are we? wanna let me know where we're going? I'm lost, LOLNow we're getting somewhere!
Smoke and mirrors my friend, lol! It's magical!are we? wanna let me know where we're going? I'm lost, LOL
I had the Skyjacker Black Max's out in Uwharrie yesterday. Lots of rocky, bumpy trails. They felt very good to me. Even my friend (not a Jeep owner) who rode with me thought they rode really good. I had a couple places in mind that I thought the rear bumper might drag when coming off a ledge, but it didn't. If I had come off them faster, probably,
On a different note, off-roading is crazy sometimes. Some places you think your going to have a little trouble and then the Jeep just goes with no issues. Then you drag your main skid on something you didn't even give a second thought too.
Lots of this kind of stuff there:
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We drove to the ledge on Daniel. Just wanted to see it because my Jeep isn’t set up to handle it. Then we wen up the back side of Daniel to the top of the mountain. That hill climb coming from the front side is no joke. Even the easy side looked too much for me. LOL Pictures and videos don’t do it justice.Nice man. I’m out here today. Let me know when you get back out here. I’d love to join up with a fellow forum member.
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Nice man. I’m out here today. Let me know when you get back out here. I’d love to join up with a fellow forum member.
Are you running the 8525/8528 combo?All four black max shocks are installed. I think I can live with these for a while. They feel pretty good for the cost. Hopefully, they last me a couple years. It's been interesting experimenting with different shocks and feeling the vastly different ways my Jeep ride and performed.
In summary:
Rancho 5000x: decent ride, but the front and rear ends seemed to be doing different things. Made for a very disconcerting driving experience. I'm starting to wonder if I got a bad set of rear shocks. I didn't feel any real differences between them, but there was something definitely wrong, that I haven't felt with any of my other experiments.
KYB monomax:. Better than the ranchos, in that they controlled the Jeep and the rear started reacting predicably again. Very stiff though. High pressure charge, enough so that when I was checking my bumps without the springs, the Jeep would lift up, then settle back down on every stroke of the jack. Bouncy ride.
Black max: compliant, good travel for the lift height (4'ish inches). They didn't exhibit any of the handling weirdness that the ranchos did, either. They will give a bit of a jolt in big bumps. I don't really have much else to say about them. They feel like they will be decent off-road, but I won't know until I try it. An added benefit... Because they aren't nitrogen charged, they are VERY easy to install.
Thanks for the summary.All four black max shocks are installed. I think I can live with these for a while. They feel pretty good for the cost. Hopefully, they last me a couple years. It's been interesting experimenting with different shocks and feeling the vastly different ways my Jeep ride and performed.
In summary:
Rancho 5000x: decent ride, but the front and rear ends seemed to be doing different things. Made for a very disconcerting driving experience. I'm starting to wonder if I got a bad set of rear shocks. I didn't feel any real differences between them, but there was something definitely wrong, that I haven't felt with any of my other experiments.
KYB monomax:. Better than the ranchos, in that they controlled the Jeep and the rear started reacting predicably again. Very stiff though. High pressure charge, enough so that when I was checking my bumps without the springs, the Jeep would lift up, then settle back down on every stroke of the jack. Bouncy ride.
Black max: compliant, good travel for the lift height (4'ish inches). They didn't exhibit any of the handling weirdness that the ranchos did, either. They will give a bit of a jolt in big bumps. I don't really have much else to say about them. They feel like they will be decent off-road, but I won't know until I try it. An added benefit... Because they aren't nitrogen charged, they are VERY easy to install.
I've pulled mine twice now because I suspected they were blown and posted about it once. The description of the 5000X being uncontrolled matches my experience pretty well. From what I'd call a detailed description some people called them blown. For my use way too soft or under damped on recovery from a hard hit whatever shaft speed that is.Yeah, I do wonder about the rear shocks. The Ranchos are so popular on this forum, and I don’t think that anyone else has reported a similar experience. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.)
I've pulled mine twice now because I suspected they were blown and posted about it once. The description of the 5000X being uncontrolled matches my experience pretty well. From what I'd call a detailed description some people called them blown. For my use way too soft or under damped on recovery from a hard hit whatever shaft speed that is.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/shock-advise-wanted-for-heavy-duty-use.27028/
Me neither. All four of yours won't even buy one corner for ours.(can’t believe im putting $60 shocks on my jeep)
$60 is less than the tax for each "shock" I have on orderMe neither. All four of yours won't even buy one corner for ours.
Shock | N8056S (Nitro) | B8525 (Black Max) |
Extended Length | 24.3" | 24.3" |
Compressed Length | 14.52" | 14.52" |
Travel | 9.78" | 9.78" |
Shock | N8088S (Nitro) | B8563 (Black Max) |
Extended Length | 24.94" | 27.07" |
Compressed Length | 14.91" | 15.94" |
Travel | 10.03" | 11.13" |
This is just a bandaid for the time being, I’ll be up there soon enough.Me neither. All four of yours won't even buy one corner for ours.
Hey! Sorry I am not very active the past few weeks. Because I don't really have much time, do you mind writing the the summary that I should post on the first post of this thread? So I can copy paste it? Credits will be given of course! hahaGotcha, thanks.
@TJim, you may be regretting that you ever started this thread, but how about we craft a summary of the findings and add it as a spoiler to the original post, so that others don't have to sift through all 15+ pages of comments? We could take Mike_H's summary as a starting point, plus any other testimonies that come in from others who have been trying out these three. Happy to help, I just don't have edit access of course.
We drove to the ledge on Daniel. Just wanted to see it because my Jeep isn’t set up to handle it. Then we wen up the back side of Daniel to the top of the mountain. That hill climb coming from the front side is no joke. Even the easy side looked too much for me. LOL Pictures and videos don’t do it justice.