Anyone running the OME BP-51 Bypass Shocks?

[WJCO]

The shocks are AWESOME!!! The completely change the ride in ways that are sooooo much better. Even lifted 4" with 37's the OME BP-51's make my Jeep ride even better than it did at stock height factory tires on the way home from the dealership.

Installing the shocks sucks badly, and they can't even be installed as is unless you custom fab something. If you want them to work with your factory JK mounts then you'll need to buy the front and rear install kits that are sold separately.

Also I think they are valved for a 4 door, so if you have a 2 door they will be just slightly firmer than what would be ideal, so you would need to adjust them 1 click less firm on a 2 door than a 4 door, but softening up the shocks also allows more nose lift/squat when accelerating, dive on braking, and allows the Jeep to lean slightly more than wanted when cornering.

So a notch higher and all the squat/dive/lean firms up, but now the small event compliance becomes more noticeable.

Fortunately the adjusters aren't "clickers" which limit you to one setting or another. The adjusters are variable, so if you really wanted you can play with them very slightly until you feel satisfied with the softness, yet also comfortable with the firmness, but basically you're trading one unwanted thing for another unwanted thing.

Overall I give the shocks a 4 out of 5.

I deducted half a point because they are a royal pain to install and you have to buy separate front and rear mounting kits. They are also really big requiring lots of clearance, and I had to chop my rear trackbar mount with a sawzall to provide room for the axle to compress without the trackbar bracket hitting the shock.

I deducted another half a point, because even though the custom front and rear mounting kits are required, they're not the only things needed to install these shocks. The custom mounting brackets don't work with the factory brakelines, so custom brake line relocation brackets had to be fabricated.

Overall these shocks cost as much each, as a full set of quality shocks cost. So is the ride quality improvement good enough to justify the price increase?

That depends... how sensitive is your butt dyno?

IMO they're a giant improvement over the Rancho 9000xl's that I was running before.

However, after the first few days of "Wow! These ride much smoother!" I was right back at noticing bumps and harshness like I did before. So while they ARE an improvement, eventually you'll get used to them, and start noticing crappy roads just like you did before.

So after a few days of getting used to them, I started noticing harsh spots in their performance and I dialed the compression and rebound levels down.

That made bumps a lot softer, but also handling became soft. The Jeep now leans in corners, squats in the rear when I accelerate, and rises in the front. It's a more comfortable straight line ride, but much worse in corners, clover leafs, sweeping turns etc...

.......

 

[Desertman]

Some of our guys run them on FJ cruisers and have good reviews but not sure for a jeep. It's a big investment so I think I may go with something more standard.


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[Exodus 4x4]

View attachment 225754 .......

Poor Nicholas. And to think he's actually won an oscar.


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[Draconianwinter]

It's definitely a good looking shock, but I think for that price not to mention having to buy other parts just to mount it i would just go with either king or fox shocks

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[2nd.gunman]

The shocks are AWESOME!!! The completely change the ride in ways that are sooooo much better. Even lifted 4" with 37's the OME BP-51's make my Jeep ride even better than it did at stock height factory tires on the way home from the dealership.

Installing the shocks sucks badly, and they can't even be installed as is unless you custom fab something. If you want them to work with your factory JK mounts then you'll need to buy the front and rear install kits that are sold separately.

Also I think they are valved for a 4 door, so if you have a 2 door they will be just slightly firmer than what would be ideal, so you would need to adjust them 1 click less firm on a 2 door than a 4 door, but softening up the shocks also allows more nose lift/squat when accelerating, dive on braking, and allows the Jeep to lean slightly more than wanted when cornering.

So a notch higher and all the squat/dive/lean firms up, but now the small event compliance becomes more noticeable.

Fortunately the adjusters aren't "clickers" which limit you to one setting or another. The adjusters are variable, so if you really wanted you can play with them very slightly until you feel satisfied with the softness, yet also comfortable with the firmness, but basically you're trading one unwanted thing for another unwanted thing.

Overall I give the shocks a 4 out of 5.

I deducted half a point because they are a royal pain to install and you have to buy separate front and rear mounting kits. They are also really big requiring lots of clearance, and I had to chop my rear trackbar mount with a sawzall to provide room for the axle to compress without the trackbar bracket hitting the shock.

