What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Stiff Shocks to compensate for no sway bar

goathearder

goathearder

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 7, 2010
Posts
581
Reaction score
0
Location
Tustin, Ca
Hey Guys,
I just finished up the crossover steering on my 73 and I freakin love it! The difference it made is huge and I haven't even taken it off road yet.

Anyway, the drive at speed without a sway bar is a little sketchy right now so I'd like to get some stiffer shocks. Right now I have bilstein 5100's so can someone recommend shocks that are stiffer than that?

I have read on the internet that the pro-comp 9000s are pretty stiff as are the skyjacker nitros. I don't really care about smooth ride quality so the stiffer the better.
 
I don't think stiffer shocks are going to help with a sway issue,,much,, it'll just tighten up the bounce and make for a rougher ride.

I had issues with my Burb when I first got my lift kit, even WITH the sway bar connected with a side to side rocking motion in the body, like a body roll from side to side... Contacted the makers of the lift kit and they sent me some nitro filled shocks or somethg, supposed to be stiffer. It did help alittle, but now that I have sway bar disconnects, with the sway bar unhooked, it will do some serious body rolling in curves & turns. Also rocks side to side while driving as well.
 
Yea, ideally I would have kept the sway bar but it just won't work with the crossover steering since its in the way of the new drag link. I have read a bunch of stuff online and people say that going with stiffer shocks usually replaces most of what the sway bar was doing.

I had some rancho 9000 adjustables on a jeep back in the day and when I had them cranked up to 9 that thing handled like a sports car so I am thinking they would probably make a big difference, I just don't really want to spend 100 bucks per shock, hahahaha.
 
You aren't going to get much "Stiffer" a shock than those Bilsteins. Aftermarket lift maker's nitrogen shocks will probably leave you unimpressed compared to the Bilsteins.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
You aren't going to get much "Stiffer" a shock than those Bilsteins. Aftermarket lift maker's nitrogen shocks will probably leave you unimpressed compared to the Bilsteins.
Click to expand...

Yea, that is what I was worried about. After driving it for a bit I think I can live with the setup though maybe some rancho 9000xls are in the future.
 
4xcrazy said:
I don't think stiffer shocks are going to help with a sway issue,,much,, it'll just tighten up the bounce and make for a rougher ride.
Click to expand...

This is exactly true. Shocks, no matter what set you get, will not mask or eliminate body roll. Shocks are just dampeners, and wt of vehicle pull will not be cured without the use of the sway bars.

Any pics of the front set-up on the cross-over? There is always alternatives to mocking a suitable cure to the sway bar mounting points.
 
I have the pro comps 9000 and hate them all though i have nothing to compare them to but i can say i have tons of body roll so i guarantee they will not work for what you want. but ya realistically a stiffer shock is not going to help maybe just slow the body roll down so it doesn't pitch as drastically i would just put a rear sway bar on that is what im planing and then making it quick disconnect.
 
I cant answer your question 100% but can comment on the rancho RS9000's

they are very stiff on level 9, and im sure they would help body roll, but im curious how they would work on a DD. i like the fact they could be tuned down to level 1 for off road, but not sure how long they wpuld last.

and yes the pro comp 9000s, 5000s are garbage. OK for a lifted truck, but zero performance as far as im

there is a pro comp adjustable Ive played with a lil, and it acts like the ranchos RS9000s, but have seen failure on a truck that never saw off road.
 
goathearder said:
Yea, that is what I was worried about. After driving it for a bit I think I can live with the setup though maybe some rancho 9000xls are in the future.
Click to expand...


I don't know how much sway you are getting, but when I lifted my Fullsize Jeep wagoneer on the original soft springs and no sway bar, it was crazy swaying, so I put the 9000x rancho adjustables and crancked them up to the max (setting 5 out of 5) and it was good on the road, no race car feel but good enough for fast maneuvres without pissing my pants, and used the seting 1 or 2 for off road.
Now I got the newer XL's with 10 position setings, I understand the 1 on those is softer, and the 10 is harder than the previous models.:dunno:
 
I'm actually bolting up some of those adjustable pro comps to see how they do. My burban is a little soft also without the sway bar and longer springs
 
Let me know what you think of them. According to what I have read stiff shocks are the best way to compensate for the lack of sway bar. I think adjustables would ultimately be the way to go.
 
goathearder said:
Let me know what you think of them. According to what I have read stiff shocks are the best way to compensate for the lack of sway bar. I think adjustables would ultimately be the way to go.
Click to expand...

Good shocks are the better way to compensate for no sway bar. If you want a soft suspension and no sway bar there are compromises to be made.

I wonder how much body roll we are talking about, what is your front suspension, brand and height.

I know I have a very different idea of what is acceptable body roll and what is not than most.
 
Ok just test drove the burban.
I put on Pro Comp Mono tube MX6's (they were used from another truck, but didn't leak and seem ok for the time being.

Have them cranked to highest firm setting.
Defiantly helped, obviously not as good as a away bar, but way better.

I'll drive it a bit longer and give more feedback when I put more road miles on it.
 
blazinzuk said:
Good shocks are the better way to compensate for no sway bar. If you want a soft suspension and no sway bar there are compromises to be made.

I wonder how much body roll we are talking about, what is your front suspension, brand and height.

I know I have a very different idea of what is acceptable body roll and what is not than most.
Click to expand...

No idea what brand the suspension is as it was on there when I got it but its 4 inches. I don't really care about a soft suspension, at least on the street anyway, I just want to control the body roll.

My main issue is that at freeway speeds if you hit a bump the truck tends to rock side to side like 5 times before its normal again, its a bit un-nerving. Driving around in town under 45 mph is fine though.
 
This thread has me thinking about what the new jeeps use for their electric disconnect and seeing how to fab a bar and make a sweet electric disconnect....
Just thinking out loud
 
Currie actually makes a universal AntiRock kit that I was looking into possibly mounting behind the front axle but they said the stiffness of that bar is far less than a factory one and the further back you mount it, the less effective it will be so I feel like that option is out.
 
what about a rear sway bar? a lot, if not all, newer trucks and suvs have them. i wonder what having just a rear would do to the handling.
 
According to what they told me, a rear only would cause unpredictable handling and not be effective without a front.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom