Which coil springs are the softest for a lifted TJ?

Brianj5600 said:
Then you have the wrong length shocks.
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What an eloquent way to put it. If you change springs on a rig, it is virtually impossible to not also change ride height. If you are running shocks that have 8" of travel and are biased slightly wrong with 3" of down travel, a new stiffer spring may move that to 2" of down travel so every decent event kicks the back of the rig up and tries to yank the axle off the ground.

Or any combination of new spring and on the edge of correct bias you can contrive. More often it is a too little up travel, new springs add some lift height and bam, now are new springs ride great except all we did is lower the number of times the shocks are slamming into the bump stops.
 
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Brianj5600 said:
Then you have the wrong length shocks.
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they might have been wrong before the ride height changed, and the user then perceives that his softer springs improved the ride quality, when it was in fact the wrong length shocks that were ruining it to begin with and now they're the right length.

Or conversely, they were right to begin with, and then somebody puts stiffer springs on that change the ride height to where the shock is the wrong length, and now they think their new stiffer springs ruined the ride quality.
 
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we should just start recommending the actual softest springs when people ask for them, and let the rest go, instead of getting sucked into these discussions.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
we should just start recommending the actual softest springs when people ask for them, and let the rest go, instead of getting sucked into these discussions.
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A lot of people get cranky when Currie/RockJock is recommended. 😉
 
TurboTJ said:
I went through this whole thing a few years ago. I installed 2 inch OME heavy duty springs along with their shocks and the ride was quite harsh. So I replaced the heavy duty springs with light duty springs. The ride was much better. I reported these results and boy did I get flamed for saying that springs affect ride quality! When I offered a physics 101 explanation as to why this might be true the flames got hotter. The reaction was so strong I thought I must have been wrong. So I did a blind test with a neighbor. First I took him for a ride with the LD springs. Then, without his knowledge of what I had done I took him for a ride with the re-installed HD springs. The reaction was immediate and conclusive. He thought the ride was worse. I got more input from my wife who knew I was working on the Jeep but didn’t know what I had done. With the HD springs she immediately asked what I had done to make the ride worse.

So there you have it. Basd upon my sample of one, spring rates can affect ride quality, albeit perhaps not as much as the shocks. This was not a case of the shocks reaching their up or down limits. This was just on ordinary roads. When offroad the ride with the LD springs was bad because I was always bottoming out. The HD springs are better in that regard.
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No offense, but do you realize that OME HD (OME 2933) has the same spring rate as OME LD (OME 2932), which is 140lbs?

Their only difference is that OME HD has 0.6" more free length than OME LD.
 
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TJim said:
No offense, but do you realize that OME HD (OME 2933) has the same spring rate as OME LD (OME 2932), which is 140lbs?

Their only difference is that OME HD has 0.6" more free length than OME LD.
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Yeah, it is just the rear HD springs that are higher rate (160 vs 140 lbs/in). The rear HD springs are about 10mm shorter than the LD springs. Shorter and stouter.
 
TJim said:
That's not the same thing.

Spring rate remains the same with either full or empty gas tank.
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Yes. However, the weight that the spring is reacting against is changing. Can you tell the difference? And can you tell which side the change is coming from?
 
jjvw said:
Yes. However, the weight that the spring is reacting against is changing. Can you tell the difference? And can you tell which side the change is coming from?
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I don't even know if that conversation has a point. Maybe I think there is no point.

The force would be different even at each different bump, or maybe at the same bump hitting in with slightly different speed.
 
TJim said:
I don't even know if that conversation has a point. Maybe I think there is no point.

The force would be different even at each different bump, or maybe at the same bump hitting in with slightly different speed.
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The point is that no one can tell the difference been 140lb and 160lb coils. Or ~5 gallons of gas in the tank or not.
 
jjvw said:
The point is that no one can tell the difference been 140lb and 160lb coils. Or ~5 gallons of gas in the tank or not.
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I know!

A different question. The only reason for running shocks as near as possible to 50/50 ratio is to have almost enough travel in both directions?

Or is there any different reason that make shocks work better wen they run close to 50/50 at ride height? (i.e. valving, etc.)

*The only choice for my case seems to be SkyJacker BlackMax B8516. (5.2" Up Travel, 4" Down Travel)
It's close but not perfect.

I wish I could run RS55239 which would be nearly perfect, but they seem to be a bit too long for my springs' free length.
 
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