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Increase performance at speed?

D

Dr.CowMoo

NAXJA Forum User
Location
California
I have a long arm IRO 5.5 inch lift with 33s. I have been doing more fast stuff like dunes and desert whoops than I originally expected building it. My front suspension feels like it bottoms out way too easily while the rear is fine at speed.
I currently have 220 lbs/in coils and have about 4.5 inches of uptravel on a 11.5 inch travel shock. I have bilstein 5100 shocks for XJs so im not sure what those are valved like.
What would be some changes that would help me at speed while still keeping crawling ability. Stiffer coils, stiffer valved shocks, and shorter shocks are what I have been looking at. Im not trying to turn my car into a jeepspeed build or anything just be able to have a little more fun through the whoops.
 
Are your bump stops dialed in for the suspension? By that I mean fit to the ammount of lift and tire situation?
#1 place to start. You don’t need hydraulic bump stops, they just have to hit on time
 
Them red polywhateritis inserts that go inside of your coils help ease the compression and make it easier to not bottom out. Also. An Offroad sway bar , antirock?, aught to help significantly... firmer shocks would be my next go to.
 
Less body roll will help in higher speeds
 
RCP Phx said:
A sway bar has nothing to do with what he's dealing with!
Click to expand...

I love how you talk so matter of fact about everything. Less sway will certainly help with bottoming out- on top of the aforementioned bumpstops.

The red bumpstops I have in my coils are pretty nice and make any bump progressive and cushioned, which I also mentioned. I'll try and find a link
 
I’m with RCP on this one. Terrible ROI for the anti rock. Put it on after you have dialed everything else. Truth be told, you have work to do to be fast, you can’t just put on a $600 sway bar and be ready to overall Baja races… that’s straight up sucker logic!
 
Progressive bumps and stiffer compression on your shocks will be a good place to start.

edit: also, how do you have 4.5" of uptravel on 5.5" of lift? Do you have the long travel shocks mounted in the factory location? An increase in uptravel would likely help tremendously. Ideally you'd have those shocks mounted higher.
 
Id contact filthy motor sports or accutune. Have shocks valved for you rigs weight specs and exspectatians.
Youl have many options driven by funds available.


I do think a swaybar may help as my shocks are valved per my rig where I dont run a sway bar they would be valved different if I ran a sway bar.

5100s are cookie cutter over the counter shock your exspectatians are pushing you out of that World.

Youl get far more real World Information getting on the phone and talking to those that actually build this stuff not a jeep forumn were we all know everything myself included.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
 
xcm said:
I’m with RCP on this one. Terrible ROI for the anti rock. Put it on after you have dialed everything else. Truth be told, you have work to do to be fast, you can’t just put on a $600 sway bar and be ready to overall Baja races… that’s straight up sucker logic!
Click to expand...

It was one of multiple recommendations.

If going fast was my thing I'd have nice upgraded sway bars (like all of my go fast vehichles). As my current jeep sits, I have none.
 
Also for what its worth my jeep can go pretty fast. I do run accutune tuned shocks.
I made phone calls emails literaly hundreds of hours of research.

If you can id push fox 12-14" shocks run 5" up travel as a minum more is better. Fab brackets to make them fit.

I run 5" up 7 down and use it all. Valving aswell as spring rates resist bottom. I run dual rate spring rates in the front. First 2" is softish then gets firmer. This 2" is tunable.

You may decide to just run full blown coilovers instead making a big resivor shock fit beside the factory coil.


For bolt on stuff I cant really think of anything. I mentioned filthy motor sports because they tune shocks and do offer bolt on post top. But probly like a 6 month lead time.

You may want to Also look at steering. When I started going fast my frame started coming apart just as fast.
Its now plated outside and inside with a crossmember supporting steering box.

Wj steering with decent angles is very nice while busting badger holes at 50. Also works extremly well running down the freeway.

Boostwerx rear shock towers will also be needed. To house your tuned rears. Barnes ad ruff stuff over plates to mount shocks ontop of leaf pack.

Some air bumps and nitrogen set up so you can tune them. Tunning airbumps will have you reading for days.

Run some limit straps to protect your shock investment.

I realy do think it will be a tall order building a go fast xj with bolt on parts

Most important when all is said and done a sledge hammer is still the best tunning tool there is
a87aca58487836cd75c8c4ea633a4185.jpg


Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
 
Truth be told...

Solid axle jeeps aren't meant to be go fast vehicles!

Ok, no, thats an opinion not a fact.. I, for one, know the difference lol. Folks at jeepspeed may disagree, and the brave that take a unibody rig to KOH, but for the OP: Baja isn't really where these rigs shine. Before I ditched the sway bars om my ZJ I thought it'd be a good at Baja style 4x4ing with the healthy V8 and coils all around. It definitely was smoother with LAs over whoopty whoos and washboards at speed than the leaf sprung XJ. Once I ditched the sway bars though, it was a boat and go fast wasn't its thing either. Even at its best I think you'll find the newer yota guys and rigs with IFS handle that style of offroading better than the solid axle rigs, especially with leaf springs ime
 
Last edited:
XJlimitedx99 said:
Progressive bumps and stiffer compression on your shocks will be a good place to start.

edit: also, how do you have 4.5" of uptravel on 5.5" of lift? Do you have the long travel shocks mounted in the factory location? An increase in uptravel would likely help tremendously. Ideally you'd have those shocks mounted higher.
Click to expand...

Yes I have 11.5 inch travel shocks in the stock mounts.
 
Keep shocks to the last "tuning" device, all vehicles do and are supposed to bottom out but not "on or by the shocks". Spring rate and progressive bumps stops are the only solution if you really want to drive under those conditions.
 
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