Rough Country 770743_F vs Fox 985-24-042: TJ front shocks for a big lift
Published 10 September 2026
| At a glance | Rough Country 770743_F | Fox 985-24-042 |
|---|---|---|
| Lift rating | 5-6.5 in. | 4-6 in. (Fox SEMA data says 5-6 in. for the TJ) |
| Fits | 1997-2006 TJ, 2004-2006 LJ | 1997-2006 TJ, including Unlimited trims |
| Sold as | Pair | Each |
| Body | 2 in. seamless steel tube, zinc plated | 2 in. aluminum smooth body |
| Rod | 18mm, chromed | Not published |
| Lengths | Not published | 27.08 in. extended, 16.7 in. compressed |
| Mounts | Stud top, bar pin bottom | Stem top, bar pin bottom |
| Install | Bolt-in, 1-2 hours (maker) | Bolt-in, no time published |
| Warranty | 3 year limited | Limited lifetime (bought after 3/30/2025) |
| Made in | China | USA (SEMA data) |
| Price | $179.95 MAP as of September 2026, pair | $229.95 each on ridefox.com, September 2026 |
What each part is, and the problem it solves
Lift a TJ five inches or more and the factory front shocks are too short. They run out of length before the axle reaches full droop, and the shock becomes the thing that stops the suspension. A lift-specific shock is sized so the axle can drop and compress through the new range without topping out or bottoming out.
Rough Country 770743_F is a pair of M1 monotube front shocks. It is the tallest M1 front Rough Country lists for the TJ, above 770742_E for 1-3 in. and 770753_F for 3.5-4.5 in. The body is a 2 in. seamless tube with a 46mm digressive piston and an 18mm chromed rod.
Fox 985-24-042 is a single 2.0 Performance Series smooth-body shock. It uses an aluminum body and an internal floating piston that keeps the oil and the nitrogen apart. Fox sells it as the front shock for a 4-6 in. lift on the TJ and its XJ, MJ, ZJ and WJ cousins.
Fitment, side by side
Both makers list every 1997-2006 TJ trim, including the Unlimited. Where they part ways is the lift height. Rough Country covers 5-6.5 in. Fox's product page says 4-6 in., while Fox's own SEMA data lists the TJ at 5-6 in.
That leaves 5-6 in. as the height both are rated for. Below 5 in., the Fox is the rated part. At 6.5 in., only the Rough Country is.
Rough Country 770743_F
| Item | Rough Country 770743_F |
|---|---|
| Years | 1997-2006 Wrangler TJ; 2004-2006 Wrangler Unlimited (LJ) |
| Trims in maker data | SE, Sport, Sahara, X, Rubicon, Unlimited, Unlimited Rubicon, 65th Anniversary Edition |
| Drive | 4WD |
| Position | Front |
| Lift range | 5-6.5 in. |
| Also fits | 1984-2001 Cherokee XJ |
| Wrong part if | Your lift is 1-3 in. (use 770742_E) or 3.5-4.5 in. (use 770753_F) |
| Will-not-fit notes | None published |
Fox 985-24-042
| Item | Fox 985-24-042 |
|---|---|
| Years | 1997-2006 Wrangler |
| Trims in maker tags | SE, Sport, Sahara, X, Rubicon, Unlimited, Unlimited Rubicon, 65th Anniversary Edition |
| Drive | 4WD |
| Position | Front |
| Lift range | 4-6 in. on ridefox.com; 5-6 in. for the TJ in Fox's SEMA data |
| Also fits | Cherokee XJ, Comanche MJ, Grand Cherokee ZJ and WJ |
| Wrong part if | Your lift is 6.5-8 in. (Fox lists 980-24-644) |
| Will-not-fit notes | None published |
Specs and construction
On paper the two share a layout. Each is a 2 in. nitrogen monotube with a floating piston, and each mounts with a stud on top and a bar pin at the axle. The materials differ. Rough Country uses a zinc-plated steel tube, while Fox uses aluminum, which Fox says sheds heat faster than steel.
| Spec | Rough Country 770743_F | Fox 985-24-042 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Nitrogen-charged monotube, internal floating piston | Nitrogen-charged monotube, internal floating piston |
| Body | 2 in. seamless extruded tube; steel, brushed and galvanized | 2 in. aluminum smooth body |
| Piston | 46mm digressive | Not published |
| Rod | 18mm, centerless-ground, case-hardened, chromed | Not published |
| Valving | Deflective-disc, independent rebound and compression | Application-specific valving |
| Extended / compressed | Not published | 27.08 in. / 16.7 in. |
| Travel | Not published | 10.13 in. |
| Upper mount | Stud (maker photos) | Stem top |
| Lower mount | Bar pin in a rubber bushing | Bar pin |
| Bushings | Vulcanized natural rubber | Not published |
| Listed weight | 12.40 lb for the pair kit | 7.0 lb per shock |
The biggest difference is what each maker tells you. Fox publishes its lengths: 27.08 in. extended, 16.7 in. compressed and 10.13 in. of travel. We could not find extended or collapsed lengths for 770743_F in Rough Country's data, its SEMA listing or three dealer pages.
