Replacement shock absorbers?

[black89xj]

I've also heard good things about Bilsteins but they are spendy.

I've had a few sets of Monroes, not the sensa-traks. Garbage. The ex bought a set of sensa-tracks for her '93 Grand, and they were nice. That rig never went off pavement.

I've had best ride with Gabriel's. If you have a Les Schwab tire store in your area, they carry a Gabriel known as the Mountain Rider II which is excellent for off-road and pavement. A bit stiff but not overly so. However they dont sell those for lifted vehicles. For lifted rigs they sell a Gabriel shock branded as Mountain Rider Extreme which has a foam damper. Extremely good shock, reasonable too. That is the one I am running. It is a stiff ride though.

--Karl

 

[Atl XJ]

I've run darn near everything in the way of aftermarket, OE length/valved shocks...and I can confidently say that Bilsteins blow the others away, hands down.

I agree, Bilsteins are the way to go. They're kind of expensive at $50 a piece but their excellent performance and lifetime warranty more than offset the difference. Btw, since it hasnt been mentioned, don't waste your money on Edelbrocks. On XJs they ride harsh and skip over uneven pavent when turning. Been there done that. Its already been stated but Ranchos ride harsh also.

 

[csr_011]

Dont mean to hijack the thread, but, How about Bilstein vs Monroe Reflex?? Those were the two choices i was looking at in the $50/shock range...Yep, decided against the lift...

Cory

 

[falcon556]

Dont mean to hijack the thread, but, How about Bilstein vs Monroe Reflex?? Those were the two choices i was looking at in the $50/shock range...Yep, decided against the lift...

Cory

I used the reflex in a blazer. One of them had a bushing failure and I returned it for free replacement.
I don't like the way they ride I find them to be too stiff for me.

 

[Atl XJ]

Dont mean to hijack the thread, but, How about Bilstein vs Monroe Reflex?? Those were the two choices i was looking at in the $50/shock range...Yep, decided against the lift...

Cory

They're both good shocks and you would probably be happy with either. Its been my experience that the Monroes concentrate slightly more on comfort and the Bilsteins concentrate a little more on performance. The Bilstiens dont ride harsh by any means, they have a firm, rather controlled ride. They both adjust to road conditions and perform very well but if you hit a pot hole with the Monoes they will be a little more forgiving. If you go hard into a corner driving aggressively the Bilstiens will give you a little more controlled ride with less body roll.

I havent personally run the Monroes on my XJ, Im just going by what I've read about them on here and other places. I can comment on the Bilsteins. When I first got my XJ, it had 67K miles on it and the stock shocks were still in pretty decent condition, but I had a little extra money and threw some Bilsteins on it. My ride stayed about the same as stock, just slighly firmer but much more controlled. They instantly react and dont bounce at all over bumps. I love the way they ride on the hwy, very controlled and smooth and not floaty at all (I hate that) without being too harsh when you hit a rough bridge or something. The steering feel was greatly improved and I drive aggressively sometimes. I push it harder than I should sometimes on offramps and onramps getting on and off the highway I'm always impressed how fast I can go into the corners without it feeling unstable or having body roll. Its not a sports car by any means but it handles remarkably well for a "SUV", once you get used to the way it handles. This is on a '95 XJ Country edition with stock suspension and 235/75 Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revos and 108K miles on it.

Basically, it comes down to whether you want more of a performance edge or more of a comfort edge. Also, I know the Bilsteins have a lifetime warranty, I don't know if the Monroes do or not.

 

[csr_011]

Cool, thanks, I think I will go with the Bilsteins for all around performance.

Cory

 

[Reindeer]

That's the weight of the trailer, most of which was supported on the trailer tires. The only portion of that that would affect the XJ springs would be the tongue weight of the trailer, and that wasn't 7,500 pounds or the rear bumper would have been 6 inches below the surface of the pavement.

Yes, exactly.
Sorry if I confused anyone.
I was merely trying to point out that we hauled a heavy load.

The back end was riding very low, and the hitch was only a few inches from the ground.
I had to unload some heavy stuff because the hitch was actually ON the ground before I repacked with lighter stuff.
The Jeep was packed full as well, so I'm sure that didn't help.
Even with all that, the hitch assembly was about 2 inches from the ground, no joke. I made sure to avoid any speedbumps.

 

[Reindeer]

So far, Monroe Sensa Tracs and Bilsteins are favorites, each with it's own selling points.

