2009 JKU
TF 2.5" coils/Bilstein 5100's
TF front trackbar and front lower adj. arms

Since I installed heavier bumpers and a winch my suspension has roughened up significantly. I always found my TF lift to be rough but it's come to a point that I really don't enjoy driving my Jeep anymore because the ride quality is so bad. The best way I can describe the ride quality is to say that it feels like I'm driving on steel wheels with no suspension at all. It's so violent in the cab that the speedo needle bounces around every time I hit a bump. The video is deciving because from the fram up it seems that the suspension is absorbing the bumps but if you look at the engine, you can see it move around when hitting bumps. I decide to strap my GoPro on the underside and see what's going on down there but the video isn't really what I expected to see. Everything actually looks as though it's functioning just fine, or at least that's my perception. Along with the rough ride I also have that flightiness at higher speeds. You know the type that requires every bit of your concentration to keep the jeep in between the lines by constantly compensating with small jerking movements of the wheel.
Here's my diagnosis but I'm really up to ALL other suggestions to cure this once and for all. I think that with the added weight the coil springs are now a little sloppy and easily compress and retract because of the weight. Also, I'm thinking that I may need to determine my current castor angle and see if it's within spec. Anyway from 4* to 6* is proper castor, correct?

Between the 10-12 minute mark gives a good working example of the suspension over rough roads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX80cL2MgmU

 

Just a quick thought on caster.

When you added the lift, the pinion tilted up, which lowered the caster, which caused flightier steering. Adding weight (bumpers/winch/the in-laws/etc) would compress the suspension, lowering the pinion a bit, and 'increasing' the caster. (not much, but an increase and not a decrease)

So just a guess, but there is more than just the caster to look at for the cause the new flightier steering.



Couldn't tell from the video, how much space do you have between the bumpstops? Could you be bottoming out now?

 

Mine is the same way. I need to get my pinion angles checked. It's not unbearable and it get compliments on how nice the ride is. But it seems flighty and rough. So, I'm going to take it to a shop that can check my angles and see if I'm off bad or not. It seems like my upper and lower ball joints are pretty far off from each other vertically.

 

I can't tell much from the video but it doesn't seem to be that your hitting the bump stops so I doubt its that. The only thing that came to mind would be maybe the shocks are not doing their job. Have you done the bounce test yet. compress the front end and then let go it should only bounce once then stop. Do the same to the rear. Not sure what else could cause a rough ride other than the springs, shocks, and tires. maybe the spring isolators?

As far as the flighty steering it could be the caster but like someone said above me that it should have leveled out since your saying you've added weight. something to check though. it could also be loose tie rod ends, drag link ends, and bad ball joints.

 

Travel looks good. Not bottoming out. Extra weigh should make the ride smoother not rougher.

Seem to be getting a lot of bounce from your tires. What pressure you running?

Are those adjustable shocks?

 

I hated the rough ride with my Bilstein 5100s. I replaced them with Rancho RS9000XLs and now I can set my ride as firm as the Bilsteins, or nice and marshmallowy smooth.

 

The 9000s are much smoother in my opinion compared to the 5100s. Flexer07 has the 5100 and they ride almost exactly like my rough country 2.2 shocks. I had a truck that rode awful and the 9000s fixed the problem. Make sure your shocks are tight and not busted. Mine had loosened and made it ride bad. I tightened them up and it was perfect again

 

I too have read lots of complaints about Bilstein 5100 rough riders. If they rode OK before the winch and bumpers, I don't know why they should get worse unless the shocks themselves are bottoming out before the bump stops. Or, they are loose like Dahmer said.

Me.. I like my RS9000XLs...

 

It's difficult for me to say if the root of my poor ride quality is the 5100's. I've been driving my Jeep with the 2.5 TF lift and the TF 9550 shocks for about 3 yrs now. Gradually the ride quality has deteriorated to the point it's at now. I thought that my rough ride was attributed to the TF 9550 shocks which is why I bought the Bilstein 5100's (these shocks being my decision after much reading on this forum). Of course not long after I purchased and installed them did I start reading MANY poor reviews...go figure.
The more I watch my video, I'm thinking that there's just too much bounce after hitting bumps. I think the issue might be the heavy load of the Jeep which isn't suited for these coils and quite possibly castor angle. I'm really tempted to buy some progressive rate coils but unsure of which. My Jeep is strictly a DD and weekend camper (hardly ever off road) so suspension flex or suspension component clearance isn't an issue.

My choice of coil springs are down to one of these brands so if you guys want to chime in with your thoughts and preferred selection I'd gladly like to read them;

Metalcloak
AEV
Rock Krawler
OME heavy load coils

 

Ultimately, as you said, all looks good. Your tracbar and draglink look in phase. I would imagine that your flightyness and steering issues are castor related.
As for ride quality, how many miles are on your springs? Mine were only 2.5 years old but had over 60K on them. They were deteriorating, had lost ride height and quality. I replaced my original shocks with Bilsteins and even though they were firm it did improve ride quality but they seem to fade as well in a relatively short period. I recently swapped out all of my suspension in favor of a Rock Krawler kit and their RRD 2.0 reservoir shocks, the improvements were tremendous. It handles and rides beautifully on the road. My original kit was a 4.5" and I'm running 37s. I went with Rock Krawler's 5.5" kit. I'm not running a steering stabilizer and it handles better now than my original kit ever did.
Rock Krawler makes progressive rate springs in 2.5" and 3.5". Defiantely look into it.