Bad Shocks?

[nagal]

How can you tell if your shocks are bad? I know this sounds simple but I want to try and track down my problem right the first time if possible.

Lately my street ride is just crap. Seems like I feel everything little bump in the road. On decent sized dips, if I take them at anykind of speed (10+ mph) it looks as if the drivers side front compresses down way more than the passenger and the whole back end has a definate hop to it.

Nothing has been changed in the suspense in over 6 months when I swaped in the D44 and put on the RE SF arms.

I am wondering if this is just shocks, coil springs, both or something more? I know it might be blamed on just being lifted but the ride quality has gotten worse over the past couple months.

I currently have Rancho 9000sx set at 5 as anything below that seems real mushy. Coil springs are Grand Cherokee V8 in the front and TJ fronts in the rear (yeah yeah I know its total booty fab).

[Dukes69]

Lately my street ride is just crap. Seems like I feel everything little bump in the road. On decent sized dips, if I take them at anykind of speed (10+ mph) it looks as if the drivers side front compresses down way more than the passenger and the whole back end has a definate hop to it.

Sounds like your answer right there. The job of the shock is to stop that stuff from happening. Take one of the supposed bad ones off and check out.

On another note, are your shocks the limit of your travel (both up and down)? Using the correct bumpstops and limit straps will save the life of your shocks, and make them last longer.

[nagal]

The shocks are the limit of my travel. I have no good reason why extended bump stops never got installed as I have a set of front ones sitting in my shed...

[Dukes69]

The shocks are the limit of my travel. I have no good reason why extended bump stops never got installed as I have a set of front ones sitting in my shed...

Well there you go. Theres the solution. And since your shocks are toast, you might as well get some Fox Shox and do the shock mod.

[nagal]

Well there you go. Theres the solution. And since your shocks are toast, you might as well get some Fox Shox and do the shock mod.

Dude, you so read my mind

Actually I have been looking at the new Walker Evan shocks but not sure. Only problem with Fox Shocks is finding someone to do all the fab work.

[blkTJ]

Only problem with Fox Shocks is finding someone to do all the fab work.

word. :confused2 :censor: :angry: :yay:

[nagal]

Brain, did the new place come with a garage? If so you now have no reason to not start to learn to weld

[blkTJ]

Brain, did the new place come with a garage? If so you now have no reason to not start to learn to weld

I'm not even supposed to change my oil in the garage.

[goodtimes]

Changing oil has nothing to do with welding....or grinding, cutting, brazing, milling, turning, drilling, punching, bending or drinking.....so get started!!!!!

Just be warned, fabbing is kinda like crack.....once you start, you won't be able to stop.

[nagal]

I'm not even supposed to change my oil in the garage.

Changing oil is for the driveway!

[rick]

Do you have the stock rear trackbar still, or an RE (or other) angled adjustable? If you raise the jeep, the angle of the trackbar is steeper. This means that instead of sitting like this: _ it sits like this: / . I know that's a bit exaggerated, but you get the idea. So now when you compress the rear end, there is a "shift" feeling from the trackbar leveling out. This was very noticable on Sarah's TJ when we put the 2" lift on with a stock rear trackbar. It seemed to get a little better with the RE adjustable, but it still feels a little wigglier back there. Is this perhaps what you are perceiving as shock problems?

[nagal]

Still the stock track bar modified slightly. When swapping in the D44 rear we heated the bar to take out some of the bend and "length" it. It has always been a little "hopy" in the rear but lately has gotten to be very noticable.

I did remember I have put on extended sway bar links in the rear recently which is when the rear started to get noticablely different. The front issues and the general feeling every little pebble in the road was noticable before the new sway bar links.

[nagal]

A little updated.

Swapped in new Walker Evans Shocks which helped some but did nothing on the axle hop.

Adjusted tire pressure down to 28 (33" BFG MT) from 32 which with the shocks helped a ton but still no relief for the axle hop. I might get some faster wear but the smoother ride seems worth it to me.

Put in the RE Rear Trackbar bracket (still stock rear track bar) and the axle hop is almost nothing now. I have not taken it for a long drive but the little test drive I did seems to suggest that fixed it. I need to go hit some parking lot speed bumps to give it a real test.

Currently this is the best my Jeep has ridden in a long time. I guess since it is riding so well I need to sart screwing with it some more

[Dukes69]

describe axle hop?

[Beatrice]

Wheel Hop: Unwanted or uncontrolled suspension movement in the vertical plane, usually this problem seen most dramatically when a lot of torque is applied to the wheels.
Axle Wrap : Unwanted change in the pinion angle
Axle wrap is a problem that plagues leaf sprung vehicles with soft springs, particularly those that are set up SOA (Spring Over Axle). Axle wrap is something different than wheel hop. Wheel hop is when an axle on your 4x4 rapidly hops up and down. Axle wrap is unwanted suspension movement that allows the pinion angle to change. Wheel hop is annoying and could cause drivetrain breakage, but usually it's not the actual hopping that breaks parts, it's the axle wrap that results from the hop that causes drivelines to bind and breaks yokes, drive shafts and sometimes even pinions.

Edit, got that from a tech site