King Shock upgrade

[Chi-Town]

Arms are all about the same (poly bushings/jonnie joints) as long as the alignment is right it shouldn't matter much. Springs and shocks are crucial.

 

[cobblecrazy]

I have never run the ranchos. I lot of truck camper guys like them because the loads they carry vary by a huge amount, but a lot of people don't seem to like them for off road use.

I'm very happy with my AEV springs and bilstein shocks, but the shocks are also valved specifically for AEV and the off the shelf bilsteins may be a little different. I've always liked the bilstein shocks I ran on trucks but in some cases they were stiff off road.

I've always had the best results from disconnecting the front sway bar, having a taller sidewall and airing down a bit.

Some of the popular lower cost air compressors are the MV-50, 89, and 90. The 50 is okay for 31-33" tires, and my 89 works decently with my 35s. It takes around 10 minutes for me to air the 35s up from 10psi to 26-28psi. The newer 90 is supposed to be quicker. The two that I've had were/are very reliable. Shop around online for prices as they vary widely.

Thanks Brian. My main issue with the current set-up was the stiff ride off-road as well as how that might affect my J30 over time. As we talked I am not a rock crawler and am more interested in overland/backcountry travel with the Jeep/camper setup.

To answer some of the other questions. When I purchased the Jeep from my local dealer, the lift, springs, shocks, and tires were already installed as a package (for an off-road show display). I've been happy with it to a point, but I'm trying to make some tweeks that aren't just "oh, thats looks shiny" and don't break the bank account. I bought a Viair on-board compressor ( no tank) but have not installed due to some factory work thats being done on the Jeep as we speak. I was hoping a slightly lower pressure would help off road, but also exploring the different shock options to see if there might be an "on the fly" option for those days when varied terrain is on the menu. I happen to be at my local 4x4 dealer (many years of experience and serviced my Sportsmobile for several years without any issues) and we got into the King/Rancho discussion.

here is the link to the Ranchos the shop showed me. http://www.quadratec.com/products/16019_1141.htm

No external reserviour put them in about the same price as comp shocks. At a quarter of the price if the Kings I felt it was at least worth looking into other peoples experiences.

 

[cobblecrazy]

You get what you pay for. Buy once cry once(re: kings). :ylsmoke:

I agree, to a point. I had an uncle who owned a BMW many years ago. He was an engineer and inquired to the shop mechanic about the cost of some parts through the dealership. The answer was - people who buy expensive cars expect to pay a premium price even though there are much less expensive good quility parts out there. Now this is in no way a dig against King, or any other manufacturer, because I think they make a great product and there is a reason racers around the world choose their product. I, however, must see what else is out there, but I am not willing to go the "K-Mart", or some unkown brand route just to save a buck either.

 

[ih8philly]

Thanks Brian. My main issue with the current set-up was the stiff ride off-road as well as how that might affect my J30 over time. As we talked I am not a rock crawler and am more interested in overland/backcountry travel with the Jeep/camper setup.

To answer some of the other questions. When I purchased the Jeep from my local dealer, the lift, springs, shocks, and tires were already installed as a package (for an off-road show display). I've been happy with it to a point, but I'm trying to make some tweeks that aren't just "oh, thats looks shiny" and don't break the bank account. I bought a Viair on-board compressor ( no tank) but have not installed due to some factory work thats being done on the Jeep as we speak. I was hoping a slightly lower pressure would help off road, but also exploring the different shock options to see if there might be an "on the fly" option for those days when varied terrain is on the menu. I happen to be at my local 4x4 dealer (many years of experience and serviced my Sportsmobile for several years without any issues) and we got into the King/Rancho discussion.

here is the link to the Ranchos the shop showed me. http://www.quadratec.com/products/16019_1141.htm

No external reserviour put them in about the same price as comp shocks. At a quarter of the price if the Kings I felt it was at least worth looking into other peoples experiences.

The Kings sound like overkill for your application. OME, Bilstein, and Fox all make solid offerings in the $100/shock range and all are more highly regarded than the RC units you have on there now. I just don't see the value of the high adjustability and external reservoirs given the description you have provided. For the price of those Kings you could get better shocks and springs which would have a much better chance of addressing the issues you are having.

 

[brianjwilson]

I would have to think a good set of matched springs and shocks would do better for you as well. I'll probably be in reno next September with my jeep if you wanted to compare rides, but I'm sure you want to change it up before summer. But if you're not wanting to spend a few more bucks, the ranchos adjustability would probably improve what you have. I wonder would AEV would charge for a set of springs and shocks. Having no idea what else comes with your lift I couldn't really recommend anything more.
I'm happy with the way mine rides off road, but really bad washboard is just terrible no matter what unless I air down.
What kind of pressure are you running in your tires, out of curiosity? What kind of load rating are they?

 

[jscusmcvet]

I put the Rough Country 2.5 progressive springs on my LJ last summer. I am satisfied with the ride/performance, except for the shocks. Recently switched out front shocks to Bilsteins and the difference was immediately noticable. I will do the rears as time/$ allow. RC products are probably not as good as the higher end brands but I have always had a good experience with them. This combo, with the bilsteins, has given my jeep the best ride of any jeep I have owned.

John

 

[onetraveller]

I see you are already moving towards the Bilsteins.

I'm running the Rancho 9000xl shocks on my JK 4dr Sahara. They are a great shock, especially for the price. They also come with a lifetime warranty and Rancho is running a nice rebate off 4 shocks.

I ran the Bilsteins on my Range Rover when I had it and think the Ranchos work just as well, with the bonus of being adjustable.

Mike