why my Jeep doesn't ride like stock with OME lift
- Thread starter Pcleaners2
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ZJ steering works well for most. The Currie is certainly stronger, and it also is formed to put the tire rod ends back into a neutral position with a 4" lift. That can help with longer shock travels if you go that direction. Not all heavy duty steering "upgrades" do this.
MountaineerTom
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Rancho has a $50 rebate ($50 Visa card) going on right now if you purchase over $200 from an authorized dealer. I ordered mine from Summit Racing and got the $50 Visa card in the mail a couple weeks ago. It ends 31 May, 2019.
http://www.gorancho.com/downloads/promotions/rancho_spring19_us.pdf
Since I know I’m gonna do 4” lift next year I wonder if it be ok to get rancho 3.5-5” even though Ive got 2.5” lift currently
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MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
If you install them on the 2.5" lift, I would imagine that they wouldn't react well and could possibly damage them.
Some of the others with more detailed knowledge of this could probably break it down in further detail.
Yeah true maybe I’ll just wait . Just figured it’d be nice to have a nicer ride until I get everything else later
I didn't want to say anything but you said it for me.
We take round ham, square cheese, diced onion, sliced tomato, put it on square bread ...cut it diagonally.. then complain because it falls apart.
I'm not harping ...I am just picky about ride-and-drive quality as they come...because it takes a good bit of the enjoyment out of an otherwise fun vehicle.
I think you do get into the dynamic that when you change one thing that changes other things.
Two and a half inch may not seem like much but it is world of distance in some suspension geometry equations.
I'm not qualified to direct anyone how to lift a Jeep and I'm not going to pretend like I am...but I'm going to tell you if you can develop some sort of a whole system approach you're likely to get a much much better end result.
I think another truism is different brands of lift or going to have different ride and handling characteristics... I declare I never drive two TJ's that feel similar...I'm not saying they don't exist I'm just saying that it seems everyone that I drive has different characteristics and I realize a lot of things enter in... just a bad alignment job can make one feel like junk.
I used to say that my Jeep drove like a stock Jeep even though it's lifted because it really tracks straight and is tight and predictable.
Then I realized I've never owned a stock TJ.
I had the opportunity to drive a 60th anniversary that was essentially stock with about 70,000 miles. I instantly thought wow you can drive this thing to California from Alabama .
After I did that I began saying my Jeep drives as well as any 4in lifted TJ that I've driven if not better.
I'm not beating you up all I'm saying is there seems to be a little bit of overselling going on.
Also at the same time don't settle... Just one bad track bar bushing can have quite an effect on a TJ.
I've researched this alot. And listened to the few experts on this forum.
It's the shocks. Go with RAncho 5000X. Make sure you get the "X". They are newer. Also get the correct size for your lift. I don't know what I had on mine from the PO. But once I changed to Rancho 5000x's my ride quality improved GREATLY. It's all about the shocks and psi.
My advice is to also paint them before you install. Unless you crave red. Wish I had painted mine. It kind of sticks out on a black Jeep. And one of my shaft covers already split. So you may want to just ditch those. I've read of several others doing that. Not sure it hurts anything.
It's the shocks. Go with RAncho 5000X. Make sure you get the "X". They are newer. Also get the correct size for your lift. I don't know what I had on mine from the PO. But once I changed to Rancho 5000x's my ride quality improved GREATLY. It's all about the shocks and psi.
My advice is to also paint them before you install. Unless you crave red. Wish I had painted mine. It kind of sticks out on a black Jeep. And one of my shaft covers already split. So you may want to just ditch those. I've read of several others doing that. Not sure it hurts anything.
There are a few guys here who'll tell ya the factory got it right. Lord know Jeep has exponentially more R&D money. Most after market suppliers are marketing firms. Only a few actually do engineering.
Most Wrangler mods are about doing things which can only hurt the ride or handling quality. We do it as a compromise to either improve capability off road, or stroke our ego and join the big boys club. IF your needs are to run thru a mud pit, climb a waterfall, get airborne in the dunes, you NEED those mods. But to excel there you will compromise the daily driver, mall crawler, soccer Mom capabilities.
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The answer! ... because OME introduced their “SPORT” shocks and discontinued their original shocks we all know and loved. The world it seems prefer a sports car feeling suspension. Their springs are still top notch. The 5000x shocks I now run remind me of the old nitro chargers.
I was SUPREMELY disappointed in the Nitrocharger SPORTs on my JKu, and my friends TJ.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Old Nitro Chargers in:
My 98 TJ from back in the day, even with “stiff” OME 4” springs
85 Toyota pickup
99 Discovery Series 2
Friends 93 FJ80
I am putting together a new TJ after selling my JK, and loving the new Rancho 5000x, they don’t have all the travel of a OME LT shock, even though they extend about the same :-/ ...
Currently running the 5000x shocks with OME HD springs. Nothing extreme
I was SUPREMELY disappointed in the Nitrocharger SPORTs on my JKu, and my friends TJ.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Old Nitro Chargers in:
My 98 TJ from back in the day, even with “stiff” OME 4” springs
85 Toyota pickup
99 Discovery Series 2
Friends 93 FJ80
I am putting together a new TJ after selling my JK, and loving the new Rancho 5000x, they don’t have all the travel of a OME LT shock, even though they extend about the same :-/ ...
Currently running the 5000x shocks with OME HD springs. Nothing extreme
Care to expand a little further in detail?
Speaking shocks only...Your OME shocks allowed you to more down travel than the same length Rancho shocks?
Old Man Emu shocks have a shorter compressed length than other shocks in the same size range.
The amount of travel they offer with respect of their compressed length. So they can offer almost 11.5" of travel with only 2" of bumpstop (something like that, numbers from memory). Mt current Rancho RS5000X have over 2" of bumpstop and only provide 9.6" of travel ... Sacrafice was worth it, travel isn't everything. Had the OME Long Travel SPORT shocks on my JK and it rode like total crap, Also had the long travel NitroCharger (Non Sport) on many other vehicles (toyota pickup, Land Rover and other TJ) and were awesome.
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