OME vs BDS on a 60

[masscrusher]

Why should I pay more for OME when BDS will do the same for me? Or is OME so much better that is the “must have” suspension?

A few notes: custom rear bumper/air tank/spare carrier with a 33”x10.5R15

For the future (next year): custom front bumper with winch.

I am ready to buy (next week, I got cash ), so I need info. After looking in the birfield archives, with the info provided there still cannot make my mind.

[Cruiserdrew]

I've never even seen the BDS suspension, but it's probably fine. I would get the complete OME kit though. Everything is right from the springs to the greasable shackles and bushings. It's a known quantity and you only want to do it once. Since you will have a bar and a winch, get the heavy/heavy springs. It will be pretty stiff at first, but once you add the weight, it should be just right. Also get the extended brake lines, and extended sway bar links. Just remember about the really stiff ride at first, it gets a little better once the springs break in. If you want, I can take a pic of my 60 with OME and try to post it.

[anti-friend]

I hear the BDS kits are pretty nice, and SOOO much cheaper than OME. OME is a rip in my opinion, better to go with like alcans for the money. If you want a cheaper one, BDS or the HFS kits if they ever get back in stock. Then just buy some greasable shackles and spring pins, extended brake lines, and you'll be good to go. But from what I've heard, the BDS is a good kit, just remember to shim the front.

[preacherman]

I have the bds lift and really like it. The price was good and the company is great. I have had it for 2 years and am very happy with it. I got it from FJ60.com and it was shipped from the factory with no problems. I really like it.

[elpfj60]

I have two friends running the 4" OME kits, and they both sagged terriblly. They both took them off and had the built back up by a local spring shop (add-a-leafs, etc.) Still sagged..down almost 1.5" or so...both with ARB's frt. and rear, etc. Not too much extra weight.

[devo]

Iv'e run two OME spring sets on my 60. The first one I bought in '95 was great and lasted untill '01. So I replaced them with identical springs and they were not so good. I dumped them and went Alcan, which so far are alot better.
The two good things about ome is the fit and that you can order them to carry heavy loads. Be sure to use there shackles with the springs and there shocks.
I hear good things about bds. Not sure you have options for heavy springs though.
devo

[TOZOVR]

The beauty of BDS is that they will always replace them should they sag....no BS. The kit is also much less expensive and more complete (there is actually no OME "Kit" unless a dealer prepackages it) The OME stuff is very well engineered and I ran it on my last rig with great success. As an OME dealer, I'd be more likely to buy the BDS kit at retail than the OME kit at cost (still saves me $400+ buying the BDS....and I have OME dealer buy in, not just jobber). I'd be willing to at leats give it a whirl LOL!!

Of course the last BDS sprung J**p I rode in rode like a Conestoga wagon after the lift...TERRIBLE. 4 months later we replaced it with Rubicon Express and it rode like a dream. I'd still try it thouigh.

RJ

[BigRed87]

I have the BDS, it has been on for a few thousand miles, it is still a little rough, but going down the highway, or on the trail its not too bad, it's those dang speed bumps and potholes that are the roughest. You might even try the Pinnacle Deluxe, it was the same price as the BDS i bought, probably the next lift I will get is the PE.

[Clutchee]

I have had great luck with the BDS. Not alot of people running there lifts but so far so good. Have wheeld it at Tellico, Superlift, Katemacy, has done well.

PS-if you install it remove the grease fitting from the rear drive shaft & compress it all the way before reinstalling it.

[brian]

iirc the bds is a 2 1/2" lift?

when i was looking for a lift for the 87/60 it was a toss up between bds and pe.
i went with the pe delux, i had to have that extra 1/2" of lift.

so far so good.

[masscrusher]

And what about the Safari 4" lift sold by MAF? I have heard scary tales about MAF, but they have always delivered in my dealings with them. Any input on this?

[jjbodean1970]

how much is everyone paying for the BDS system? i just got priced one for $1000 and i have nothing to compare to since BDS won't let their prices be published online. also, what size tires can i run on my stock rims with the BDS lift? BTW i have a 90 fj62 - thanks!

