Suspension Upgrade

[JWalters94]

Hey Guys! So i'm planning on upgrading the suspension on my Wrangler. When i bought it had a 4" Procomp suspension lift, and in the last few months it has got very very stiff and hard to even drive on a dirt road without feeling like i'm gonna break something. So i've decided to bite the bullet and upgrade it to a better quality suspension. It is also basically my daily driver so i want to bring its drive-ability a little closer to stock while still keeping it very offroad capable (I will not be crawling with it yet just trails and overlanding). I have been really looking at the ultimate wrangler OME Kit from DPG offroad, but i have also had some friends recommend Rubicon express also. I just wanted to get everyone's experienced opinion! Thank you!

 

[Steel City 06]

What is your budget? Tire size? Do you prefer bolt-on or are you willing to weld?

Most here will recommend the Savvy 4" short arm, which is a great option. Depending upon your goals and budget, there may be other options available.

 

[JWalters94]

What is your budget? Tire size? Do you prefer bolt-on or are you willing to weld?

Most here will recommend the Savvy 4" short arm, which is a great option. Depending upon your goals and budget, there may be other options available.

I don't really want to spend more than 1500, but obviously I may go up a little more if something is high quality, I would prefer bolt on because I don't have welding experience. I currently have 35s right now that the PO put on with transfer case drop, I was thinking about going down to 33s.

 

[Steel City 06]

4" of suspension lift will be okay with 35s, though 4" suspension and 1.25" body lift is preferred.

If you do a slip yoke eliminator kit and install a double cardan rear driveshaft, you can eliminate the transfer case drop at any reasonable lift height. You would want a suspension kit that comes with adjustable control arms. The Savvy short arm would be great in that case. Tom Wood's Driveshaft and Adam's Driveshaft are both popular driveshaft brands. I'm sure someone here can call out a good SYE brand.

If you do want to downsize to 33s, a 2.5"-3" lift plus 1.25" body lift would be ideal. OME and Savvy both offer decent suspension kits in that range. The Savvy 1.25" body lift is the preferred kit. Avoid the JKS body lift. A 4" suspension lift and no body lift would also work for 33s well.

With one of those shorter kits, a slip yoke eliminator, DC driveshaft, and adjustable control arms are still the preferred method to align the driveline.

Note that Rubicon models don't need a SYE, just a DC driveshaft and adjustable control arms.

 

[JWalters94]

4" of suspension lift will be okay with 35s, though 4" suspension and 1.25" body lift is preferred.

If you do a slip yoke eliminator kit and install a double cardan rear driveshaft, you can eliminate the transfer case drop at any reasonable lift height. You would want a suspension kit that comes with adjustable control arms. The Savvy short arm would be great in that case. Tom Wood's Driveshaft and Adam's Driveshaft are both popular driveshaft brands. I'm sure someone here can call out a good SYE brand.

If you do want to downsize to 33s, a 2.5"-3" lift plus 1.25" body lift would be ideal. OME and Savvy both offer decent suspension kits in that range. The Savvy 1.25" body lift is the preferred kit. Avoid the JKS body lift. A 4" suspension lift and no body lift would also work for 33s well.

With one of those shorter kits, a slip yoke eliminator, DC driveshaft, and adjustable control arms are still the preferred method to align the driveline.

Note that Rubicon models don't need a SYE, just a DC driveshaft and adjustable control a

Thank you for all the great info, looks like I will be doing a SYE and driveshaft no matter what down the road, would downsizing to 33s and installing a 2.5-3" lift be more suitable for a better ride on the road or will aligning the driveline by SYE and driveshaft also help with drivability at any lift height? Im new to suspension and still learning so thank you again!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

What you can do inexpensively immediately to SIGNIFICANTLY improve your ride is to replace the ProComp ES-3000 shocks with Rancho RS5000x shocks. The ES-3000 shocks are WAY too stiff and will shake the fillings out of teeth, they're a horrible shock for the Wrangler. And if you decide to go with the Rancho RS5000x, don't let anyone get confused and sell you the older and much stiffer RS5000 which rides like your ProComp ES-3000 shocks ride like.

And no, it's not the ProComp springs causing your stiff ride. They're actually very good springs and they will ride great with the right shocks and tire pressure.

Also, check the pressure in your 35's. My bet is they are grossly overinflated, most tire shops and Jeep owners don't know what pressure tires should be at except for the factory size tires. For 35's, you should be running no more than 24-26 psi at the most. I run mine at 24-25 and 26 if I'm taking a long highway trip. The bigger the tire, the less pressure they require which is why you can't use the inflation guide you see on the inside of the door jamb.

