[RogueBetty]

Hi all-
I am still contemplating my suspension improvements, my truck is stock and saggy. I am bouncing around between a SOA conversion or just a 4 spring lift. Or a two inch lift now and then later doing the SOA. I know a lot of you all have done something and would love to see some PICS, how you use the rig, what you like dislike about it, what you run it on, what are your carrying weights...etc. I am trying to get to Pismo so I can check out some in person but would love to hear from anyone willing to share here. I have researched both applications and know someone who can turn my axles for $150. So I am leaning towards the SOA but the spring lift I can do all by myself. Suggestions. Most of all pics would be sweet.
Cheers

[julstirn]

this would be very useful

[BG_TX]

What are your plans with the wagon, is it your DD? From what I have read, SOA can be a bear to DD.

Pics of my wagon pre and post lift are in my profile albums if interested.

[sirenmoses]

and if you look through the registry that's sticky'd you'll find a weeks worth of 60's to look at, if not more.

pix start (for me) at post #4: http://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wa...-registry.html

[RogueBetty]

Originally Posted by sirenmoses

and if you look through the registry that's sticky'd you'll find a weeks worth of 60's to look at, if not more.

pix start (for me) at post #4: http://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wa...-registry.html

Thanks I have gone through that but I wanted more of synopsis on the rigs and what they are being used for, likes/dislikes, coulda done better or wish I had thought of that... Read my whole post. I don't mind searching through endless forums but wanted a tech discussion right in one place. Lifting a vehicle is one of the hottest mods/topics with questions all the time being posted.

A lot of vehics (not just 60s) on the road are SOA just don't know why that would be such a problem. Don't plan on commuting that far and when I do it will be into the mountains on any road and in the snow. Don't want a super duper rock crawler just a crush anywhere rig.

[landcruiserjunky]

two years ago: my springs are sagging now and I'm armored up.

[Slowerthanu]

Originally Posted by BG_TX

What are your plans with the wagon, is it your DD? From what I have read, SOA can be a bear to DD.

Pics of my wagon pre and post lift are in my profile albums if interested.

Its far from tough top drive a SOA TLC everyday, you just can't carve corners in it.

[GLTHFJ60]

Originally Posted by BG_TX

What are your plans with the wagon, is it your DD? From what I have read, SOA can be a bear to DD.

Pics of my wagon pre and post lift are in my profile albums if interested.

Nope, not bad at all. My rig corners better than it did SUA.

When going SOA, it's important, IMO, to increase the track width by using wide rims with a small backspace. I'm running 15x10's with 2.5" backspacing and it's wicked stable.

I have 62 springs up front with a long AAL and Ironman 2.5" rears with a leaf removed. I carry all my tools and fluds all the time in a storage box system. My puny spare tire rides along with me. I love how it drives.

See my ROTW link in my sig for massive amounts of pictures.

[cavemancaleb]

just got this one
long add a leaf front and rear with oversized shackles.

Rides a little rough, could be shackle angle or add a leaf or combination of both.

[Kurtis]

Heres a picture of mine It was dark and the picture came out lame but you get the idea. I went spring over axle last weekend and I love it. Its sitting on 35" km2s I don't even have my shocks on yet and I still think it rides great. before I had 4 inches of lift 2 body 2 spring/shackle. It four wheeled fine but rode like crap on road. Spring over rides nice looks cool I hav'ent gotten it offroad since the v8 or spring over but soon. Heres a pic in my garage it clears by literally an inch. Mines pretty high as it still has the body lift. I'm probably going to leave it or at most take an inch off. If you don't mind spending some time Spring over is the way to go. I did the knuckle rebuild and spring/ bushing/perches work in about 20 hours. I've been playing with it now for a couple days after work just working the kinks out. I took it down the street at 50 with no I'll effects without shocks or steering stabalizer so its getting pretty close. Price is probably comparable or a little less than one of those 4 inch shackle reversal kits. Mine was like 950 for parts and whatever the driveshafts end up costing. I wanted to try out a 2 cv shaft on the front so thatl be 4-500 but I needed a new shaft anyway for the engine swap. I'm probably going to bag the rear or run some type of air shock as I want to be able to pull a trailer down to the dunes with this.

