Need softer ride
05-16-2014, 05:50 AM
#31
Loaded with 3 passengers + camping gear + recovery gear + extra water & fuel, etc', my JKU gains at least 350kg, about 780 pounds. For this weight difference, the ability to adjust the shocks would be a real improvement. One of the next mods will be upgrading the Fox shocks to the Fox Dual Speed Compression (DSC) Adjuster or the Compression Damping (CD) Adjuster.
05-16-2014, 12:18 PM
#32
ok, scratch my Lexus comment. Get a land rover. Auto adjusting suspension, air ride equipped, capable off road, high tow capacity, lots of room, carries more payload than the jk, about the same mpg. And, rides very smooth, and comfortable. Quiet too. I would have bought another, but I just got tired of fixing th thong all the damn time.
And yes, its ride is indeed very smooth and comfortable -- exactly like my previous Jeep...
and that's because my previous Jeep had air springs, and so does the Land Rover.
Air springs behave differently than coils, and smooth/cushion bumps much, much better.
Unlike constant coefficient coils, or even dual-rate or progressive coils, the coefficient of air springs is exponential. Their resistance to compression mounts fast, and gets way higher than with coils.
They never compresses all the way like coils do, and they reach a point where the shocks resistance, which remained constant, becomes negligible.
Along the upwards travel, the shock (exponentially) becomes a tiny factor in the system.
That Jeep drove like a charm, really smoothed out trails, at considerably higher speeds than Jeeps with coils.
With air spring, shocks are usually tuned around the normal ride height, and the relation between spring & shock changes drastically towards the compression or decompression ends.
With coils, the relation between spring & shock changes much less towards the compression or decompression ends.
The valving of shocks is therefore more influential, over the whole range, with coils.
I tried different settings of the Fox shocks with the air springs, and the differences in ride comfort were pretty small, while, with coils, every valving step is clearly felt.
Last edited by GJeep; 05-16-2014 at 01:07 PM.
05-16-2014, 02:17 PM
#33
The Land Rover covers much of the issue from the spring side of the spring/shock couple. And yes, its ride is indeed very smooth and comfortable -- exactly like my previous Jeep... and that's because my previous Jeep had air springs, and so does the Land Rover. Air springs behave differently than coils, and smooth/cushion bumps much, much better. Unlike constant coefficient coils, or even dual-rate or progressive coils, the coefficient of air springs is exponential. Their resistance to compression mounts fast, and gets way higher than with coils. They never compresses all the way like coils do, and they reach a point where the shocks resistance, which remained constant, becomes negligible. Along the upwards travel, the shock (exponentially) becomes a tiny factor in the system. That Jeep drove like a charm, really smoothed out trails, at considerably higher speeds than Jeeps with coils. With air spring, shocks are usually tuned around the normal ride height, and the relation between spring & shock changes drastically towards the compression or decompression ends. With coils, the relation between spring & shock changes much less towards the compression or decompression ends. The valving of shocks is therefore more influential, over the whole range, with coils. I tried different settings of the Fox shocks with the air springs, and the differences in ride comfort were pretty small, while, with coils, every valving step is clearly felt.
05-16-2014, 06:51 PM
#34
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My wife has scoliosis and back pain. I would like to get suggestions for shocks to make my 2009 Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited have a softer ride on and off road. I live in Texas, but spend a lot of time off road in the Rockies in New Mexico and Colorado. tomn@arbusa.com suggested light series shocks for the vehicle: 60066 qty 2 for the front 60067 qty 2 for the rear They are Old Man Emu NitroCharger Shocks. Does anyone know if these are adjustable?? Thanks! THE OLD MAN
05-16-2014, 10:52 PM
#35
It was a rewarding experience to drive on air springs, to be able to lift the low side of the Jeep on a side slope, etc', but my current Jeep has coils...
To make the air suspension perfect, it would have taken the designing and making of a second, independent air systems, so one system takes care of the variable lift and the other is the air springs -- way too complicated and time consuming. With "miles" of air hosed and a large number of parts, it couldn't be as reliable as coils.
05-17-2014, 12:35 AM
#36
A lot of good advice on here about shocks, coils and tire pressure. Take all of these into account but also look into an aftermarket seat for the wife. A lot of comfort, and safety, can be gained by getting a proper seat. There are a lot of options out there regarding aftermarket seats and they can be a cheaper option than replacing your suspension or you could do this in conjunction with new shocks.
The ultimate would be a 'suspended driver seat' for her, something like a RECARO C 6000, or any of a multitude of other options.
https://www.recaro-automotive.com
I had such a seat on a 4x4. The ride was real soft. When offroading, I turned the knob to make it harder in order to get a better feel of what the wheels were doing.
Last edited by GJeep; 05-17-2014 at 06:09 AM.
05-17-2014, 04:07 AM
#37
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Good idea! The ultimate would be a 'suspended driver seat' for her, something like a RECARO C 6000, or any of a multitude of options. https://www.recaro-automotive.com I had such a seat on a 4x4. The ride was real soft. When offroading, I turned the knob to make it harder in order to get a better feel of what the wheels were doing.