I deducted another half a point, because even though the custom front and rear mounting kits are required, they're not the only things needed to install these shocks. The custom mounting brackets don't work with the factory brakelines, so custom brake line relocation brackets had to be fabricated.

Overall these shocks cost as much each, as a full set of quality shocks cost. So is the ride quality improvement good enough to justify the price increase?

That depends... how sensitive is your butt dyno?

IMO they're a giant improvement over the Rancho 9000xl's that I was running before.

However, after the first few days of "Wow! These ride much smoother!" I was right back at noticing bumps and harshness like I did before. So while they ARE an improvement, eventually you'll get used to them, and start noticing crappy roads just like you did before.

So after a few days of getting used to them, I started noticing harsh spots in their performance and I dialed the compression and rebound levels down.

That made bumps a lot softer, but also handling became soft. The Jeep now leans in corners, squats in the rear when I accelerate, and rises in the front. It's a more comfortable straight line ride, but much worse in corners, clover leafs, sweeping turns etc...

Interesting first post. How bout giving us a wave.

I hope you still like them in 6 months everyone I've spoken to that bought them over here have had tons of problems with leaks after multiple warranty claims a few off them even returned the lot for a full refund.


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[Necro]

Welcome to WAL?

Thanks!

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Some of our guys run them on FJ cruisers and have good reviews but not sure for a jeep. It's a big investment so I think I may go with something more standard.


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The shocks are pretty pricey, but they're a bargain compared to the rest of the bypass shocks available.

It's definitely a good looking shock, but I think for that price not to mention having to buy other parts just to mount it i would just go with either king or fox shocks

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I saw earlier in this thread that folks were recommending a King shock, plus air bump stops as a cheaper alternative. That actually sounds like a pretty good idea that would be very similar to how these shocks are set up except these are adjustable on both compression and rebound and I don't know of any conventional shocks that are independently adjustable like these are.

Interesting first post. How bout giving us a wave.

I hope you still like them in 6 months everyone I've spoken to that bought them over here have had tons of problems with leaks after multiple warranty claims a few off them even returned the lot for a full refund.


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I posted a wave thread since you mentioned it. I saw the link on the forum, but most posts looked pretty barren so I didn't bother.

As far as leaks go, what was leaking and where? The BP-51's are completely re-buildable and their basic design is the same as 99% of any other shock brand as far as the seals etc. I do hope that I don't have that issue though, and I'll look out for it and post back up if I happen to have the same problem.

 

[Ddays]

The shocks are AWESOME!!!

Installing the shocks sucks badly

softening up the shocks also allows more nose lift/squat when accelerating, dive on braking, and allows the Jeep to lean slightly more than wanted when cornering.

the small event compliance becomes more noticeable.

but basically you're trading one unwanted thing for another unwanted thing.

Overall I give the shocks a 4 out of 5.

IMO they're a giant improvement over the Rancho 9000xl's that I was running before.

However, after the first few days of "Wow! These ride much smoother!" I was right back at noticing bumps and harshness like I did before. So while they ARE an improvement, eventually you'll get used to them, and start noticing crappy roads just like you did before.

So after a few days of getting used to them, I started noticing harsh spots in their performance and I dialed the compression and rebound levels down.

That made bumps a lot softer, but also handling became soft. The Jeep now leans in corners, squats in the rear when I accelerate, and rises in the front. It's a more comfortable straight line ride, but much worse in corners, clover leafs, sweeping turns etc...

Ummmmmm..:thinking: How in the hell are these a 4 out of 5? Re-read what you wrote. Sounds like they suck and you blew a lot of cash on shocks that don't ride worth a damn.

 

[swampdog]

Ummmmmm..:thinking: How in the hell are these a 4 out of 5? Re-read what you wrote. Sounds like they suck and you blew a lot of cash on shocks that don't ride worth a damn.

I thought the same damn thing.


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[WJCO]

.....

 

[2nd.gunman]

They had issue with them leaking around the shaft as well as from the reservoir. This was with less than 10k kms on them. I also heard body roll was much worse and a couple of guys who really loved them when they got them ending up saying that their jeep rode better when the replaced them with bilsteins


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[Necro]

Ummmmmm..:thinking: How in the hell are these a 4 out of 5? Re-read

what you wrote. Sounds like they suck and you blew a lot of cash on shocks that don't

ride worth a damn.

