2.5 lift really rough.

BlackScout13

New member
I bought a 2.5 Rock Krawler X series flex lift and 2.1 falcon shocks. I am also running 315 70 17 Cooper stt pros that are E rated. I thought this would be a really good smooth ride but I have been pretty disappointed. I know the E range tires would be a bit rougher and I even went down to 24 psi. But even the 1st week with the stock wheels this was a rough ride. My ass end feels like its coming off the ground on the highway on just the smallest bumps. My question is should I try replacing the springs or the shocks 1st? I have spent alot of money already so I am not trying to buy another complete kit if I dont have to.

Sent from my SM-G950U using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

Hooligan_JL

New member
I’m running the exact same lift but went with the Evo shock extensions to retain the factory Rubicon shocks.

With that set up and my stock tires, I felt the suspension the same if not a tad bit stiffer than my factory Rubicon suspension.

Nothing compared to what you are mentioning.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

darrenroos

New member
Are you running the shocks that came with the lift? Typically the shocks are engineered to work in harmony with your lift. When you mix or match or run a lift from a mfg that doesn’t have matching shocks, it’s a matter of trial and error until you find a combination that works for you.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Are you running the shocks that came with the lift? Typically the shocks are engineered to work in harmony with your lift. When you mix or match or run a lift from a mfg that doesn’t have matching shocks, it’s a matter of trial and error until you find a combination that works for you.

First off, Falcon is made by TeraFlex and so I seriously doubt that they came with the Rock Krawler lift. Second, it is unfortunate but nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to manufacturers making their lifts to work in harmony with the shocks they include. Companies like Dynatrac and EVO make a special effort to do this but most companies just make suspension kits and offer off the shelf shocks that will work with it. Granted, there's nothing wrong with this as for the most part, most shocks will get the job done well or at least, well enough.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I bought a 2.5 Rock Krawler X series flex lift and 2.1 falcon shocks. I am also running 315 70 17 Cooper stt pros that are E rated. I thought this would be a really good smooth ride but I have been pretty disappointed. I know the E range tires would be a bit rougher and I even went down to 24 psi. But even the 1st week with the stock wheels this was a rough ride. My ass end feels like its coming off the ground on the highway on just the smallest bumps. My question is should I try replacing the springs or the shocks 1st? I have spent alot of money already so I am not trying to buy another complete kit if I dont have to.

Lot of people complain about those shocks being stiff.

What olram30 said. Much like the Elka shocks TeraFlex used to push before, their Falcons seem to be tuned to run on the stiff side. And, that maybe good for taking big hits but for daily driving, that can give you a shitty ride. While coils do make up a bulk of ride quality, if I could guess, a lot of what you're feeling is most likely coming from your shocks.
 

BlackScout13

New member
What olram30 said. Much like the Elka shocks TeraFlex used to push before, their Falcons seem to be tuned to run on the stiff side. And, that maybe good for taking big hits but for daily driving, that can give you a shitty ride. While coils do make up a bulk of ride quality, if I could guess, a lot of what you're feeling is most likely coming from your shocks.
Is there a shock you would suggest to try?

Sent from my SM-G950U using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Is there a shock you would suggest to try?

Being that you've already wasted your money on expensive shocks that you're aren't happy with, I personally would give a set of Rancho 9000's a try. They may not be the sexiest shock around but they are affordable and even better, they're adjustable so you can set them to whatever will help make your ride better. So long as your coils are't stiff as hell, most people I know are able to find a setting that they like with 9000's.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I should note that if you don't like the red boots, you can always cut them off. That's what I did and that helped make them look a lot better.

20181228143316-9a199bb6-me.jpg
 

darrenroos

New member
nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to manufacturers making their lifts to work in harmony with the shocks they include.

TeraFlex, MOPAR and Rancho do it and as you mention Dynatrac and EVO do too. I’ll admit that instead of the word “typically” I should have used a word like “sometimes.” My point was that it helps to have a setup where springs and shocks work together and if you didn’t buy a kit that was engineered that way, you might have to do some trial and error to find that sweet spot.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
TeraFlex, MOPAR and Rancho do it and as you mention Dynatrac and EVO do too. I’ll admit that instead of the word “typically” I should have used a word like “sometimes.” My point was that it helps to have a setup where springs and shocks work together and if you didn’t buy a kit that was engineered that way, you might have to do some trial and error to find that sweet spot.

I'm not sure where you're getting your information from but I'd like to see proof of that. I mean, if TeraFlex really engineers their coils to work in harmony with their shocks, they sure have a twisted idea of what harmony is. Having personally installed and tested their lift kits in the past, both with their standard 9550 shocks and Elka shocks, I can tell you that they had some of the harshest riding lifts I've ever ridden on. With Mopar, I might believe it especially being they only sell their lift as a kit. Rancho, they're in the business of making shocks that'll work any lift just as Bilstein, Fox and King. Sure, they make lifts as well but I've never once seen any proof or heard of them specifically developing their coils and shocks to work in "harmony". Granted, they do a pretty good job of making a decent set of shocks and their coils do ride pretty nice and so both do work pretty well together. As luck would have it, I've been able to work with Dynatrac and have been able to see first hand how much work they've done to make their coils and shocks work hand and hand. They are about the only aftermarket manufacture I've seen make it a specific point to sell their lift as a complete kit only. As far as EVO goes, I get to work with them a lot too and have personally seen them develop and tune their EVO spec King shocks to work with their coils but of course, they do offer their kits with just coils and so that you can run them with any off the shelf shocks.

