robertj said:
No lift. Im not sure how to tell about the rear shocks or not, but I know Ive got the towing package, which my stepdad told me came w/ those "overload coilovers" y'all were talking about.
About these Monroe Reflex shocks, where can I get 'em, how much they gonna run me, and what will I have to do to get them installed?
Would I even need coilovers in the back? All we ever carry is a sea-do or a small boat occassionally.
Shocks with built-in helper springs (what you are calling "coil overs") were not a factory option. More than likely someone added them because they towed enough heavy loads to cause the springs to sag. I don't know if Gabriel still makes a version of those -- the ones I am familiar with are Monroe "Load Levelers." They help beef up the suspension, but the shock isn't strong enough and the ride gets a bit ... odd. Not stiff, but too much up-and-down when traveling on undulating surfaces.
However, IMHO it is the front suspension that affects the way we perceive the "ride" far more than the rear. And it isn't all springs and shocks. The upper and lower control arms mount with rubber bushings. Over a period of years, and due to constant movement and exposure to ozone, the rubber gets hard. This results in road surface impacts being transmitted from the wheels through the suspension much more than in a new vehicle with the same suspension.
I'm going to suggest that you approach this in stages. Step one -- replace the front shocks. My recommendation is Monroe Reflex (available at Advance Auto, or many muffler shops can get them and install them), but Monroe makes other models that are less expensive. (Not that the Reflex is killer expensive, but I don't know what your budget is.) Just don't go to the bottom of the line -- be sure you get a gas-charged shock as a minimum.
If that doesn't help, and the harshness still seems to come from the front, then have the lower control arms replaced. NOTE: You should have a wheel alignment after doing this. It shouldn't screw up the alignment -- but the caster is set with the lower control arms, so it could.
If addressing the front doesn't do it, and/or it seems certain the ride problem is in the rear, then you have a decision to make: If you replace the Load-Levelers with regular shocks, you'll give up the extra load capacity. You may get a smoother ride, but the back of your XJ will sit lower, and you may not like the way that Sea-Doo tows. If that happens, you can buy after-market helper coils to mount over regular shocks. They aren't expensive -- about $25/pair -- and they have an advantage over the Monroe Load-Levelers in that you can adjust the amount of boost they give by pre-loading them at the time of installation (or later). Pep Boys usually has these in stock.
Hope this helps.
