best shock (non lifted) input please

so i'm toying with the re 2" bb...but some are saying the shocks a crap.

long story short...i just got a very clean 88xj (needs a clutch) for $100...i got hte dynomax catback (found out hte muffler and pie are stock and wired together) the clutch for $178 (has everything including hte slave) and after some mild off raoding last night...i was hearing this clunking from the front and determined that the shocks must me OE (the front srivers is shot...i'm not gonne be driving it as much till i fix it...kinda unsafe).

some one pointed me to edlebrocks ais (clearance for 19.99 they said) or i was looking at the:
"Rancho's affordable RSX17000 shocks automatically adjust themselves to the terrain, to provide a better ride on- or off-road. These shocks have a valve system that instantaneously reacts to shock compression. During more aggressive compression caused by rough surfaces, the valve automatically opens to reduce ride harshness. During lighter compression, the valve closes to give you tighter handling and a smoother ride. Other features include a nitrogen gas-charged twin-tube construction, bright red urethane mounting bushings, and a red convoluted boot to protect the shaft."
but i don't do alot of hardcore offraoding...basically just really bad back roads...and hte orchards with deep ruts.

some sugest OME...but keep in mind i only paid $100 so who knows what else might need to be replaced here, and its not my "DD" i have a 99' gtp grand prix for that.

little help picking the right one please...don't want to lift it...changed my mind on hte 3" and 31's (2" buget and 30's if i can get the parts cheap enough...)

thanks

I have rancho rs5000 series on my 89 xj limited,and they are perfect.Then i lifted it and still perfect,also replaced steering stabilizer with a rs5000 also. Good and cheap. rides as nice as my DD which is a 01 gtp,

Check out this article he sells the 2" bb now. I would get the Edelbrock IAS shocks in the longer length, I paid like $70 a piece for them. Impoves the ride like 200%. I have saggy rearend and I have all intentions on getting this bb, I've heard lots of good things about his kits.

http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/lizard_lift_kits.htm

He also has a niffty article on using junkyard parts to do the same thing I would check that out too.

http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm

For a Stocker, I have yet to hear ONE bad thing about Monroe Sensa-Tracs or the Monroe Reflex. If you do search on this, you will find the same.

I followed the advice and got the Reflex which I have been VERY happy with. I am not a hardcore offroader either though I do get out and push it once or twice a year. no problems. If you ever drive on washboard roads, you will be as happy as you can be for an XJ.

raypla said:

Check out this article he sells the 2" bb now. I would get the Edelbrock IAS shocks in the longer length, I paid like $70 a piece for them. Impoves the ride like 200%. I have saggy rearend and I have all intentions on getting this bb, I've heard lots of good things about his kits.

http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/lizard_lift_kits.htm

He also has a niffty article on using junkyard parts to do the same thing I would check that out too.

http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm

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there is a lengthy thread somewhere in mod tech about using dak/s10 springs. Search "bastard pack" it had pics and a full write up.

getting sensatrack monroes...not lifting it

thanks all

88'XJ said:

some one pointed me to edlebrocks ais (clearance for 19.99 they said) or i was looking at the:

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Point us that way, I'd grab up Edlebrock AIS for $19.99 a piece, where do you find this deal? Is it online, or is it your local speciality shop that we can get too?

Rick Anderson said:

Point us that way, I'd grab up Edlebrock AIS for $19.99 a piece, where do you find this deal? Is it online, or is it your local speciality shop that we can get too?

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i called about it (summitracing)...its the old twin tude design...discontinued

it was fomr we thread in modified section

Several months ago I put new shocks on two 1990 XJs- one mine, one my daughter's. Both are basically stock daily drivers. Mine got Bilsteins at about $70 each, hers got Doetsch shocks for about $30 each. Results: the Bilsteins give a very stable ride, but feel stiffer on small irregularities and bump over them a bit hard. On serious bumps, the Bilsteins come into their own, beautiful job of absorbing the bump. The Doetsch shocks are a real surprise, great ride, soft on the bumps whether small or large. The Doetsch don't give the total stability feeling that the Bilsteins do, but are a nice ride. If you replace the shocks yourself, use antiseize on the bolts!!

Idiot Wind said:

For a Stocker, I have yet to hear ONE bad thing about Monroe Sensa-Tracs or the Monroe Reflex. If you do search on this, you will find the same.

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That's just too tempting

I put Sensa-Tracs on ours last year when I started resurrecting it (with the understanding that I'd replace them when I got the rest of the suspension where we wanted it). As a street shock, they're fine. They don't really have enough compression damping for off-road, but if you keep the speed down, they're OK. Washboarded forest service roads will heat them up to the point that they fade in just a few minutes.

To be fair, they just weren't meant for that kind of use. They are affordable, and can get the job done.