These shocks are a major improvement over the conventional

style shocks and at a pretty cheap price compared to other bypass shocks that are

currently available. I deffinately do not think they suck. What I do think is that they

won't change a heavy solid front axle ride into a light weight IFS type of a ride.

These shocks ride well on the road, and also ride well off road. I let a buddy of mine

drive my Jeep last weekend on the beach and in the dunes in NC. He owns a brand new 4

door JK with a few mods, and after driving my Jeep around he proclaimed that he was

jealous and that my Jeep rides like a Cadillac compared to his.

And while it does sound like I'm being a bit negative about the ride of these shocks, I'm not negative enough

about them to deduct another half of a star on the 5 point system. The ride quality is

subjective, and I feel like they are plenty of improvement over multiple other shocks I

have experience with. I merely wanted to point out that they are not a miracle cure

that will suddenly make your Jeep ride like a magic carpet.

They had issue with them leaking around the shaft as well as

from the reservoir. This was with less than 10k kms on them. I also heard body roll was

much worse and a couple of guys who really loved them when they got them ending up

saying that their jeep rode better when the replaced them with bilsteins


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iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app

Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to keep that in mind and look for similar issues

with my shocks. I wish you would've posted that info up before I purchased these shocks

though. This thread is only one of a few that shows up when I did a search for review

on these shocks before I purchased them. Which is one of the reasons I bothered to

create a profile and share my experience for others who might also be searching for

info on these.

As far as Bilsteins are concerned, IMO the Rancho 9000 xls are a much better choice

because they can be dialed in to be as firm as the Bilsteins if you like a firm ride,

plus they can be dialed back for a softer ride if wanted.

I did a back to back to back comparison of 3 different brands of mid grade shocks on

two different TJ's that I used to own. Bilstein, Rancho 9000xl, and Rubicon Express or

something of that nature. I've also ran the Fox TJ shocks, Fox remote reservoirs, Fox

coil overs, and FOA coil overs. Out of the cheaper shocks, the 9000xls came out on top on 3 different Jeeps. The Fox RR's and FOA coil overs I would place above the Rancho 9000's. But I preferred the 9000's to the Fox TJ 4" lift shocks. The Fox remote reservoir coil overs rode pretty well, but the BP-51s kill them for ride quality. If you want a firmer ride the BP-51's can be tuned to be very firm, but if you want a softer ride, they can be super soft also.

As far as body roll, yes the shocks can be tuned so soft that the body roll will become more noticeable. But it's not the shocks job to control body roll, so that's a tuning issue with the suspension set up and not the shock absorber. Bypass shocks are designed to be soft and supple during the events that the shock will see most of the time, and then firm up at the ends of the shock travel. The more bypass settings available, the greater the tuning ability is. These shocks are only single bypass, so tuning them for softness for the events that the shock will see 90% of the time will result in them not feeling as firm when cornering hard, but if you're depending on your shocks to control body roll, then your suspension isn't set up correctly.

 

[Ddays]

These shocks are a major improvement over the conventional

style shocks and at a pretty cheap price compared to other bypass shocks that are

currently available. I deffinately do not think they suck. What I do think is that they

won't change a heavy solid front axle ride into a light weight IFS type of a ride.

These shocks ride well on the road, and also ride well off road. I let a buddy of mine

drive my Jeep last weekend on the beach and in the dunes in NC. He owns a brand new 4

door JK with a few mods, and after driving my Jeep around he proclaimed that he was

jealous and that my Jeep rides like a Cadillac compared to his.

And while it does sound like I'm being a bit negative about the ride of these shocks, I'm not negative enough

about them to deduct another half of a star on the 5 point system. The ride quality is

subjective, and I feel like they are plenty of improvement over multiple other shocks I

have experience with. I merely wanted to point out that they are not a miracle cure

that will suddenly make your Jeep ride like a magic carpet.




Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to keep that in mind and look for similar issues

with my shocks. I wish you would've posted that info up before I purchased these shocks

though. This thread is only one of a few that shows up when I did a search for review

on these shocks before I purchased them. Which is one of the reasons I bothered to

create a profile and share my experience for others who might also be searching for

info on these.

As far as Bilsteins are concerned, IMO the Rancho 9000 xls are a much better choice

because they can be dialed in to be as firm as the Bilsteins if you like a firm ride,

plus they can be dialed back for a softer ride if wanted.

