Shock Question

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What's the difference between buying a shock which advertises "fits a JKU with a 1.5 - 3" lift" versus buying a shock which advertises "fits a JKU with a 3" lift."
I've narrowed my choice to Bilstein and maybe Teraflex, but has anyone had Skyjacker BlackMax Hydros?
 
It all depends on the shock, honestly. Some shocks run long (i.e. Rancho), while others run short.

Ultimately the only thing that really matters is collapsed length and extended length.

Do not run anything from Skyjacker, those things are pure shit, just like everything Skyjacker makes.

The best shock you'll find for a JK IMHO is a Fox Factory Series 2.0 smooth body with a custom tune and LSC. Nothing will ride better in terms of shocks. You'll also spend $1600 for a set. However, if you want a damn good riding shock, that's as good as it gets.

If you want something cheaper that will ride better than ANY of the shocks you mentioned (not kidding either), the Rancho RS5000X is the shock to get, I promise.
 
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It all depends on the shock, honestly. Some shocks run long (i.e. Rancho), while others run short.

Ultimately the only thing that really matters is collapsed length and extended length.

Do not run anything from Skyjacker, those things are pure shit, just like everything Skyjacker makes.

The best shock you'll find for a JK IMHO is a Fox Factory Series 2.0 smooth body with a custom tune and LSC. Nothing will ride better in terms of shocks. You'll also spend $1600 for a set. However, if you want a damn good riding shock, that's as good as it gets.

If you want something cheaper that will ride better than ANY of the shocks you mentioned (not kidding either), the Rancho RS5000X is the shock to get, I promise.

I'm not going down the $1600/set road. However, I wouldn't rule out the 9000 series since it's adjustable. My current shocks, as my Jeep sits in the driveway, measure 20.5" from the bottom edge of the shock tower (top) to the center of the bolt (bottom). This is consistent (within 1/8") all the way around. I'm assuming this measures out to a 2" lift.
The 5000 (0-2" lift) measures 22" extended and 14" compressed.
The 5000 (3-4" lift) measures 25" extended and 15" compressed.
As I measured, my current shocks are 20.5" compressed, so the 0-2" lift 5000 will be within 1.5" of full extension installed and compressed.
The 3-4" lift version will be 4.5" short of fully extended installed and compressed on my JKU.
I feel like the 3-4" lift version would be better to go with since it allows for more shock travel in either direction, up & down.
I'd appreciate any thoughts...
 
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I'm not going down the $1600/set road. However, I wouldn't rule out the 9000 series since it's adjustable. My current shocks, as my Jeep sits in the driveway, measure 20.5" from the bottom edge of the shock tower (top) to the center of the bolt (bottom). This is consistent (within 1/8") all the way around. I'm assuming this measures out to a 2" lift.
The 5000 (0-2" lift) measures 22" extended and 14" compressed.
The 5000 (3-4" lift) measures 25" extended and 15" compressed.
As I measured, my current shocks are 20.5" compressed, so the 0-2" lift 5000 will be within 1.5" of full extension installed and compressed.
The 3-4" lift version will be 4.5" short of fully extended installed and compressed on my JKU.
I feel like the 3-4" lift version would be better to go with since it allows for more shock travel in either direction, up & down.
I'd appreciate any thoughts...

I figured, not many people are crazy enough to spend that much on shocks except for myself and a few others.

The Rancho 9000 is an excellent shock as well if you like the adjustability feature.

You are right, the 3-4" version would be the better bet since it allows for more shock travel, and as long as your bump stop is set correctly, you'll be good to go.
 
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I'd say the shock you pick is dependent on your driving style crossed with budget. Some people like firm and people like soft. If possible go for a ride with someone who has whatever shocks you are looking at and see how their jeep feels.

The up vs down travel thing is a bit of a can of worms. Im at the point where I think you should aim for 50/50 until you get a shock with more than 10" of travel. There is usually an hour or more of gravel between me and whatever trail I'm going to so I may well be comfortable and stay out of the bumpstops on the way there.

A jku from the factory has 15" eye to eye on the front shocks with the bumpstops bottomed out. The factory rubicon shock is 14.75". Measure your bumpstop extension and add that number to 14.75 get the shock with the longest compressed length less than this measurement in your chosen brand and you should be safe.

I had a zone shocks on my tj and it was quite harsh all around but extremly cheap. After I caved in the rears I moved to rancho 5000x. Those rode nice and were also pretty cheap. Unfortunately the shock bodies started rusting within a week of installing them and one blew out a seal about three months in so I can't recommend them unless you will be keeping your jeep in an arid climate in which case they are a bargain. I have fox 2.0 performance series on my jku now. I bought them for two reasons. First they seemed to be the most corrosion resistant shocks I could find which is important when you live in or around a rainforest. Two they are rebuildable so you can tune the valving if you don't like it. Out of the box they are quite firm and soak up things like speed cusions and large depressions in the road quite well. They are a little harsh on particularly tall speed bumps if you dont keep it under 30mph or so but at speed on an fsr they are quite nice. Given the driving i do they work for me. I have never had bilstien myself so I can't comment on them personally, but they are extremely popular and I know several people who swear by them and their longevity in a wet climate.