best suspension for washboard roads
- Thread starter Jeep or Tacoma
- Start date
I'd think that if the springs you've got now are collapsing under the weight of your bumper/winch, then you just have the wrong springs for your vehicle, progressive or not. I believe that you can give OME the exact weight of your front and rear and they will do the calculations and get you the best springs for what you need.
Teraflex makes a PreRunner series of lift that is designed for the constant abuse washboard roads will dish out. There are a few videos on Youtube showing what it is capable of doing. Most important features are reservoir shocks which help keep the fluid from overheating in the shock. Ever notice how after a section of washboard the vehicle feels a little off while going down a smooth road? When the fluid overheats it is like brake fade for shocks. Second feature is airbumps to help soak up the really nasty impacts that come along with this sort of terrain.
I personally could not swing the cost of this lift. So with the key pieces in mind I decided to go for the Mopar Stage III which is built by Tereflex and includes Fox reservoir shocks all the way around, Fox Airbumps, and replacement control arms for 6 out of the 8 on the truck. In addition, I would suggest an upgraded steering stabilizer to reduce the impact felt through the steering wheel and an upgraded trackbar for piece of mind. For these parts I went with the Fox ATS which works equally in both directions and the Tereflex monster forged trackbar. Parts are on their way and I would be more than happy to give some more feedback once the install is done and I get some miles on it.
I personally could not swing the cost of this lift. So with the key pieces in mind I decided to go for the Mopar Stage III which is built by Tereflex and includes Fox reservoir shocks all the way around, Fox Airbumps, and replacement control arms for 6 out of the 8 on the truck. In addition, I would suggest an upgraded steering stabilizer to reduce the impact felt through the steering wheel and an upgraded trackbar for piece of mind. For these parts I went with the Fox ATS which works equally in both directions and the Tereflex monster forged trackbar. Parts are on their way and I would be more than happy to give some more feedback once the install is done and I get some miles on it.
1stDeuce
Explorer
To reiterate was was said in pieces above, 35's at the proper pressure under a JK won't give a crap about washboard roads. Your suspension will still play a small part, but airing down some will do much better than any suspension solution.
For surfaces like washboard and other fast/abrupt inputs, the best ride is achieved by not having shocks, or having the softest shocks possible. Seriously, only a very minimal amount of damping would be desired, so that the suspension can follow the contour of the road without imparting much force on the chassis. A correspondingly soft spring rate would also be ideal. For spring rate, the reality is that for JK, there are hardly any "firm" springs out there. Even the factory rate is far too soft. (Because a "car guy" did the tuning...) From what I've seen you should stay far away from Rough Country, as they further soften the spring rates, claiming improved flexibility. Most of the others copy the factory spring rate, in hopes that they don't further degrade the ride. AEV actually uses the proper spring rate for the weight of the vehicle, which is a bit higher than the factory rate. This results in much improved ride and handling over the stock suspension.
OME used to be my go-to suspension for Jeeps, but it's not anymore thanks to the Nitrocharger Sport shocks. The sports are too stiff for washboard surfaces. Bilstein can't seem to keep their poop in a group anymore. That leaves Fox to pick up where they have failed, and I'm betting that by the time you actually have a JK, Fox will offer shocks that kick the crap out of both OME and Bilstein, and at comparable prices.
As for the suspension, AEV is the best for all around use, thanks to an actual ride and handling engineer doing the design work for them. Icon and a few others can do the go fast for big $, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after. I'd bet that by the time you're in the market for a suspension, AEV will be offering Fox shocks as an option, or will have abandoned Bilstein completely.
Chris
For surfaces like washboard and other fast/abrupt inputs, the best ride is achieved by not having shocks, or having the softest shocks possible. Seriously, only a very minimal amount of damping would be desired, so that the suspension can follow the contour of the road without imparting much force on the chassis. A correspondingly soft spring rate would also be ideal. For spring rate, the reality is that for JK, there are hardly any "firm" springs out there. Even the factory rate is far too soft. (Because a "car guy" did the tuning...) From what I've seen you should stay far away from Rough Country, as they further soften the spring rates, claiming improved flexibility. Most of the others copy the factory spring rate, in hopes that they don't further degrade the ride. AEV actually uses the proper spring rate for the weight of the vehicle, which is a bit higher than the factory rate. This results in much improved ride and handling over the stock suspension.
OME used to be my go-to suspension for Jeeps, but it's not anymore thanks to the Nitrocharger Sport shocks. The sports are too stiff for washboard surfaces. Bilstein can't seem to keep their poop in a group anymore. That leaves Fox to pick up where they have failed, and I'm betting that by the time you actually have a JK, Fox will offer shocks that kick the crap out of both OME and Bilstein, and at comparable prices.
As for the suspension, AEV is the best for all around use, thanks to an actual ride and handling engineer doing the design work for them. Icon and a few others can do the go fast for big $, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after. I'd bet that by the time you're in the market for a suspension, AEV will be offering Fox shocks as an option, or will have abandoned Bilstein completely.
Chris
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
Yes please! :beer:
Unbiased reviews are very helpful. Also the amount of weight you carry, and how the vehicle handles that would be a big help as well.
So hard to compare kits when there are so many variables.
Someone running a lighter 2dr, may never deal with suspension packing, like a person with an Unlimited, glamping gear, and a family of six.
On the other side, a light 2dr could be very harsh riding if the high speed valving is setup for a JKU Overlanding.
SoCal Tom
Explorer
If it's truly just washboard road, airing down and driving faster will smooth it right out. The problem comes when you hit a dip or a rise at speed, then you need a decent shock with good compression dampening. My personal preference is for Bilsteins. The valving they use senses how fast the shock is compressing, and the faster it moves, the firmer the valving adjusts, so when you are cruising on a smooth road, the shock is moving slowly, hit a bump and the shock valving firms up so you don't bottom out. I really like 7100s. In my Early Bronco days, I initially ran Ranchos, I tried both 5000s and 9000s adjustables. After a few minutes they would overheat and they didn't do any dampening. Adjusting them did nothing, I bottomed out frequently I switched to 7100s ( 12 inch travel in front) and I didn't bottom out any more, and I could drive much faster.
Tom
Tom
Scott Brady
Founder
The best suspension for washboards is low tire pressure. Really low