Very sad today: please share ride quality of various 4x4s

theskyking123

theskyking123

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Long story short, I finally had to accept that my 45 year old back gets too jacked up from off-roading in my beloved TJ. Today was definitely the last day, my fingers and toes are numb from back issues and I can barely walk. What's strange is I get very little back pain or issues doing other stuff in life, so it is definitely offroading.

I already purchased a new drivers seat, that was definitely contributing to issues, but it wasn't enough sadly - even though I love the new seat.

A friend of mine has a 2023 Rubicon and I drove it off-road and the ride quality was MUCH less bumpy, maybe I need to get one of those.

Would love to hear others experiences regarding which off road vehicles are more smooth.
 
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Does anyone think these Bilstein rear shocks are making the ride more stiff? The front end - with sway bar disconnected - definitely feels more supple and loose than the rear end. Maybe I should take the bilstein's off?
 
Well you’re gonna have to get somebody to respond that had a variety of vehicles-

So many of us are very TJ centric.

I do have the notion that many of these are a lot harsher than they should be because of the choices of aftermarket parts that many people make as well as some running too much tire pressure.

I wish you the best with your back I know that can be misery.
 
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theskyking123 said:
Does anyone think these Bilstein rear shocks are making the ride more stiff? The front end - with sway bar disconnected - definitely feels more supple and loose than the rear end. Maybe I should take the bilstein's off?
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You most certainly have an issue with the shocks.
 
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theskyking123 said:
You think the expensive fancy shocks make the ride worse, or better?
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Most definitely better, but you don’t need 600 dollar a corner shocks to have a good ride. You do need to pay attention to your build though, and get it set up correctly.

Out of curiosity, what tire pressure are you running, both on and off-road?

As a point of reference, I’m really close to 47 years old, I have degenerative disc disease in my lumbar and I can ride 8 hours + off-road in my Jeep without issue. And…my shocks are about 50 bucks a corner

Edit: I should add, spending a bunch of money doesn’t automatically make the jeep ride better. It takes work, patience and the ability and desire to spend the money on tuning and playing with adjustments…but they will absolutely improve your ride if your willing to put the work in.
 
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I guess this is all mostly stock, huh? Not very good for comfort? What do people suggest? I am not a jeep expert, I am a weekend warrior looking to have some fun without breaking my back. What shock setup would be best for comfort without concern for "maximum" capability and performance?

shock3.jpeg


shock2.jpeg


shock1.jpeg
 
theskyking123 said:
I guess this is all mostly stock, huh? Not very good for comfort? What do people suggest? I am not a jeep expert, I am a weekend warrior looking to have some fun without breaking my back. What shock setup would be best for comfort without concern for "maximum" capability and performance?

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An important question that none of your pictures show is how much shiny shock shaft is sticking out of the larger cylinder.
 
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theskyking123 said:
About 5 inches.
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On both the front and rear?

With the assumption that the remaining shaft inside the cylinder is about the same, that is a good start.

Your Bilsteins have a long reputation for transmitting small event harshness into the frame/body.
 
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jjvw said:
On both the front and rear?

With the assumption that the remaining shaft inside the cylinder is about the same, that is a good start.

Your Bilsteins have a long reputation for transmitting small event harshness into the frame/body.
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My jeep doesn't seem to have bilstein's on the front, only the rear, but I might need to look again.
and I dont think the small events is what is killing my back, I think it is more of larger rolling obstacles, let's say 8 inch rollers and ditches, feels very bouncy and like a yo-yo, especially the rear end, incidentally the rear end is where the bilesteins are...
 
I also mountain bike, one thing about mountain biking is you intuitively use your arms and legs as shocks when standing on pedals, no bumps get to your back without going through arms and legs.... I wish I could stand in the jeep, LOL.
 
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