Best shocks for the money...

[jeeperjohn]

I bought my jeep with Rancho 9000 adjustables on it and I loved them. You can set them soft for the street and stiffen them up off road. Not sure how much they are but I really liked them.

 

[XGarfX]

the new ome sports are a great shock for the money! its ome's new model their replacing the nitrochargers with.. i have the long travels and they handle awesome and they also have a new black plastic piston guard, search ome sports in google and youl see them. They have a different valving then their old shock, their rep said their a smidge stiffer then their old ones but their new valveing handles high speed stuff much much better, so far i love them!!

 

[SanDiegoOverland]

change your mind again there brian?

bilstein appears to be the favorite here.

I had that coming.

Honestly, I drive this thing 45 miles a day, everyday and I've got a bit of cash on hand ("tiny" bit, I've got three kids, remember!!) so I figured why not let the jeep convince me to keep it, by fixing the little things that annoy me. In my head, I figured if I fix enough of those, maybe my kids wouldn't annoy me so much. hahahahaha!!

(I got the exhaust welded finally yesterday too!)

 

[SanDiegoOverland]

The XJ/XJ bastard pack was, in my experience, a terrible ride. Get you some MJ/S10 springs...

It's really not too bad at all. much better than it was with worn out, bottoming out springs. Firmer, yes, but still very flexy, and just the right height for my porpoises.

I'll have to check out the JK shocks idea. For $50.00, its worth a try.

Do I need to get some BPE for the rear upper mounts?

Does LWB or SWB matter?

(Maybe LWB since the valving might be different for the heavier weight?)

 

[twodoorXJ]

I wouldnt personally buy bilsteins with only 1.5-2 inches of lift. Unless you KNOW your not going to want to go bigger EVER.

I say get som JK rubicon monotubes, and run those. On second thought, most guys run them with 3 inches of lift, you might not have enough uptravel.

 

[srmitchell]

I run OME's, and have nothing but good to say.

BTW- When your lift gets higher, don't confuse stiff shocks with poor control arm angles.

 

[markaboo929]

I absolutely love my Doetesch shocks!!! these things are amazing when you hit a dip in the highway at about 75 mph you just kinda float up and settle smooth,they are not stiff at all nor are the too loose feeling either and the valving is just about perfect for all around driving as well great price too!!!
http://www.shocksandsuspension.com/productinfo-item-3_dc-1.htm
They are the pre-runner 8000 series,plus you can give them your specs and they have it figured out for ya too!!! I did the mesure method on mine though.

White - $45.75

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[XJEEPER]

For an inexpensive shocks, I'll second the DT Pre-Runner series for you daily driver with moderate wheeling. RS5000s are the worst riding shock I've ever run. Skyjacker Softride Hydros aren't bad for the buck, velocity sensing as well.

When it's time to "invest" in your ride, Bilstein.

 

[Crusher16]

X3 on the JK shocks. Have them on mine at the moment and they ride good.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

How is your shackle angle?

 

[SanDiegoOverland]

good question. I don't actually know... never considered that my pack would have changed it.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

When I went from 2" to 3" last fall there was a snafu trying to get the OME extended-travel shocks (what I had that wasn't long enough), so I ended up trying the Skyjacker Nitros at about $45/corner (half of what the OMEs were).

To my surprise, they seem to be just as good as the EMUs so far. Between them and getting the rear shackles freed up (bolts frozen into the bushing sleeves, whole shackles were replaced), my XJ feels almost like a Cadillac when cruising on the highways.

Don't know how long they will last yet, but so far, so good.

 

[Keekleberrys]

I have procomp explorers and I have been pretty happy with them. I'm the kind of person that would never notice the difference though.

 

[StylerG]

i ran OME long travels for 4 years, and recently replaced the rear with ZONE offroad. For 40 bucks, its a 150psi valved nitrogen shock made by BDS, im happy. Ride seems just a tad improved on the rear. I'll order a set for the front when the time comes.

 

[REVROK]

For an inexpensive shocks, I'll second the DT Pre-Runner series for you daily driver with moderate wheeling. RS5000s are the worst riding shock I've ever run. Skyjacker Softride Hydros aren't bad for the buck, velocity sensing as well.

When it's time to "invest" in your ride, Bilstein.

Bilstein is the best... I agree on the Skyjackers as well.

 

[muddeprived]

Bilstein is the best... I agree on the Skyjackers as well.

Skyjacker's are valved nicely for our light weight jeeps....but are not a durable long lasting shock. The seals leak easily and the body will rust up in no time. My new white skyjacker's on my TJ became brown and ugly after a 5 month winter. Then all four seals leaked oil a little but 4wd hardware replaced em all under warranty, no questions asked. Nice riding shock for the money though.

 

[OutkastBoss]

I VOte O.M.E, I love the feel of my ride

 

[ElDiaOctavo]

Primary use: Daily driver
Secondary use: Long trail, rutted, unimproved roads
tertiary use: occasional rock/log obstacle -for example water crossing with boulders in coyote canyon.

No high-speed shenanigans. I drive like a grampa. (My oldest is 5, so I've got a lot of time to practice..haha)

What's the best shock for the money, and my intended use?

I don't think shocks will soften the ride...I've changed them out hoping for that and it's never happened.

That said, for the money I'd buy those $40 Monroe's - I think they're called Sensatracs. They work good, are soft and squishy, but won't absorb a lot of energy. I'd shock for the road - for the majority use - and tolerate the tradeoff when you go off-road.

I have high-end Gabriels the previous owner put on...and I'm not impressed. They're OK but don't seem to do anything special.

Also, to my mind, crappy springs cause more irritation than bad shocks. I have cheap Pro-Comp springs and they're intolerable unless I've got 250 pounds in the back to calm them down...but put a little weight back there and they're dandy.

And when I changed out the springs, I'd have thought my Gabriels would help the ride but they didn't. The wrong spring rate is the wrong spring rate...I don't think shocks would help.