[Hank]

1990 fj62
Heystee Parabolic lift ~4", more like 2 on the left and 4 on the right now.
Bilstein shocks, Ford front upper mounts
Rerouted exhaust inside frame, tucked up high and quiet
A little bit of tubing and a little less sheet metal in the rockers and behind the rear wheels.
Warn 9500TI with Amsteel Blue
Scion radio
More broken lights than complete lights
not a straight panel on it
35" Kumho race cuts on 17" soft 8's with 1.5" spacers all around
Lockrite lockers front and rear
Some steering modification
front axle spun for caster
One super sweet driver's side hotrod mirror.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some crap.
Tools, spares, fluids, food, prepared for Armageddon

What I would have done differently?

Expanded my garage 2.5 stalls
Bought a 40 cowl and hood and bib and had a tube buggy built for the tight trail work and day time challenge wheeling.
Bought an 80 or Hundy for trips, family woods rides, light wheeling, two tracking, getting groceries, dawg hauling, camper towing, etc.

For now Big Stinky is going to have to suffice.

[beaufort-fj60]

good thing you have that tennis ball to protect your grill..

[Hank]

Originally Posted by beaufort-fj60

good thing you have that tennis ball to protect your grill..

It's the only plastic I haven't broken yet! Actually it was to aid CB reception and it worked. It kept the antenna off the hood. That antenna is due to come off. I use a mag mount on the roof now with MUCH better results.

[krookedpandas]

Here are some shots of my truck from Katemcy. Its SUA with OME medium/medium and way to long shackles. I in all honesty do not like my set up. While it has survived everything I have thrown at it, my tires still rub on trails and because of the length of my shackles I'm more prone in inversion. For light wheeling it does great and with 10.50's as apposed to 12.50's it wouldn't rub. It does have nice travel though.

[jleeFJ62]

OME 4 inch Ultra Heavy springs (CS005R)
33x10.5 BFG MT

[klinetime574]

My Cruiser is a DD. Well half, I'm in college so it sits in a parking lot. Still love it though. I have OME Medium/Medium complete kit (shocks, stabilizer, springs, bushings, shackles). Rides real good on nice flat road. Things get rougher on bumpier roads, which Houston has a lot of. But I just blow that off; Its a Landcruiser not a Lexus. The few times I have taken it off road it performed very well. No Complaints.

Sorry for the poser shots.

[smkymntn]

OME Heavy/Heavy-

[NQCruiser]

What's the reasoning behind "Heavy/Heavy" combinations and "Medium/Medium" combinations? I'm fitting an ARB Bullbar and a 9500lb winch in the next couple of weeks and then doing springs and shocks. I was thinking Heavy front and Medium rear, but I see a lot of rigs running the above combinations.

Does Medium/Medium flex or ride better than Heavy/Heavy? I'll be running with the winch/dual battery/ARB Bar full time once fitted. It'll mainly be doing corrugated, rough roads - not really much rock crawling.

Any advice or experiences with these combinations?

[Cruiserdrew]

Originally Posted by NQCruiser

Any advice or experiences with these combinations?

I've had an OME medium on my Fj60 (and recently my FJ62) for years. I wish it was a heavy. As soon as you put on a bull bar, a rear bumper and load it with camping gear you will want more spring. I highly recommend that if you are getting an OME lift, get the heavy. If it's too stiff, take out the leaf just below the leaf with the Military wrap. Then it's a medium. It really is that simple.

My personal advice is just get the OME heavy, install, and enjoy.

One other thing. If you stay spring under, don't go over 33 inch tires. You will be happier.

I also would not go spring over until you have driven the truck a year or two.

[NQCruiser]

Cruiserdrew, thanks for the info. The other thing I forgot to add was that I will be running a rear wheel carrier on the back bumper, so this will probably make the rear heavy spring more of a neccessity anyway.