I did a back to back to back comparison of 3 different brands of mid grade shocks on

two different TJ's that I used to own. Bilstein, Rancho 9000xl, and Rubicon Express or

something of that nature. I've also ran the Fox TJ shocks, Fox remote reservoirs, Fox

coil overs, and FOA coil overs. Out of the cheaper shocks, the 9000xls came out on top on 3 different Jeeps. The Fox RR's and FOA coil overs I would place above the Rancho 9000's. But I preferred the 9000's to the Fox TJ 4" lift shocks. The Fox remote reservoir coil overs rode pretty well, but the BP-51s kill them for ride quality. If you want a firmer ride the BP-51's can be tuned to be very firm, but if you want a softer ride, they can be super soft also.

As far as body roll, yes the shocks can be tuned so soft that the body roll will become more noticeable. But it's not the shocks job to control body roll, so that's a tuning issue with the suspension set up and not the shock absorber. Bypass shocks are designed to be soft and supple during the events that the shock will see most of the time, and then firm up at the ends of the shock travel. The more bypass settings available, the greater the tuning ability is. These shocks are only single bypass, so tuning them for softness for the events that the shock will see 90% of the time will result in them not feeling as firm when cornering hard, but if you're depending on your shocks to control body roll, then your suspension isn't set up correctly.

LOL - ok, but you need an editor........

 

[WJCO]

These shocks are a major improvement over the conventional

style shocks and at a pretty cheap price compared to other bypass shocks that are

currently available. I deffinately do not think they suck. What I do think is that they

won't change a heavy solid front axle ride into a light weight IFS type of a ride.

These shocks ride well on the road, and also ride well off road. I let a buddy of mine

drive my Jeep last weekend on the beach and in the dunes in NC. He owns a brand new 4

door JK with a few mods, and after driving my Jeep around he proclaimed that he was

jealous and that my Jeep rides like a Cadillac compared to his.

And while it does sound like I'm being a bit negative about the ride of these shocks, I'm not negative enough

about them to deduct another half of a star on the 5 point system. The ride quality is

subjective, and I feel like they are plenty of improvement over multiple other shocks I

have experience with. I merely wanted to point out that they are not a miracle cure

that will suddenly make your Jeep ride like a magic carpet.




Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to keep that in mind and look for similar issues

with my shocks. I wish you would've posted that info up before I purchased these shocks

though. This thread is only one of a few that shows up when I did a search for review

on these shocks before I purchased them. Which is one of the reasons I bothered to

create a profile and share my experience for others who might also be searching for

info on these.

As far as Bilsteins are concerned, IMO the Rancho 9000 xls are a much better choice

because they can be dialed in to be as firm as the Bilsteins if you like a firm ride,

plus they can be dialed back for a softer ride if wanted.

I did a back to back to back comparison of 3 different brands of mid grade shocks on

two different TJ's that I used to own. Bilstein, Rancho 9000xl, and Rubicon Express or

something of that nature. I've also ran the Fox TJ shocks, Fox remote reservoirs, Fox

coil overs, and FOA coil overs. Out of the cheaper shocks, the 9000xls came out on top on 3 different Jeeps. The Fox RR's and FOA coil overs I would place above the Rancho 9000's. But I preferred the 9000's to the Fox TJ 4" lift shocks. The Fox remote reservoir coil overs rode pretty well, but the BP-51s kill them for ride quality. If you want a firmer ride the BP-51's can be tuned to be very firm, but if you want a softer ride, they can be super soft also.

As far as body roll, yes the shocks can be tuned so soft that the body roll will become more noticeable. But it's not the shocks job to control body roll, so that's a tuning issue with the suspension set up and not the shock absorber. Bypass shocks are designed to be soft and supple during the events that the shock will see most of the time, and then firm up at the ends of the shock travel. The more bypass settings available, the greater the tuning ability is. These shocks are only single bypass, so tuning them for softness for the events that the shock will see 90% of the time will result in them not feeling as firm when cornering hard, but if you're depending on your shocks to control body roll, then your suspension isn't set up correctly.

.....

 

[Necro]

LOL - ok, but you need an editor........

Lol! Sorry about that, my modem decided to reset while I was in the middle of typing, so I copy pasta'd everything into a word doc, then back afterwards. :doh: