Very sad today: please share ride quality of various 4x4s
- Thread starter theskyking123
- Start date
All the talk about air pressure ant shocks is all relevant in your case.
One thing I see missed, is the dropped pitman arm you have. This will cause bump-steer (drive one front tire up a bump, and steering wheel will move a lot more than it should) and will wear at your arms, and core as you counteract the bump-steer.
It looks like you’ve got a bit of work dialing in you Jeep, but it can be done… and you’ll learn things along the way.
Your friend’s JLU rubicon is quite a different breed than the Jeep you have. 15 years in development and offroad testing has refined (a lot of folk here will disagree…) the newest Jeep. Longer, wider, a little heavier…
One thing I see missed, is the dropped pitman arm you have. This will cause bump-steer (drive one front tire up a bump, and steering wheel will move a lot more than it should) and will wear at your arms, and core as you counteract the bump-steer.
It looks like you’ve got a bit of work dialing in you Jeep, but it can be done… and you’ll learn things along the way.
Your friend’s JLU rubicon is quite a different breed than the Jeep you have. 15 years in development and offroad testing has refined (a lot of folk here will disagree…) the newest Jeep. Longer, wider, a little heavier…
I can't emphasize enough to you guys just HOW jacked up it makes my back to go jeeping in the TJ. My son isn't bothered by it so I think it is just me. I never have any back problems in life at all, but after jeeping my lower back is in agony for days. I have meatier legs , maybe too much weight in my lower body torquing around with my lower back being the lever arm. I'm not overweight but I've always had larger legs / butt. Anyway, it's absolutely beyond any back injury I've ever had. It's just game over unless I can somehow achieve LARGE changes in the ride, not small adjustments. Maybe need a different vehicle...
I hear you. That's the reason i posted up as many vehicle options as I have experience with. Did you see my post?
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...de-quality-of-various-4x4s.80396/post-1594252
Any of those rigs pique your interest? I'd rather someone swap vehicles than not go out at all. Literally TONS of choices out there. I'd recommend you make a solid list of types of terrain you go on and see if a TJ is really what you need/want.
- 1-4/10 difficulty trails - IFS is going to be fine and probably much easier on your back (4runner, FJ cruiser, 100 series)....
- 5+/10 difficulty trail - stick with a LWB solid axle rig to allow the wheelbase to soak up as much of the bumps as possible (LJ, Cherokee, JK)
TJ's are pretty great, but then again they suck at certain things, too. (just like any vehicle - always trade-offs) Comfort and storage - pretty lackluster, overall. Their short wheelbase and compact size, though, is what also makes them awesome in certain off-road situations.
Our last rig, a VERY built 5th gen 4runner (33's armor, dual transfer cases, full overland buildout in the rear), was a Cadillac compared to our TJ as far as ride comfort, road noise, etc. Just gave up too much in tough terrain and honestly, wheeling an IFS just feels weird/spooky to me on 5+ trails, with the "always a wheel in the air" weeble-wobble characteristic. So we sold it and grabbed the TJ. I'll STILL probably grab a 4door wagon 4wd for milder trails with our bigger family in mind - top choices right now are 3rd gen 4runners, FJ100's and Cherokee's.
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This is the seat I bought, it has lumbar support but it’s a little too low for me. But overall the seat is pretty good, I don’t really get pain when driving on road, so the seat is at least adequate.
But as soon as the wheels touch dirt and there are any ruts or washouts, and the rear end of the TJ starts swinging around like a Hawaiian hula dancer, it’s game over within minutes.
But as soon as the wheels touch dirt and there are any ruts or washouts, and the rear end of the TJ starts swinging around like a Hawaiian hula dancer, it’s game over within minutes.
It sounds to me like your shocks are incorrect length in the rear. You may want to adjust the rear bumpstops. It is best to achieve 50/50 travel lengths.
I recently changed my shocks and had to adjust my bumpstops because the rear was bottoming out way too early and created a bucking feeling. It jostled you around and rocked the jeep severely when doing something as simple as driving through a deeper-than-usual sidewalk/gutter. The fronts didn't have to be adjusted and until i fixed the rear the impulse was exactly as you are describing.
I recently changed my shocks and had to adjust my bumpstops because the rear was bottoming out way too early and created a bucking feeling. It jostled you around and rocked the jeep severely when doing something as simple as driving through a deeper-than-usual sidewalk/gutter. The fronts didn't have to be adjusted and until i fixed the rear the impulse was exactly as you are describing.
I have a buddy who purchased a TJ and he kept complaining of the bad ride. We finally stopped to take a look and I immediately saw Bilsteins and told him that was the issue. 
We went a step more and removed the shocks only to find the shocks were so short they were at max extension on level ground. The ride height increase after we removed the old shocks. After installation of the new shocks it was much better. The rig still has lots of other issues effecting the ride quality, but the shocks being incorrect was absolutely a big issue.
