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Extra weight = handling improvement??

Y

yossarian19

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Grass Valley, CA
I've got 1 year old Monro Sensatrac shocks in the rear of my jeep, UpCountry springs and 1.5" shackles. The jeep bounces over every bump in the road, side to side and up and down... you name it, it will cause my rig to bounce 3-4 times before settling down again. Sucks.

Right now, I've got 5 wheel/tire combos in the back of the jeep. Drives MUCH better. More stable, less bouncy - a little slower but a much better ride.

How can I make the Jeep handle this way when empty? Is it the shocks or the springs that the weight is helping out?

I want to build a bastard pack for the rear, probably marry 2 XJ packs on each side -- what should I do to get a stable ride like this out of doubled leaf packs?

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome. I had no idea an XJ could ride this stable and now I want to get to 3-4" lift without giving it up!
 
Unless you have very stiff springs then I think the problem is the shocks. They should prevent it from bouncing. Generally softer springs will soak up small bumps better than stiff ones. You have to have shocks that are valved for the spring rate and driving conditions to make it all work the best.
 
I've read that a good way to test for shocks:
Sit on a corner of the car, jump up rapidly, it should rebound up only- if it bounces= bad shocks.

Not sure how your rig would handle that test, but it really sounds like your shocks are spent. Shouldn't be bouncing. How is your steering linkage/alignment?
 
Doubling up on the spring will make it very stiff. Stiff springs make for more bouncy. Too stiff a spring and the shocks might as well not be there. Your Monroe's may not be up to the task for the lift you have. Get some good shocks like OME or Bilstines, this will improve the ride. I doubt it will be as smooth as when you load it up. Heavy weight and soft springs do make for a smooth ride, example is a old school car, Like a pre 80's Cadillac. But heavy weight and soft springs don't make for a good 4x4, unless you like bottoming out over every bump.
 
upcountry springs are about an inch higher than stock (IIRC) and 1.5" shackles will raise things an inch and a half (methinks)

unless you've got at least two inch longer travel (extended length) shocks, you may be using your shocks as ersatz limiting straps. This will give you an unpredictable ride over any bump that results in the need for travel of the shock much beyond the normal ride height.
 
bouncing = dead shock(s).
1 good shock is good enough to dampen enough to pass the mentioned shock test, both of yours are probably shot.

pull em and find out. the extra weight is probably just changing your perceived ride quality.
 
The shocks are only a year old... shouldn't be blown but yeah, it is similar to when I had no shocks at all (dangerous as hell, btw) in the back end. Not so bad but not so good either.
Shackle angle is 85-90 degrees. Just off from vertical. Sucks, in other words.
 
yossarian19 said:
I've got 1 year old Monro Sensatrac shocks in the rear of my jeep, UpCountry springs and 1.5" shackles. The jeep bounces over every bump in the road, side to side and up and down... you name it, it will cause my rig to bounce 3-4 times before settling down again. Sucks.

Right now, I've got 5 wheel/tire combos in the back of the jeep. Drives MUCH better. More stable, less bouncy - a little slower but a much better ride.

How can I make the Jeep handle this way when empty? Is it the shocks or the springs that the weight is helping out?

I want to build a bastard pack for the rear, probably marry 2 XJ packs on each side -- what should I do to get a stable ride like this out of doubled leaf packs?

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome. I had no idea an XJ could ride this stable and now I want to get to 3-4" lift without giving it up!
Click to expand...

Do your Sensatrac shocks have the coil spring around them?
I run these shocks, and the ride is a little springy. And, yes, a bunch of weight does smooth out the ride.
I also have 5 leaf spring packs. Added long leaf from XJ donor pack.
This did not "spring" up the ride like the coil shocks did.
I think my Jeep rides much better than stock.
 
Try driving a pickup truck, that describes handling to a "T". They ride gread with a few hundred pounds in the rear, & pretty stiff without. I know the shocks you are talking about and you could compress them with your farts. With the loose suspension you have now, better shocks would help, when you go to the mixed leaf pack, you may like a softer shock.
 
One thing to keep in mind on the Sensa-tracs is that the valving is variable depending on where you are in the travel. They are designed under the assumption that the vehicle will be in the middle of the shock travel at normal ride height.

It sounds to me like the shocks are too short for the amount of lift you are running. Adding the weight would compress the rear suspension, potentially bringing the shock back into the "sweet spot".

You could try adding some spacers to the upper mounts and see if it changes their behavior unloaded. It's probably not a good fix, but might help further understand the issue.
 
cwstnsko said:
One thing to keep in mind on the Sensa-tracs is that the valving is variable depending on where you are in the travel. They are designed under the assumption that the vehicle will be in the middle of the shock travel at normal ride height.
It sounds to me like the shocks are too short for the amount of lift you are running. Adding the weight would compress the rear suspension, potentially bringing the shock back into the "sweet spot".

You could try adding some spacers to the upper mounts and see if it changes their behavior unloaded. It's probably not a good fix, but might help further understand the issue.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Looks like my best solution is to save the money and some day buy some bilsteins at the right length for my application, sucking it up and leaving some weight in the back until then. Will see if I can find a cheap way to space the upper mounts... no sense spending time & money on it for a short-term fix for having the wrong shocks. Thanks for all the help guys
 
Stiffer than stock springs, vertical shackle angle, and 2.5" of lift on stock length shocks are probably all factors in the rough ride. Mine rides great with weight on the back end, but empty, it's awfully stiff. UC springs, short coil spacer, MJ shackles, Sensatracs, BPEs (to bring the upper mount down an inch) and longer bumpstops in the rear, FWIW. If the shocks only last 2 years, not terribly upset. $84 shipped for all four on closeout.
 
cwstnsko said:
One thing to keep in mind on the Sensa-tracs is that the valving is variable depending on where you are in the travel. They are designed under the assumption that the vehicle will be in the middle of the shock travel at normal ride height.

It sounds to me like the shocks are too short for the amount of lift you are running. Adding the weight would compress the rear suspension, potentially bringing the shock back into the "sweet spot".

You could try adding some spacers to the upper mounts and see if it changes their behavior unloaded. It's probably not a good fix, but might help further understand the issue.
Click to expand...


x2, get bilsteins for stiffer springs and ome if budget allows
 
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