Need Suggestions: OME Suspension

[Flesh Eater]

I really like that OME gives so many options for spring rate, but it can make it hard to decide what to do.

My 4Runner is not a daily driver. We bought this to be a long distance, vacation/exploration vehicle. When wheeling and camping, it'll be full of gear on the trail. However, when we find places to stay and wheel, it'll be empty.

I'm leaning towards medium coils up front, and heavy duty in the rear. It's a V6, so I don't know that I need heavy the whole way around. But at the same time, I don't know how much I would feel from the heavy front springs, like the rear. The other thing I don't want is 3" of lift. Really hoping this just stays at 2.5".

Does this seem like the way to go? What I'm really concerned about is a sagging rear hauling us and gear across the country at highway speeds. There are no current plans to add bumpers. Might find a new way to haul the spare tire, but it won't be with a big rear bumper.

Searching is tough, because I'm not DD'ing this, or adding bumpers, and only plan on driving it one to three times a year, so I apologize for the newb question.

 

[Tuyrunner]

I have the 4.7 v8 with medium ome springs in the front and heavy springs in the back. I would guess I have about 400-500 added pounds

in the rear and it doesn’t sag at all. The ride is really nice with the added weight but was super harsh before I added the weight. It’s a great kit and I would do it all over again. I am not running bumpers either.


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[techno]

I've ran OME on several vehicles, they make very good stuff. However, I think this depends on how much weight you'll have when you're "full of gear on the trail".
As you can see on ARB's vehicle application guides, the heavy duty springs are good for about 330lbs of stuff and the heavy constant springs for about 660lbs. Rule out the heavy constant springs since obviously, you wont have permanent equipment such as roller drawers with fridge, roof top tent, steel bumpers, spare fuel, etc etc. The normal heavy duty springs will perform best when they are loaded up. They'll keep your lift and give a great ride with all you stuff, but you'll have a firm ride when empty and it will be harder to get full compression when flexing offroad.

I would go with the medium load springs (895). They have a load rate increase of about 40% and will easily handle a full load without sagging the lift. Make sure you pair them with the OME shocks for best results. The shocks valving is velocity dependent so they're firm at high speeds and softer at slow speeds. That works very well offroad.

I currently have Wheelers T12 rear coils which have a 10% increase in load rate over stock and think they work great when I'm fully loaded up for camping for a family of four and when daily driving. But since it daily drives way more than offroading, keeping the stiffness increase down was my priority.

 

[Flesh Eater]

Thank you both for the replies!

I've ran OME on several vehicles, they make very good stuff. However, I think this depends on how much weight you'll have when you're "full of gear on the trail".
As you can see on ARB's vehicle application guides, the heavy duty springs are good for about 330lbs of stuff and the heavy constant springs for about 660lbs. Rule out the heavy constant springs since obviously, you wont have permanent equipment such as roller drawers with fridge, roof top tent, steel bumpers, spare fuel, etc etc. The normal heavy duty springs will perform best when they are loaded up. They'll keep your lift and give a great ride with all you stuff, but you'll have a firm ride when empty and it will be harder to get full compression when flexing offroad.

I would go with the medium load springs (895). They have a load rate increase of about 40% and will easily handle a full load without sagging the lift. Make sure you pair them with the OME shocks for best results. The shocks valving is velocity dependent so they're firm at high speeds and softer at slow speeds. That works very well offroad.

I currently have Wheelers T12 rear coils which have a 10% increase in load rate over stock and think they work great when I'm fully loaded up for camping for a family of four and when daily driving. But since it daily drives way more than offroading, keeping the stiffness increase down was my priority.

This is great detailed info. I was reading up on the OME springs and that’s why I’m torn. The rear springs are probably pretty easy to replace and fairly priced, so if I find I want Hd, I can swap them.

I do plan on an aluminum ARB roof rack and also plan on building a shelving system in the rear with 7/16” plywood. I think fully loaded I would get close to amassing 600lbs. of weight (my wife likes to pack for weeks at a time!).

Figure clothing, cast iron skillets, cooler full of food and beverages, tools/compressor/fluids, tent, 4 sleeping bags/air mattresses, hatchet/axe, maybe chainsaw...all adds up quickly in the back of a tiny car.

My last statement is what worries me. These are tiny cars when you go from a 1/2 ton Tahoe , which even that has been loaded enough to sag while towing. I don’t ever want to have that happen again. Of course that was 3 guys, all the above mentioned gear and 6 cases of beer. towing a 3,000lbs. trailer.