Two things I have used (but not on an XJ) Can't speak for the longevity of either yet:

Rancho RSX (on our WJ, before it got creamed). Nice, stiffer road response, rides great for modest offroading. Poly bushings a little noisy. Didn't fade that I could tell.

Edelbrock IAS (on my '00 Dakota 4x4). Just put these on a few months ago. They're $$$, but their adaptive response is absolutely outstanding, and the manufacturing quality is superb. These are supposed to be valved to the application, and I can believe it.

The XJ will get one of the two soon, probably the latter if I can swing it. They're not cheap though...

I had the monroe sensa-tracs stock and they rocked. honestly cannot say one bad thing about em.

id love to get my hands on some edlebroks for 20 bux

Anybody ever use Monroe Gas Magnums on their XJ?

I ran those for 10 years on an old Chevy Pickup and they were really great. Thinking of getting some for my '91 XJ.

i picked up some bilstiens off of a junkyard jeep for $15 a piece. i put the front ones in and they have been great. i had been soaking the rear ones with PB for a couple of weeks, but even with just the fronts in, there is a very noticable difference over the old (probably stock and shot) ones.

not to pull off topic too much here, but when i went to remove my rear shocks, i broke 3 out of 4 of the bar-pin side bolts. i don't know if this is common, but i couldn't find anyone's solutions with a search (that is how i ended up here)

seems every time i want to upgrade my jeep, a bolt breaks...this is not as fun as it should be! can anyone help?

I recently put a set of bilstein 5100 shocks on my cherokee and must say that i have been vey happy with them. They have tightened the suspention considerably and may be a bit harsh for some but i really like the gain in handling i have gotten.

pete

another vote for sensatracs.
i also don't offroad very often. my XJ isn't my daily driver, its a car i like to mess around with. when i do drive it, about 90% of its miles are on the street (its a 2 hour drive to GWNF, the closest legal off roading) so i picked the sensatracs.
they might not be the best shock on the market, but they perform WAY better than the stock shocks, which i replaced at about 55k.
i'd shy away from the cheapo monroe shocks, the yellow ones that are under 20 bucks each. when i worked at advance auto, i had a very unhappy customer come back in with one of those that had the eyelet just broken off of the bottom of it, after just a few days of use! the weld broke right off.
that right there was enough to turn me off of those ubercheap shocks.

For only a couple of dollars more than the Monroe Sensatracs, you can get Pro Comp ES9000 shocks. From what little manufacturer literature I've found, they are suppossed to be good ride on the street and fairly capable on the trail?

Anyone have any expereince with the Pro Comp ES9000 shocks?

I'm looking for better street control and handling, even over comfortable ride. I'm guess sensatracs are better than the cheapo gasamatics, what about the Pro Comp ES9000?

PapaPump said:

not to pull off topic too much here, but when i went to remove my rear shocks, i broke 3 out of 4 of the bar-pin side bolts. i don't know if this is common, but i couldn't find anyone's solutions with a search (that is how i ended up here)

seems every time i want to upgrade my jeep, a bolt breaks...this is not as fun as it should be! can anyone help?

Click to expand...

Spend the $15 for the extra large tube of BLUE THREADLOCK, $15 for the extra large tub of Anti-Sieze and always have a can of PB blaster on your shelf.

Any project you are getting ready to attempt, pretreat the bolts several days before with PB Blaster, and every day up until doing the job.

Never re-assemble bolts without using either Threadlock or Anti-Sieze.

*If the bolt is usually easy to unbolt, and doesn't has some special locking mechanism installed with it. Than use the BLUE threadlock, it will only add a little extra torque to unbolt next time, but it will prevent corrosion and siezed/stuck bolts.

*If the bolt is usually difficult to unbolt, and it does have some special locking mechanism installed with it; many suspension bolts do, alot of bolts or nuts have crimped threads or a nylon insert. Use some anti-sieze with it.

One note about anti-sieze and torque wrenches. Unless otherwise noted in the torque spec, the torque is a DRY Torque, meaning dry threads, NO lubricants. Anti-Sieze, especially if you over do it, makes a great lubricant, apply the same torque with lubricant on the threads, the bolt turn more for the same amount of torque, i.e. more clamping power and more pull on the threads. You can strip out bolt holes, especially with aluminum if you use the "DRY" Torque with anti-sieze on the bolts.

If you going to use anti-sieze and a dry torque, use 75% of the "DRY" Torque and go back and retorque several times over several weeks as the anti-sieze dries out and you can incrementally increase the torque each time up to the dry torque.

I put some Pro-Comp MX-6 adjustable monotubes on my '96, they're a little pricey but well worth the money....adjustable from way plush to corner crazy stiff, real quality but, $89 a piece.............Hans

i found this thread while searching for help on broken shock mounting bolts. no matter how much i soak things in PB, my jeep just seems to be one of the ones that has rust holding every bolt in. anyhow, i found this regarding my troubles, in case anyone else needs it:
http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/broken_shock_mounts.htm