Shocks too stiff or too soft?

[FutureOdin]

I ended up installing AEV's brackets, seems to drive a lot better going over big bumps.

Now, if I can find a shock that would eliminate feeling every bump, that'd be nice. I feel like these Fox shocks included with the 2" Mopar kit aren't that great...

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[hjdca]

Yes I did mean caster.

Higher caster will make the steering "lighter" or lower effort and is not desirable in my opinion.

Vibration at road speeds is a function of wheel/tire concentricity and balance. If the tire/wheel assembly is not round it will shake, forever regardless if it is balanced.

"Death wobble " is loose or worn components and can be exacerbated by high caster, first stop there is retorquing every fastener in the suspension.

I think you have a couple of separate problems. Your vibration and your "Death wobble" and they are not necessarily related to each other.

Are the wheels the correct bore diameter for the pilot, or are they multi fit that require pilot inserts? If they are round, correctly mounted and balanced, the wheel pilot interface is the next stop on looking for an eccentric assembly.

Yes, I agree Caster can really help. A few months after I installed my 3.5" Clayton lift kit and put in a new front driveshaft, I got the feeling that a little more caster would help my ride at high speed, so, I turned my four adjustable front control arms just 1/2 turn to lower my front pinion a little, and increase my pinion angle (lengthen the lower control arms and shorten the upper control arms). This increased my caster some and I noticed the better ride quality immediately.

 

[Aonarch]

I believe I’m at 32 PSI, maybe 34. I’ll have to check.

I got the KO2s since they were one of the only 315s that were C rated.

Yeah, I just don’t remember it being this noticeable before the lift or on my previous Gladiator.

Grab some Bilstein 5100s or if you are a baller the 5160s. It is what I have with your similar setup. I also have the Bilstein steering stabilizer. I have the same tires at 36 PSI HOT.

 

[FutureOdin]

Grab some Bilstein 5100s or if you are a baller the 5160s. It is what I have with your similar setup. I also have the Bilstein steering stabilizer. I have the same tires at 36 PSI HOT.

I’m wondering if it’s worth the extra $$ for the 5160s.

Grab some Bilstein 5100s or if you are a baller the 5160s. It is what I have with your similar setup. I also have the Bilstein steering stabilizer. I have the same tires at 36 PSI HOT.

Funny, I had another thread where I asked about the 5160s. Will either the 5100s or 5160s be a better ride than the Foxs that come with the Mopar 2" Lift?

 

[Mac]

I like the way Bilstein 5100s ride and handle but the steel bodies don’t hold up well to salt used in my area. This is a few year old one next to the replacement on my Tundra. Good news is they are cheap so I just bought another pair.

 

[Chris262]

I'd think about getting adjustable track bars. By lifting you have effectively pulled the vehicle to the side slightly. I asked the guys in the Chrysler shop and most tell me that customers complain about the bump steer after having their mopar kit installed. A lot of track bars and alignment cam bolts installed in arms.

 

[Mac]

I'd think about getting adjustable track bars. By lifting you have effectively pulled the vehicle to the side slightly. I asked the guys in the Chrysler shop and most tell me that customers complain about the bump steer after having their mopar kit installed. A lot of track bars and alignment cam bolts installed in arms.

Lifting without a longer track bar shifts the axle over a little. Bump steer is caused by not having enough caster. Two different things that have no impact on one another.

 

[FutureOdin]

I'd think about getting adjustable track bars. By lifting you have effectively pulled the vehicle to the side slightly. I asked the guys in the Chrysler shop and most tell me that customers complain about the bump steer after having their mopar kit installed. A lot of track bars and alignment cam bolts installed in arms.

Forgot to mention, I have a JKS adjustable track bar.

 

[Chris262]

Forgot to mention, I have a JKS adjustable track bar.

Ill ask where they are getting the cam bolts for the arms because they did tell me it was not a mopar part. Its a pretty cheap alternative to just buying adjustable arms but it might be just enough to help your situation.

 

[Aonarch]

The Mopar extended LCAs, which comes with the Mopar lift, are great for a mild (0-2.5") lift.

If yo do not have adjustable or extended LCAs, you can buy them cheap from a Mopar vendor. IIRC $60.

 

[Aonarch]

I like the way Bilstein 5100s ride and handle but the steel bodies don’t hold up well to salt used in my area. This is a few year old one next to the replacement on my Tundra. Good news is they are cheap so I just bought another pair.

That is pretty nasty. I'd use anti-corrosive spray in the future.

 

[Boostnu]

Grab some Bilstein 5100s or if you are a baller the 5160s. It is what I have with your similar setup. I also have the Bilstein steering stabilizer. I have the same tires at 36 PSI HOT.

How do you like the Bilstein steering stabilizer? They seem decently priced.

 

[Aonarch]

How do you like the Bilstein steering stabilizer? They seem decently priced.

No compliants! I don't notice any pulling or pushing of the wheel and the steering feels nice.

 

[OnlyOne]

I ended up installing AEV's brackets, seems to drive a lot better going over big bumps.

Now, if I can find a shock that would eliminate feeling every bump, that'd be nice. I feel like these Fox shocks included with the 2" Mopar kit aren't that great...

Try a set of Rancho 9000XLs. They are adjustable and ride terrific. They are a great shock with a lifetime no questions asked warrantee. They aren’t flashy like foxes but ride 100 times better and you can adjust them where you want them.

Living in Mass you’ll want to spray the adjusters routinely with some WD or the like to keep them from freezing up with the road salt. But as I said, they will replace them immediately if that happens.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yes I did mean caster.

Higher caster will make the steering "lighter" or lower effort and is not desirable in my opinion.

Vibration at road speeds is a function of wheel/tire concentricity and balance. If the tire/wheel assembly is not round it will shake, forever regardless if it is balanced.

"Death wobble " is loose or worn components and can be exacerbated by high caster, first stop there is retorquing every fastener in the suspension.

I think you have a couple of separate problems. Your vibration and your "Death wobble" and they are not necessarily related to each other.

Are the wheels the correct bore diameter for the pilot, or are they multi fit that require pilot inserts? If they are round, correctly mounted and balanced, the wheel pilot interface is the next stop on looking for an eccentric assembly.

Higher caster makes it want to track straight and increases steering effort. Less caster means less straight line stability and easier to turn, possibly even wander. More caster also means you are lifting the truck a bit to turn, adding to effort.

Here's straight from one of my college books -
Increasing the amount of positive caster will increase steering effort and straight line tracking, as well as improve high speed stability and cornering effectiveness. Positive caster also increases tire lean when cornering as the steering angle is increased.

You can have TOO MUCH caster but on these it take

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