As I've said before, ride quality is 100% subjective and a bulk of that come from your coils. If you have a stiff set of coils, a soft set of shocks won't do a whole lot to fix that. Sure they can help but only to take the edge off. The real problem is that it's difficult to make a soft riding taller coil. This is a big part of why the Mopar coils had so much trouble with bowing springs. But, going back to ride quality being 100% subjective, there are clearly some people out there who enjoy a firm ride. The OP stated he was unhappy with his rough ride and if I could guess, he'd still be unhappy with it even if it were to run the Rock Krawler shocks that are made for it. Of course, that's just my opinion.
 

darrenroos

New member
Eddie, that’s twice that you have said that I said that coils are engineered to match the shocks. That’s the furthest thing from the truth. ;). What I said was that “shocks are engineered to work in harmony with your lift.” If a lift mfg is selling a kit that includes shocks and compares the specs of shock style A vs shock style B and determines that A works better with the coils they are using, they have just “engineered” a better solution of their coil matched with shock A vs shock B. “Engineering” certainly is a very loose term and the extent of engineering can vary from my scenario above to the other end of the spectrum where someone like Dynatrac will actually do more advanced testing and R&D to make sure the customer is getting the best match possible. My point was simply that if you buy a lift and shocks separately you might be able to improve the ride with a different shock. As you mentioned in a different response, an adjustable shock is a great idea to find a spring to shock “harmony” level that you like.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Eddie, that’s twice that you have said that I said that coils are engineered to match the shocks. That’s the furthest thing from the truth. ;). What I said was that “shocks are engineered to work in harmony with your lift.”

If you say so. I simply have NOT seen evidence or proof that most shocks that are included with a lift are engineered to do anything other than complete a kit it and make it more salable. Hence, why you can by the exact same Fox, King or even Rancho shock a la carte and use it on whatever lift you want.

If a lift mfg is selling a kit that includes shocks and compares the specs of shock style A vs shock style B and determines that A works better with the coils they are using, they have just “engineered” a better solution of their coil matched with shock A vs shock B.

The key word here is "IF". Unless you've got proof to back this up, seems to me this is nothing more than just an assumption.

“Engineering” certainly is a very loose term and the extent of engineering can vary from my scenario above to the other end of the spectrum where someone like Dynatrac will actually do more advanced testing and R&D to make sure the customer is getting the best match possible.

Yes, it really is. Fact of the matter is that the best R&D always comes from seat time and over different terrain - NOT through numbers. At least, in my opinion anyway.

My point was simply that if you buy a lift and shocks separately you might be able to improve the ride with a different shock.

Well, if that really was your point, I apologize for missing it. I would agree that a different set of shocks "might" improve a ride but that's far from making it "good" or truly "comfortable".

As you mentioned in a different response, an adjustable shock is a great idea to find a spring to shock “harmony” level that you like.

Actually, what I said was I would "give a set of Rancho 9000's a try" being that the OP had "already wasted his money on an expensive set of shocks". I also said they may not be the sexiest shock around but they are "affordable" and "adjustable" and that would allow him set them to whatever will "help make his ride better". So that it isn't missed, I specifically stated that "so long as his coils are't stiff as hell, most people I know are able to find a setting that they like with 9000's". In other words, ride quality is still incumbent on how the coils feel and "most people" isn't everyone. Again, ride quality is 100% subjective. :yup:

With all that said, I run a JK that's running an EVO DTD on long arms and dialed in exactly the way I want. Pretty much everything I've ridden on since or before falls short of it and in a lot cases, by a long shot. I can only hope to get my JL riding as nice someday.
 

darrenroos

New member
If you say so. I simply have NOT seen evidence or proof that most shocks that are included with a lift are engineered to do anything other than complete a kit it and make it more salable. Hence, why you can by the exact same Fox, King or even Rancho shock a la carte and use it on whatever lift you want.

I’m not saying that they custom build shocks for their lifts. Price certainly is a factor but doesn’t it make sense that a lift kit designer that is including shocks in their kit would take for example, a Fox, King, or even Rancho shock to compare and see which one compliments their kit the best? Maybe not. I have seen them advertise that they do but maybe I give them too much credit.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

JTCO

Meme King
I’m not saying that they custom build shocks for their lifts. Price certainly is a factor but doesn’t it make sense that a lift kit designer that is including shocks in their kit would take for example, a Fox, King, or even Rancho shock to compare and see which one compliments their kit the best? Maybe not. I have seen them advertise that they do but maybe I give them too much credit.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app

Most manufacturers will not. They'll take a cheap ass shock, make sure it's the right length, make it look pretty, and call it Nirvana so consumers will buy it. Just like everything else in life, it's about numbers and profits.
 

NFRs2000NYC

Member
Teraflex shocks you buy on their own are NOT different than the ones you get in a lift kit....ergo, they are not engineered to work with a certain set of coils. However, dynatrac 2.0 shocks ARE different than fox 2.0 shocks you get off the shelf, meaning, they WERE engineered specifically for their coils. 90% of manufacturers just make parts FIT a vehicle, they don't really design the parts FOR the vehicle.
 

darrenroos

New member
Most manufacturers will not. They'll take a cheap ass shock, make sure it's the right length, make it look pretty, and call it Nirvana so consumers will buy it. Just like everything else in life, it's about numbers and profits.

That’s too bad. I’ve spent 1/2 of my career in manufacturing and if that was the way we did business we wouldn’t last a year. Maybe I should start designing and building lift kits. Ha!


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

Top