Rough ride (I am at a loss at this point)

Alight, just got back from the test drive, it’s not perfect but I dropped down to 22, the harsh bumps have turned to mild bumps and the mild bumps have dropped to soft bumps, I’ll do the chalk test tomorrow but progress is progress
 
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Blake Stamper said:
Alight, just got back from the test drive, it’s not perfect but I dropped down to 22, the harsh bumps have turned to mild bumps and the mild bumps have dropped to soft bumps, I’ll do the chalk test tomorrow but progress is progress
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That’s how mine was @22 psi, but then it was too bouncy and honestly not soft enough to be worth it. Hopefully all is well for you and the chalk test looks good.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
Something's not right if you're still getting that rough of a ride on 24 psi in 35" tires and you've even tried the RS5000x shocks from Rancho. Can you take a good photo of the shocks and springs with the weight of the TJ on the axles/tires on the ground? And hopefully you don't have boots on the shocks, we need to see the exposed strut length.
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I had the same issues and it was baffling.

The only time my 35s rode pretty nice @24 psi in town was when the back was loaded down with axles/gears/lockers/hubs/BBK/wheels on the way to the shop. It rode significantly smoother when weighed down.
 
I run my 35” STT at 26psi. My ride is smooth, I don’t think the STT’s are a firmer tire, if anything I feel like they are pretty soft.

I asked this question on page one, but what I can see of your pics, it looks like your lower arms use a poly bushing in a barrel both frame and axle side. Is this correct?

If it is correct, I would be looking at the arms as they would be reducing a lot of movement.
 
Superjay5 said:
I run my 35” STT at 26psi. My ride is smooth, I don’t think the STT’s are a firmer tire, if anything I feel like they are pretty soft.

I asked this question on page one, but what I can see of your pics, it looks like your lower arms use a poly bushing in a barrel both frame and axle side. Is this correct?

If it is correct, I would be looking at the arms as they would be reducing a lot of movement.
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That is correct
 
Blake Stamper said:
That is correct
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Well they are not helping your cause at all.

Having a bushing at both ends is limiting all rotational movement.

Those arms are causing the axle just to move up and down in unison as you hit a bump. The only flex they will allow is the small amount of poly bushing on either side of the joint, which is not much!

The last pic you posted I assume the arms are getting most of that flex by the lower control arm mounts, as in it’s actually causing that mount yo flex.


I’d start saving for new arms.

In the meantime you could back off how tight you have the control arm bolts, and take it for a rip and see if you feel any improvement. It wouldn’t be a lot, but would allow that arm to move a little more and it might help you confirm the harsh ride is coming from those arms
 
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I've upgraded my suspension from RE to currie/rockjock full kit, and have run RE, rancho rs5000x, Black-Maxx, and fox 2.0 shocks. I run 35" C rated K03 MTs. The most significant thing I've done to my jeep to smooth out the ride BY FAR has been replacing the seats with suspension seats. I went with mastercraft rubicons because I found them at a great price on sale, but PRP daily drivers are a very similar design. I was blown away by how much they soak up small to medium hits and reduce fatigue (offroad and on pavement). I don't need to air down anymore unless the trail requires it. I used to air down to 12 psi as soon as I left pavement for comfort's sake. With my new seats, dirt roads, washboard, etc. are no problem at 26 - 28 psi. 10/10 recommend.
 
So you have the shocks removed... now take the springs off too and go for a test drive to eliminate those as a cause. If still rough, remove the tires for a test drive and we'll go from there.
 
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Tony Little said:
I've upgraded my suspension from RE to currie/rockjock full kit, and have run RE, rancho rs5000x, Black-Maxx, and fox 2.0 shocks. I run 35" C rated K03 MTs. The most significant thing I've done to my jeep to smooth out the ride BY FAR has been replacing the seats with suspension seats. I went with mastercraft rubicons because I found them at a great price on sale, but PRP daily drivers are a very similar design. I was blown away by how much they soak up small to medium hits and reduce fatigue (offroad and on pavement). I don't need to air down anymore unless the trail requires it. I used to air down to 12 psi as soon as I left pavement for comfort's sake. With my new seats, dirt roads, washboard, etc. are no problem at 26 - 28 psi. 10/10 recommend.
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Imo that doesn't sound like a solution, I feel thats like saying, I had death wobble and put a new steering stabilizer on and it went away, it covers up the issue but it doesn't change the fact that the Jeep's suspension isn't working properly it just makes it so you can't feel it as bad.
 
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Blake Stamper said:
Imo that doesn't sound like a solution, I feel thats like saying, I had death wobble and put a new steering stabilizer on and it went away, it covers up the issue but it doesn't change the fact that the Jeep's suspension isn't working properly it just makes it so you can't feel it as bad.
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My experience with poly bushings is that they transfer road imperfections directly to the driver. I have two poly bushings on a different vehicle and immediately after installation noticed a rougher ride, I just had to get used to it.
 
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Blake Stamper said:
Imo that doesn't sound like a solution, I feel thats like saying, I had death wobble and put a new steering stabilizer on and it went away, it covers up the issue but it doesn't change the fact that the Jeep's suspension isn't working properly it just makes it so you can't feel it as bad.
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I totally get it, I'm just sharing my experience. I installed the best suspension I could afford (arms/steering/springs all currie/rockjock), and experimented with multiple shock and my jeep still had a "rough ride." I'm not suggesting my suspension is not much improved compared to the RE lift it replaced. But my suspension upgrades did not improved the harsh ride as much as the seats. Sounds crazy, but it's true. So once you dial in your suspension and if it still rides rough, swap out the stock seats for some good suspension seats. It's the best upgrade I've done to affect the ride comfort.
 
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Tony Little said:
I totally get it, I'm just sharing my experience. I installed the best suspension I could afford (arms/steering/springs all currie/rockjock), and experimented with multiple shock and my jeep still had a "rough ride." I'm not suggesting my suspension is not much improved compared to the RE lift it replaced. But my suspension upgrades did not improved the harsh ride as much as the seats. Sounds crazy, but it's true. So once you dial in your suspension and if it still rides rough, swap out the stock seats for some good suspension seats. It's the best upgrade I've done to affect the ride comfort.
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gotcha, that makes sense, thank you for your input!
 
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