And pay NO attention to the pressure shown on the sidewall. That is only the tire's maximum safe air pressure, it's never the correct pressure to be used on the street. Various weight vehicles require different tire pressures so since the same tire and size can be used on various vehicle weights and types, the single (max safe) air pressure molded onto the sidewall is never the correct air pressure for automotive use.

For bicycle and trailer tires, inflate them to the pressure on the sidewall, just don't do that with an automotive tire.

 

[JWalters94]

What you can do inexpensively immediately to SIGNIFICANTLY improve your ride is to replace the ProComp ES-3000 shocks with Rancho RS5000x shocks. The ES-3000 shocks are WAY too stiff and will shake the fillings out of teeth, they're a horrible shock for the Wrangler. And if you decide to go with the Rancho RS5000x, don't let anyone get confused and sell you the older and much stiffer RS5000 which rides like your ProComp ES-3000 shocks ride like.

And no, it's not the ProComp springs causing your stiff ride. They're actually very good springs and they will ride great with the right shocks and tire pressure.

Also, check the pressure in your 35's. My bet is they are grossly overinflated, most tire shops and Jeep owners don't know what pressure tires should be at except for the factory size tires. For 35's, you should be running no more than 24-26 psi at the most. I run mine at 24-25 and 26 if I'm taking a long highway trip. The bigger the tire, the less pressure they require which is why you can't use the inflation guide you see on the inside of the door jamb.

And pay NO attention to the pressure shown on the sidewall. That is only the tire's maximum safe air pressure, it's never the correct pressure to be used on the street. Various weight vehicles require different tire pressures so since the same tire and size can be used on various vehicle weights and types, the single (max safe) air pressure molded onto the sidewall is never the correct air pressure for automotive use.

For bicycle and trailer tires, inflate them to the pressure on the sidewall, just don't do that with an automotive tire.

Thank you Jerry! I have actually read one of you posts regarding tire pressure and have all mine at 25 currently. I had a tire shop put a patch in the passenger front tire and couldn't believe that they inflated it to around 50 PSI when I checked it. Originally I was just going to replace the shocks with Rancho, but then I was reading more and thought that I might be better off just replacing the suspension as a whole to something more heavy duty and even though it will be more expensive. Im still deciding on whether to just upgrade what is currently installed (focus on shocks and install of SYE and driveshaft) or to just put something different on.

 

[Steel City 06]

Thank you for all the great info, looks like I will be doing a SYE and driveshaft no matter what down the road, would downsizing to 33s and installing a 2.5-3" lift be more suitable for a better ride on the road or will aligning the driveline by SYE and driveshaft also help with drivability at any lift height? Im new to suspension and still learning so thank you again!

What the SYE and driveshaft will do is allow you to get rid of the transfer case drop and maybe even get a flatter skid in the future. If you were to get rid of the TC drop without those parts, you would likely get high speed driveline vibrations. The adjustable control arms will also help you fine tune axle positions and angles to optimize the suspension. At higher lift heights, adjustable control arms are recommended irregardless of whether or not a SYE and DC driveshaft are used.

It won't significantly help with steering or suspension issues. Those will be focused on use of quality parts, alignment, and the issues Jerry mentioned.

 

[Rubicon88]

Don't buy anything.

IMO...

Your shocks are shit and....
Your tires are too heavy psi and or too stiff sidewall or both.

That's not to say your coils aren't worn out but if I were betting my attention would definitely go to the shocks.

Pro comp shocks suck.

There's only so many spring mfg (and shock for that matter) in this world.

Rancho 5000x and skyjacker black max are pretty good for the money on these little Jeeps.

Shocks not to get
Pro comp —————-\
Rough country —-> Junk
Rugged trail ————/


Bilstein 5100
Fox
Rancho 7000
Are great shocks but firm. Well more than the Rancho 5000x and black max. In a SWB most people don't like that. (Some do like a firm ride though)

Good luck.

 

[ErickTJ]

4" of suspension lift will be okay with 35s, though 4" suspension and 1.25" body lift is preferred.

If you do a slip yoke eliminator kit and install a double cardan rear driveshaft, you can eliminate the transfer case drop at any reasonable lift height. You would want a suspension kit that comes with adjustable control arms. The Savvy short arm would be great in that case. Tom Wood's Driveshaft and Adam's Driveshaft are both popular driveshaft brands. I'm sure someone here can call out a good SYE brand.

