Shock replacement question

It's time to replace the shocks on my 98 XJ. Pretty sure I'll go with Monroe Sens A Trac's. Recently put Sens A Trac struts on my wife's Maxima and they seem pretty nice. Granted, it's a different ballgame with the XJ.

Anyway, my question is about the alignment. I know that when we replaced the struts on the Maxima, the alignment went bad. That's why I took it someplace to have them do it. Will replacing the shocks on my XJ do the same thing?

I'd like to install them myself if they won't screw up the alignment. Just want to be sure before I jump in head-first.

Thanks in advance.

John

shocks do not affect alignment like struts can

do it your self, it will take 10 minutes with basic wrenches.

Do a search on here, this question gets asked a lot. I currently have monroe reflex on my 88 XJ. I had the blue monroe matics on there before that.

the matics made the XJ seem nervous as it went down the road, the reflex made is solid. My one buddy who rides with me even noticed the difference.

I too have heard good things about the reflex. My buddy has them on his Blazer. I don't know how well they would perform offroad though.

Shifty, I am not sure where your "not sure how they'd do off road" comment came from. I am one of those XJ owner's who take their vehicle off road. I am sure it less than 10% of SUV population. I figure it higher on this board but there are still lots of people who are affraid to scratch their paint, they want the capability but never use it.

Like I said the reflex is a good ON ROAD or OFF ROAD shock, thought my first post was good enough.

I guess it also depends on your definition of off road. Do you mean driving like the dukes of hazards or do you mean somthing that you keep all 4 wheels on the ground and getting some articulation when driving through a wash out made by the creek and trying to keep one set of wheels on dry ground. Or dirving old logging roads on US Forest Service property to gain access to my 80 acres of land in the Missouri Ozarks. Mind you my land so rural cell phones do not work there and I'd have to pay to have electrical power brounght in the 1/4 mile from the nearest main line if I even built a house on it. I also have to ford the same creek 2 times plus a tributary.

I never used ranchos so I can not comment on them but since they are made by the same company the technology is the same stuff. I have never used Bilsteins so can not commment to them.