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1986 Pickup, ARB OME CR009S leaf springs too stiff and too high, drive-line vibration
Hello All,
I recently completed installing: CS009R HILUX 4RNR REAR - Part # CS009R NITROCHARGER SPORT SHOCK - Part # 60062 OMESB6 OME BUSH KIT - Part # SB6 U BOLT TOYOTA PICK UP REA - Part # U53 OMEGS3 GREASABLE SHACKLE - Part # GS3 OMESD33 STEERING DAMPER - Part # SD33 4600 SERIES SHOCK - Part # 24-011396
Background:
This was pretty much a shock refresh and new rear springs and shackles. I know the rear springs are specified to give their performance while carrying roughly 200 extra lbs in the back. Much of the time I drive the truck without anything in the back. It's kind of the greater family loaner and one of our go-to's for a quick hike in the mountains.
My main reason to go with the CS009R is because it touts roughly 2" of lift at a reasonable price. The lift was a compromise for me, as I would have preferred stock ride height, but anything closer to stock height of reasonable quality is almost twice the price.
The front torsion bars are already cranked up fairly high and I'd like to not go further, both to maintain a little downward travel while mild 4-wheeling, better axle angle and so the ride is a tiny bit more soft.
The Problem:
The rear is lifted way more than 2" over stock and has not settled after months. The truck is pitched way forward like a stink beetle. It is also VERY stiff. When I've loaded 400lbs in the back it rides like a nice comfortable vehicle and levels out a bit better. This is not ideal. Is there any way to remedy one or all of the issues I described? I'd like to level the vehicle and am open to raising the front but that comes with bad tradeoffs. I'd prefer to lower the rear somehow and if it's possible to soften the rear at the same time that would be a bonus.
The other issue is drive-line vibration under power. It vibrates at all speeds above 35mph while you have your foot in it. It doesn't vibrate when your coasting or engine braking. The vibration is worse than before the suspension work. There were no shims between the old springs and axle so I didn't install any when I swapped the springs.
Any experience and help on this is appreciated. I know I'm not the only one who has encountered this since I've read a TON of post but there is still not a great solution for my priorities.
I would hazard a guess that the OME shackles combined with the shape of the OME springs have pushed the rear of the springs down putting the diff out of alignment with the transfer case. I have not measured the pinion angle yet. Maybe I can deal with the vibration and lift at the same time? Re-locating or shortening the shackles and maybe adding shims? I'd prefer to keep the shiny new greaseable shackles, but maybe moving the mounts rearward would get the desired effect. Thoughts?
Stiffness is tolerable, but pretty bad on rough roads. I'd make that a secondary concern.
I did a deep dive in the world wide web and gleaned a little information. I guess the thing to try first for lowering/softening is remove the 3rd leaf in the pack. Then shim to get the right angle.
I removed the 3rd leaf down from the top of each spring pack as well as the bottom overload leaf. The truck now sits really nice and it squishes like it should. I'll have more information on driveline vibration as time goes on. Here are the pics...
Before work done, left and right sides:
After work done, left and right sides settled in with a romp around the block:
Spring packs before and after:
So about 3/4" of the drop came from leaf thickness and the other from spring flex. Total drop is roughly 1+5/8".
The ride: The ride is a whole different beast. First, the steering feels better because the truck is more level and the caster angle is better. Second, the back end doesn't buck you around like a Vegas hydraulic bull ride (not that I've experience that, just going from how it looks...). This is more of what I was looking for. The damping is still a little high in both directions, but is manageable. The drive home across town with about 200lbs of tools in the back made it feel smooth compared the the front. I can see slow wheeling being way more comfortable with just a spare in the back and a small tool box. I'm sure flex will be better, too, so more traction will result.
Thanks for the follow up! Glad you found a solution that works better for your needs. I’m in a similar boat with those OME springs and your post helps. Would love to hear your thoughts as you drive it more. Looks great!
Thanks for the follow up! Glad you found a solution that works better for your needs. I’m in a similar boat with those OME springs and your post helps. Would love to hear your thoughts as you drive it more. Looks great!
I've been loving the soft ride. The truck is a pleasure to drive again. I think the softer springs balance well with the softer 6002 shocks, overall. I was comparing the stance of the truck to a stock early 90's (pretty much the same truck) and they were almost identical. They both had an ever so slight forward rake, but almost not noticeable. I'd say this is the way to go if you always run with an empty bed. If you want a little more rake or carry a tiny bit in the back, one could leave in the bottom overload leaf, but without is the best setup for my needs.
Last edited by kanurys; 09-29-2023 at 07:29 AM.
Reason: softer, not slower shocks
I've been loving the soft ride. The truck is a pleasure to drive again. I think the softer springs balance well with the slower 6002 shocks, overall. I was comparing the stance of the truck to a stock early 90's (pretty much the same truck) and they were almost identical. They both had an ever so slight forward rake, but almost not noticeable. I'd say this is the way to go if you always run with an empty bed. If you want a little more rake or carry a tiny bit in the back, one could leave in the bottom overload leaf, but without is the best setup for my needs.
Thank you for the follow up! Great to hear you found the ride and stance you were looking for.
Hey do you have a picture of what the truck stance looks like afterwards ? I also need new leaf and been hearing all sort of things about the Old Man Emu spring packs..
Hey do you have a picture of what the truck stance looks like afterwards ? I also need new leaf and been hearing all sort of things about the Old Man Emu spring packs..
No one at this second. I will go take a pic... But the stock OME CS009 springs are stiff! It worked out well for me to remove leaves as stated above. That's the point of this thread. If you find a cheaper way to go for the same result, please post back.
I was just actually zooming before taking a good look at the toyota truck ah ! So all you did was remove the 3rd leaf down from the top of each spring pack and the bottom overload leaf ? No Balljoint Spacers ? Are tires 31 inches....? So many questions !
Last edited by pimacdaddy; 10-05-2023 at 06:18 PM.
I was just actually zooming before taking a good look at the toyota truck ah ! So all you did was remove the 3rd leaf down from the top of each spring pack and the bottom overload leaf ? No Balljoint Spacers ? Are tires 31 inches....? So many questions !
Why hasn't anyone posted this type of thing before? It seems like this would be the most commonly needed thing. Minimal lift, comfy ride, reliable, easy replacement, etc... Why is it always crappy lifts or bad rides or just not done right? This worked for me. Hopefully it helps someone else.
Because it seems no one ever reports back on those threads seeking answers to problems. So just to clear the question once again those tires you got are 31 inches, right ? And how much did you crank them t- bars ?
Because it seems no one ever reports back on those threads seeking answers to problems. So just to clear the question once again those tires you got are 31 inches, right ? And how much did you crank them t- bars ?
Yes, they're 31x10.5R15. Torsion bars are maybe 3/4 tight on their range, so a little high for my taste. I'd say the front is maybe just a small touch stiffer than the back, which is apparent when rallying through dips and such.
Ill try and go your route and report back. Prob next summer though ah ! Thanks a lot for all your replies. Do you happens to have instagram or somewhere I could reach you at for any more possible futurr questions ?
Ill try and go your route and report back. Prob next summer though ah ! Thanks a lot for all your replies. Do you happens to have instagram or somewhere I could reach you at for any more possible futurr questions ?
Na, I'm not really active on insta or other sites. No time for that stuff. You can always post here and I'll get a notification.
Hey man, I was wondering today, were you able to reuse your U Bolts ?
I picked up the OME U bolts for the job. You might be able to reuse the old ones, but it's nice to know that part is new. It's kind of an important part...
08-28-2022, 08:59 AM
