Please help, Trying to ID suspension bits and improve ride

[scottb]

Hi errbody, trying to ID the suspension on my 89 GW because it's like driving a tractor and I'd like to get it a little more civilized. I do guess that it's aftermarket, but very limited on part numbers.

Here's what I've got:
Shocks: White with no bellows, ID on the shocks (all 4) say "R26" then X067H1

Screenshot 2023-09-12 at 10.26.11 AM.png

I was unable to google anything useful on these shocks, so I guess they came as part of a suspension kit.
The tires are BFG AT/KO 33"s on stock wheels, and this is what the stance looks like:

Screenshot 2023-09-12 at 10.28.50 AM.png

On the rear axle there are lift blocks, don't appear to have index holes, thus the truck crabs somewhat, gotta fix that.

Screenshot 2023-09-12 at 10.33.54 AM.png

Like I said, the ride is extremely harsh and unforgiving, so I'm wondering if the springs might be aftermarket as well. The shackles look to be original.

Screenshot 2023-09-12 at 10.39.30 AM.png

The truck has a BJ's Offroad exhaust, Holley Sniper FI system, aftermarket headers and intake manifold too, so it's definitely been modded to a degree. I bought this sight unseen from a dealer in Florida where it had been registered to a small biz since 2018 and prior to then was California titled. The VIN ends with 109984.

Thanks in advance for any advice/help you can give!

Best,
Scott Brawner

[devildog80]

Nice looking truck.
But remember these are not modern vehicles, and were made to work with some few amenities for comfort, and will ride more like a truck. Part of the joy owning one of these trucks that some of us absolutely love about them.
Softer springs for ride can be had, as the shocks will keep everything in check, but springs will be your ultimate upgrade to get the softer ride you want.
Others here will chime in with their own methods, then it is your call to see what works best for your situation, and determine best solution.

[tgreese]

Look at Rough Country suspension and see if it compares to yours. The blocks in the rear are a cheap way to get some lift, and you likely have the original springs with them. I recall Rough Country uses those in their lift kits. If you think the shocks are making the ride too rough, you can remove them and go for a short test drive. Won't hurt anything to drive around the block and compare bump stiffness. You can also reduce your tire pressure - that will remove a lot of the feel-every-pebble stiffness.

Lift springs often upset the suspension geometry. if you lose caster angle, the directional stability will be bad and you'll be constantly correcting to go in a straight line. This does not relate to bump stiffness though.

There is a thread here viewtopic.php?t=12324 regarding Wagoneer springs. In my experience, these Jeeps ride pretty nice with factory suspension. They won't be as precise or responsive as a passenger car, but not bad - fine for a daily driver and to keep the family happy. Pickup trucks usually have the characteristic rear axle slam that these wagons do not. However they get droopy in the back end - "wag sag" - and a lift kit may be the PO's answer to that. Plus these Jeeps often get lifted for appearance's sake. Originally they had station-wagon-like step in, one of their selling points. The 4WD bits are tucked in to the body, allowing a more normal ride height.

[scottb]

Nice looking truck.
But remember these are not modern vehicles, and were made to work with some few amenities for comfort, and will ride more like a truck. Part of the joy owning one of these trucks that some of us absolutely love about them.
Softer springs for ride can be had, as the shocks will keep everything in check, but springs will be your ultimate upgrade to get the softer ride you want.
Others here will chime in with their own methods, then it is your call to see what works best for your situation, and determine best solution.

Thanks for the reply, I do get it for sure, one of the things I love about the truck, but I've ridden in other GWs and they do not ride like this at all, so I was just trying to pin down the cause, it could be that these shocks are not application appropriate.

Look at Rough Country suspension and see if it compares to yours. The blocks in the rear are a cheap way to get some lift, and you likely have the original springs with them. I recall Rough Country uses those in their lift kits. If you think the shocks are making the ride too rough, you can remove them and go for a short test drive. Won't hurt anything to drive around the block and compare bump stiffness. You can also reduce your tire pressure - that will remove a lot of the feel-every-pebble stiffness.

Lift springs often upset the suspension geometry. if you lose caster angle, the directional stability will be bad and you'll be constantly correcting to go in a straight line. This does not relate to bump stiffness though.

There is a thread here viewtopic.php?t=12324 regarding Wagoneer springs. In my experience, these Jeeps ride pretty nice with factory suspension. They won't be as precise or responsive as a passenger car, but not bad - fine for a daily driver and to keep the family happy. Pickup trucks usually have the characteristic rear axle slam that these wagons do not. However they get droopy in the back end - "wag sag" - and a lift kit may be the PO's answer to that. Plus these Jeeps often get lifted for appearance's sake. Originally they had station-wagon-like step in, one of their selling points. The 4WD bits are tucked in to the body, allowing a more normal ride height.

THanks for the link to that article, super informative!

[akguy09]

I will say alot of times people will put on springs and shocks and torque all that stuff up in the air. One thing you can try is to jack up the Jeep...let the springs hang, loosen the bolts on the shackles lower the Jeep so the weight it on the wheels and then torque to spec. It may help some

[scottb]

I'll give that a shot, thanks!