suspension to hard

Well, after a second inspection from a different garage, seems all my shock and coil are good as new, but my lift kit is roff as hell and every dent on the road feel like a giant hole in the ground.
I was told by many people and here that Bilstein and BDS are good and decent brand so now I am looking outside the shock/coil. What could cause out of these 2 piece the suspension to be hard and noisy. I know I have to do the front sway bar bushing, I am going to do them on monday but can those really affect that? and it still don't explain it for the rear. For now, I am clueless about what to do.
Any idea where I could start to look to fix that?

What psi are you running for you tires, how old is your lift and has it been broken in yet, when the lift was done was the Jeep on the ground when you tighten it up. Yes front sway bar links and bushings can affect the the ride. I like to take it for a short ride before setting all the torks to specs seems to affect the ride and handling if you don't. Hope this helps and gives you a few common mistakes made when suspension work is done.

I run them at 33 PSI and the lift is 4 month old. After that time it should be broken in no? For the ground thing, I guess it was on the lift but it was done by a garage so I have no idea. As for the torque setting it was verified 2 week ago when I got the jeep for the second lift inspection and everything is ok. I bought a can of grease for the bushing, I'll give them all a little shot while changing the front sway bar bushing.

Don't put regular grease on the bushings, it will deteriorate them
As far as riding rough, it should have a firmer feeling but not rough
Also if your roads are like any of them down here, winter time brings out the worst in them. Mine even rides somewhat rough when the cold hooves the roads up.
As far as break in,....driving up and down the road will not break them in for a long time. Takes twisting them up quite a bit or many many road miles

Don't worry tom I got some bushing spray grease at NAPA for them Don't know if you ever came to Quebec after winter but now, road or no road is all the same...and by many many miles, I am over 2K miles on them now shouldn't it be set by now??

Really need to flex it up real good like Tom said many road miles.

Got it. Then I will force thing up a bit this week

martin_metal_88 said:

Well, after a second inspection from a different garage, seems all my shock and coil are good as new, but my lift kit is roff as hell and every dent on the road feel like a giant hole in the ground.
I was told by many people and here that Bilstein and BDS are good and decent brand so now I am looking outside the shock/coil. What could cause out of these 2 piece the suspension to be hard and noisy. I know I have to do the front sway bar bushing, I am going to do them on monday but can those really affect that? and it still don't explain it for the rear. For now, I am clueless about what to do.
Any idea where I could start to look to fix that?

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I see this all the time at work when we use "quick struts" that replace both the coil and strut/shock.It's not that it rides rough it's more that the old suspension was so worn out that the owners think it rides rough when it rides like brand new.

tjkj2002 said:

I see this all the time at work when we use "quick struts" that replace both the coil and strut/shock.It's not that it rides rough it's more that the old suspension was so worn out that the owners think it rides rough when it rides like brand new.

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na, it feel almost the same it was felling with the broken shock...But using Bilstein B6 shock and BDS coil on front and BDS coil and shock on the rear. I just...don't get it.

martin_metal_88 said:

na, it feel almost the same it was felling with the broken shock...But using Bilstein B6 shock and BDS coil on front and BDS coil and shock on the rear. I just...don't get it.

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A broken shock in the front would lead to a un-drivable KJ,and a rear broken shock would cause a uncontrollable bouncing while driving down the road. Severally worn or leaking shocks(front or rear) will cause bouncing while driving,almost like it's a boat in water.




If using a stock replacement front shock that can cause a bad ride also since most stock replacements are designed to operate at stock height and not in conjunction with a lift coil(Monroe sensatrac is a prime example).

tjkj2002 said:

A broken shock in the front would lead to a un-drivable KJ,and a rear broken shock would cause a uncontrollable bouncing while driving down the road. Severally worn or leaking shocks(front or rear) will cause bouncing while driving,almost like it's a boat in water.




If using a stock replacement front shock that can cause a bad ride also since most stock replacements are designed to operate at stock height and not in conjunction with a lift coil(Monroe sensatrac is a prime example).

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Then the problem may be elsewhere, my suspension was boucing it's way around on every small rock like I replaced it with 4 pogo stick but it was also hitting ******* larger bump and very easy to bottom out rendering the KJ unsafe on the road we have here in winter. Changing the suspension did correct the dangerous drive problem and most of the pogo stick jump behavior. Now I am to figure out where is the rest coming from. As I understand the rest of the swinging come from the front sway bar bushing, and we will know pretty fast as I have the replacement in hand now and gonna replace them tomorrow. I also have to figure where the old mattress spring noise is coming from...

Well, may have some update on the issue. First, I now think that the coil sound is coming from a seat. I'll take a look at it tomorrow.
I also took a look at my UCA bushing and they look pretty shot to me. I'll upload some pic tomorrow to let you know what you think. I will also grease them just to see.

So, here are some update. Silicon grease did have help a little bit on some noise but I haven't been able to change the front sway bar bushing...seems that the only socket I miss in my long socket box is the one I need for them. As for the front UCA bushing, look at these pic, they look shot to me.

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af228/martin_metal_88/20140421_1234591.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af228/martin_metal_88/20140421_1235111.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af228/martin_metal_88/20140421_1235211.jpg

Who did the lift install? Were the control arm, clevis mount and swaybar bushings loosened and retightened when the suspension was at its loaded height? If not, your bushings will cause binding and roughness.

Man those UCA bushings are shot! Or in my book they are :waytogo:

most of the bushing are like that...gonna ask my usual garage how it would cost to replace them while changing to summer tire. Well, I don't know what you guys think but I'm pretty sure I have found the issue...

martin_metal_88 said:

...gonna ask my usual garage how it would cost to replace them while changing to summer tire.

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Make sure your sitting down, when they answer.

I wouldn't waste the time or money on bushings for the upper arms at least. Look into these since you're lifted already:
Jeep Liberty KJ A-arms, upper control arms

only problem with the JBA UCA is that I'm in canada. With shipping and border tax they can cost me anywhere between 430 and 600$ let's meet in the middle at 515, then add maybe 120 for install + 90 for alignement and tax on both these service you are at almost 800. A bit expensive for some bushing. At that point it would make more sense to replace the UCA bushing now and replace the whole UCA probably next winter when I plan to order the 3.5 econolift I would love to see some supplier in canada for JBA and more for OME/ARB and Ironman.

Always best to upgrade when replacing. As rusty as that thing is, you'll thank me later. Find someone to sneak the things across the border lol