Suspension for fast bumps!

[XJLI]

IMHO, the vehicle specific XJ 5100s are valved way too light... i spoke to bilstein about em years ago and remember them being somewhere around the 160-170 compression range.

the 5150s were discontinued in favor of the 5165. for under 500, get a pair of 5165 255/70 valve up front, and 5125 255/70 valve rear. this will be comfy for a DD yet stiff enough to handle washboard roads. 8" travel should be a good fit for a 3-3.5" lift but its best to measure your setup. also, you'll probably need a stem mount adapter (one of these) for the front shocks.

 

[Olympus Off Road]

nobody tries them twice

Except me.

My first experience was pretty awful. Blew apart just as many shocks as ones that stayed in one piece. Though when they stayed in one piece they were great. And FOA was always quick to send out replacements. (Just 2.0 remote resis)

I am reluctantly giving them another shot though. This time in a 2.5" coilover with all the options. I'm told things have changed since my first experience, and I see rigs running them get beat on worse than I ever did and they seem to be holding up just fine. Our sponsored rigs run them with no issues thus far as well. Time will tell if I've made another mistake lol.

 

[cal]

nobody tries them twice

somebody reluctantly tried them twice.

 

[Draven1474]

IMHO, the vehicle specific XJ 5100s are valved way too light... i spoke to bilstein about em years ago and remember them being somewhere around the 160-170 compression range.

the 5150s were discontinued in favor of the 5165. for under 500, get a pair of 5165 255/70 valve up front, and 5125 255/70 valve rear. this will be comfy for a DD yet stiff enough to handle washboard roads. 8" travel should be a good fit for a 3-3.5" lift but its best to measure your setup. also, you'll probably need a stem mount adapter (one of these) for the front shocks.

This is very cool, can anyone else confirm this combination?

 

[yossarian19]

Last time I'll chime in, but,
the fox is rebuildable for $65 or so and upgradeable, too. On a $200 shocks (for the reservoir units) that's a big advantage in my mind vs the $200 Bilstein resi shock, which can't be rebuilt or upgraded.
Up front, they're probably comparable in every way.
On the second purchase, Fox saves you $140 per reservoir shock & 50-60 per smooth body.

 

[cal]

Last time I'll chime in, but,
the fox is rebuildable for $65 or so and upgradeable, too. On a $200 shocks (for the reservoir units) that's a big advantage in my mind vs the $200 Bilstein resi shock, which can't be rebuilt or upgraded.
Up front, they're probably comparable in every way.
On the second purchase, Fox saves you $140 per reservoir shock & 50-60 per smooth body.

But you're wrong!

Bilstein 7100's run about $175-$199, can be rebuilt, upgraded, and revalved.

Apples to Apples only works if you don't call one apple a grapefruit..

 

[XJLI]

I ran 5150s under my 1st XJ... 8" travel 255/70 valve front and rear with a 3" lift. RE coils and rustys leafs with a stock XJ second longest leaf stuffed inside. It was a great setup, only thing I would have changed was to make the front shocks firmer... But it was only when I was out west bombing desert trails that I wanted more shock.

Pic just because.

I went balls to the wall on my 2nd XJ with deaver springs and custom valved 9100s front and back.

 

[cal]

This is very cool, can anyone else confirm this combination?

Myself, if I had to pick, I'd put the better shocks in the rear if I were only going to upgrade one ned.


But, I'd find another $250 or so and do 7100's all the way around.

 

[yossarian19]

But you're wrong!

Bilstein 7100's run about $175-$199, can be rebuilt, upgraded, and revalved.

Apples to Apples only works if you don't call one apple a grapefruit..

Shnikes!
I'd just assumed the 7100s started a lot higher than the 5160s and were out of the conversation.
Learn something every day.

 

[cal]

Shnikes!
I'd just assumed the 7100s started a lot higher than the 5160s and were out of the conversation.
Learn something every day.

Its possible that I'm wrong, but I'm pretty certain 5165's are rebuildable too.


I know that Bilstien offers rebuild service on them, same price and form as a 7100. They did not rebuild 5150's.

