aemsee Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Looking for opinions on shocks. Going to go with 3" coils and new rear leaf packs. Needing 3" shocks. Had some Rancho's 9000's 5 way shocks on my ZJ. They were noizy as hell, and pretty stiff even on the lowest setting. Mostly a DD/ weekend kind of truck. No heavy offroad here. Don't want to spend more on the shocks than the truck cost, either :D . I know I'm not the only one on a budget. (read as cheapskate). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 My preference is ProComp ES9000. They run in the $40 each range so they are not expensive and I have never had a problem with them. I run them on the MJ (3.5" lift), YJ (SOA) and on my Ram truck (2.5" lift). ProComp makes shocks that are a little lower priced than that, but they are hydraulic and I hate the ride & performance of a hydraulic shock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemsee Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 Thanks Brent. I'll look in to them. Who else has an inexpensive favorite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HellCreek Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I am running Rough Country (Heckethorn) hydro shocks on my truck with our 4.5 inch lift, and the perform well. They sell for $32.00 each, plus UPS. Thanks, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'm running 4.5" lift and run Gabriel #81440 from Autozone up front, fully extended length is 24 5/8", or 4" longer than stock. They cost me $14.99 each and came with a lifetime warranty. On the back I run Monroe #59358 at $20.99 each from Advance Auto Parts, 25" fully extended. I think Gabriel #61582 should also work, and they are $21.99 at Autozone. They are only 2" longer than stock, but work quite well for my 4.5" lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemsee Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'm running 4.5" lift and run Gabriel #81440 from Autozone up front, fully extended length is 24 5/8", or 4" longer than stock. They cost me $14.99 each and came with a lifetime warranty. On the back I run Monroe #59358 at $20.99 each from Advance Auto Parts, 25" fully extended. I think Gabriel #61582 should also work, and they are $21.99 at Autozone. They are only 2" longer than stock, but work quite well for my 4.5" lift. Damn, those are prices I like to see! THANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phenryiv1 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 How does one calculate the proper length for their shocks? Is it simply the stock extended length plus the height of the lift = the new extended length needed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 How does one calculate the proper length for their shocks? Is it simply the stock extended length plus the height of the lift = the new extended length needed?Calculating the correct shock can be difficult at best if you do not have access to all dimensions of the shocks that you want to use. The extended length is obviously a need to know, but the distance between the upper & lower mount must be known as well as the collapsed length of the shock to be used. If you have the truck sitting on level ground and you measure 20" from the top to bottom shock mount, then to my way of doing things you would need a shock with and extended length of about 26" and a collapsed length of around 15-16" as I always wanted mine to have a little more down travel than up travel. Not all shocks are created equal in the categories of extended length vs. collapsed length so, as I said, it can be quite difficult to figure out on your own. Typically, if you take measurements of your mounts spacings and go to a good 4x4 shop they will be able to figure the best length for you. I did it MANY times while working at 4 Wheel Parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 How does one calculate the proper length for their shocks? Is it simply the stock extended length plus the height of the lift = the new extended length needed? When you run longer than stock shocks, you MUST calculate the minimum (collapsed) length for the shocks and adjust your bump stops to prevent the shocks from compressing that far. If you don't, the shock acts as a bump stop (which *most* shocks are not designed to do) and you'll destroy them rather quickly. The ideal way to calculate is to measure the length of the space available for the shock with the vehicle at rest, on the suspension. Pick a shock for which that length falls at approximately the mid-point between the fully extended length and the compressed length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 To me picking the right shocks is dependent on how the rig will be used and how it is set up. As pointed out, there is no perfect shock for every situation, there is always a comprimise. The way I pick shocks is I measure how much space I actually have mount to mount. Then I flex my rig up, I stuff my tires til they almost rub ( good time to figure out if anything else is hitting and build/buy bump stops) then I drop my suspension out, and see how much down travel I have, making sure I am not pulling on my brake lines, or binding the drive shaft. Then I call what ever supplier I am going to use, and ask about deals, and tell him what I need extended and compressed. Daystar now sells a shock bumpstop for around 20 bucks, they can help prevent shock damge from over compressing. I prefer the Doesch tech 3000's they are relatively cheap and preform well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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