I'm slowly getting to the point were I want to take my XJ into the next level and build a nice mild pure trail rig out of it. very little if any street driving left in it. I like the idea of killing the front coils and shocks and replacing them with a set of air shocks. i know I'd need to do some bracing for a shock hoop and cage tie ins. So is any one out there running air shocks up front in an XJ and if so what your set up for mounting like?
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front air shocks
- Thread starter Irongrave
- Start date
- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
Why?
What you do is always dependant on why you want to do it. What benefit do you expect to get?
Mild pure trail rig is sort of an unusual concept. And, yes, I run air shocks all the way around.
What you do is always dependant on why you want to do it. What benefit do you expect to get?
Mild pure trail rig is sort of an unusual concept. And, yes, I run air shocks all the way around.
- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
OK, air shocks are not easier to deal with than coils and shocks. Air shocks need to be tuned, and that requires at minimum a nitrogen bottle and fill kit. On a normal air shock, like a Fox 2" or 2.5", both the oil level and the air pressure will need to be adjusted to get them tuned. If you only adjust the air pressure, you might or you might not get them adjusted well enough for you. Normal air shocks do not have the same sideways stability as coils and shocks, so it's possible that your car will have less stability. Normal air shocks also tend to push off more than coils, since the air pressure is always trying to extend the shock all the way, so on a steep hill or on a side hill the high side suspension will tend to unload more than the coil/shock will.
An alternative, and a very good one, is ORI struts, but they are more expensive and compare in price to a 2" triple rate coilover or a 2.5" coilover, around $600 each. This is what I run on all four corners. The ORI has seperate air chambers for both compression and extension, which gives the shock resistance to pushing off and also provides a great deal of stability. Sway bars are not needed with ORI's because they are so stable. They are easy to adjust because you only adjust the air. The ride height is set by a balance of the upper and lower air pressures, which can be as soft or as hard as you choose. As the shock compresses the upper air increases in pressure and lower air decreases in pressure (due to the change in volume of the air chambers), and when the shock extends the upper air pressure decreases and the lower air pressure increases. The ORI's also have bypass zones, unlike a normal air shock.
An alternative, and a very good one, is ORI struts, but they are more expensive and compare in price to a 2" triple rate coilover or a 2.5" coilover, around $600 each. This is what I run on all four corners. The ORI has seperate air chambers for both compression and extension, which gives the shock resistance to pushing off and also provides a great deal of stability. Sway bars are not needed with ORI's because they are so stable. They are easy to adjust because you only adjust the air. The ride height is set by a balance of the upper and lower air pressures, which can be as soft or as hard as you choose. As the shock compresses the upper air increases in pressure and lower air decreases in pressure (due to the change in volume of the air chambers), and when the shock extends the upper air pressure decreases and the lower air pressure increases. The ORI's also have bypass zones, unlike a normal air shock.
- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
As far as extending the wheel base, I think changing the lower spring pad location would most likely be less work than building shock mounts capable of handling the weight of the vehicle. Also, the steering linkage and track bar are usually the limiting factor on extending the wheelbase.
- Location
- Dublin California
Seams like a lot of work for a rig only running 32/33 inch tires. I would think your money would be better spent on a good set of 2.0 rebuildable Bilstien or Fox shocks valved to your liking, chromo axle shafts, and good armor.