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Need help selecting a shock / spring combo.

alex22

NAXJA Forum User
I have been doing some extensive searching throughought this forum and google searching.
Backround: I bought this 1996 XJ in August. The seller did not know much about it. I found instructions for a Trailmaster 4 inch lift in the glove box, so i'm going to say it has a 4 inch lift, still need to do the "dirty" measure to confirm. This thing takes speedbumps and potholes like a 1 ton truck. The tubes are starting to rust, have some dents in them and the bushings at the axle end are shot. They are trailmaster shocks. I want to replace the shocks and if need be the springs to improve the ride. The JX is a DD that will be used for 95% on road use until it is retired from DD use.

After reading 7 or so threads called "best shocks" I have narrowed it down to 5 shocks. OME, Bilstein 5100, 5125, 5150 or Rancho 9000x (I like the idea of adustables). With the Trailmaster springs being so stiff will I feel a diference running a better shock or do will I need to switch to a softer spring such as the OME?
A few questions on the Bilsteins: What do the valving numbers mean? What is the best way to measure to find the length and travel I need?
When you buy the rancho 9000xs do they come with an approximate guide of which valving the dial can be set to?

~Alex
 
check your bumpstops, replace if nessasary.
get some bilstein 5100s, maybe some 5150s for the front if youve got the extra $100
if it didnt have proper bumpstops, your bottoming on the shocks, and theyre dead. (then the bushings become the only bumpstop till they fail)

then, when the shocks are installed... flex your suspension to make sure your bumpstops are hitting where they should....

do you have bumpstop spacers at the bottom of your front coils? a lot of lifts dont come w/ them, or they dont get installed. at 4" you NEED these.... you can order some online, or make them from hockey pucks.... YOU WILL need to make love to your suspension, sinse its been loveless for so long
 
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IMO
Rubicon Express coils and Rustys shocks are my favorite combo. REs coils are some of the softest at 180 lbs spring rate, and I belive Rustys uses Minrow shocks. It also happens to be one of the cheapest ways to go.
 
BakersfieldXJ said:
IMO
Rubicon Express coils and Rustys shocks are my favorite combo. REs coils are some of the softest at 180 lbs spring rate, and I belive Rustys uses Minrow shocks. It also happens to be one of the cheapest ways to go.

hate to highjack:gag: but..
i ordered 5.5 RE springs and leafs and jks adjustable bump stops today and I'm looking for shocks myself...so i'll be trolling this tread..looking at Rusty's and OM Emu.. I ordered the RE stuff from 4x4 groupbuy.com..they were reasonable.

Cipey
 
Those RE springs are gonna give you more than that 5.5" you were looking for.....
 
leave the edelbrock stuff in your brother in laws el camino
their shocks arent good, according to reviews here at naxja, which i trust.

usually products that REQUIRE marketing... are more like as sold on tv crap
bilstein has been making shocks for 60 years, and has a wide range to choose from, depending on budget/requirements/terrain
 
i wouldn't go buying new springs just yet. if the lift was just recently installed then they might need time to break in. get the new shocks and test it out. if it's still real stiff then you should just leave it rather than buying new springs. i've had skyjacker springs in for almost a year and they're still real stiff. give them time to break in and they'll be a little softer. i would rather go with a spring that starts out stiff and gets softer than one that starts out soft and gets worse. IMO i would just live with it how it is if it is your springs. that's how a newly lifted XJ should feel.
 
The lift looks like it has been on for quite a while. The paint on the springs look faded, shock tubes are a little dented and rusted and the paint is comeing off of the dorp brackets. Also, the bolts that hold the LCA's to the drop brackets were very rusted, one was actually broken off. I replaced all of them with new grade 8 fasteners.
Any more input on OME vs. Bilstein vs. Rancho; or the best way to measure the Bilstein shocks' end to end/travel to best suite my application?

~Alex
 
Favorite set-up at 6 to 7" lift was RE dop backets, Tereflex adj short arms, and Rancho 9000's set at 2 position for everything, except towing. then only went to 4 in the rear.

On this XJ I have Sky Jacker Platinum series shocks (big and beefy, and run up-side down), with 4.5" BDS coils giving about 6"es of lift. Not a bad ride at all with stock upper CA's and Rusty's lower non-adj CA's for a 3.5" lift.

I will be going to RE adj CA's and drop brackets, I don't like LA's.

The drop brackets make a huge ride quality change with short arms. Rough Country now sells some for $200 with the brace vs RE's at about $350.
 
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