Jeep Suspension

I am looking for the softest suspension and i got a good amount of cash to use currently, i was thinking rubicon express if they make the width springs i have otherwise ide have to convert them and thats a pain, the other thing is deaver shocks, or the rancho rx9000 ones..... just curious, and yes currently it is seriously bone jarring, and ive heard that ranchos arnt good for softness on a jeep but please let me know if you get any other opinions that would fit on my jeep with the 1 and 3/4in width leaf springs thanks.

 

The short wheelbase will keep it from ever riding like a limo, no matter what you do. Personally, I like the ride of my '67 with the BDS 2.5" lift with BDS shocks. Firm enough that it isn't too scary in the corners, soft enough that you don't lose a vertebra every time you drive it.

 

YJ wrangler spring over conversion. You did say you have $$$
I love the way mine rides, of course I have no comparison other than stock.

 

The Rancho's are pretty stiff, mine were on the jeep when I bought it in 1992, no lean yet but they are still pretty stiff even after all these years.

 

What year is this Jeep? How much lift do you want/need?

The 5-leaf springs available stock on the intermediate Jeeps ride nice. You won't be happy with them if you expect a tall, aggressive stance and want to run really big tires. Remember that the taller you make the Jeep, the more the Jeep will want to lean on curves. Stiff springs are one way to overcome this. It's a tradeoff - body roll v. softness v. ride height. Choose wisely.

 

i found my rancho 1" lift springs to be very comfortable esp when using the rancho 9000's set on 2 or 3. smooth for an 81" wheelbase. choppy but again, it's a short wheelbase. set on 1 it seems to be almost too soft for my liking. but i don'l like a "limo like" ride.

i went with the 1" lift and 3/4" lift more shackles since that was the closest to NO lift i could find at the time. i prefered as little lift as possible and still beef up my suspension for the same reason tim mentioned.

i'm quite pleased with the rancho set up as to ride and body roll/lean. much more stable than i expected. i have yet to try the shocks set to 8 or 9 but will just to see how stiff the ride can be. i have no comparison to other springs except for the re-arced springs that came with the cj and they were terrible. body lean was so bad that i thought it was gonna roll just parallel parking (jk but it was bad in the corners).

i am running 31"x10.5" tires.

i suggest following moses ludel's recommendations on lift height vs wheelbase vs tread width for safety. (jeep owner's bible or rebuilders bible).

 

One way to get a softer ride is to choose a tire with a flexible sidewall. No personal experience with them, but I'd expect that would eliminate most of the specialty bias-ply tires, like Truxus etc. The BFG radials are said to have a good ride, and I'd expect most other radial ATs and MTs to be similar. Air pressure makes a big difference too. Search earlier threads for more discussion.

 

I've got the Skyjacker soft ride springs. The old springs would really jar your teeth but the soft rides are much much better.

And, like timgr said, radial tires help a bunch.

 

Sorry i'm new to this world and i did a search to find the answer with no luck. What make is bds?

 

Looks like I need a stronger disclaimer! Maybe "I don't know jack about brands, but a radial will ride better than a bias ply." Heh.

 

BDS now, but was originally Big **** Suspension. Got to love the guys idea of a joke.

 

Hey, my dad's company, GFI Services, started out as Grand and Foolish Intentions...

 

Holbrook's can be reached at 503-655-4747. They have a web site but best way to contact them is by phone. Nickmil.

 

I run Deaver 4.5" YJ springs (with scout width axles) and fox emulsion shocks. I had Bilsteins on there before and actually liked it a little better, but I'm still tweeking with the fox's. I hear the edelbrock IAS shocks are great for on road manners and offroad performance. I get a about 13" of travel (after they break in) from the springs and it rides nice, not scary on the road (with good shocks) and excelent on the trail. I got mine from poly performance (www.polyperformance.com), but you might be able to call deaver and get a better price?

 

how are the 4wd hardware 2.5 lifts does anyone have one? I have been debating between that or skyjacker.