Help me find the right Shocks for MetalCloak 3.5" Game-Changer Kit

[Amitfisher]

Hi all,
I'm supposed to get my new JLRU next month, and finalizing my lift kit plan. I've decided to go with MetalCloak 3.5" Game Changer for 37'' tires, however I'm not sure if I should go with their shocks. Below is the options they provide. I am looking for potentially buying the 'no shock' kit option and match is with Fox shocks, but struggling to find the right ones. I am (very!) new to this, but understand key criteria is extended and collapsed Length, so I was looking to match the one they suggest on their website with Fox, and could not find the exact match.
My questions: Do I need to find exact match for Extended and collapsed Length? If not, what am I giving up? will choosing diff shocks than the ones recommended by MC effect my ride quality on/off road?
When taking with MC on the phone today, they recommended to go with their recommended shocks as they "did not test Fox shocks with the new Game Changer kit for JL".

This is what MC have on their website as shocks options:
RockSport Rear Shock Length:: Extended Length: 30.0", Collapsed Length: 17.7", cost $299
6Pak: Compressed Size Eye to Eye: 13 1/4", Extended Length Eye to Eye: 28 1/4", cost $1,850

So, first of all, there is a big difference between the two when it comes to Collapsed length - how is this possible that both will fit the same suspension kit? Second, I was able to find Fox shocks with similar extended/collapsed length, diff was +-1'', is that a real issue?

Am I asking the right question?

Thanks again for the help, this community is amazing!
Amit

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[Agswin]

I am a newbie as well but all I the advice I have been getting about shocks is to buy the ones that are paired and designed to work with the coils. The Metalcloak ones are designed by Metalcloak to work with their coils.

Clayton Offroad uses Fox shocks 2.0 shocks with their Overland system but the ones you buy form Clayton (as opposed to another vendor) are supposedly paired with the Clayton coil

So just because you have heard great things about the Fox shock, it might not be great when you pair it with a coil that it was not designed for.

I will let the others chime in with more knowledge but I got the MC True Dual 2.5 to use with 37's and getting their Rocksport shock based on advice from the veterans on here (even though I had never heard of Rocksport and I have Fox on my Raptor)

 

[Roky]

Hi all,
I'm supposed to get my new JLRU next month, and finalizing my lift kit plan. I've decided to go with MetalCloak 3.5" Game Changer for 37'' tires, however I'm not sure if I should go with their shocks. Below is the options they provide. I am looking for potentially buying the 'no shock' kit option and match is with Fox shocks, but struggling to find the right ones. I am (very!) new to this, but understand key criteria is extended and collapsed Length, so I was looking to match the one they suggest on their website with Fox, and could not find the exact match.
My questions: Do I need to find exact match for Extended and collapsed Length? If not, what am I giving up? will choosing diff shocks than the ones recommended by MC effect my ride quality on/off road?
When taking with MC on the phone today, they recommended to go with their recommended shocks as they "did not test Fox shocks with the new Game Changer kit for JL".

This is what MC have on their website as shocks options:
RockSport Rear Shock Length:: Extended Length: 30.0", Collapsed Length: 17.7", cost $299
6Pak: Compressed Size Eye to Eye: 13 1/4", Extended Length Eye to Eye: 28 1/4", cost $1,850

So, first of all, there is a big difference between the two when it comes to Collapsed length - how is this possible that both will fit the same suspension kit? Second, I was able to find Fox shocks with similar extended/collapsed length, diff was +-1'', is that a real issue?

Am I asking the right question?

Thanks again for the help, this community is amazing!
Amit

The 6 packs have shock shaft that comes out top and bottom of shock body, so it can have more travel in a smaller footprint.

 

[Amaruq]

I would recommend starting with the rock sports that come with the kit. They are so cheap that if you find they don’t work for you, you can easily swap them out.

 

[Blu bi Kong]

3.5 gamechanger with 6 paks gets my thumbs up all the way. Rock crawling, full droop, full compression, 1 mph, 75mph on washboarded Racetrack road in Death Valley (as a tester), airborne over slow whoops in Dove Springs. Amazing in all cases. The 6 pak shock claims 15" travel with its design. Get them and don't look back. That said, I had one leak down, called them and they sent a new one overnight.
@Metalcloak !!!!

 

[gbr]

I have the rocksports on my 3.5" Metalcloak lift. They've been great.

 

[Headbarcode]

3.5 gamechanger with 6 paks gets my thumbs up all the way. Rock crawling, full droop, full compression, 1 mph, 75mph on washboarded Racetrack road in Death Valley (as a tester), airborne over slow whoops in Dove Springs. Amazing in all cases. The 6 pak shock claims 15" travel with its design. Get them and don't look back. That said, I had one leak down, called them and they sent a new one overnight.
@Metalcloak !!!!

