Shocks newb question

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89er
Posts: 72
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 6:43 pm

Shocks newb question

Post by 89er »

So the grand wagoneer rides pretty bumpy and I want to upgrade the shocks. Previous owner told me the jeep has a 2-3 in body lift, with what I'm fairly sure is stock rancho shocks. I'm looking at purchasing a skyjacker black max set from team grand wagoneer.

Would I need to purchase the 3-5 in lift set https://www.teamgrandwagoneer.com/skyja ... 1974-1991/
or the standard set? https://www.teamgrandwagoneer.com/skyja ... 1974-1991/

Any reviews of those skyjacker black max's is welcomed. Thanks.
'89 Grand Wagoneer Baltic-blue/Tan

1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: Shocks newb question

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Easiest way to really tell is to flex the jeep out and find your max and min length for the shocks. Simpler way would be just to pull one of the fronts and one of the rears and measure fully compressed and fully extended length and just order some spec'd to the same lengths. But you will be assuming that the current shocks are correct for your lift etc.

Don't have a review of the shocks you mentioned, but I don't know if you will like the ride of a heavy duty shock. Most of the time, for the best ride you want the most basic shock you can find. The bilstein 5100s are a great all around shock, will just need to order the correct length for your application.

And finally, as you probably know, a leaf sprung vehicle is going to ride fairly bumpy, especially once you start adding lift to it. New shocks actually might add to the bumpiness you are experiencing especially if you decide to go HD. Just food for thought.

Xplitive
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 3:50 am
Location: York County, VA

Re: Shocks newb question

Post by Xplitive »

Your Body lift shouldn’t be the determining factor for shocks but instead the suspension lift. Follow Bettywhites suggestion to verify what your suspension is doing for correct shock length. I like to run adjustable shocks, such as rancho, so it can be dialed up or down for my taste. For a mostly street duty truck this has provided a good selection of ride quality with rancho springs front and general spring rear.
Erik
1989 GW, 31s on rancho front and general spring rear
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