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Shock length for 2" lift and 33's (1.25" BL)

3K views 43 replies 6 participants last post by  Roadhawg 
#1 ·
Halp.

I've been running a 2inch BB with Koni shocks and spacers for ages. The front is sagging pretty badly so I need to do a proper spring lift now.
I've got 33s on now (had 32's on until now). Oh and it has a 1.25"BL

So....what shock length do I need?

I was keen to get the BDS and Fox combo but I see the shocks are too damn long. I've been offered the BDS and Zone shocks, local importer is a Zone agent but does most stuff.

I used to wheel a lot but lately it's more long distance stuff (heading to Botswana for 2 weeks in October, rough, long dirt roads, stuff like that)
 
#3 ·
Yeah it is hugely expensive through the normal "dealers" here (Like general 4x4 outfitter type places). Literally double what the BDS/Fox combo would cost.

I wonder if if bds Springs and OME shocks would be decent?
 
#4 ·
Bringing this back....

Can anyone tell me the part number of the correct Bilstein 5100s for a 2inch lift?

The ones I find on my4by.com rated for 0-2inch lift seem kinda short when extended.

http://www.my4by.com/bilstein-5100-...ngler-tj-with-0-2-inch-lift-front-p-4442.html
???

Would the 3inch shocks be better?

I am runnign 2inch shock spacers and stock length shocks (Koni) and without the spacers, at static ride height the shocks are almost topped out. So surely the 0-2inch Bilsteins will only give like 1 inch of down travel?

Running BDS 2inch springs, 33inch muds and a 1.25"body lift.

Arg this is doing my head in.
 
#5 ·
Bilsteins just run short compared to Old Man Emu. OME usually has another inch or so travel vs Bilstein, for similar compressed length.

Don't forget you need at least 1" front bumpstop extension and 2" rear when installing 2" BB spacers. you can running Bilstein 24-185257 (3" lift), but you'll need ~1.5" bumpstop extensions in front. If you run 24-185264 in the rear, you'll need ~2" bumpstop extensions. Basically the same uptravel you have now....consider real 3" springs instead of the BB to resolve that and get better uptravel with the same bumpstop extensions described above.
 
#6 ·
Bilsteins just run short compared to Old Man Emu. OME usually has another inch or so travel vs Bilstein, for similar compressed length.
Ok Thanks.

I daily drive the thing and have been going offroad less and less, but hopefully that'll change once my shocks and bumpstops are sorted.

Im also struggling to find OME's at a price I can handle. Even the Bilsteins are gonna stretch me a lot, but I want good shocks as the Konis, when they were new, handled fantastically onroad. They are too short though so no use in rebuilding them.
 
#18 ·
I REMOVED the 2inch BB and installed 2inch springs. SO I only have 2inches of suspension lift + the body lift. No budget boost spacers anywhere lol
then OME shocks or Bilstein 0-2" shocks are for you, if you don't want to bumpstop out any potential gain in uptravel. If you get OME's, you can run less bump with more travel.

If you run Bilstein 3" shocks, then you'll have more downtravel, but sacrifice it on the uptravel side because you'll need to add more bump.

you'll also need to factor in how much bump you'll need for clearance issues and tire size....so you can maximize your travel...if that's what you're going for.
 
#17 ·
Ok then it's me that's confused.

I never went for the FOX shocks that come with the BDS 2inch lift because folks here said they were too long. So how the hell are 4inch lift shocks not too long?

Jeeeeeeez I got into bikes and forgot all the Jeep tech and now I'm paying for it.
 
#19 ·
Bilstein 0-2"
front
collapsed Length (inches): 13.06
Extended Length (inches): 21.18

Stock
Front 13"/20.5"

Rear:
Collapsed Length (inches): 12.81
Extended Length (inches): 20.08
Stock Rear 12.2"/19.2"

It's just a hell of a lot of money and shipping etc, so I really dont want to pull the trigger on the wrong thing here.
 
#21 ·
Take the compressed length of the new shock and subtract the compressed length of the stock shock. That's how much more bumpstop extension you need based on shocks alone.

13.5" is max compressed length for the front w/o bumpstop extension. 12.25" is max for the rear.

You can running Bilstein 24-185257 (3" lift), but you'll need ~1.5" bumpstop extensions in front (compressed length ~15"). If you run 24-185264 in the rear, you'll need ~2" bumpstop extensions (compressed length ~14").

Then you still need to factor in the rest of the suspension factors. For example, to clear 33" tires you'll need ~1.25" bumpstop extension with the 1.25" BL. If you get an adjustable front track bar, you'll need some bumpstop extension too...JKS #126 for example can be run with a V8 ZJ tie-rod within those above bump specs.
 
