ORI Struts

I did a search of the forum and last thread I found on them were from 2013. Basically now that all this time has passed what are people opinions on them now? I know they aren't that great for a Jeep that is on the road a lot and hitting things at high speeds. Basically I have changed my mind to keep running coils and shocks with my tons and just go straight to coilovers or struts instead of cutting mounts off later and starting over again. Also a question for those that are running coilovers what kind of spring rates are you running?

Just my opinion: Because you trailer your rig I think that ORI struts would be a good option. Most of the negatives are like blowing one and being stranded without a spare. You don't really have to worry about them.

However, if you ever think that you will want to start driving it to and from the trails I would pass and get the Coilovers.

MR.Ty said:

Just my opinion: Because you trailer your rig I think that ORI struts would be a good option. Most of the negatives are like blowing one and being stranded without a spare. You don't really have to worry about them.

However, if you ever think that you will want to start driving it to and from the trails I would pass and get the Coilovers.

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I have kept going back and forth and I still plan to trailer it, but I would like to try to get in the on the JKX after its done. Other then something like that I dont see myself driving it all that often. My main wonder is how fragile can they really be. I do keep coming back to Coilovers however for the fact they are more idiot proof.

EDIT: I feel like either way I go im gonna wish I had a piece of the other lol.

Grubbicon said:

I have kept going back and forth and I still plan to trailer it, but I would like to try to get in the on the JKX after its done. Other then something like that I dont see myself driving it all that often. My main wonder is how fragile can they really be. I do keep coming back to Coilovers however for the fact they are more idiot proof.

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I'll be honest I don't know how often they break. You could always get one or two extra for the JKX if that's what you have your sights set on.
Though I'm guessing that would eliminate the lower cost benefit of the ORIs.

Does anyone know if you can get just a 12" and 14" Coilover from ORE with their valving and springs rates?

MR.Ty said:

I'll be honest I don't know how often they break. You could always get one or two extra for the JKX if that's what you have your sights set on.
Though I'm guessing that would eliminate the lower cost benefit of the ORIs.

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I would probably have to do something about a spare at some point if I were to go that direction. I know I have heard of people carrying a cheap coilover thats the right size to get them out of the woods. Id assume though it wouldn't be life or death if you just had to ride it out sitting on the bump stops. Im sure its not the greatest for it, but I doubt it can do much damage at that point.

I've been doing alot, I mean alot of reading and talking to folks about ORI vs coilovers and I'm thinking the same - when I drop new axles in the Jeep, I'm not going to even bother putting the stock mounts back on.

My use case is:
- I do trailer my Jeep to the ORVs.
- I also drive it around town a good bit as a second vehicle.
- I do want to do the JKX, maybe UA if I get lucky, ride to easier trails around here N GA Forest Service Roads for example, etc, etc.
- I mostly do rocks and trail riding
- I stay away from mud if possible or I have a lapse in judgement
- I live in the SE so there are no high speed desert runs
- There are opportunities for some mid speed trail riding where there is relatively little obstacle or between obstacles
- I do go out west yearly (Moab, Rubicon, etc) at least once and do not want to ever feel like, man I can't do that, crap. I don't mind not being the best at something though, just don't want to not be able to do something at all.
- I'll also go to CO, TX, MO, PA, etc for more rocks.
- I am upgrading to tons & 40s(or 42s) around Jan/Feb when bonus money comes in. I am unsure which axles right now. JY builds are definitely less but seem to add up quickly. Dynatrac is just expensive but the best. Mopar D60s are looking like a good middle ground. Currie just gets too much bad press for me to spend the money there unless it's RJ70s and a good price. Whichever direction I go, axle swap will happen same time suspension does.

The guys I ride with who have ORIs (TJs/LJs) abosultely rave about them. I've seen them do some sick crawling.





