bonko9

Hello, I'm not really sure about this. I'm sort of confused by all of it. I have a 2006 xB I'm not looking to do most of the things the people here are talking about.
All I want to find out is what type of tires I should buy, what type of rear shocks to buy to soften the ride.
I'm not looking modify the car in any way. Just want to get a smoother ride.

Any suggestions would appreciated.

Thanks.

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2stroked

How many miles are on your xB? Are the shocks OEM or replacements? The reason I ask is that generally speaking, as shocks wear, they soften up. So if you car rides too stiff with worn shocks, it's only going to get stiffer with most new shocks. However, if your shocks are really worn out and the bushings are shot, the shocks will hammer up and down giving you the impression of a stiffer ride. If you replace the shocks, stay away from "performance" shocks and go with more of an "OEM replacement" style.

As for tires, they too can have a dramatic effect on how soft (or harsh) a car rides. Generally speaking, "high performance" tires with stiffer sidewalls will ride stiffer. The best thing to do with tires though (since there's just so many of them out there) is to call Tire Rack. Their Customer Service folks can listen to your needs and recommend better choices than a bunch of folks with limited experience on the internet.

MileHightC

All very good advice from '2stroked'...staying with the stock size 15" wheels would be a good place to start as that will give you lots of sidewall and I'm sure you can pickup some very OEM-like front struts and rear shocks from a place like RockAuto.com.

Sticking with things close to OEM are going to give you the most 'original' ride but it is a budget vehicle so it's never going to 'float' down the road like a Barcalounger on wheels.

bonko9

Hi: The car around 106k on it. As far as I know it's the OEM. I have read that Michilone shocks 5601 or 5160 could soften the ride. On smooth roads it feels just fine. When you hit rough roads it's really bad. Was also curious about changing the struts for a better ride.

bonko9

Thanks, I know this car is never going to have the ride of a luxury car. I would like a little smoother ride. Just something that would not make my lower parts of my rattle around so much.

2stroked

I have the OEM / factory front struts in my xB with 110,000 miles on them and they're still decent, but I'll be putting in a new set this spring. That said, yours could indeed be ready for replacement if they're original. If you bought the car used, there's a chance somebody put something stiffer in there.

I Googled Michilone shocks and got nothing. Never heard of them either, so I can't comment on what effect they'd have in your xB. I replaced my OEM rear shocks with KYB's from Rock Auto at 70,000 miles or so and am quite happy with them.

As for a stiff ride on rough roads, as has already been stated, the xB was never really designed to ride like a Lincoln.

bonko9

Sorry, sloppy typing strikes again. What I meant to type was Michelin rear shocks. That's what I'm thinking too, about what has been replaced and what hasn't. It's a Calfornia car., so no rust or rot underneath. Also i understand that it will never be a lincoln ride. But this ride is REALLY rough. I'm sure what I'm going to do is change out the tires for non-performance tires. Then do a little more research into the shocks and struts. There has to be something for an old fart like me that does not want to modify the car for "Toaster Racing". The car really suits my needs. It's easy for me to get in ad out of. Incredible amount of headroom. I'm 6'3" with a bad back with this car I don't have to fold myself over to get in and out of. I really like the fact that every thing folds down. I've been able to put full size recliners in the back and still be able to shut the rear door. And the mpg is great.

bonko9

Hello again: I don't know where the heck my brain has been. It's Monroe shocks 5601.

That's the type I've read about in different Scion xB pages.

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2stroked

So it sounds like your car may have high performance tires on it which could negatively impact ride quality. Speaking from personal experience, there can be a huge difference between tires. I run a set of 15" Blizzaks in the winter and they ride (and handle) like mush. In the summer I run a set of 16" BF Goodrich high performance tires and although they handle significantly better, they also ride like crap. (I also have a set of 17's that ride about the same.) Maybe you could borrow a set to try and see? (Yea, right.) Remember, anything greater in diameter than 15" will have shorter sidewalls which by default will ride stiffer.

As for the car itself. I'm 63 and 6' 1" / 205 pounds and I absolutely love mine. It's not only the hands down most reliable car I've ever owned, but the most versatile car I've ever owned too. I'm sure mine rides significantly stiffer than yours though since in addition to the tires, it's also got larger aftermarket front and rear anti-roll bars, shocks and 1.5" lowering springs in it. Even with all that though, I still don't think the ride is what I'd call "objectionable." Hope you can figure out what's causing yours to ride so stiff!

2stroked

Yes, those should get you back to OEM ride quality - at least from a shock absorber standpoint. Remember, there are lots of other suspension components that affect ride quality too.

One other thought. Before you go too far down the road of "throwing parts at a problem," why don't you go to a shop you can trust and have them put the car up on a lift? Have them give the whole suspension system a good going through. Your stiff ride might be the result of a seriously worn or broken component and that's where you should start.

bonko9

Thanks for all of your help. I'm going to get the tires done for sure and most likely
the shocks this week. I'll post on here to let you know how well it went.

MileHightC

I have 17" summer tires and Bridgestone Blizzaks on mine and with that whopping 1.5" of sidewall you feel every bump...original 15" tires were worlds smoother in ride quality.