new member, trooper owner...

[bigreen505]

Shocks/springs- I did Old Man Emu #912 heavy springs on mine and Rancho 5000 shocks. The only thing I would change would be to get Rancho 9000 shocks. Major improvement!!!

No, they suck -- too soft on slow compression (body roll, damping) and too firm on fast compression. There is no Rancho application that fits the front either, 99214 is too short by an inch on extension and 99136 is too long on compression. I'm keeping mine for a while because I have them, they basically work and there are other things I need more, but they are not worth buying at any price. Scott really likes the OME shocks and they are a great match for the 912 springs, but I think you might lose some extension with the 919 springs. If you want a safe bet, the OME firms are safe. If you are adventurous you could explore Fox or Bilstein. All Fox shocks and some Bilsteins can be custom valved. OME does the work for you.

 

[Incusus]

If you are adventurous you could explore Fox or Bilstein.

adventurous and rich maybe. lets not forget rich

Fox=$$

thats just my po' Ohio self talking tho...

 

[calamaridog]

adventurous and rich maybe. lets not forget rich

Fox=$$

thats just my po' Ohio self talking tho...

I'm going to disagree with you here. Quality rebuildable shocks are a real value. First of all, if used properly, they will work WAY better than anything else. Second of all, this is the last shock you will ever need to buy, because you can rebuild/revalve them. Third of all, they are not that much more money than other options when you consider the advantages.

The issue is finding the right length shock that will mount your mounting configuration. Often, you will need someone who can help you set the suspension up to properly utilize these types of shocks.

For folks like me, that means you wait until someone else is the guinea pig and then you can make your mods based upon their learning curve

 

[bigreen505]

adventurous and rich maybe. lets not forget rich

Fox=$$

thats just my po' Ohio self talking tho...

Not really, if memory serves for the Trooper, the applicable Bilstein 5150 were about $115/ea., Fox emulsion and Bilstein 7100 are $140/ea. and 7100 with remote reservoir is about $180. Bilstein 5100 and OME are $80/ea. and Rancho 9000 is $85 ea. In looking up prices for you, I just noticed that Independent 4x carries Walker Evans shocks for about $170/ea. I have no idea what these are, but they look a lot lot a Sway-a-Way.

You do get a lot of value with the OME and Bilstein 5100.

 

[bigreen505]

The only issues so far is:

3. Gas mileage not bad but should be better. Changed air filter and plan on replacing plugs, gas filter, etc.

Make sure you are don't have a dragging brake caliper. That got me.

 

[Incusus]

...Quality rebuildable shocks are a real value...

...Fox emulsion and Bilstein 7100 are $140/ea. and 7100 with remote reservoir is about $180. Bilstein 5100 and OME are $80/ea....

There's a difference between price and value. I don't argue the value of the Fox's, for example the Fox Vanilla 130's on my GT have proven to be excellent, but almost as good are the Marizocci MXC's on my Specialized... and they were about $120 cheaper. Have no doubt, the 130's are sweet but are they $120 better than the MXC's? Heck no, therefore the value is diminished.

To me at least its the same with the truck shocks. The OME's will do everything I want and are a significant improvement over some shocks that are priced similarly (or even more, and thats value!). Are the Fox emulsions $240 better than the OME's? I don't know, but for my application I'll get more overall value putting that $240 elsewhere like tires.