Spring comparison

[ALPHA CHARLIE ECHO]

Can anyone offer a straightforward spring comparison?
Rate them 1- 10 soft to hard
I do a mixture of bad rutted dirt roads, broken bitumen , light trails,and highway, carry very little weight above standard,
have 2011 3.8 Auto with 285/70/17 on 4dr JKU
Looking for comfort , smoothness, and ability to soak up all those gnarly ruts.
Require 2.5" - 3 " lift
curently am Running Bilstein remote 5160
Comparing....
Flexicoils
AEV
ICON
Other suggestion ?
Cheers

[Green Goblin]

Love my flexi coils
Had them on my shorty, know have them on my jku
I find that they are great offroad and on the black top

[Paul-JK]

I can only compare SS flexi coils with the standard coils as that's all I've had.
I wanted something that gave a nice ride when empty (my JK is empty 99% of the time and still has standard bumpers so it isn't carrying any extra weight), absorbing the bloody awful joints in the concrete roads they still insist on using around Sydney, but it still needed to support a load of camping gear.
The OE suspension was the complete opposite of what I wanted. I needed a kidney belt to drive around Sydney when the JK was empty but add a load of camping gear and I was nearly on the bump stops. A terrible combination of soft springs and stiff shocks.
Swapped for SS flexi coils and Rancho adjustable shocks and couldn't be happier. The SS coils give a nice complaint ride when empty but still support a full load well. The Rancho shocks can be set soft around town when empty and then firmer when I'm packed up for a camping trip for better high speed stability. I have hear a few people say the the SS/Bilstein combo also works well though (and I think SS might sell the Billies as their recommended shock for their springs).

[redfox355]

Originally Posted by Paul-JK

I can only compare SS flexi coils with the standard coils as that's all I've had.
I wanted something that gave a nice ride when empty (my JK is empty 99% of the time and still has standard bumpers so it isn't carrying any extra weight), absorbing the bloody awful joints in the concrete roads they still insist on using around Sydney, but it still needed to support a load of camping gear.
The OE suspension was the complete opposite of what I wanted. I needed a kidney belt to drive around Sydney when the JK was empty but add a load of camping gear and I was nearly on the bump stops. A terrible combination of soft springs and stiff shocks.
Swapped for SS flexi coils and Rancho adjustable shocks and couldn't be happier. The SS coils give a nice complaint ride when empty but still support a full load well. The Rancho shocks can be set soft around town when empty and then firmer when I'm packed up for a camping trip for better high speed stability. I have hear a few people say the the SS/Bilstein combo also works well though (and I think SS might sell the Billies as their recommended shock for their springs).

Excellent, I'm planning on getting some SS flexicoils, as I'm in much the same boat. I wonder how much difference shock selection will make to smooth out the ride.

[Paul-JK]

Originally Posted by redfox355

Excellent, I'm planning on getting some SS flexicoils, as I'm in much the same boat. I wonder how much difference shock selection will make to smooth out the ride.

Shock selection will make a massive difference to the ride.
My suggestion is try to get a ride in someone's JK with the springs you want, and even better if they have the shocks you want as well. As much as we can all rant and rave about what we have and what we like, ride quality is very subjective and one persons compliant/comfortable is another persons soft/boaty. It's a real bonus if you can get a ride in someone else's car for comparison before you spend your money.
Whereabouts are you?

[redfox355]

Yeah really good point paul. I'm in sydney on the north shore, so not too far from you it seems! If you wouldn't mind showing me your ride some time that would be awesome. I currently have a poly-performance/synergy kit, which is great but a little firm for my liking. I'm planning on getting the SS coils first and seeing if the ride is acceptable. If so, then great, if not, then I'll look into getting the billies to match. Being able to test it out before putting down the hard-earned would be comforting!

[Paul-JK]

No problem. You're more than welcome to have a look over mine and take it for a ride. Send me a PM with your phone number and we can arrange to meet up.
I work from home so I'm flexible with times and can generally be free whenever.