I've had several members approach me by PM because they were afraid of being scorned for asking silly questions. I've tried to help them along without telling them that my setup is THE SETUP they need.
The only silly question is the one you think you know the answer to, but have doubts and still don't ask to verify. If you don't ask, you're just guessing that you came to the right conclusion. There's an awful lot of gray area when it comes to suspensions, all of which is new and unfamiliar to me.
Thank you to everyone who's taken time to do write ups in their build threads and suspension threads. In the past 2 weeks I've gone from not knowing exactly what a spacer was or where to put one, to being able to ask some semi-intelligent questions about suspensions and lift.
Of course, more reading and research generates more questions and ideas. Some of which I managed to dispense with after more research, others I would like to hear thoughts and concerns from more knowledgeable/experienced people.
5100's may not be the right answer for you. And I had reservations because I have heard it stiffens the ride somewhat. I've done the log truck ride with an older 4x4 and I wanted to keep the somewhat soft feeling factory ride in my DD.
After more research I've come to believe there a general consensus indicating the OME 90000's have a softer ride than the Bilstein 5100's, only when the 5100's are set at 1.75 or 2.5". Of course they are both an improvement over stock. As I'm planning on getting a set of OME front springs, I'm not planning on using either of those settings if I go with the 5100's. Also why pay for an adjustable strut if I don't need that function? Reading multiple Taco/FJ/4Runner forums, many have gone from Bilstein 5100's to OME 90000's, but nobody's really mentioned or bragged about going the other way.
I would like to avoid making the suspension harder as a daily driver. Nor do I, "drink scalding coffee out of an open top mug while running the Baja 1000 at 500 mph." I already regret the E load tires, which I've learned to tolerate though not become a fan of. I've even gone as far as considering selling them off and ordering a set of C load or P-metric instead.
As far as rear springs go, you are pretty much stuck with adding some sort of lift with any aftermarket springs unless you get a custom pair made. So small spacers in the back or the air bags may be the best choice for your needs.
I still need to look more into this, I've not been looking much at the rear setup at all. Also replacing the rear springs means fiddling with the Air Lift kit. Apparently the air lift kit prevents the springs from compressing as quickly/easily at the normal rate, hence are the equivalent of using springs with a higher spring rate. At $80 it was much cheaper and easier to install.
I am hoping to get away without having to do anything to the rear at this time, it makes the budget smaller!
I knew going in that the SSO front bumper weighed around 65 pounds, and the winch I was buying was about the same. The aluminum factory bumper being removed weighs around 20 or 25 pounds (it didn't even feel that heavy but I didn't weigh it). So I needed a spring that would handle an extra 110 pounds or so up front. The 885 fit the bill like it was designed for my specific application.
In searching I've heard conflicting reports of whether the 884/885 2" spring provides 2" or 3" of lift in our vehicles. Assuming you had the SSO bumper and winch combo installed on both setups, how much did your front height actually change from your factory spring/
[email protected]" to the OME885/5100@0"?
I understand the +110lb part of the 885, however, OME's site describes this as a full passenger load +110lbs. Which leaves me thinking that it's not correct for my application and I should be using the 884 springs. I'd rather not have a harsh ride 95+% of the time to account for the once in a blue moon instances where I actually get close to max GVWR +110lbs of bumper/winch. That said I'm still considering it because of the front bias. Drivetrain weight is almost exclusively front, anytime 2+ people are in the vehicle both front seats are filled first, the bumper and winch will all be carried by the front wheels.
Additionally I discovered that the 885 spring isn't actually a different spring rate, it's just slightly taller than the 884. Hence, as designed GVWR +110lbs it will sit just as tall as the 884, although already be compressed more. Being a taller spring to start with, and without the full weight of GVWR +110lbs, I assume the 885 would actually provide more realized lift than the 884. Is this a pretty safe assumption? Being that I'm not actually looking for lift as much as I am level, again I'm leaning towards the 884. What are your thoughts on this?
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