Like the car but harsh ride

[visconte]

I hate to say it but my old Jeep grand cherokee takes highway/freeway bumps/potholes better than the VX! oh well. I've had the just two weeks but gradually sinks in that the ride is a tad harsh. Mine still has the stock shox on it and I am thinking one of the front shocks might be bad as there is some bounce to the offside front wheel. Not asking for a soft ride but don't want to feel every single bump jolt either. I have read something about the Rancho shocks, are they an improvement? Any info appreciated thanks in advance.
Thx Vis

ps So much for a dealer's "100 point check" ! -- rear diff was down at least 750cc on fluid and transfer case atf was rancid brown. Front axle fluid had never been changed in nearly 50K miles, and actual tranny ATF altho newish had been waaay overfilled [mysterious] and crankcase oil was at least one quart over-filled!

[Green Dragon]

Ck tranny fluid with engine running otherwise it will APPEAR overfilled.

Cut off triangular protion of rear bumper stops to prevent that bottoming out feeling.

Bob

[Triple X]

Vis - I put the Ranchos on my VX before the engine died. Only had them maybe a week, but can tell you that you can get a softer ride out of them. The higher settings will feel more like the stock shocks. I had mine set on 3 for frequent highway commuting. They definitely dampened the road feel and smoothed out the bumps, but you will suffer in handling the curves to some degree (though not enough to bother me) and on a rough road the Ranchos on a soft setting will give you more chasis undulation that the stocks.

[Cyrk]

Triple X can you get the ranchos back? I would love to get them...

[powered by isuzu]

isn't there a reason why those rear bumper stops are put there? Just a question?

[t2p]

vis:
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My 00 VX with 35K was horrible - until I replaced all four OEM shock absorbers. Three were totally shot - one was only a tad better than the other three.
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I replaced the OEM shock absorbers with KYB MonoMax units.
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I like the ride now - firm, but dampened (damped ?). Takes care of the bumps and holes well - especially the real nasty sections of road. This with 255-55-18 tires at 38 psi cold (approx).
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How do they compare with the OEM units ? ??? I will never know because mine were too worn to compare.
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The short wheelbase may be a contibutor - when compared to the Jeep GC - but a good set of shock absorbers might alleviate your 'harshness'.
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t2p

[visconte]

...and in response to Bob the tranny fluid was checked according to workshop manual procedures with the engine idling in park and fluid temperature between 90 and 135 degrees. It was definitely overfilled. Replacing the fluid and getting it to the right level seriously improved both performance and fuel consumption. BTW I've driven the car about 1K miles now and it has not burned any oil -- now that's a relief!

[doubleadesign]

My wife has a Liberty and the difference in the ride in huge. Can I just look for Liberty shocks? some of the posts lean towards $200-300/piece shocks that seem to last about a year. I've got just about 50k miles and am just now begining to be bothered by the jarring ride. I'd like to not spend $1000 on shocks. One post said he was going to put up something that listed all the shocks that would fit a VX. Did this ever happen? I drive mostly highway and bumpy potholed Chicago city streets. So you got one more guy looking for the same answer. Also, I agree with the other guy. Isn't that triangular piece supposed to be there? What is the worst that can happen if I cut it off?
thanks!

[Reg Hinnant]

That shock post is here.
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...*&pagenumber=2
We have 1 member that is currently trying the Bilstein shocks listed and he feels that they are comparable to the stock shocks in stiffness. That is what he is trying, after he wore out Ranchos in 1 year.
Shocks are one of the hardest working items on your vehicle so choose well.
;Dr;

[t2p]

doubledesign:
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Four KYB MonoMax shock absorbers for the VX cost under $200 shippped. I purchased mine from Tire Rack.
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I do not know how these shock absorbers compare to the other available shock absorbers for the VX. My guess is they would not be a good choice for serious off road use. They do appear to work well for me on the horrible roads of Western PA.
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The VX - Liberty comparision may not be a good one - two different types of vehicles ..... I'm not sure the VX ride will approach the ride of a Liberty (never driven in a Liberty).
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t2p

[doubleadesign]

I've never really driven a sports car so I'm not sure what I'd be losing in stiffness with different shocks. There are quite a few posts that some of these shocks give a smoother ride but you loose the sporty handling. I think i've ruined this by putting on Mickey Thompsons. I swear these tires are going to be this Vx's downfall. I love teh look but I think my tires are insane. They are like Calvin's bicycle (for those who read the strip). That is another project i am considering. I'd like to get some road stability back. I like the hugeness of the tire but i think i'd like to find if there is a VX sized version of a tire you'd see on a porche type car. The really wide ones. Or is all this tire trouble really the shocks?

[Raque Thomas]

As mentioned in the post above, I've wondered about the effect of wider tires on our rims in terms of handling - can anyone else put in their $.02 worth that has gone with wider tires on the stock rims? Seems that you would get some side-to-side movement by having a tire wider than originally intended - and that this would affect the feel or handling?? I just noticed that at 23K miles, the wear bars on my tires are about to show - time for new shoes, and I'd like to go wider but not at the expense of handling.

[doubleadesign]

Especially since i thought wider tires would add stability. Though I thought this expecting to get new rims. 18's? 20's look weird. And I don't want to go to 23's because the expense seems outlandish though it looks great.

[t2p]

raque:
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My VX was equipped with new 265-60-18's. I drove it this way for a few weeks. MasterCraft Courser HTR Plus all season touring type tire. MasterCraft tires are manufactured by Cooper Tire (I believe).

I felt the 265-60's were too big for my intended driving - so I found a local tire dealer that switched the 265-60's for a closer-to-OEM-size 255-55-18. Same tire - Mastercraft Courser HTR Plus.
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I like 255's better. They feel better - and I prefer the look. The difference is noticeable.
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The Courser HTR Plus is not a high performance V rated (or similar) tire, but it does have a nice tread pattern and high UTOG (or whatever) number somewhere around 400. The ride is decent and the noise is relatively low. The sidewalls are especially beefy and include a nifty raised area that can protect the rim from abrasions. The price is reasonable also - a tad over $100 a tire.
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t2p

[visconte]

...until contract finishes [knock on wood] and then its back up north for me. The freeways and roads on PV peninusula can be pot-holed and bumpy with a lot of very poor quality roads, either the state highway people don't like LA or the roads are too busy to fix! Anyway leaning toward the KYB MonoMax since I don't do any real off-roading and looking for a compromise choice? Thx again, steve