The concerns I have are:

ORIs -
- no proven kit is sold with them so it's all custom work
- in the rear of a JK you need to outboard and french the frame, cut into the body for them
- if one fails, you better have a spare
- Supposedly not DOT approved but I have friends who drive them around town and say they're like driving on a cloud of titties (same Jeeps have done some amazing flex/rock crawling)
- Supposedly not good for high speed desert stuff, when in Moab last year friend who did some crazy crawling with his LJ on 40s/tons/ORIs pulled out of a little race we had setup in the sand dunes and didn't want to keep up with the RK & MC lifted Jeeps. He didn't really elaborate on how his ORIs were doing/not doing.

Coilovers -
- Coilovers unload, ORIs do not.
- Are not described as riding around on a cloud of titties.
- You still want to run swaybars, etc so potentially more things that could limit flex.
- Are used alot, do have plenty of kits out there, of which I think EVO and Genright have the two potentially best.


Personally, after reading and reading and talking,
I'm stuck between:
- EVO Double Throwdown Front and Rear with Evo Hi clearance long arm. Negative is running the lever system you can't run a 4link double triangle and relocate the gas tank for clearance. So it'll have some rear steer and less clearance for the gas tank. Seems like it would handle everything except the unload portion of the coilovers (unless the bypass limits that?). More complex setup overall but I think it's been pretty proven it holds up so maybe not a factor.
- GenRight Ultimate JK Suspension. Negative is the cost, and no bypass shocks only King 2.5" COs and bumps. Does relocate the gas tank and double triangulated 4link the rear to remove the trackbar rear steer. Not sure how it would do in high speed stuff and due to no bypass shocks though. Still have to be concerned with unload.
- Custom route with ORIs in the Genright brackets (Genright says they won't warranty their kit if you don't follow their recipe exactly though and is $$$) If it all works, seems like it would be the best of all worlds. Buy a spare ORI to carry on the trails and small nitrogen bottle with regulator. Still unsure how they would do in the desert BUT you could swap between ORI and CO I believe with this setup so, if you're unhappy one direction, you could switch potentially.
- Custom route with Artec brackets, 3link front, 4link DT frenched frame rear, relocated Genright tank and flat belly skid which would be cheaper but definitely custom. Genright bracketry seems like it would lessen labor time/costs and would be stronger than just frenching the rear frame. I've seen multiple TJ/LJs my friends have that just crawl over rocks like it's nobody's business with frenched ORI installs. They also say they are 100% happy with the street ride. None do high speed desert stuff though - not avoiding it, just not their thing and not in the SE.

Just throwing some thoughts out there. I'll probaby also wish I went the other direction after I do mine as well.

BigPrince said:

I've been doing alot, I mean alot of reading and talking to folks about ORI vs coilovers and I'm thinking the same - when I drop new axles in the Jeep, I'm not going to even bother putting the stock mounts back on.

My use case is:
- I do trailer my Jeep to the ORVs.
- I also drive it around town a good bit as a second vehicle.
- I do want to do the JKX, maybe UA if I get lucky, ride to easier trails around here N GA Forest Service Roads for example, etc, etc.
- I mostly do rocks and trail riding
- I stay away from mud if possible or I have a lapse in judgement
- I live in the SE so there are no high speed desert runs
- There are opportunities for some mid speed trail riding where there is relatively little obstacle or between obstacles
- I do go out west yearly (Moab, Rubicon, etc) at least once and do not want to ever feel like, man I can't do that, crap. I don't mind not being the best at something though, just don't want to not be able to do something at all.
- I'll also go to CO, TX, MO, PA, etc for more rocks.
- I am upgrading to tons & 40s(or 42s) around Jan/Feb when bonus money comes in. I am unsure which axles right now. JY builds are definitely less but seem to add up quickly. Dynatrac is just expensive but the best. Mopar D60s are looking like a good middle ground. Currie just gets too much bad press for me to spend the money there unless it's RJ70s and a good price. Whichever direction I go, axle swap will happen same time suspension does.


