fox coilovers

so i'm doing a 4 link on the rear of my xj. i have a long arm 4 link setup from a zj that i got for parts and will be using everything from that. i was going to weld coil buckets in, but i was thinking it might make more sense to go coilovers. i have not figured out the length i need for coilovers yet. i was thinking of trying to use the 4 bar link xls sheet to calculate the travel and go from there. for shock length, should i aim for what the travel is plus a little? or should i just go for the longest travel shock i can fit in case i decide to lift it higher in the future (sticking with 4-4.5" now).
obviously i'll have to weld in some new shock hoops to use the coilovers, so i guess i can compensate for the shock length fairly easily.

here's the shocks i was considering, mainly because of pricepoint so far. i didnt want to go super cheap, i want rebuildable and i want decent ride quality. kings or bilstiens are out of the question right now i think.
http://www.offroadwarehouse.com/products/sfID1/12/sfID2/113/sfID3/98

anyone have any opinions on these, and does anyone know of a better place to get them? preferably a naxja vendor? money is an object, but i'd prefer to support a company that supports us if i can.

mount your LA setup... minus the coilovers... flex it out..decide where your coilovers will mount... measure... purchase coilovers of appropriate length.

FYI the 2.0"s might not be heavy enough for the rear of your jeep... you may want to get a set of 2.5"s instead.

Have you thought about where the shocks will be going? For any decent length shock you'll be running them through the floor, or mounting them at a rediculous angle where they won't work very well, or using a cantilever setup that will probably require relocation of your gas tank. Consider the price of springs before you purchase shocks. 12 and 14" springs are tons cheaper than 16" or 18" springs. 14" shocks are about the best compromise, and 2" is sufficient. You don't need 2.5". I'm running 2" Sway-A-Way emulsion coilovers on the front and rear of my XJ, both 14" travel. It works great.

RockMonkey said:

Have you thought about where the shocks will be going? For any decent length shock you'll be running them through the floor, or mounting them at a rediculous angle where they won't work very well, or using a cantilever setup that will probably require relocation of your gas tank. Consider the price of springs before you purchase shocks. 12 and 14" springs are tons cheaper than 16" or 18" springs. 14" shocks are about the best compromise, and 2" is sufficient. You don't need 2.5". I'm running 2" Sway-A-Way emulsion coilovers on the front and rear of my XJ, both 14" travel. It works great.

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2x14 was exactly what i was thinking, but i wanted to do some homework first before purchasing. what springs did you go with? i was thinking of pocketing out the floor/wheelwell on the outside of the uni-frame rails to make room for some shock hoops. got any pics of your setup?

Vanimal said:

2x14 was exactly what i was thinking, but i wanted to do some homework first before purchasing. what springs did you go with? i was thinking of pocketing out the floor/wheelwell on the outside of the uni-frame rails to make room for some shock hoops. got any pics of your setup?

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That's pretty much where my shocks are, except I just ran them through a hole in the floor to a crossmember behind the back seat. I also moved my rear axle back 3" or so. My spring rates ended up being 150 over 250, I think, but yours will probably be different depending on how much compresion travel you want, the angle of your shocks, the weight of your added accessories, etc. I have a build thread on anther forum with tons of pictures. Warning, it's 40-something pages long currently...

http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?47224-Cheap-Cherokee-Build

RockMonkey said:

That's pretty much where my shocks are, except I just ran them through a hole in the floor to a crossmember behind the back seat. I also moved my rear axle back 3" or so. My spring rates ended up being 150 over 250, I think, but yours will probably be different depending on how much compresion travel you want, the angle of your shocks, the weight of your added accessories, etc. I have a build thread on anther forum with tons of pictures. Warning, it's 40-something pages long currently...

http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?47224-Cheap-Cherokee-Build

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ah yea i remember seeing your thread, very nice! thanks for the info, good starting points.

Vanimal said:

ah yea i remember seeing your thread, very nice! thanks for the info, good starting points.

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No problem. I think there is a decent picture showing the finished fender well where the shock comes through on or around page 30.

i saw that, i guess i gotta join the site though in order to see a full size image.

Vanimal said:

i saw that, i guess i gotta join the site though in order to see a full size image.

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Here.

The wheelwell is cut in half, extended a few inches, and welded back in because I moved my axle back. Coilover placement could be similar though, whether you moved the axle or left it in the stock position.

so heres the deal. I'll let you do all the research and then I'll just do my install.

btw, it's dan, right? I've got the fs green xj from moab...

Full body or no body? How much "lift"? How much up travel are you anticipating before your upper links at the axle go through the cargo area floor?

I have Fox 2.0, 16", roughly 6" up travel at my current ride height, no body.

Phil said:

Full body or no body? How much "lift"? How much up travel are you anticipating before your upper links at the axle go through the cargo area floor?

I have Fox 2.0, 16", roughly 6" up travel at my current ride height, no body.

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full body, 4-5" lift, pretty mild setup probably, so far.

sandyeggoxj said:

so heres the deal. I'll let you do all the research and then I'll just do my install.

btw, it's dan, right? I've got the fs green xj from moab...

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my name's Dan, but i've never been to moab.... only had the heep since the end of november.

Aha, we met at the m&g at lampost pizza in vista.... was in town visiting. Name is nate.

sandyeggoxj said:

Aha, we met at the m&g at lampost pizza in vista.... was in town visiting. Name is nate.

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ahh ok yep, that's me... i was confused for a minute lol. give a shout next time you're in town, we'll do some wheeling!

Phil said:

Full body or no body? How much "lift"? How much up travel are you anticipating before your upper links at the axle go through the cargo area floor?

I have Fox 2.0, 16", roughly 6" up travel at my current ride height, no body.

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i got the 2x16 fox shocks as well, they're sprung for about 7" of uptravel, in theory. we'll see how she sits when they're in. i just about finished the axle, and the last of the parts i needed will be here tomorrow. i got a full body though, i'll just go through the floor.

I will comment on the shocks themselves.

I run all Fox's on my full blown race truck(Toyota) and I have to say that I'm very impressed with the fox shox line. Call up Doug @ Mirage over in Santee. He will get you a much better deal than ORW.

The only thing to look for is if you get the reservoirs then they will most likely seep oil from the hose fittings on the shock side.

Edit: Also, Doug does vehicle weighing and coil spring calculation. So for around 100 bucks you can get your set of coil springs right the first time. He also sells springs at a decent price.