More comfortable ride possible?

SBosco · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:06 pm

I never noticed how harsh of a ride the CRD had, until I started riding as a passenger. It's not as noticeable while driving, but when I ride as a passenger...ouch, bumps can sometimes hurt!!! I know it's a Jeep, but I don't do much serious off-roading so 95% of the time is spent on the pavement.

Has anybody experimented and found a solution to provide a more comfortable ride? I was thinking maybe someone made progressive-rate springs, but don't know that much about the factory spring rates and how considerable of a difference there is between gasser and CRD rates. I am assuming it would be difficult to find non-off-road springs for the CRD, simply because most CRDs are more rare than gassers and people upgrade the suspension in Jeeps to be more aggressive off-road, not the other way around.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have noticed that some vehicles ride better after changing the shocks and/or swaybars. Then there is always the conundrum of appropriately matching shocks with spring rates.

Any information, experiences, and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody!

durangotang · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:13 pm

Mine rides much better since it got lifted... squeeeshy :JEEPIN:

It doesn't feel rougher... you just have more travel to soak things up.

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:55 pm

I realized the exact same thing when I had a 4-Runner as a rental.
I just did the OME Springs & Struts, and its not a softer ride by any means, but it is a more control/stable ride. After doing this I accepted that its a Jeep and has a built in off-road capability that other similar SUVs don't have and is going to ride as such.

fastRob · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:32 pm

The springs died on mine about 25k miles. Replaced them with OME s&s in front, OME springs and Rancho shocks rear. Well, I think they are about 1" too high, (2.5" lift over stock with the OME's) but not bad.
Probably the biggest ride provider besides s&s are tires. I really like the 215 85 16 E's but the kids say they are too tall.
Stock tires, nice cushy soft road tires, low tire pressure, tip the seat back a little, keep it on the pavement and under the speed limit, you should be good to go.
After all, it is a chick car with a manly motor and tranny.

TennesseeCRD · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:01 am **Posts:** 181

I've not been in my CRD long (less than a month) but it rides alot smoother than my other suv. The other one is a Chevy Tracker. Its a hair shorter and the smallest bump rocks the whole rig. The Jeep seems to absorb the bumps a little more than the Tracker. My boss has a Range Rover that I've been in a few times and the Jeep definately rides rougher than that. :lol:

ac5501 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:05 am

TennesseeCRD wrote:

I've not been in my CRD long (less than a month) but it rides alot smoother than my other suv. The other one is a Chevy Tracker. Its a hair shorter and the smallest bump rocks the whole rig. The Jeep seems to absorb the bumps a little more than the Tracker. My boss has a Range Rover that I've been in a few times and the Jeep definately rides rougher than that. :lol:

Interesting. What year is your tracker? We have an 04 and I think it rides a bit smoother then my Jeep.

SBosco · **Posted:** Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:25 am

Hmm...interesting. It wouldn't be practical to lift my CRD, but I will look into changing the shocks and springs. Does anybody have any info on spring rates for KJs (CRD, Gasser, 2wd, 4wd, etc.)? I have heard of some people getting custom springs made for fairly resonable costs. So, if I can't find anything readily available I might explore that alternative.

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 03, 2010 2:24 am

SBosco wrote:

Hmm...interesting. It wouldn't be practical to lift my CRD, but I will look into changing the shocks and springs. Does anybody have any info on spring rates for KJs (CRD, Gasser, 2wd, 4wd, etc.)? I have heard of some people getting custom springs made for fairly resonable costs. So, if I can't find anything readily available I might explore that alternative.

I had no practical reason to lift the liberty, but did it because if you go the custom route you are gong to spend about the same amount for cash for unknown results. The 1.5 actually makes it look a bit manly and not the soccer mom mobile it is stock. You can't really tell IMO.

danoid · **Posted:** Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:39 am

The cheapest fix is to get some real girly tires. I have two sets for mine. The Goodyear Wrangler MT/R's (actually the softer of the two) and some brick-like Michelin XPS Ribs. The Michelins rule for rolling resistance and towing, but the ride on Michigans bomb blasted roads is punishing after a while.