 

[cal]

Last time I'll chime in, but,
the fox is rebuildable for $65 or so and upgradeable, too. On a $200 shocks (for the reservoir units) that's a big advantage in my mind vs the $200 Bilstein resi shock, which can't be rebuilt or upgraded.
Up front, they're probably comparable in every way.
On the second purchase, Fox saves you $140 per reservoir shock & 50-60 per smooth body.

So I'm trying to find where to buy the fox rebuild kits for the IFP's?

Everything I can find is for the 1/2" shaft snowmobile shocks, and not for the 5/8" shaft car shocks.

 

[Vanimal]

Well, tell Fox. They list the IFP's at $65 a pop to rebuild and Quadratec sells them for $115

I assume you mean the performance series.
AFAIK there is no way to recharge or disassemble those shocks. We have one at the shop, it appears the bearing cap at the bottom is swedged into the body, more or less. Can't be removed. There's also no valve to recharge it even if you managed to get it apart and back together again.

 

[Hellbent]

They are rebuildable and revalveable.
That bottom cap on the aluminum body ifp's is just a press-in cover of sorts. If you pop it out, you'll see how to disassemble it.
As far as I know, right now the only place to get the rebuild kits is from Fox themselves.
As far as charging, there's a rubber pellet(somewhat like an Icon shock), usually underneath the upper eye bushing-have to pop out the bushing to see it. You'll see a small hole in the very top of the body/eyelet. Charging them requires a long, pointy needle deal to push through the rubber pellet in the body. Kind of a weird deal, but so far the new ifp 2.0's have been excellent shocks. We've put them in a bunch of JK's, those guys love them.
I can take a couple pics at work tomorrow, if anyone needs to see what I'm talking about.

I assume you mean the performance series.
AFAIK there is no way to recharge or disassemble those shocks. We have one at the shop, it appears the bearing cap at the bottom is swedged into the body, more or less. Can't be removed. There's also no valve to recharge it even if you managed to get it apart and back together again.

 

[Vanimal]

Interesting. Never looked at it close enough, it isn't something i would ever need to buy. Good to know though.

 

[cal]

yeah. sounds like for the money you could just buy some 7100's and be done for life. :0

 

[Hellbent]

I've been under the assumption that they were made to have something comparable to a 5100.
They run about $114 ea, not all that much more than a 5100, but with the ability to be rebuilt/revalved.
I'm going to pick up a set of the reservoir version for the xj, as soon as I get an insurance check from the totaled mj.

 

[831_xj]

I don't know about not that much more

FWIW
My 5125s 12" travel 255/70 valving were 136$ shipped brand new. Check ebay

I got a deal on the fox shocks at a 4 wheel parts convention $200
Not much of a deal but hey I'll take 20 or so per off any jeep parts

 

[lazyxj]

This is very cool, can anyone else confirm this combination?

My experience. Started with a set of Old Man Emu's about 10 years ago.
After a few years, wanting more travel in the front, the lower shock mounts were moved and 10" Bilstein 5150s-255/70 installed, the firmest valving available.
The 255/70 valving is to light for the added weight of the winch and bumper, more shock is needed for fast dirt roads but for street use, it's fine.
When the 5150s blow, a firmer shock will be used, probably a 5165 with 360/80 valving. If the valving is too far off, they can be rebuilt.

The rear OME shock were replaced with 5100s-8.25" travel. When the XJ was empty, I felt every little bump and it wasn't much better loaded. It also needed more up travel, with the axle hitting the bumpstops too often, when loaded.
Last year, the upper rear shocks mounts were raised a couple of inches and the 5100s were exchanged for 5165-70/255s, with 9.8" travel. This gained up and down travel and a ride that is more forgiving on small stuff and firmer on harder hits.

I considered Bilstein 7100s but decided that the 5165's rubber bushing were better for my application, mostly street driving and being towed behind our motor home plus several off road trips a year.
I definitely wanted rebuildable shocks and the ability to re-valve.

 

[DeftwillP]

I find that Stone's offerings are better than deschutes. But then again, I do still have that bottle of abyss sitting in the closet....quietly aging away.

 

[cal]

I find that Stone's offerings are better than deschutes. But then again, I do still have that bottle of abyss sitting in the closet....quietly aging away.

The point was more that you can buy Stone at every gas station in the US, while Deschutes is something you'd expect to get from a performance beer supplier..