Rough Country Vertex shocks review

[Colonel]

I can certainly believe it. Not long after I bought my old '04 Rubi I installed a spacer lift (2.5" I think) and then found that the ride wasn't quite so nice (it was bad enough to begin with) so I installed a set of OME shocks and the rough ride was mostly cured but I'd lost some lift in going to the OME shocks. I was surprised, to say the least. So I ended up ordering the rest of the OME kit. A happy ending and something new and unexpected learned.

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[NoahVD]

Thanks for the review. Why did you choose these shocks vs other adjustable reservoir shocks out there that are similarly priced?

 

[RV Wrench]

Thanks for the review. Why did you choose these shocks vs other adjustable reservoir shocks out there that are similarly priced?

I bought these off another forum member here in the Member Marketplace, BNIB. I did not spend anywhere near retail price for them (I paid $1200 shipped, including an adjustable track bar). After owning them, I feel they are worth every penny, even at full retail.

I was looking heavily into Kings and probably would have pulled the trigger if these RC's hadn't come up for sale. A good friend just put a set of King remote reservoir/adjustables on his JL, and they dont feel any better to me than my RC's. I honestly didnt give them a full test, though, so the jury is still out on that.

I will never ever buy Fox again, I already have a set of new 2.5 remote-reservoir shocks that need parts but they wont even answer their phone, respond to emails, or get me a parts diagram. Zero support.

I avoided the Falcons after seeing several sets for sale here (there must have been a reason) and reading that they are a bit harsh.

Not sure what other sets you may be referring to, as I was specifically looking for a set that have adjustable compression damping.

I saw some SEMA pics that showed a set of OME shocks with adjustable rebound AND compression. Those look very intriguing...

Also, I had an issue with some RC shocks on my old Cherokee years ago that puked the seals several years after I purchased them. RC stepped right up to the plate and warrantied them. The only questions they had were if I liked the damping on the new set or not. I have also had several friends through the years who had RC parts warrantied, no problems, excellent product support.

 

[Engmoreau]

Just installed a set of Rough Country Vertex adjustable shocks.

My rig: 2019 Rubicon 2-door, 35" tires with no bump stop spacers.

Shocks installed:
-fronts: 68008
-rears: 69009R/L

These are for 2-3" of lift.

These shocks will extend your droop by about 1.5" at both the front and rear of the vehicle, without the need for extended bump stops. The shocks bottom out after about 1.5" compression of factory bump stops. Total travel for the Vertex front shocks is 9.5" and rear shocks 10.5".

These shocks have a very large shaft. That much area combined with the high reservoir charge lifted my rig 1" at every corner.

Ride quality:
Holy cow, someone did their homework.

Rebound: I had serious issues with the (too) soft rebound of the factory shocks. In sand dune whoops, the suspension would pogo bad and lead to bad bottoming issues and bucking. In the trees on the trail, it would weeble-wobble pogo side to side through the ruts and roots. The rebound on the Vertex shocks is MUCH more controlled, and leads to an overall ride that gives great confidence at higher speeds and makes the nasty go away. No more bucking.

Compression: Good so far. I have only really tested it on level 1 (softest setting). Better bottoming resistance than stock, yet softer on the high speed (small jarring bumps. Think washboards). Makes most of them disappear. I haven't tried it on any harder settings, but I am really looking forward to pounding them in the sand dune whoops.

Fit and finish:
Perfect fit. The rears bolt right in. The fronts need to have the springs removed to install the reservoir holding brackets. It would have been much easier not to have to remove the front springs, but it tucks the reservoir away nicely, while still leaving the adjuster in perfect reach. I love the easy swivels they used on the remote reservoir hoses. Totally top-notch.

Finish is great quality. I am a little concerned about how well the zinc coating on the shaft and spacers will hold up to the winter de-icing corrosion, but we'll see in a few years how that goes. Would have preferred stainless hardware for longevity.

I have no other high end Jeep shocks to compare these to, but will say these were impressive out of the box. I have a pretty good background with supermoto/dirtbike/streebike suspension though.

could you post a long term review? I’m undecided between these shocks and Kings

 

[RV Wrench]

could you post a long term review? I’m undecided between these shocks and Kings

Very happy with performance and they seem to be holding up well. They have been on for 7 months/3k miles, lots of offroad. This length is perfect for someone trying to keep the rig as low as possible and still have good flex.

 

[hubbit]

This thread is an unbiased factual review of my experience with these shocks. Period.

Thanks for your wonderfully informative input in the review. I am sure it has helped thousands.

Jumping in this thread way late, but looking at these as my shock component for my lift kit. Love your unbiased review. Quick question though: Was your set intended for a lift kit? ie, it was meant to be paired with a 2.5-3in lift? If so, that would be your contributing factor to the 1in of lift you mention when paired with stock shocks. Its promising if you are able to put taller shocks with stock springs and maintain good movement, seems like they would offer better ride when paired to taller springs as well.

 

[RV Wrench]

Jumping in this thread way late, but looking at these as my shock component for my lift kit. Love your unbiased review. Quick question though: Was your set intended for a lift kit? ie, it was meant to be paired with a 2.5-3in lift? If so, that would be your contributing factor to the 1in of lift you mention when paired with stock shocks. Its promising if you are able to put taller shocks with stock springs and maintain good movement, seems like they would offer better ride when paired to taller springs as well.

When I tested the height change, I did absolutely no other changes than switching from the stock Rubicon shocks to these shocks. Measurements were taken at fender flare edges after pushing the rig down and letting it rise back up on its own.

These shocks work great with 0- 2" spacer lift and stock springs. I am currently running a 2" spacer lift and it works very well.

 

[Kreepin1]

Jumping in this thread way late, but looking at these as my shock component for my lift kit. Love your unbiased review. Quick question though: Was your set intended for a lift kit? ie, it was meant to be paired with a 2.5-3in lift? If so, that would be your contributing factor to the 1in of lift you mention when paired with stock shocks. Its promising if you are able to put taller shocks with stock springs and maintain good movement, seems like they would offer better ride when paired to taller springs as well.

The reason the OP saw an increase in ride height was because these are high pressure gas shocks. The technical term is "nose pressure" and it varies by type of shock. Twin tube shocks have zero nose pressure which is probably what confused @word302. Bilstein shocks have a nose pressure around 90 lbs. each and ship with a banding strap to keep them compressed. Tip: don't cut the strap until after you in stall the shock!

Nose pressure will vary depending on the gas pressure and area of the piston as @RV Wrench notes. I for one have no trouble believing that removing 360 lbs or so from your springs will raise the Jeep an inch.

 

[d_easy01]

Any other updates? What's your ideal shock setting? Any abnormalities over winter?

 

[azwjowner]

The reason the OP saw an increase in ride height was because these are high pressure gas shocks. The technical term is "nose pressure" and it varies by type of shock. Twin tube shocks have zero nose pressure which is probably what confused @word302. Bilstein shocks have a nose pressure around 90 lbs. each and ship with a banding strap to keep them compressed. Tip: don't cut the strap until after you in stall the shock!

Nose pressure will vary depending on the gas pressure and area of the piston as @RV Wrench notes. I for one have no trouble believing that removing 360 lbs or so from your springs will raise the Jeep an inch.

I know I'm late but I found this thread wondering why--with exact and careful measurements--my Sport lifted exactly 1/4" in the front after switching to Rubicon shocks. I figured it was along these lines. Thanks for the explanation.

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