Need help deciding on the next step

[AJ99]

Ok so i will most likely be 4 linking my rear end. I will be creating a false floor in front of the back seat (meaning i will be cutting the floorboard out for the upper links and then enclosing it again by raising the floor above them). Now this is still a ways away from happeneing. But for the time being i am going to be finish up the rear section of my cage and making the mounts for the shocks on the cage. I am going to be moving my current shocks to the leaf spring plate and up into the fenderwell so they are more verticle and will cycle a bit better and work better as well.

Now here is my delima:
Do i go air shock (cheap, efficient, new, with option to add a coil spring as well)
FOA 14 in used with hydro bump stops used for 400... again used
or
Do i just make it coil sprung with regular shocks...

Money is an issue but i am confident enough to acomplish it.

Also as for the mounts for the control arm... should i mount them just to the body or should i mount the set up to my rollcage as well as my body just so its more rigid...

Im basically brainstorming and any input would be appriciated
:rolleye0012:

[4.3LXJ]

AJ

There is a lot to consider here. First, an air shock is generally not used on heavier vehicles they tell me and not on a vehicle used on road. So if you are not going to trailer it, stick with coils.

So, coils or coilovers. That is a question I have pondered myself and I think I am going to do coils. Apparently you get what you get from them and then you spend a lot of time and some money taking them apart and revalving them until you get what you want. So I think coils for me in the rear.

Before you cut the floor boards there is something to consider. It is called anti squat. It works like this. The steeper the angle of the control arms, the more the rear end will raise when power is applied. I have seen a rat rod raise up almost four inches under power from this. Looks cool on a rat rod, but I don't think you want this on your XJ. However you need a happy medium for rock crawling and hill climbing so you won't squat a soft coil suspension too much. So some food for thought here.

[AJ99]

ya im familiar with the suspension being steep. But every thing i have been reading and talking to builders all say for the correct geometry for the 4 link it needs to go through the floor board. Not sure if you know who Goatman is (richard) but he is from bakersfield as well and him and i have talked numerous times about the 4 link.

as for the coils vs coil overs that is my delima as well...

[4.3LXJ]

I have done some research as well. There are a lot of variables, such as amount of lift and center of gravity. Basically, the angle of the links should point to a point that is about the same as the point of the center of gravity at the front of the vehicle. Or so I have read. When I do mine, they will be lower. And on the coil overs, I have really no experience with them. But they come set up with racing in mind and are charged with very high pressure which makes them very stiff on compression. Same as with their non coil shocks which I have witnessed as well as one of our members here. If you want coilovers, you might check into Bilsteins. They have one that comes set up with rock crawling in mind