Best shocks for 97+ street handling?

Wolf

NAXJA Forum User
I have an 00 XJ that sees mainly (99.9%) city and highway driving. Looking for a good shock that'll improve cornering; also wondering what my stock height tire size options are... the 215x75R15s that came with it when I bought it are pretty puny looking. How wide of a tire can I run on the stock 5-spoke wheel?

Would the 255/75R15 Pirelli Scorpions fit without rubbing? Or with a budget-boost? :worship:
 
Wolf said:
I have an 00 XJ that sees mainly (99.9%) city and highway driving. Looking for a good shock that'll improve cornering; also wondering what my stock height tire size options are... the 215x75R15s that came with it when I bought it are pretty puny looking. How wide of a tire can I run on the stock 5-spoke wheel?

Would the 255/75R15 Pirelli Scorpions fit without rubbing? Or with a budget-boost? :worship:
Bilstein or Old Man Emu shocks are the way to go in my opinion. 235s are about as big as you want on a stock XJ without trimming again, in my opinion. If you do a budget boost I imagine you could fit 255s no problem.
 
I run Bilsteins & 215's on a 98 Sport - they are as stiff as any sporty European car and greatly improve handling. I've also heard Edelbrock are good, and was considering getting those, until I bought this jeep, which came with everything I wanted - God bless Spanish psychiatrists! You should also consider renewing all the steering componentry that wears (bushes, balljoints) to bring it back to factory.
 
I had the pirellis on with no lift and they did not rub. You are going to want to go with 255/65 I think, so they will be roughly the same height as the 235/75. I loved those tires, i could keep up with my friends Civic with 40 series tires in the curves. Only bad part was that they had a short lifespan with my spirited driving...I cant wait until I can afford them every 15k miles. Sorry no info on shocks though, but pirellis are awesome and fit if you get 255/65.
 
On stock 15x7 wheels, i would run 245/60's
mine with 245/60's
MVC-003F.jpg

MVC-001F.jpg


with puny stock 215/75
jeep1.jpg




as for the shocks, ive got bilstein HD ones i got off of summitracing, and im very happy with them. i also upgraded the springs and replaced all the bushings with polygraphite at the same time, so im unsure how big a difference just the shocks would make.
 
Last edited:
pirellis are strictly street tires...I was foolish and drove not very far off of the road and was soon looking up my friend with a wrangler's number. Those Grabbers are more all season most terrain type.
piszero.jpg

They come stock on Ram SRT-10s, for a frame of referrence
 
Dad and I are running RS5000's in the front and Napa/Tennecco (Monroe) Airshocks on the backs of our XJ's. We've managed suprised quite a few sporty type cars in corners with this arrangment and 235/75/15 Wranglers too:firedevil The best pressure seems to be somewere between 30-36 psi depending on the carge and fuel loads.
 
scorpions are the best . did 60k with 1st set bought another set this year, bridgestones didnt last 17k.
i run 235 /75R15 scorpion AT, never lost traction during hard braking or cornering and i do some high speed cornering ( till hear the interior squeeking). my advice go pirelli
 
street pirate - bout time you got rid of those rediculous 295's on 10" rims w/ like no backspacing...... it looked like ass

as far as the tires im running 255/55-16 general grabbers, they were cheap, figured id try em. and theyre great. cornering traction is unbeleivable (granted theyre a 255, but, still very impressive) straight line, decent, tho stroker + open diff was the last time i tried them out, once i get it back together w/ the rear locked well see how she does. theyre strictly a summer street tire, and arent that good in the rain, let alone snow.
 
tealcherokee said:
street pirate - bout time you got rid of those rediculous 295's on 10" rims w/ like no backspacing...... it looked like ass

hey now, i didnt get rid of them. thats an old pic when i still had those skinny 245's.


i do agree with one thing though, get some 16x8 rockcrawler wheels for cheap. you will have a much wider range of cheap avalible tires. check out www.vulcantire.com for some really cheap tires. cheap ups shipping too. i paid less than 250 with shipping for the 225/50/15 falkens on my plymouth.
 
Edelbrock IAS are great for street cars. Stiff when you need them, soft the rest of the time.
 
FatXJ said:
Edelbrock IAS are great for street cars. Stiff when you need them, soft the rest of the time.
How do they compare to the Rancho RSX?

Also- thoughts on just a standard nitrogen shock like a ProComp ES9000?
 
Last edited:
Another I've thought about (If I build a Jeep, pickup, or F/S van that doesn't get used for much of any hauling) would be Rancho RS9000's with the remote actuator so I could adjust them on the fly.

Wonder how hard it would be to rig some kind of OBA to my existing Napa's..............
 
Back
Top