That matters on a lift this tall. Lengths are how you check a shock against your own droop and bump stop measurements. Without them, you are trusting the lift rating alone.
What's in the box
Rough Country's kit data lists one item: an M1 monotube shock pair, stocked as 770743P. It does not itemize mounting hardware. The shocks carry their own natural rubber bushings.
Fox 985-24-042 is one shock per part number, so order two for the front. Fox's install guide refers to stem-mount hardware parts and says some stem-mount applications need an extra supplied spacer. It also says the original hardware can be reused if it is in good condition.
Install compared
Both are bolt-in replacements at the factory front mounts. Fox's guide says its direct-replacement shocks fit "with no modifications" apart from reservoir placement, and this one has no reservoir. Rough Country lists the install at 1-2 hours. Fox does not publish a time.
Both go in body-up. Rough Country says the M1 is "designed to be mounted body-up". Fox says its smooth-body shocks are mounted body on top in most cases.
The step that differs is bushing torque. Fox tells you to preload-compress the bushings by only about 1/8 in. and to install the shocks as a pair. We found no install sheet for the M1, so there is no Rough Country figure to compare.
What it changes on the Jeep, and what else you need
A shock does not add lift. It has to match the lift you already built, and a 5-6.5 in. TJ needs more than shocks. Track bar, caster, bump stops, brake lines and driveline all move at this height. Our guide to what a lift breaks covers each one.
Plan the rear at the same time. Rough Country's matching rear is 770746_B, rated 3.5-6 in. and also $179.95 MAP for the pair. Fox's rear for this height is 985-24-065, rated 5-6.5 in., at $229.95 each, and Fox tags it "Modifications Required".
Warranty and support
Rough Country states a 3 year limited warranty for 770743_F. Its warranty page was not reachable when we checked, so we cannot quote the exclusions.
Fox's current warranty page gives Performance Series 2.0 shocks bought after 3/30/2025 a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. It covers the original retail owner only and is not transferable. Finish and coatings are excluded, as are abuse, modification and removal or installation costs.
One conflict is worth knowing. Fox's older printed install guide still carries a one-year limited warranty. The dated warranty page is newer and names this series, so we go with it. Fox also lists service intervals of 50,000 miles for street use and 10,000 miles for half street, half off-road use.
Owner reports
These are owner reports from Reddit's r/JeepTJ, not specs. We found none for the Rough Country M1 on a TJ. The Fox reports below come from one April 2026 thread.
- Fox, owner report: u/IAmMadRobot said Rancho RS5000X "ride smoother than Fox 2.0s", but the Fox shocks "HANDLE better".
- Fox, owner report: u/Ithaca1971 called them "very stiff" after 2 years on a TJ.
- Fox, owner report: u/base43 wrote "I put on 2.0s and love them", and said they are "not rebuildable". Fox's own listing data calls its shocks "fully serviceable".
- Fox, owner report: u/suicideking72 ran Fox monotubes on an LJ with a 4 in. lift and found them "MUCH better" than the shocks they replaced.
Who should buy which
Tight budget, or a full 6.5 in. of lift: Rough Country 770743_F. The pair costs $50.00 less than one Fox shock. It is also the only one of the two rated past 6 in.
A 4-6 in. lift on a Jeep you keep: Fox 985-24-042. You get published lengths to check against your build, an aluminum body and a lifetime warranty for the original owner. The pair costs $279.95 more, and that is the price of those three things.
Ride comfort is the priority: read the owner reports before you pay for the Fox. One owner found a Rancho RS5000X smoother, and another called the Fox very stiff after 2 years.
FAQ
Is Rough Country 770743_F one shock or a pair?
It is a pair. Rough Country's kit data lists one M1 monotube shock pair, so the $179.95 MAP buys both front shocks. Fox sells 985-24-042 one at a time at $229.95, which makes a front pair $459.90.
Can I run the Fox 985-24-042 on a 6.5 in. lift?
Fox does not rate it for that height. Its product page lists a 4-6 in. lift, and Fox's SEMA data narrows the TJ rating to 5-6 in. For 6.5-8 in. of lift, Fox lists 980-24-644 instead.
What are the extended and collapsed lengths?
Fox publishes 27.08 in. extended, 16.7 in. compressed and 10.13 in. of travel. We could not find published lengths for the Rough Country 770743_F in any source we could reach.
Which one has the better warranty?
Fox does. Its warranty page gives Performance Series 2.0 shocks bought after 3/30/2025 a limited lifetime warranty for the original retail owner. Rough Country states a 3 year limited warranty.