With soft tires and the placard tire pressure (on the inside of the driver door) you'll probably get as good a a ride as possible without changing the springs & shocks. However, you will give up durability if you tow a trailer, and you could give up some fuel economy.

TennesseeCRD · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:01 am **Posts:** 181

ac5501 wrote:

TennesseeCRD wrote:

I've not been in my CRD long (less than a month) but it rides alot smoother than my other suv. The other one is a Chevy Tracker. Its a hair shorter and the smallest bump rocks the whole rig. The Jeep seems to absorb the bumps a little more than the Tracker. My boss has a Range Rover that I've been in a few times and the Jeep definately rides rougher than that. :lol:

Interesting. What year is your tracker? We have an 04 and I think it rides a bit smoother then my Jeep.

Mine is an '02 but should be the same as yours. Its all stock but just seems to be stiffer than the Jeep. One reason is the weight I'm sure. The jeep is heavier and has more rubber to take the bumps.

jinstall · **Posted:** Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:09 pm

Try some Koni adjustable shocks for your KJ.

SBosco · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:06 pm

So I submitted quote requests to custom coil spring manufacturers and got 2 responses. One is just shy of $250/pair, and the other is twice as much... :roll:

The good news is that, since it's a custom set, I can have them made to whatever ride height and rates I choose.

I'm thinking that I would probably keep the stock ride height so as to retain the suspension geometry which the vehicle was engineered for. Any comments or suggestions?...remember, I only go off-roading occaisionally.

Does anybody think any significant gains in fuel economy would be had if the vehicle were lowered up to an inch? Theoretically there would be less airflow beneath the vehicle, which is usually better for fuel economy. But then would loosing 1 inch or so of ground clearance, and the corresponding suspension travel, translate into a noticeable effect on the ride?

I submitted a request for variable-rate coil springs to result in a softer on-road ride. The company recommended starting with the OEM rate and reducing a portion by 15-20% for the softer on-road ride. Now I would just need the OEM part numbers to continue and have them manufactured.

Does anybody have access to these part numbers for the CRD? I tried looking in online OEM catalogues but none of them listed part numbers, only descriptions.

Sorry if it seems like a lot of questions and unknowns...I just wanted to get everybody's opinions and knoweledge on the matter.

Thanks again!

jinstall · **Posted:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:32 pm

H&R makes lift spring kit of 40mm #29203-1

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:21 pm

Wait for warmer weather, everything gets extra stiff in cold weather, more so in sub zero weather.
Ever notice how much better your Jeep rides when you have a nice sunny warmer day?
Also the roads in the North are bucking from frost heave this time of year:!:
Another factor to consider, as you age the padding on you back side migrates to the area above your belt making the ride feel more harsh.
Disregard these facts and the people who sell suspension stuff will be your pals as you hand them the money.

Ford tried the under inflated tire trick and look what happened to their Explorers.

jinstall · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:25 am

FYI Koni's are on sale at Tire Rack ofr 25% off.

SBosco · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 6:21 pm

jinstall wrote:

H&R makes lift spring kit of 40mm #29203-1

There's plenty of lift springs kits out there, and even eibach makes a lowering spring kit. My primary goal is to improve the quality of the ride, not raise or lower the vehicle. Although, I wouldn't mind making minor adjustments to the ride height (±1"), as long as I was convinced the end result would be a more comfortable ride, without any other considerable negative effects.

jinstall wrote:

FYI Koni's are on sale at Tire Rack ofr 25% off.

Have you tried the Konis? any promising results? also, is there anything that makes the Konis more special than any other adjustable shock?

warp2diesel wrote:

Wait for warmer weather, everything gets extra stiff in cold weather, more so in sub zero weather.
Ever notice how much better your Jeep rides when you have a nice sunny warmer day?
Also the roads in the North are bucking from frost heave this time of year:!:
Another factor to consider, as you age the padding on you back side migrates to the area above your belt making the ride feel more harsh.
Disregard these facts and the people who sell suspension stuff will be your pals as you hand them the money.

Ford tried the under inflated tire trick and look what happened to their Explorers.

