How Good are Shocks on Stock Liberty?

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:47 pm

How tough are the suspension components such as the shocks on a stock Liberty? I don't know the first thing about them.

Are they good for rutted, pot-hole filled, forest roads. Will they last a long time? Are they considered heavy-duty, medium-duty?

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:54 pm

I consider all stock springs/ shocks/ struts pretty much junk after 25/30,000 miles. They save as much as they can on tires and the above parts, also they make them all nice and cushy so Soccer Mom doesnt think the ride is too rough going into the paved level parking lot!
NOW people will tell you that "well I have a _______ with 580,000 miles and the stock suspension and they are still OK". But if they replaced them with upgraded shocks / struts they would say "How did I ever drive that thing!"
So if you really want to enjoy your Jeep upgrade right away it will be so much better!

If you really want to know how I feel just ask me !! :lol:

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:02 pm

Well my 03 KJ has 115k on it. My front suspention is shot, the front end is sagging pretty bad. The rear when I go over bumps, it feels like I am back in my 95 YJ with 4way leaf springs.

I have the Frankenlift II but did not install it yet.

I think the stock suspention ( shocks ) kind a light duty and are ok unless you wheel your KJ. Like I do

KJ04 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:28 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

How tough are the suspension components such as the shocks on a stock Liberty? I don't know the first thing about them.

Are they good for rutted, pot-hole filled, forest roads. Will they last a long time? Are they considered heavy-duty, medium-duty?

Shocks will get mushy and tend to bounce when they're going bad. When you see oil running down the side of them, they are definately shot. :lol:

I'd be more worried about the stock 4 ply tires holding up on your forest roads.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:12 pm

They're bad from the factory and are only there to hold the wheels on.......
(well maybe not quite that bad but close)

Prospect62 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:17 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

Are they good for rutted, pot-hole filled, forest roads. Will they last a long time? Are they considered heavy-duty, medium-duty?

No, no and no. They are light duty, just like many other components on the Liberty (not all, but many). They were more than likley designed for a service life of less than 100,000 miles while being used on paved roads by civilized drivers (regardless of what Jeep advertisements would have you beleive). Some of us, myself included, beat the daylights out of our KJ's. Mine has 92,000 miles on the stock struts, springs and shocks with a 2.5" lift and a heavy wheel/tire combo. The only casualty so far has been my front struts (and a bunch of other stuff unrelated to this topic). Everything else seems to be just holding up.

No factory part will ever be as good as a quality aftermarket part (conversely, many aftermarket parts will never be as good as a quailty factory part, but I digress). For example, Rancho and Old Man Emu (OME) struts, shocks and springs are an incredible improvement over stock, are very heavy duty and will last much longer than stock units.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:59 pm

I ran mine till like 80-90k although they weren't blown out you can tell they were weak. It starting riding like doo doo around 60k. New springs and shocks/struts made it ride better than new.

InCommando · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:02 pm

Not shocks but struts: Just today I was looking at the front of my KJ ( 47K) & I swear the front end is lower & the rake from front to rear is worse than it used to be.

durangotang · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:37 pm

Mine only has 32k on it and has only had 2 trips to Moab and probably 10 true wheeling trips... had to take the tool box out of the back because I started bottoming out yesterday... SHE'S SINKING FAST!!! haha

Rush345 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:17 pm

I am gathering from comments many are thinking of new shocks, I would hazzard to say I myself is in that boat.
1) Are there any specific brand one should look at ?
2) I've read several post whereas the recomendation is Dodge Dokota size or is that with a lift only ?
3) Are there a do all shock or road and some times off, medium off or large amont of off roading?

I'm sure there are a pleathora of questions, I'm not trying to stir the pot. Being an Old Timer I remeber when the best bang for your buck was a Sear Lifetime Warranty Shock. Like everything there have been huge progress in the technoldgey. I even recall seeing a TV show a short time back where as they were installing a powder like substance in a shock that when an electrical charge was supplied the powder would act like a fluid that thicked or thin as to how ever much charge was supplied you dialed in you ride chariastic you wanted and you had it at your finge tips on the dash.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:21 pm

durangotang wrote:

Mine only has 32k on it and has only had 2 trips to Moab and probably 10 true wheeling trips... had to take the tool box out of the back because I started bottoming out yesterday... SHE'S SINKING FAST!!! haha

Struts and shocks have zero effect on vehicle hieght,it's your coils that are going south.

durangotang · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:51 pm

Oh I agree entirely that the coils are going south... I seem to be losing any dampening by the day also... so it's safe to say it's all circling the drain

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:00 am

Can you guys recommend good stock replacement parts?

OME better than just replacing the struts and shocks? I'm going on 6 years now and will be overhauling my KJ this year so post up your favorite brands.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:03 am

sleeve84028 wrote:

Can you guys recommend good stock replacement parts?

OME better than just replacing the struts and shocks? I'm going on 6 years now and will be overhauling my KJ this year so post up your favorite brands.

OME and Rancho make struts and shocks for a stock KJ(not the Rancho 17004's though).I beleive Monroe makes both also.

_UnLiMiTeD_ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:20 am

after 48k (kilometers) mine are still nice and stiff, the people who owned it before me never took it off the pavement.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:14 pm

Mine did great! For the 18k that I used them. :lol:

jeepskate · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:13 am

I've got 155,000 miles on my 2002 limited, and aside from the balljoint recalls, the suspension is entirely original. I kept thinking I'd get it lifted and that would be the end of the stock struts and shocks. But the money never worked out.

Let me just say that I slightly exceeded their maximum useful life -- by, oh, say, 100,000 miles. In reality, they never were actually good. But now they are quite bad. And since I plan to drive this thing for at least another 50,000, I may be giving my tax refund to All J's.

How Good are Shocks on Stock Liberty?

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