[cruiser_guy]

I've been running a BDS lift for the last year. Cost was around $1200 Canadian. I also added the greasable pins and shackles as they get beat taking the old springs off anyway.
My buddy who got the OME a few years ago doesn't see the supposed added benefit the OME gives and would go BDS for the price difference.
The suspension was stiff but seems to be softening up somewhat but not sagging.

[theo]

[quote author=jjbodean1970 link=board=1;threadid=15862;start=msg154316#msg154 316 date=1084283223]
how much is everyone paying for the BDS system? i just got priced one for $1000 and i have nothing to compare to since BDS won't let their prices be published online. also, what size tires can i run on my stock rims with the BDS lift? BTW i have a 90 fj62 - thanks!
[/quote]

I think Robert at Liquid Offroad will sell you the kit (springs, shocks, u-bolts, bushings) for around $700 with free shipping. That's a great deal.

I bought mine a month or so ago for a little more than that from Charlie at Chimney Canyon 4x4. He's closer to home, has been in the business for a long time, and stands behind his products.

Both guys will talk to you if you call.

[Overlord]

[quote author=jjbodean1970 link=board=1;threadid=15862;start=msg154316#msg154 316 date=1084283223]
how much is everyone paying for the BDS system? i just got priced one for $1000 and i have nothing to compare to since BDS won't let their prices be published online. also, what size tires can i run on my stock rims with the BDS lift? BTW i have a 90 fj62 - thanks!
[/quote]

I bought mine through http://fj60.com/. It was $1000 shipped to my door and I live in Alaska.

[anti-friend]

I talked with the owner of the performance shop downtown a while ago, he was saying around 800 shipped for BDS, not counting new shocks, and thats freight to alaska also

oh yeah, with stock rims, you can run 33x9.5x15, 33x10.50x15, with the lift.

[Garth]

HFS from CCOT. Long wait due to steel shortages, but well worth it...from what I've seen of the system.

[jjbodean1970]

what are the pros and cons in the different tire sizes, ie 33 with either 9.50, 10.50, or 12.50 - and can any of these be mounted on the stock rim?

[Doc]

Section width of your tire depends a LOT on what you plan to use it for. If it's a pavement queen and a DD, never goes off road, or ONLY goes off road in mud, you might want the 9.5 tires. 12.5's are better for crawlin, so I hear. 10.5's are a good compromise of both worlds. Better gas milage than the 12.5's, better snow and ice traction, and better dirt/off road traction than 12.5's.

[Mike S]

A good way to think about tires for your application is to visualize the actual footprint on the bearing surface (road, mud, rock...).

A narrower tire is going have a footprint that is longer in the direction of travel, but overall not as much total footprint as a wider tire. The longer footprint gives better directional stability, and the lower overall area means that it will 'float' less - and will get through mud to the solid surface underneath, assuming that there is one.

The wider tire offers maximum overall traction with a cost in directional stability on slippery surfaces and more resistance to steeering.

I have a set of 31X10.50 MTRs on stock FJ60 rims. This is about the maximum width that I would go, and 9.50's would be a better fit. These 31X10.50 tires are a compromise between traction, driveability, highway noise, and snow/mud controlability.

The height is about perfect for a stock height Cruiser.

Bear in mind that not all tires of the same numerical designation are the same dimensions - they vary slightly. A set od 'no name' 31X10.50s on my trailer are actually about 1-1/4" wider than the same size MTRs.

[cruiser_guy]

[quote author=anti-friend link=board=29;threadid=15862;start=msg151346#msg15 1346 date=1083804985]
But from what I've heard, the BDS is a good kit, just remember to shim the front.
[/quote]

Can someone clarify? When I asked about shims I was told that it was "built in" to the springs. Anyone know for sure whether it is needed or not?

[Overlord]

[quote author=cruiser_guy link=board=29;threadid=15862;start=msg155969#msg15 5969 date=1084428580]
Can someone clarify? When I asked about shims I was told that it was "built in" to the springs. Anyone know for sure whether it is needed or not?
[/quote]

I know for a fact that they are NOT built in. As for needing it, not 100% sure. I put a 2* shim in cause I was (still am) getting steering wander. The steering wander is better, but I'm still having problems. I'm also getting a clunk that I can feel/hear in my steering column. I've traced it to the pitman/drag link end. Their's a some lateral slop in the joint/thingamajigger (that's technical term BTW ).

