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Fox ifp vs Bilstein 5100 for a daily?

KarmaKannon

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Utahhhh
My Jeep is lifted about 3" and doesn't go off road too much. I might go off road someday, but that would require more on road time haha. Anyway, I will drive it daily if this engine holds together and I'm tired of the terrible ride. My tundra is a big fluffy cloud and my xj feels like a solid block of ice whenever I hit railroad tracks or something like that.

I need to make or buy some shackle relocation brackets, and maybe my zone springs aren't doing me any favors, but I have them and I think the shocks are going to change the ride more than springs with the current zone shocks, if you catch my drift. Even if I replace the springs, I still need decent shocks. If I keep my Jeep for any length of time it will likely get bypasses, bump stops, and all the go fast stuff I love.

For now... Who has experience with the Bilstein vs the Fox for road driving/ spirited dirt road driving. I'm looking at the Fox 2.0 ifp or the Bilstein 5100. Suggestions?
 
If you want to wait a week, I've got a set of 5100's coming this weekend to try out.
 
I've always run the 5100's and really like them, but if you're at 3" and don't plan do to much more I'd throw on the old man emu's and call it a day.
 
I am and was leaning towards the Bilstein 5100 just because I know it has a great chance of improving the ride substantially. The price isn't terrible either. If I keep the jeep it might just need four wheel bypasses and up through the floor in the back. That's not a now thing though.

I'll likely make a ride improvement thread later. I really want to enjoy my XJ and keep it, but the ride will keep me driving my tundra unless it gets much better. Decent shocks are only a small part of the equation, but there's no reason an xj shouldn't ride pretty freaking good on the road at least on bumps. Turning and off camber bumps are another things I suppose.
 
I like billies. On my xj and on my subi they are a great shock.
That daid, I didn't experience the ride quality I was expected I first replaced the shocks on my xj. After some shackle relocation brackets and a corrected shackle angle, I felt it get better... then I changed out the front ball joints, and now I'm experiencing the full benefits of good shocks.
A solid axle vs the ifs of your toy won't be as "smooth" as a ride with out some high end shocks/ coil overs. You can def make it comfortable though. Check/ replace ball joints, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, and make sure your track bar is tight at both ends as well as the tb frame mount. Once there id check tiered ends and ujoints. A ujoint with play isn't as bad as a ball joint, but you want everything in the suspension components tight, then the shocks will perform as they are intended.
 
I like billies. On my xj and on my subi they are a great shock.
That daid, I didn't experience the ride quality I was expected I first replaced the shocks on my xj. After some shackle relocation brackets and a corrected shackle angle, I felt it get better... then I changed out the front ball joints, and now I'm experiencing the full benefits of good shocks.
A solid axle vs the ifs of your toy won't be as "smooth" as a ride with out some high end shocks/ coil overs. You can def make it comfortable though. Check/ replace ball joints, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, and make sure your track bar is tight at both ends as well as the tb frame mount. Once there id check tiered ends and ujoints. A ujoint with play isn't as bad as a ball joint, but you want everything in the suspension components tight, then the shocks will perform as they are intended.

Very good and rational input, thanks. I need to do all the joints. I just haven't driven the jeep much since buying it because I am worse at driving them than taking them apart haha. Yeah it won't be as smooth. My tundra is the Cadillac of trucks right now. Even with old Bilsteins out back and worn leafs it feels great.

Freshen up the joints and reduce play. Makes sense

Fix the terrible shackle angle. Agree 100%

Keep it realistic. Totally.

Drop brackets with less than 3" of lift? I think I've seen most suggest it for 4-6" or more. The front does look like a 4" lift without an engine right now.
 
Drop brackets? Are you talking about the Shackle Relocation Brackets, SRBs?
I use a no drop bracket from StinkyFab Racing, highly recommend this product. It is more work than installing an SRB that just screws into the stock location and is irreversible (cut stock mount out).
Multiple mounting holes and at the same height as the stock location. You might be able to help the angle with a shorter or longer shackle. This has less effect on the lift height due to the shackle swinging. Definitely an overlooked part of the suspension on these vehicles ime. The angle is usually closer to 90* instead of 45* which will cause a less than stellar ride quality
 
Drop brackets? Are you talking about the Shackle Relocation Brackets, SRBs?
I use a no drop bracket from StinkyFab Racing, highly recommend this product. It is more work than installing an SRB that just screws into the stock location and is irreversible (cut stock mount out).
Multiple mounting holes and at the same height as the stock location. You might be able to help the angle with a shorter or longer shackle. This has less effect on the lift height due to the shackle swinging. Definitely an overlooked part of the suspension on these vehicles ime. The angle is usually closer to 90* instead of 45* which will cause a less than stellar ride quality
Yeah I should really have specified. I meant control arm drop brackets. To be honest I don't recall seeing what angle the lowers are at on about 3-4" of lift.
 
Eh, drop brackets are ok.. I ran adj CAs on my zj and never ran a drop bracket. At 3.5 it operated better (more travel) then at 5.5.. Long arms was definitely a better ride over any short arms setup, stock included.
Really getting pinion angle good and the axle forward enough to accommodate the lift is what you do with contro arm length. Idk that drop brackets will improve ride quality all that much, but a flatter lower control arm is desirable
 
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After looking at the available leaf springs for the XJ and measuring the spring rate of my own springs, my assessment is that they are nearly all sprung for carrying a decent amount of load. This translates into a harsh ride when unloaded. No shock will fix that. Not only did I have to do an SRB, I also had to remove a leaf to get my XJ to have good flex and ride smooth with minimal load (stock size spare in stock location, stock rear bumper with a trailer hitch for recovery, minimal tool kit). The tradeoff of course is that it sags somewhat with load, but that's ok with me because I don't offroad with any load.

But as Shoeter said, good front suspension geometry with joints that move smoothly without free play both front and rear are just as important.
 
I received my 5100's today so I'll give you a report on them Monday!
 
Read.
You mentioned fox ifp so ill mentiin accutune.

https://accutuneoffroad.com/accutune-equations/

The guys at accutune will be glad to take your call and answer questions

Ifp is a good shock but its a consumables likely barely better than 5100s or even kyb monomax.

Accutune pushes fox but they also do king stuff.

There are handfuls of other outfits building shocks to your specific vehicle accutune definitely isn't the end all though I do happen have shocks valved by them.

I told myself I was going to do this tuned shock thing a long time ago. I finally did it and my god im not going back to cookie cutter shocks again on my trail rigs.

Tuned shocks aren't for everyone but the same old shocks everyone runs aren't for everyone either.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
The Fox IFP is a very similar shock in design to the Bilstein, and they are NOT tune-able.
 
The downside of the Fox is the price and only a 1yr warranty.
 
Theres king, radflow, sway away, ori. And otheres I can't think of. Filthy motor sports, downsouth
Some may even recommend an over the counter shock for an application.
Accutune is good for good for information gets a guy off the forumns actually communicating with someone in the shock world and learning so much more than internet bs can provide

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Leave it to Bilstein to change things up! I'm installing the shock's and I have "stem" sockets for the front but they take "allen's"!
 
It's done, I really like the improved street driving but I still need to check them out off-road. Probably won't be able to do that until later next week.
 
Sweet. I think they'll do well on the trail.
The 5100s on my cummins feel good on the street but thats all the experience I have with them.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
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