I got the gears swapped out, and the ass end is behaving much better now <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

However... I think my little romp around the parking lot may have been the probervial last straw for the right rear shock. The local pros insist its too close to the exhaust and the heat is what caused the failure, which makes sense. Could this be why they changed the exhaust on TJ's between 97 (first year bugs) and 98? I have a Borla cat-back system on there, but it routes through the exact same spots stock did.

In any case, I need new shocks, and I am considering the Edelbrock IAS series, has anyone had any experience with these? I have Rancho RS5000's on there now, and theyre pretty good, but bone jarring when hitting bumps. Its primarily a daily driver, so I'd like something stiff for street handling, but something that wont lodge my kidneys into my throat when I hit a bump. The IAS marketing material seems to point to it being the "best of both worlds". I've also considered the RS9000's with in cab control, but keep hearing about the air system it uses being unreliable and leaking a lot. Any others that I've overlooked?