Spring rates don't change within atmospheric temperatures. The only things that change appreciably are the stiffnesses of the tires and bushings. Besides, I have been noticing this for the last year or so. So I am not okay with the ride even during the summer. :-/
I agree that the roads are worse during the winter months, but I am not of the mentality that I should just put up with a harsh ride in a daily driver for 1/3 of the year. :roll:

I am looking to make adjustments to the suspension so the ride is comfortable all the time. :BANANA:

Haha, I guess my obsession for a more comfortable ride will only get worse then :5SHOTS:

...I'm 23 years old and in pretty good shape. :lol:

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:18 pm

Quote:

Spring rates don't change within atmospheric temperatures.

Steel hardens and is stiffer (and more brittle) at colder temperatures, one of the short comings of steel springs . Bolts snap off and other components made of steel crack more at cold temperatures just ask a Trucker who drives in Alaska or in the Yukon Territory . Shocks get much stiffer when the oil is thick.
If you are loaded with money, Titanium Springs may give you the improved ride you are looking for. Also the lighter weight will reduce the amount of unsprung weight and help produce a smoother ride. Replacing your control arms and spindles with 7075T6 aluminum greater decrease the unsprung weight and sooth out the ride even more. Reducing the suspension unsprung weight will also improve handling.

Go for it and let us all know how it works out.

SBosco · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:55 pm

warp2diesel wrote:

Quote:

Spring rates don't change within atmospheric temperatures.

Steel hardens and is stiffer (and more brittle) at colder temperatures, one of the short comings of steel springs . Bolts snap off and other components made of steel crack more at cold temperatures just ask a Trucker who drives in Alaska or in the Yukon Territory . Shocks get much stiffer when the oil is thick.
If you are loaded with money, Titanium Springs may give you the improved ride you are looking for. Also the lighter weight will reduce the amount of unsprung weight and help produce a smoother ride. Replacing your control arms and spindles with 7075T6 aluminum greater decrease the unsprung weight and sooth out the ride even more. Reducing the suspension unsprung weight will also improve handling.

Go for it and let us all know how it works out.

Haha...titanium springs, aluminum a-arms and spindles...that sounds glorious! I'd love to try it! lol My college just acquired a new CNC machine, maybe they'd let me commandeer it for some aluminum suspension components. I could design the parts, do some Finite Element Analysis on IDEAS solid modeling software, and start selling them to idiots like myself who want their jeep to ride like a cadillac! :-P

Yeah, I was talking about within the typical temperatures in the northeastern US. Temperatures in my area rarely fall or rise outside of 0-100 F. Given that temperature range, Young's Modulus of Elasticity (resistance to bending) for typical steels doesn't vary more than 0.5 Mpsi. When most steels are atleast 29 Mpsi, that only makes for only a 1.7% difference between 0 and 100 F. So, I do realize that the mechanical properties of steel do vary with temperature. But less than a 2% difference is not going to account for the amount of difference I am looking for.

As for temperature affecting the viscosity of fluid in the shocks, I agree it also has some effect on damping factor. I just don't know any details about what kind of oil/fluid and valving is within the shocks, so I can't predict the magnitude of the influence of temperature. I suppose that I could always replace the OEM shocks with adjustable ones which, if necessary, could be adjusted for different seasons.

But it's no big deal...I don't have a problem with investing $500 or so into the Jeep so it rides nicer.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:48 am

If you don't have a problem investing $500 or so - get a set of OME's - your Jeep will appreciate it.

Stock CRD spring 410 lbs/in
Stock gasser spring ~310 lbs/in (varies)

OME
light 350
medium 375
heavy 400
CRD 500

combine with OME shocks for the Diesel - gassers can run Rancho's

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:32 pm

Another trick would be to wrap heater tape around your shocks/struts. Most Heater Tape thermostats turn on at 38F and off some where around 48F to 50F. All you would need to remember is to plug in. Download ChromaTrace from Chromalox if you want to Engineer it and use their cashy controls.
In the Waste Water Industry Chromalox is a very common vendor.

More comfortable ride possible?

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