4.3L XJ

Shock ratios make a big difference. Shocks with a 50/50 ratio will always ride rougher than a 70/30 or 90/10 ratio. The idea is that if you have a 10% dampening on the compression, then 90% on the rebound the suspension will absorb the bump. Believe it or not, it is the rebound or the bounce that you get after the suspension compresses that you feel. The smoother riding shocks like the Bilstiens or Monroes offer heavy dampening on the rebound. My opinion is that you need to first change shocks and then possibly add drop brackets for the front control arms. The stock spring in back should do fine with some good shocks