I talked with my mechanic and he recommends KYBs.
Has anyone had experience with this brand?
He says that they are better than the Monroes, but I didn't get a chance to ask him why he thought that.

 

[Boris T]

I installed the Sensatracs on the XJ in May. 2000 miles later I am pretty happy with the ride but still believe the OME shocks or bilstein would have been better. (My budget did not allow OME)

My brother and friend use KYB on their stuff and love 'em but have no experience with them on an XJ. (72 Dart Swinger, 89 and 94 Dakota Reg cab and 87 Dodge Daytona)

Travis

 

[csr_011]

http://www.kyb.com/

Probably cuz they are American made!!

Cory

 

[ECKSJAY]

http://www.kyb.com/

Probably cuz they are American made!!

Cory

So are Bilsteins.

Amongst many others, of course!

http://www.tenneco-automotive.com/overview/brands.html

 

[Eagle]

I talked with my mechanic and he recommends KYBs.
Has anyone had experience with this brand?

Did you see my early post in this thread? KYB was one of the two brands I tried and hated before doing what I should have done, and bought Monroes. It was my brother who recommended KYBs. I really should have known better than to take his advice on anything.

KYBs rode very harsh, and provided zero control over small pavement cracks.

 

[Reindeer]

Did you see my early post in this thread? KYB was one of the two brands I tried and hated before doing what I should have done, and bought Monroes. It was my brother who recommended KYBs. I really should have known better than to take his advice on anything.

KYBs rode very harsh, and provided zero control over small pavement cracks.

Eagle,
Yes, I did see your earlier post.
Thank you for your input.
Harsh is definitely "right out" for me, as is the greater expense.
Another earlier thread also came to the conclusion that Monroe SensaTracs were the ones to have.

I want to get as many opinions as possible before getting the work done,
as some have had bad experiences (like yours) that I can learn from.

I can now go to my mechanic, armed with this information,
and ask him why I should pay more for shocks that are not recommended.
I appreciate all your help, and all the input from everyone.
You have saved me time and money, and I'm grateful.

--Reindeer

 

[uvaldetxj]

i've got good pair of monroe sensa-tracs and monroe gas magnum plus' for the front end. i took them off the cherokees i just bought, they're fairly new. if anyone around the uvalde area wants them, they're yours. i could also probably ship them out to anyone that would like them, for the price of shipping.

 

[Reindeer]

i've got good pair of monroe sensa-tracs and monroe gas magnum plus' for the front end. i took them off the cherokees i just bought, they're fairly new. if anyone around the uvalde area wants them, they're yours. i could also probably ship them out to anyone that would like them, for the price of shipping.

Wow, that would be very cool.
I will take the SensaTracs if you are serious.
I live in Colorado, and I will pay for shipping them.

I will send my contact info to you via private message through the interface. Look for a private message from me.

 

[Eagle]

Gas Magnum Plus is the name for the now-discontinued series that was replaced by the Sensatracs. The numbers are the same. My Gas Magnum Plus shocks lasted a loooooong time.

 

[BrianB]

If you're on a budget and you're looking for a stock ride, maybe you should consider an Ebay find for a stock set with not too many miles? I considered this option, but eventually went with a set of Bilsteins for stock vehicles. My '93 is stock and I don't off-road.

I did the install last summer and I'm totally satisfied. It handles better than stock and it's not much stiffer on bumps. Cost was $210 for the shocks.

 

[Darky]

I can tell you that a 99' 2 door cherkoee scales over 4000lbs without the driver.So I think your 3300 is a little light.

Just weighed my 96 4 door Sport at 3460 with a 3/4 tank of gas. It lists at around 3100 or so, 4000 sounds way heavy for an XJ, what you carrying in it?

 

[Sniggs]

I know you're on a budget but I highly recommend OME. Best shocks I've EVER driven! Spendy, but WORTH the ride.

 

[svaras]

For a stock, unlifted XJ IMHO you have two coices: Monroe SensaTrac, or Monroe Reflex.

If you have a back problem and you know you won't be lifting, get the SensaTracs.

I've had a back problem since being crunched in an auto accident 45 years ago. I know very well how excruciating a harsh ride can be when your back is having a bad day.

Mmm this is what I´m looking for.......
We just knew my wife is pregnant (Twins !!), so I wanna softer the ride of her 1999 XJ the best I can.
Do you think the Sensatrack are softer than the OEM shocks ??
The XJ is stock.