[cruiser_guy]

[quote author=Overlord link=board=29;threadid=15862;start=msg155976#msg15 5976 date=1084429243]
I know for a fact that they are NOT built in. As for needing it, not 100% sure. I put a 2* shim in cause I was (still am) getting steering wander. The steering wander is better, but I'm still having problems. I'm also getting a clunk that I can feel/hear in my steering column. I've traced it to the pitman/drag link end. Their's a some lateral slop in the joint/thingamajigger (that's technical term BTW ).
[/quote]

Is the shims strictly for tracking or also for other things? My '82 with the BDS lift and stock tires, tracks just fine but it does not roll as easily as I think it should (it seems like it binds on each driveshaft revolution) even when in 2wd. The "U" joints seem fine but I suspect that if they were bad and the shaft was binding that it could appear to be fine :-\ My '84 with the stock suspension and 31x10.5's rolls much easier. Is this something that shims might correct? If so it would be shimming the rear NOT the front as the "binding up" occurs in 2wd.

[TOZOVR]

The shims correct pinion angle and castor. Castor is really affected by having longer shackles but a complete spring swap will effect it as well, just not as much.

Now bad pinion angle in theory would bind, but not so much with 2.5" of lift with the legth of the 60's DS. Did you swap to bigger/wider tires? What brand? When I ran my TSL Bias plys and swapped back to AT's for street driving it felt like the rig would roll forever, whereas the TSL's felt like they were much slower.

[cruiser_guy]

[quote author=TOZOVR link=board=29;threadid=15862;start=msg157968#msg15 7968 date=1084717779]
Now bad pinion angle in theory would bind, but not so much with 2.5" of lift with the legth of the 60's DS. Did you swap to bigger/wider tires? What brand? When I ran my TSL Bias plys and swapped back to AT's for street driving it felt like the rig would roll forever, whereas the TSL's felt like they were much slower.
[/quote]

That's just it, my '82 with the BDS lift uses the smaller "stock" tire size and it seems to roll worse than the '84 which has stock suspension but the larger 31x10.5 tires ??? Both tires are radial, not bias ply and the '82 tread is less aggressive.
If it was the reverse I would not be so confused.

[esh]

I'm biased, but here's an example of no fatigue on OME after 3 years heavy/medium setup. These were bought used and I've removed the overload leaf in front since I have not bullbar/winch. For the type of use this truck sees (exploring, lots of gravel/washboard roads, minimal trail/offroad situations), OME is perfect.

[Aseif007]

I have had the OME springs med fronts and heavy rears for 7 years and over 100,000 miles now on my FJ-62 with the OME extended travel nitro chargers and 33X12.50 tires. I do have a slight lean but I have rarely seen a 60 series with any lift that didn;t have a sllight lean. (if you don;t then you're not wheeling hard enough!) Off road the OME handles very well. On road it is a little stiff due to my heavy duty springs, but for the most part very good. I just added a shackle reversal in the front, added a leaf to the rear springs to make them the diesel heavy duty springs, and have 2" extended shackles in the rear. I ran 35s with that setup, but I only got to drive it for 5 miles before I started my engine rebuild. Overall I wouldn't go with anything other than OME. I just don;t buy that a spring manufacurer would replace their springs if the rig ever sags !!! Springs don;t last forever!! (or are they saying that because they know they will sag) Also, when I was looking for springs in 1996 OME was one of the ONLY manufacturers that made springs for the 60 series. That tells me that they know a lot more about the 60s than most of the other manufacturers since most other spring makers just recently jumped on the FJ-60 bandwagon. Also, OME is put on landcruisers that actually have to be used off road as a way of life, not recreation. They have the best testing grounds, their everyday life. But I'm sure the other kits are fine.

Andrew
88' FJ-62
97' FZJ-80
01' Tacoma