As for tyre size, I'm in the process of moving from a 31x10.5R15 to a 265/75R16 Cooper STT tyre, which should put me close to 32in. I will probably go 285 or 33in eventually, but the 265's came up at a steal (figuratively speaking) and were too good to pass up.

I've just got to get rid of all my 15in rims now...

[kevin in okinawa]

Originally Posted by Kurtis

Heres a picture of mine It was dark and the picture came out lame but you get the idea. I went spring over axle last weekend and I love it. Its sitting on 35" km2s I don't even have my shocks on yet and I still think it rides great. .

the twin to my truck it seems;-) i too rode for two months with old a$$ front shocks and none in rear, it rode pretty good. now have es9000 procomps all around, 4X4lab hysteer, KM2s, rides nicer than with the 2.5" SUA lift.

SOA is the bees knees, period.

[RogueBetty]

Originally Posted by kevin in okinawa

the twin to my truck it seems;-) i too rode for two months with old a$$ front shocks and none in rear, it rode pretty good. now have es9000 procomps all around, 4X4lab hysteer, KM2s, rides nicer than with the 2.5" SUA lift. Attachment 365300

SOA is the bees knees, period.

That is what I am leaning towards why invest the money in a SUA spring upgrade when I can do an SOA and recurve my springs and then later upgrade the springs if I want. Has anyone had there springs recurved?

[kling-on]

OME Heavys 33 125015 KM2'S .... savin parts to SOA




SOA stock spring 38's LOTS of fender trimming

[Ducks]

Alcan 5" lift with 35" tires, 2.5" backspacing, loaded up on the Death Valley trip with my dad and son and all the gear -





I get a little bit of rubbing on the front tires.

Unloaded -



Chad

I might eventually go SOA but I really like my current setup and feel I can carry a lot of stuff with good stability as it currently is setup. Plus I got a really good deal on this lift. I bought it used.

[Tofudebeest]

Terrain Tamer 3". Seem to be heavies. Love 'em, but the truck is a little "stink bug" (like the front is 2"and the rear is 3 - 3 1/2" 31X10.5x15 tires. Can't wait to replace them, but need to wait for to become a need and not just a want.



The back is on a small dirt mound, it isn't THAT stink bug....

[boerboel313]

Nothing too tall here, and it's my DD when I'm in the states.

Lift: 2.5 HD OME on 32X11.5X15

Weight: 4X4 Labs rear with 3 can holder(129lbs) and SROR sliders 300 - 400 extra pounds, and will be adding to the weight with aa ARB front and 8274 in the near future.

I may add longer shakles too.

I will be at PISMO, south of the main MOB, flying The Stares and Stripe and Marine Corps Flag from a 20' flag pole.

Hope to see you there.

[RogueBetty]

Definitely see you there Boerboel. Just waiting for those GPS coords.

[Kiffer]

Has any one used the MAF shackle reveral kit. How does it handle. Is it better than just a OME lift.

Thnaks for the info on heavy or meduim. I will go with heavy but I want to know if the MAF kit is worth it. Do you get better articulation with it.

[Kurtis]

Thats a nice truck Kevin I'll have to get some good pictures in the daylight.

I wouldn't spend the money on any lift at all if you are even considering Spring Over. I think I saw on proffits theyll do it for less than 1500 plus whatever parts you need extra. Like steering $400, drive shaft work and some new shocks/ brake lines. Probably an axle rebuild kit. I would think this would be the way to go. Probably looking at around 2500-3k and you don't even have to do the work. I did it myself and it wasn't really bad just a little time consuming and a little drain on the pocketbook but well worth it. I'm having some custom long travel high angle drive shafts made so I'll be in it about $1700 total for the whole project when i'm done. The ride blows me away though I couldn't believe how well it drives even at 80.

[IB14A69]

no lift 33x12.50. have bigger shackels now just incase i want to flex it out