Installed Monroe Load Leveling Shocks on Rear

[Matt]

Monroe Part Number 58646
Edit: CLICK HERE to jump to post #125 where i install the longer version of these shocks (58643)

Notes:
1) These are designed for stock height vehicles. I have a 2" spacer lift. This matters because spring force is a function of deflection, and at normal ride height for my "lifted" XK, these "load leveling" shocks are working at 2" less deflection than they're designed for. There are two important results of this: A) Unloaded, my increase in ride height is LESS THAN what it would be on a non-lifted Jeep and B) My deflection from new ride height under a load will be MORE THAN it would be on a non-lifted jeep.

2) My XK only has 31k miles. My stock shocks are in excellent condition and still strong.

3) I'm running a full tank of gas for these measurements.

Result:
I'm happy with them. For $90 they did what I wanted them to do... get rid of my rear sag and help under load.

Measurements:(From ground to bottom of fender, centered on the hub)
Stock:
Front = 35.9 Rear = 35.75
Stock + Load:
Front = 36.0 Rear = 35.25 (Full 1/2" drop)
New Shocks:
Front = 35.9 Rear = 36.25 (Full 1/2" higher than stock)
New Shocks + Load:
Front = 36.0 Rear = 35.90 (Less than 1/2" drop and still taller than stock)

So you'll see that I gained a 1/2" when unloaded. Expect closer to an inch if you're not running a 2" spacer lift. Also under load it only dropped 1/3" with these new shocks... If these were on a stock vehicle I doubt it would have dropped at all under that load.

The load:
171 Pounds including the cargo carrier.
92 Pounds of the load was added weight to the very back of the cargo carrier to maximize the effect.
I'm looking forward to see how these things handle my friends 6000lb boat when we put it in the water next week.



Before & After Shot:




Install:
You can replace shocks in under 10 minutes on these vehicles. All you need is a floor jack and a 15mm socket. It took me about 30 minutes total because I was taking pictures and measurements along the way AND took a tire off for the pics. You do not need to remove the tires to do this.

[pjmjr508]

Nice

[Sal-XK]

Nice mod man, that would come in handy for us that pack the crap out of our XK on trips and stuff.

[Matt]

Nice mod man, that would come in handy for us that pack the crap out of our XK on trips and stuff.

You know that YOU started this right? After calling me out in that pic i took when i went mountain biking, i thought it was just the angle of the pic. Next time i went riding i took some measurements and realized my rear was sagging with just the bike mount and my 25lb bike on it... From that moment on, i knew i had to do something

[Sal-XK]

You know that YOU started this right? After calling me out in that pic i took when i went mountain biking, i thought it was just the angle of the pic. Next time i went riding i took some measurements and realized my rear was sagging with just the bike mount and my 25lb bike on it... From that moment on, i knew i had to do something

I thought of that when I read this thread LOL but I wasn't going to call you out again, angle of the PIC Looks good bro

[Matt]

So after a few days of driving around i'm EXTREMELY happy with these shocks.

I was expecting a stiff/harsh ride in the rear. That's not the case at all... granted having the 2" spacer kit on there is definitely helping with the ride quality because the leveling coils aren't compresses as much as they would be.

Ride is great. No more floaty/mushy suspension in the rear. When i hit the gas it doesn't "sink" down anymore so it feels more peppy off the line.

I may do some research to see if they make these in 1" or 2" longer version....

[Matt]

Don't get the OME rear shocks.

If you're planning on offroading and want to maximize travel, go with the longer shocks. Otherwise the stock version will work for you and wont lift the back much higher than the front.

[Matt]

Can the longer Monroe shocks work with a stock rear? My stock XK has that rake look that I hate. If I lift the front, can I use the longer rear shocks to lift the rear just a bit?

I'm a bit confused on what you're asking.... You hate the rake, but want to use the load levellers to get the rake back after you lift the front?

The longer version will lift the rear a lot on a stock vehicle and I wouldn't recommend those unless you're running a 2" lift already. A popular setup has been 1/4" strut spacers in front (lifts front ~1/2") and the oem version of the load levellers in the rear (gives ~3/4 lift). Its a slight boost in height along with a bit more tire clearance and less sag when loaded/towing.

[madrock]

I'm a bit confused on what you're asking.... You hate the rake, but want to use the load levellers to get the rake back after you lift the front?

The longer version will lift the rear a lot on a stock vehicle and I wouldn't recommend those unless you're running a 2" lift already. A popular setup has been 1/4" strut spacers in front (lifts front ~1/2") and the oem version of the load levellers in the rear (gives ~3/4 lift). Its a slight boost in height along with a bit more tire clearance and less sag when loaded/towing.

Thanks for the clarification. I do not want the rake back. My front sits about 1-1.25" lower then the rear. I was hoping to add a 2" spacer upfront and then hoping the longer shocks would add about 1". I was not aware that the longer shocks would lift that much.

[IamJEEP]

Matt, did you ever end up selling your oem load levelers?