jason370

2002 Cherokee Laredo, 75k mi.

The ride is really soft and I'm thinking new shocks might help, At 75k (nyc) mi. might struts/springs enter the conversation as well? Need four new tires as well, preferably all season which ride quietly as possible on the highway. Also need side steps or a side bar/nerf bar (my dad is old and needs the help getting into the car).

My mechanic will let me send him the parts which i'll buy at cost, so i'm not getting raked on the markup, just labor which is fine.

What would you do?
Which shocks would you buy?
Same question on struts/springs.
Same question on tires.
Thoughts on steps or nerf bars?

Thanks! I really need the help.

Jason

unclephilly

I went and got a Suspension kit off of eBay from FatBob's. Came with the springs, shocks...they whole ball of wax. I'm pretty happy with it. Wasn't all that expensive either. Go look for a seller on eBay named levelingsolutions They got everything.

Morris4x4Center

When you say "soft", your mechanic is saying the shocks and springs are "worn out" ?

Or is he saying you need (want) a stiffer spring rate and shocks that are valved stiffer?

(not that it might change the "ride" or not, that's hard to say till something is installed)


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dave1123

Welcome to CF!

First of all, you're talking to someone who has driven the BQE from Yonkers to Brooklyn many times and I'm surprised your dad's jeep has lasted this long! That highway will beat ANY car to death in a hurry.

My personal advise is to replace the springs and shocks with OEM parts as much as possible to maintain the factory ride and height. Also, look at the control arm bushings, ball joints, wheel bearings, and steering linkage joints for looseness. My choice for shocks would be Monroe Sensatrac. They are gas filled standard replacement units but should last longer than the originals. Also, look at the engine and transmission mounts.

Again, my personal choice for tires would be BFG Rugged Terrain T/A. They are great in snow, which you've been getting a lot of lately, and have good wet traction and ride quietly. In my opinion, all season tires aren't good for anything.

What you're looking for is compliance, not stiffness. On the running boards, I would go with good solid step rails, as in round tubes as used on pickup trucks. Most of them have flat step sections with rubber inserts. I'd also install a trailer hitch for rear crash protection. The bumpers on the WJ don't really do anything for absorbing impacts. There are steel replacements you can buy, but they cost almost $1K each.

My wife grew up in Brooklyn and I made it my life's work to get her whole family out! One by one, they are here in Syracuse.

Morris4x4Center

Dave1123 nailed it.

If you're going to swap the parts, he's right on the button :-)



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