The concerns I have are:

ORIs -
- no proven kit is sold with them so it's all custom work
- in the rear of a JK you need to outboard and french the frame, cut into the body for them
- if one fails, you better have a spare
- Supposedly not DOT approved but I have friends who drive them around town and say they're like driving on a cloud of titties (same Jeeps have done some amazing flex/rock crawling)
- Supposedly not good for high speed desert stuff, when in Moab last year friend who did some crazy crawling with his LJ on 40s/tons/ORIs pulled out of a little race we had setup in the sand dunes and didn't want to keep up with the RK & MC lifted Jeeps. He didn't really elaborate on how his ORIs were doing/not doing.

Coilovers -
- Coilovers unload, ORIs do not.
- Are not described as riding around on a cloud of titties.
- You still want to run swaybars, etc so potentially more things that could limit flex.
- Are used alot, do have plenty of kits out there, of which I think EVO and Genright have the two potentially best.


Personally, after reading and reading and talking,
I'm stuck between:
- EVO Double Throwdown Front and Rear with Evo Hi clearance long arm. Negative is running the lever system you can't run a 4link double triangle and relocate the gas tank for clearance. So it'll have some rear steer and less clearance for the gas tank. Seems like it would handle everything except the unload portion of the coilovers (unless the bypass limits that?). More complex setup overall but I think it's been pretty proven it holds up so maybe not a factor.
- GenRight Ultimate JK Suspension. Negative is the cost, and no bypass shocks only King 2.5" COs and bumps. Does relocate the gas tank and double triangulated 4link the rear to remove the trackbar rear steer. Not sure how it would do in high speed stuff and due to no bypass shocks though. Still have to be concerned with unload.
- Custom route with ORIs in the Genright brackets (Genright says they won't warranty their kit if you don't follow their recipe exactly though and is $$$) If it all works, seems like it would be the best of all worlds. Buy a spare ORI to carry on the trails and small nitrogen bottle with regulator. Still unsure how they would do in the desert BUT you could swap between ORI and CO I believe with this setup so, if you're unhappy one direction, you could switch potentially.
- Custom route with Artec brackets, 3link front, 4link DT frenched frame rear, relocated Genright tank and flat belly skid which would be cheaper but definitely custom. Genright bracketry seems like it would lessen labor time/costs and would be stronger than just frenching the rear frame. I've seen multiple TJ/LJs my friends have that just crawl over rocks like it's nobody's business with frenched ORI installs. They also say they are 100% happy with the street ride. None do high speed desert stuff though - not avoiding it, just not their thing and not in the SE.

Just throwing some thoughts out there. I'll probaby also wish I went the other direction after I do mine as well.

Click to expand...

I have to start by saying the clouds of titties part had me dying laughing. It sounds we are almost in the same boat when it comes to use. I would love to do EVO DTD and Lever myself but for one just too much money for me and im not gonna change the long arm again to do it. I have been talking to people that have the ORIs and it seems everyone that has them absolutely loves them and wouldn't change it. I guess my main worry like i said before is how fragile they really are. Im sure they have to take some good abuse or else I dont see buggies running them. I would also be cutting the frame and going up into the tub either way I go. From what I understand looks like Im gonna want 12" for the front and 14" for the rear.

RANDOM THOUGHT: If anyone is wondering what kind of pressure people are running in a JKU I have this. This is from a guy running 12" fronts and 14" rears but idk if the length makes a difference in pressure. He says he is running the front lowers at 100 and the uppers at 425. He is running the rear lowers at 100 and the uppers at 420. I didn't really understand how to set ride height on these until talking to him and he is saying the lower pressure is what really matters for the ride quality but the uppers are what set your ride height. I figured Id throw that out there incase someone may want a base to start at.

I haven't heard much of anything on the ORI's. But call me crazy, but I'm sticking with my suspension set up I have now and upgrade to long arms and EVO coilovers later....like years later lol.