I installed about a 3 inch lift on my XJ. The XJ sits about 3 inches higher in the front, vs a standard XJ. I bought front shocks that are advertised for a 2-3 inch lift. In measuring where the shock will bottom out on itself, I have 2 inches of travel, with the Jeep sitting at rest / parked. In measuring from the center of the center cap, to the lower part of the wheel arch, the Jeep sits at 20 inches.

How much shock travel should I have in the front of the vehicle, with the vehicle sitting at rest?

 

How much suspension travel do you have full droop to full compression? Order shocks to mach these numbers

I can't answer for you nor can 99.9% of people on the forumn because most also don't know how much travel they have..

This is a bolt on fast food world. Takes alittle more time and effort to actually do it right.. fast food that sucks and bolt on parts do work for that 99.9% or atleast they think it does

Bilstein 5150 is sold as universal and has good specs listed to order correct length shocks ounce needs are figured out.

 

How much travel do you have before the bump stops bottom out?

You need that plus 1/2" or so. Street driving as long as you don't hit pot holes or speed bumps at speed will likely be just fine with 2" but you will always be at risk of bottoming out and ruining your new shocks.

 

The factory bump stops fell apart when removing / replacing the coil spring. I have some on order to replace missing bump stops.

In measuring the travel of the suspension, what do I measure from? Center of the wheel cap to the fender flare? Coil spring perch to where the bottom of the bump stop should be?

Specifications of the front shocks are:
- Extended 25.15 inches
- Compressed 15.55 inches
- Travel 9.6 inches

I would think driving down the street, I should have more than 2 inches of travel, due to potholes & other bumps in the road.
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Remove coil springs and cycle suspension. Measure between shock mounts at each extreme

 

So, disconnect the swaybar links and the lower shock mounts? Then measure from where the shock mounts into the body & where the shock mounts to the front axle?

 

Measure from the pin bar mount on the bottom axle fitting to where it meets the shock tower thru hole for the front . then subtract a 1/2 inch for your bushing if you need to be absolutely accurate,.at the back measure from the pin bar mount at the top to the axle mount bolt..that is your neutral shock height. Try and get a shock with the same travel on either side of your neutral height On everyday street driving you probably have more compression than extension. I just did my back shocks I had 19 and change from the rear lower shock mount to the bolt holes at the top I got rear shocks that max out at approx. 25 and compress down to a little less than 15 so the extend travel is 5ish and the compress travel is 5 ish. You try and set the bump stops so they stop travel before the end of shock travel. The compression impact is usually more violent than the extension bottoming, but 5 inches of up travel is a lot for normal driving

 

This makes more sense. ^^^


In a "neutral measurement". I've got 2 inches of compression, before the shock bottoms out & about 7 inches of travel (based on specs below), before the shock is at full extension, for the front.

This is what I was sold;

• Front Collapsed Length: 15.500"
• Front Extended Length: 25.100"
• Front Travel: 9.60"

This is what I think I need;

• Front Collapsed Length: 13.250"
• Front Extended Length: 20.850"
• Front Travel: 7.60"

I'm thinking if I can get a shock from the same manufacturer, where the body of the shock is 1 inch shorter, it will give me the compression that I need, for 99.9% everyday road driving.




Now for the back of the XJ.....

In measuring the back, because the shocks are at an angle, I'm getting about 20-21 inches of "neutral measurement". With the specifications of;

• Rear Collapsed Length: 15.650
• Rear Extended Length: 24.750
• Rear Travel: 9.10

This should give me about 5 inches of compression & 4 inches of extension. Is my logic / understanding of how this needs to work out flawed?