If you do want to downsize to 33s, a 2.5"-3" lift plus 1.25" body lift would be ideal. OME and Savvy both offer decent suspension kits in that range. The Savvy 1.25" body lift is the preferred kit. Avoid the JKS body lift. A 4" suspension lift and no body lift would also work for 33s well.

With one of those shorter kits, a slip yoke eliminator, DC driveshaft, and adjustable control arms are still the preferred method to align the driveline.

Note that Rubicon models don't need a SYE, just a DC driveshaft and adjustable control arms.

My uncle got this Rubicon project we'll work on after we finished installing the suspension and black rhino truck wheels on the current Silverado project and clear the garage. Guess that 4" lift with the body kit on 35s is the best choice for this Rubicon.

 

[TheBoogieman]

Buy better shocks and save your money for other things.

 

[Goatman]

Try the Rancho 5000x shocks. At $50 a corner they are a cheap investment. And if they don't get you what you want, then you could swap to a different spring, but the Ranchos would still be the go-to shock, so assuming you keep with a 4" spring, you would be out nothing. You can spend a LOT more for shocks and not improve your ride over what the 5000x give. Just be aware that Rancho tends to list shocks that are too long for application. Get shocks rated for up to 4", not 4"+.

 

[JWalters94]

Thank you for all the great input! I am gonna order the Rancho 5000X and get them intalled ASAP! Also great to know that they run a little long, because I was gonna get the set that was for a 4-5" lift, but will now go with the set that is up to 4!

 

[JWalters94]

Try the Rancho 5000x shocks. At $50 a corner they are a cheap investment. And if they don't get you what you want, then you could swap to a different spring, but the Ranchos would still be the go-to shock, so assuming you keep with a 4" spring, you would be out nothing. You can spend a LOT more for shocks and not improve your ride over what the 5000x give. Just be aware that Rancho tends to list shocks that are too long for application. Get shocks rated for up to 4", not 4"+.

Thank you for your response, I noticed that shock surplus only sells kits in 2"-3" in lift height, 3.5 inch, and 4"-5" inch lift. They also have some that are a little more and front and rear are sold separately but are rated for 2.5" to 4" lift, should I just go with the 3.5 inch kit or spend a little more and buy the 2.5"-4" in shocks?

 

[Steel City 06]

You'll most likely want the ones for 3.5" of suspension lift. Note you particularly want the RS5000X and not any other series. Some of the other series, like the 7000 series, run much stiffer. The RS9000XL isn't bad, but tends to have very short travel for its length.

 

[JWalters94]

You'll most likely want the ones for 3.5" of suspension lift. Note you particularly want the RS5000X and not any other series. Some of the other series, like the 7000 series, run much stiffer. The RS9000XL isn't bad, but tends to have very short travel for its length.

Great! Thanks again! cant wait to get those on! I noticed the rear shocks installed are Procomp ES-9000 not sure what the difference is from the 3000 but the rear is noticeably stiffer than then the front. Looking forward to getting those off.

 

[Steel City 06]

The numbers really don't mean anything across from brands. The RS5000X is a rather unique shock in that it was likely intended to be a very inexpensive and budget minded shock, but the designers somehow hit it out of the park with the tuning. There are shocks that are better, like tuned Fox shocks, but you're going to be paying 10x the price of the RS5000X.

 

[JWalters94]

The numbers really don't mean anything across from brands. The RS5000X is a rather unique shock in that it was likely intended to be a very inexpensive and budget minded shock, but the designers somehow hit it out of the park with the tuning. There are shocks that are better, like tuned Fox shocks, but you're going to be paying 10x the price of the RS5000X.

sure sounds like they did something right from all the great reviews on the forum!

 

[JWalters94]

Update: I installed the the new Rancho Shocks and the jeep definitely rides much better (My old fronts were absolutely shot). But once I got done I realized the the shocks I purchased seemed to have a longer body and this made me wonder About the affect on my travel and if maybe I was sent the wrong shocks or Ranchos are just longer than the procomps I took off.

 

[Goatman]

Ranchos tend to run a bit long. Use 0-2" lift shocks for 2-2 1/2" lift. You don't list having a lift installed, so they are the ones. Measure your old shocks full compressed and full extension and compare to Rancho shocks. What are the numbers? Also it is possible your old shocks might be wrong.
Measure front and rear spring length installed
Should be 12 up front, 8 in the back.