Sorry to bring an older thread back but i wondered @thameren if you had been able to sort something out shock-wise?
Have a 4.5” long arm kit, too, and am seeking a softer ride.
4.5" Rubicon Express long arm kit rides rough
- Thread starter thameren
- Start date
Sorry to bring an older thread back but i wondered @thameren if you had been able to sort something out shock-wise?
Have a 4.5” long arm kit, too, and am seeking a softer ride.
I put rancho black max on the rear and that got it semi close to how I want it and for the front I had a pair of worn out rancho 5000 from a Chevy I built adapters for to fit and it drives fairly decent now but at this point I’ll need tuneable coilovers to really get it as soft as I want
DirtDawg
TJ Enthusiast
Good timing refreshing this topic, with my buddy and I both preparing to replace shocks on ours purchased a few months ago. His a 2003 Rubi, advertised with RE 4.5" L-A kit in combo with newer Bilstein 5100 and mine a 2005 Rubi, advertised with RE 5.5" L-A kit in combo with old (painted white vs silver) Rancho 9000. Both measure with essentially same static ride heights (adjusted for differences in 33" tire wear) and both similarly loaded spring heights vs OEM baseline dimensions. From all that, I've concluded both have effective 5.5" lift springs, although different brands (coil wire rod diameters and spacings). His had Bilsteins installed by the former owner but wrong front/rear P/Ns for lift height, thus "feels like" the shorter shock shaft lengths are restricting travel excursion and acting like bump stops.
So, we want to replace his being suitable for 5.5" lift and I want to replace mine due to age and wear. Both are dedicated trail rigs with limited pavement time, so off-pavement terrain compliance is our primary consideration, along with cost also a consideration. Despite generally negative perspectives read here on R-E long arm kits, we have no intention on changing those to something like a mid-arm kit - even if doing so was simpler (factoring semi-permanent alterations done during L-A installation). So with all that outlined, we're both planning on Bilstein 5100 Long Arm Shocks (4-6" lift — P/N 24-185943 front / P/N 33-185934). Alternatively, Rancho 9000 since Rancho 5000 aren't available with suitable shaft lengths for 4-6" lift. Yes, Teraflex are available but poor reviews read here (too stiff?) plus mixed reviews on Skyjacker Black Max. As @AdventurePig asked today, we're open to fresh perspectives from others with similar L-A kits. TIA...
So, we want to replace his being suitable for 5.5" lift and I want to replace mine due to age and wear. Both are dedicated trail rigs with limited pavement time, so off-pavement terrain compliance is our primary consideration, along with cost also a consideration. Despite generally negative perspectives read here on R-E long arm kits, we have no intention on changing those to something like a mid-arm kit - even if doing so was simpler (factoring semi-permanent alterations done during L-A installation). So with all that outlined, we're both planning on Bilstein 5100 Long Arm Shocks (4-6" lift — P/N 24-185943 front / P/N 33-185934). Alternatively, Rancho 9000 since Rancho 5000 aren't available with suitable shaft lengths for 4-6" lift. Yes, Teraflex are available but poor reviews read here (too stiff?) plus mixed reviews on Skyjacker Black Max. As @AdventurePig asked today, we're open to fresh perspectives from others with similar L-A kits. TIA...
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