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So for those of you that are in the market for new shocks, here's my take on the new Falcon 3.3 shocks after having them installed for a week.
My Mopar Stage III lift (now the Teraflex S/T3) came with FOX 2.0's specifically tuned for the Jeep JK. I had no complaints about the FOX shocks, but nearing 60k on them they were showing their age. I had to make a choice on rebuilding them (which meant down time) or changing shocks. Having owned three JKs I also have experience with the factory Rubicon/Willys shocks, factory Sport shocks, Rancho 5000XL on our other Jeep, and have installed the Rancho 9000 on a friends.
I starting following Teraflex's Falcon shocks in October when they were announced, and continued following various threads on the forums. When I had the chance to see some in person, and wheel with the owner, I knew I was sold on them.
I recently received my 3.3s, the packaging was great, each shock was wrapped in plastic and was held in place on both ends.
Instructions were secured to the top lid of the box.They did a great job on the instructions, they're clear and each step has a picture. There was also a card attached that was signed by the builders of each shock (pretty cool), at the bottom of the box was a smaller box containing the rear lower mounts and a reference sticker for the inside driver's door that shows the shock settings.
INSTALLATION
Install is straightforward and can be done in your driveway using standard tools. If you've actually been using your Jeep in the dirt/mud then I suggest you wash underneath before starting work. It's helpful to spray some PB Blaster or WD-40 to loosen the bolts. Replacing all four shocks should take about an hour and a half or less.
The torque values published by Teraflex vary slightly from the factory values.
Front Shocks
Upper Nut- Teraflex/15 lb-ft Factory/20 lb-ft
Lower Bolt- Teraflex/40 lb-ft Factory 56 lb-ft (lower bolt head needs to face inward or it can potentially cause clearance issues with the lower control arm.)
Rear Shocks
Upper Bolt- Teraflex/30 lb-ft Factory/37 lb-ft
Lower Bolt: Teraflex/40 lb-ft Factory/56 lb-ft
Rear Shock Mount
Teraflex/40 lb-ft Factory N/A
The rear shock mounts require drilling the outside hole out to 5/8"
Here's are a few pics of the install:
ISSUES
There were some fitment issues with my ACE Fender liners. You'll see in the pic below that clearance was too close and the adjustment knob couldn't rotate. It took two tries but a little cutting solved that problem. Our JK has a 1.25" body lift, so if you run the ACE liners without a BL you might have to cut more. OR look at the fender liners from Nemesis or JCR made specifically for the Falcon shocks.
W/O cutting, first and second cut:
It's been a week since the install, I've put several hundred road miles on them and one off-road jaunt to Disney, OK.
ON-ROAD
The first setting I tried was 3 (Firm). The 3 setting was almost identical to the FOX 2.0 they replaced. Great stability but I feel they are smoother than the old shocks. Pot holes and road imperfections were soaked up better.
Next setting I tried was 1 (soft). The soft setting was not my cup-o-tea, way too floaty for my taste but boy did it soak up the pavement. I'll give this setting another shot when I go off-road.
Next up was 2 (the adjustable setting) I played around with this setting and settled on a 4 (let's call that 2.4 ) To me this is a great setting for DD use. Seriously amazed with these shocks on this setting. Great drivability, control, vehicle stability and it soaks up the bumps and expansion joints extremely well. Over the next few weeks I'll continue to try other micro settings on 2.
My wife hasn't driven this Jeep in a while, she ran an errand and immediately noticed a difference in the ride. The bad news is she wants a set for her Jeep now...
OFF-ROAD
Disney, OK
Setting 3 (Firm) Not tested
Setting 1 (Soft) So I started off on the 'soft' setting. Entering the park at Disney is a gravel/dirt road that leads down to the river bed. On this setting it was amazing how smooth the ride was. About as much difference as being disco'd compared to non-disco'd. Man, I'm really starting to love these things!
Flexing and slow crawling felt controlled, really no difference in control than before, just smoother.
Setting 2 (Adjustable) I switched over to the second setting as we were leaving the trails and heading back to the entrance. Left them on the 2.4 setting and carried some impressive speed over the small rocks and thru the river (slowed down for the water crossing ) Even if this were the only adjustment I would be hooked!
Here's a few pics from our Disney testing:
That's all I have for now, at this point I would recommend these shocks to anyone. Whether it's someone that wants a Cadillac ride, someone that wants a performance ride or someone that wants a ride that's somewhere in-between. These will fit the bill!
Update:
Was able to stretch out these longer shocks today, coils remained seated but the Teraflex speed bumps up front were just starting to engage when the shock was fully compressed. I'll add a Teraflex 1.25" bumpstop to rectify that issue.
www.teraflex.com
You can continue to follow Jeff's Teraflex experience on the Wrangler Forum |