We went a step more and removed the shocks only to find the shocks were so short they were at max extension on level ground. The ride height increase after we removed the old shocks. After installation of the new shocks it was much better. The rig still has lots of other issues effecting the ride quality, but the shocks being incorrect was absolutely a big issue.
Adjust, as in shorten because there was unused shock travel after the bumps touched or lengthen because the shocks needed the jounces to assist on slowing the shock travel speed before full compression?
I have a buddy who purchased a TJ and he kept complaining of the bad ride. We finally stopped to take a look and I immediately saw Bilsteins and told him that was the issue.
We went a step more and removed the shocks only to find the shocks were so short they were at max extension on level ground. The ride height increase after we removed the old shocks. After installation of the new shocks it was much better. The rig still has lots of other issues effecting the ride quality, but the shocks being incorrect was absolutely a big issue.
This is an excellent and very informative example of why shock length is important.
To be crystal clear about that...If the shock was a full, extended length at ride height, anytime the wheel needs to drop into a rut, pothole, or any other depression, its going to pull the body down. With solid front and rear axles, TJ's have a bunch of unsprung weight. It WILL pull the body down into that hole, and then when the hole rises back up, you get a large upset, since the body is moving down due to gravity and the ground is going to force it up.
If the springs and shocks work together, the axle can drop down and then rise up without upsetting the body nearly as much. You have less overall weight moving, and the result is less perceived impact.
Can confirm, this will wear your back out in a hurry. My rear shocks became too short after doing my SYE and it felt like the TJ was trying to throw me out the window every time a back tire went into even a modest hole or dip.
@theskyking123 One thing you might consider is to see if there are any highly recommended 4x4-focused shops in the area that can thoroughly evaluate and overhaul your suspension with a focus on ride quality. Sure, you might spend an additional $15,000, but you’ll spend far more than that on a new car anyways. You could always get a quote and sit on it.
It’s easy to throw parts like shocks, sway bars, tires, control arms, bushings, steering, etc. at something, and maybe they all work better, but it’s not likely to be great unless it is all specified and designed as a system. With every member here having different builds and different brand loyalties, it is next to impossible to decipher what a complete solution might look like just from threads like these alone.
However, there are a number of combination solutions that various designers have nearly perfected over the years that they can install on a rig with a high probability of success. These designers know what parts work well with others, and even though different designers can have totally different philosophies and brand loyalties, a number of them can produce rigs that have very good performance.
That said, I have no idea which shops would be good in your area, but I’d bet a few of the locals in here have ones they recommend (and maybe don’t recommend).
It’s easy to throw parts like shocks, sway bars, tires, control arms, bushings, steering, etc. at something, and maybe they all work better, but it’s not likely to be great unless it is all specified and designed as a system. With every member here having different builds and different brand loyalties, it is next to impossible to decipher what a complete solution might look like just from threads like these alone.
However, there are a number of combination solutions that various designers have nearly perfected over the years that they can install on a rig with a high probability of success. These designers know what parts work well with others, and even though different designers can have totally different philosophies and brand loyalties, a number of them can produce rigs that have very good performance.
That said, I have no idea which shops would be good in your area, but I’d bet a few of the locals in here have ones they recommend (and maybe don’t recommend).
I have Bilstein 5100s on my gladiator and they're close to too stiff there. I couldn't imagine them on a TJ.
For "bucking bronco" in the rear or as I call it a "donkey kick" it may be stiff shocks or even dead shocks. Does it bounce once and dampen out or does it rock around a bunch?
As others have recommended I have black max shocks on all corners and am pretty happy. I won't change them until I outboard the shocks.
Do you have your spare on the rear? If you don't you have almost no weight back there to help smooth the ride with stiff shocks. I've run with and without my spare and it definitely donkey kicks harder without it.
For "bucking bronco" in the rear or as I call it a "donkey kick" it may be stiff shocks or even dead shocks. Does it bounce once and dampen out or does it rock around a bunch?
As others have recommended I have black max shocks on all corners and am pretty happy. I won't change them until I outboard the shocks.
Do you have your spare on the rear? If you don't you have almost no weight back there to help smooth the ride with stiff shocks. I've run with and without my spare and it definitely donkey kicks harder without it.
Shorten, I was hitting the bumps way early when I pulled out the PO's shocks and installed some blackmaxs. They're as centered as I care to get them now until I start ripping a bunch of stuff out lol
DuckNut
TJ Enthusiast
Following up...led a group of 7 rigs this weekend over mostly easy trails, but with lots of holes and ruts and embedded rocks that can really be teeth -jarring. Load-C 35" MTs at 10 psi, rs5000x in front and Black Maxx in rear. Not only is my back just fine after 3 days of it, but to keep the group together I was consistently running slower than I would have naturally if alone. The rest of the group was a TJ and JKU each on 33s, 2 more JKUs on 35s, and a Tacoma on 31s. The shocks certainly made a difference, as well as none of the other drivers had the balls to air down past 15.