#22 ·
Ok I think I need to get it on our forklift and do some measurements.

If I jack one side up till the tyre hits the fender right, thats the amount of bump-stop I'll have to run anyway, I'm guessing it'll be around 2 inches (thats what I ran with the 2inch BB and no BL on 32s). Thanks for the help guys. I'll post back when I've forklifted the thing.
 
#24 ·
If he's got 2" of bumpstop extension with a 2" lift, he's got the same uptravel as stock.

FWIW, I have less than 2" bumpstop extensions. I have 5" of uptravel front and rear with ~1.25" bumpstop extension, and I use every bit of the 9" travel in my shocks. That's on ~2.5" of lift...and it fits 33s with a 1.25" BL....and FWIW, I'll have 11" front/10" rear travel with the same bumps if I can ever get the time to weld on the new shock mounts I've made....
 
#26 ·
Ok. So I did some mearuring at static ride height now.

44cm from top to bottom on the rear, very similar in front, maybe 1cm more. That means ~17,6inches
Right now I have 2inch shock spacers, so if I remove those we're talking 19,6inches.

So if I put a 20inch shock in there I have less than half an inch down travel before the shock tops out!? :mad:That's insane.
 
#29 ·
Ok I did some measuring.

At full stuff of the front wheel the front shocks are 35cm long, plus the 2inch spacers. Without the spacers they'd be 16inches long. (350mm + 50mm)/25 = 16 inches

So I guess any shocks shorter that 16inches at full stuff are a false gain in uptravel.


Weird thing with the rear though....I stuck the one rear on the forklift and it would not stuff.....It never really compressed at all and just flexed the hell out of the front of the jeep. :confused:

What gives?
 
#38 ·
Seems like you're chasing your tail a lot.


Remove the springs and put the axle on the bump stops.


If you can't get to the bump stops due to interference or tire to body contact, the add some more bump stop.


Once you eliminate the interference and body contact set the axles on the bumps.


Now measure for your maximum compressed shock length.


Then droop your axle all of the way down.


Now measure for minimum extended shock length.


Record these numbers for front and rear.


Now buddy up to Google and find shocks that meet your needs. You may or may not have to add a little bump in rear and / or front to fine tune the fit for your shocks (hopefully not).


That will get you what you want, which seems to be as much balanced travel as possible.


Alternatively, you can cut off the stock shock mounts and weld on new ones to fit the shocks you want to run, but that seems to be out of the realm of what you are wanting to do.
 
#39 ·
Seems like you're chasing your tail a lot.

Remove the springs and put the axle on the bump stops.

If you can't get to the bump stops due to interference or tire to body contact, the add some more bump stop.

Once you eliminate the interference and body contact set the axles on the bumps.

Now measure for your maximum compressed shock length.

Then droop your axle all of the way down.

Now measure for minimum extended shock length.

Record these numbers for front and rear.

Now buddy up to Google and find shocks that meet your needs. You may or may not have to add a little bump in rear and / or front to fine tune the fit for your shocks (hopefully not).

That will get you what you want, which seems to be as much balanced travel as possible.

Alternatively, you can cut off the stock shock mounts and weld on new ones to fit the shocks you want to run, but that seems to be out of the realm of what you are wanting to do.
Thanks for that. Apologies, I was being a bit of a whiny ***** this morning. This Jeep is just getting me down. I'm kind of at that point where my TJ is my Daily driver, but really should be a project car. But I can;t afford another Daily ATM so i'm just living with it. Thats another story.

So I have 2inch BDS springs, and the shocks are 24-188197 and 33-185514 Bilstein 5100s. (also have a small body lift and 33s as in the thread title.

I was running stock length shocks with 2inch "extenders" for ages. (I live in South Africa, it's hard to find decent stuff here that doesnt cost a small fortune). Found the set of Bilsteins, toether with some Rubicon Express springs for sale locally, bought them. Seller reckoned it was a 3inch lift.

I installed the front springs and it looks like so:


Googling the part numbers on the springs they seem to be more of a 3.5/4inch lift.

I think I must try make the shocks work. I can maybe move the rear top mount up into the gap created by the body lift, but the front I'm not sure what I can do without modifying the shock tower.

Rear:


I was just gonna stick the longer rear springs in but it's not gonna work with the stock trackbar. I also had death wobble on the first test ride with the fronts in. I got to work ok today though...could feel it wanting to start shaking but it didn;t:rofl:
 
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