I just recently replaced the Dynatrac lift with the 3.5" Gamechanger with the 6-packs. Did it for the exact same reasons as you. My Rubi drives and handles far better than when it came out of the factory, as it's my daily. I look forward to fully exploring its capabilities when I head to Rausch creek.

 

[RubiTuesday]

If you're looking to see which third party shocks would offer similar flex as the RockSports, here's how I'd go about it.

1) Match the extended lengths as close as possible to get similar down travel.
2) Determine how much bump you're going to run in order to clear your tire/wheel/fender/liner combo.
3) Ensure that the compressed length of the shock from step #1 won't bottom out before your bumps. You could do this by a) installing the bumps and measuring, b) finding someone with a similar setup, c) try some math to get in the ballpark.

OEM Rubicon shock specs (source):
Front 15.75" -> 23.625"
Rear 17.5" -> 26"

So we know that a compressed length of 15.75" works on front. If we add a total of 3" of bump, a shock with a compressed length of no more than 18.75" should work (this conservative because it assumes the stock 15.75" is on the edge of bottoming out). The rear isn't quite so simple because the shocks are angled so their stroke isn't 1:1 with axle travel. Maybe someone has done the trig here. The use of any shock relocation bracket would have to be considered in the calculations above.

I'd prefer options a) or b) because c) could be leaving some on the table.

 

[SaltyJLUR]

I just had the 3.5 Game Changer installed in my 2020 JLUR.

I ordered the 6pak shocks but they were backordered so my installer threw in a set of new Rocksports for me while I waited for the 6paks to arrive (free of charge!). I've driven the Jeep on the Rocksports for about 1k miles so far and took it wheeling on the Miller Jeep Trail here in SoCal. The Rocksports are great shocks and provide a ton of travel, better-than-stock on-road manners (in my opinion) and are a great value. They are tuned specifically for the MC lift kit and they also provide more travel than many of the other brand shocks you might be looking at. I researched King shocks, Fox shocks, RadFlo Shocks and Bilsteins. I decided to go with Metalcloaks shocks because of the travel they offer and valving specific to their spring rates.

The 6pak shocks have arrived and I will be taking the Jeep in next week to have them installed. I will check back in to let you know how they perform compared to the Rocksports.

 

[jack bauer]

This is a timely thread for me.
Thanks OP for creating it and to those who have chimed with real life experience.
I know I want the 3.5 GC lift and was unsure which shock to go with as well.. I think I might just give the 6pak a shot, despite other people saying they are a gimmick.

 

[Headbarcode]

This is a timely thread for me.
Thanks OP for creating it and to those who have chimed with real life experience.
I know I want the 3.5 GC lift and was unsure which shock to go with as well.. I think I might just give the 6pak a shot, despite other people saying they are a gimmick.

Unfortunately, too many people choose to post about what they have no clue about. There's more concern put towards bloating their post count, than what's put into spreading actual knowledge and experience.

Metalcloak had some leaking issues, that have since been remedied. It had to do with outsourced gland seals that weren't fully up to par. They now use one that is specifically designed for their 6-packs.

If this is a gimmick, I'm glad to be signed up!

 

[Blu bi Kong]

Unfortunately, too many people choose to post about what they have no clue about. There's more concern put towards bloating their post count, than what's put into spreading actual knowledge and experience.

Metalcloak had some leaking issues, that have since been remedied. It had to do with outsourced gland seals that weren't fully up to par. They now use one that is specifically designed for their 6-packs.

If this is a gimmick, I'm glad to be signed up!

Great post. To the point. Stiffening some madness. And a great picture.

 

[Engine Guy]

I second the timeliness of this thread! I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a MetalCloak lift and I have been trying to figure out which dampers to get. I think I'll start with the RockSports and if I need more I'll move up to 6Paks or Accutuned Fox units.

Thanks guys for being one step ahead!

 

[JJSix]

I just had the 3.5 Game Changer installed in my 2020 JLUR.

I ordered the 6pak shocks but they were backordered so my installer threw in a set of new Rocksports for me while I waited for the 6paks to arrive (free of charge!). I've driven the Jeep on the Rocksports for about 1k miles so far and took it wheeling on the Miller Jeep Trail here in SoCal. The Rocksports are great shocks and provide a ton of travel, better-than-stock on-road manners (in my opinion) and are a great value. They are tuned specifically for the MC lift kit and they also provide more travel than many of the other brand shocks you might be looking at. I researched King shocks, Fox shocks, RadFlo Shocks and Bilsteins. I decided to go with Metalcloaks shocks because of the travel they offer and valving specific to their spring rates.

The 6pak shocks have arrived and I will be taking the Jeep in next week to have them installed. I will check back in to let you know how they perform compared to the Rocksports.

Any update on how the 6paks are treating you since you swapped them in over the Rocksports?

 

[5280Sapper]

A premium 13-14' travel shock will be your best bet. ADS, Fox and King. don't waste your money on stuff that isn't rebuildable and tunable.

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