OEM shocks with OME 865s? (1 Viewer)

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etarasoff

etarasoff

Joined
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Location
Ashland, OR
I posted last week about some torque steer and CV issues due to the OME lift I had put on the truck (has the 860s ie 2.5" now).

Have new 865s (1.5") and am planning to put them on the truck this weekend and bring down the front some more to get things under control and add more droop.

Currently, the ride is 'sporty' or 'harsh' depending upon who you are. Some of this is most assuredly due to the extra spring rate of the OME coils and TBs. But I'm wondering how much is due to the Nitro Sport shocks?

I'm contemplating taking the Nitro Sport shocks off and replacing with OEM Toyota shocks until I get some more weight on the vehicle in the form of bumpers, etc. I realize I'll lose a little shock travel but the trade-off for a cushier ride over bumps would be a win due to the terrible state of roads in California. Vehicle is mostly on-road right now with light off-road.

What do you guys think? Anyone run a set-up like that?

Thanks in advance...
 
You might run into droop issues up front with the shorter OEM shocks as well as the shocks being the thing that limits down travel in the rear. This begs the question of why you went with a full OME lift kit if on road comfort was your primary concern.

Maybe look into the old OME non sport shocks. They should be cushier.

The 865s won't feel any different. They're the same spring rate as the 860s just shorter. I've had all three.
 
Thanks, I thought I might hear that but it seems like I've seen a lot of people on here doing spacer lifts and just cranking the TBs without changing anything else. Also people using Bilsteins with OME?

Replacing the 860s with 865s just to get a little lower but still higher than stock. Currently have some issues due to front end height and I.don't want an extreme rake.

Was expecting a firmer ride but it's more than expected. Went from failed AHC to OME so never ran stock conventional.
 
I had all stock, OEM Tbars with bilstein shocks and 865 coils, and now the 860 OME Tbars and nitro charger shocks.

Aren't the OEM shocks cheap? Give it a try. I bet it'll be softer. The OME Tbars and nitto chargers seem to be the bigger culprit in the stiff ride. Not the coils.
 
Like you said before, the big concern is travel with OEMs...at least they're cheap to try.
 
Shane...if that question was to me, the TBs are new (OME).

Part of the problem here is that the rig is not weighted down with bumpers or anything yet, so yes, the stiffer TBs and coils could definitely be a factor. That said, I've also heard on here a lot of gripes about the Nitro Sports from the mall driver types like me. :)

I think I'd rather put some $$ towards bumpers and sliders next before an expensive set of shocks...1) To see where I'm at ride-wise; and 2) To really complete the off-road poser look I'm shooting for. :cool:

That said, OEM shocks are cheap...which is why I asked.
 
Copy that.

With that said I do not have OME but I had over cranked mine and it was very harsh and brutal over bumps and into driveways.

So I started dropping the front against the stock numbers and the rears. Then it was perfect with no issues whatsoever and ran it that way for 32 months. Now I have a Slee bumper and will crack it up a little to get back what I lost.

Just a thought as its easy to drop it and compare to others numbers. Unless I'm confused.
 
KlausVanWinkle said:
Trying out the OEM shocks is going to be. Lot cheaper than bumpers. Give it a shot and let us know.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I am going to try them out and report back. OME shocks will sit on the shelf in the garage until I get some weight...or if the OEMs can't deal with the mild lift. I believe the shock travel difference is only like 8" vs 9", so I'm guessing that won't be much of an issue for the way this vehicle is being used at the moment.

Still have your OEM coils? (thinking ahead...ha!)
 
Quick update on this thread...

A couple of weekends ago, I got swapped the 860s for 865s and brought the front end down commensurately. That pretty much solved my torque steer and CV vibration issue (I think new CVs would have done that too), but the sporty/sharp/harsh ride was still pretty much the same.

Yesterday, I did the following, some of which I did 'just because' and not to specifically work at this issue:

* Replaced the large steering rack bushing/grommet on the PS.
* New ASB links / bushings / cushions for the FRONT
* New OEM Toyota shocks for the FRONT

I had hoped to get to the rear shocks and ASB bushings/cushions but ran out of time as any work I do seems to take me 3x as long as it does for most people on MUD. :mad:

Findings:

* Steering seems a little tighter, although there was not really a problem there to begin with.
* Feels a little 'newer' in the front from the ASB parts (could be the 'car wash' effect, ha!).
* Sways a little more in the front in turns. I believe this is due to changing the stiffer NitroCharger Sports to OEM.
* Ride feels much nicer in the front. Still have a decent amount of 'road feel' but without the harshness I was experiencing. Irregularities seem to be 'soaked up' better without transmitting the shocks straight to the passengers.

Overall, I'm really happy with the progress and ride. I'm really looking forward to doing the rear end to complete the package. Trading the ability to stay flat in corners is worth it to me for a more compliant ride which I appreciate much more. I know I've given up some articulation but I can deal with that for the low price of the OEM shocks. Down the road, I can find some longer shocks with softer ride when I have the $$$.

Will report back when I get the rears on...

:cheers:
 
im thinking 30mm spacer in the back with a tbar crank until im ready to start adding weight. i just need clearance for trails and tires for the occasional offroad use while keeping her on road manners for the majority of her miles. are people using diff drops for the setups ive described? i see a lot of posts saying "dont even NEED a diff drop," but it really seems like... it should. its still a lift.
 
TwiceWithHair said:
im thinking 30mm spacer in the back with a tbar crank until im ready to start adding weight. i just need clearance for trails and tires for the occasional offroad use while keeping her on road manners for the majority of her miles. are people using diff drops for the setups ive described? i see a lot of posts saying "dont even NEED a diff drop," but it really seems like... it should. its still a lift.
Click to expand...

Depends on how much lift. I ran the 1.5" OME lift for a few thousand miles without the diff drop and without incident. Got it when I switched to the 2.5". The lift you describe is a popular first step. I skipped it because I found OME865 coils for $80 on amazon, which is the same amount of work and only slightly more money than installing spacers.
 
Can you run 860s with OEM shocks? Will the lift still work or will the length of the shock limit the lift of the springs? I only have sliders and no plans for bumpers for sometime.
 
bumpers and weight aren't going to really affect the shocks. As I said 2 years ago, the OEM shocks are shorter than the OME shocks that come with the lift. You can use them but it'll limit your droop. And the shock might be nearly fully extended when the trucks suspension is almost neutral. So it might drive like crap. Try it out and report back.

You could unbolt the lower rear shock mount and see how much the shock extends past the lower mount. You'll need it to extend at least 2.5" past the bottom of the rear shock mount in order to have any reserve droop in your suspension after installing the 860s. That might give you an idea before you order them.

But you should probably upgrade to a stiffer shock to handle the added weight of the larger tires anyway...
 
Subbing to this for reference. I'm on the fence about adding spacer to the rear coils, but after loading up on a road trip with a lot of gear/passengers recently it seems pretty necessary before another similar trip. Good posting @KlausVanWinkle.
 
What about with worn out 865 coils? I have not budgeted for OME at this time. Will install OEM shocks tomorrow and keep the 865s for now.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
uzj100 said:
What about with worn out 865 coils? I have not budgeted for OME at this time. Will install OEM shocks tomorrow and keep the 865s for now.

Thanks for the feedback.
Click to expand...

Interested in selling your 860 coils?
 
The shop is recommending an alignment after replacing shocks. Is that correct?
 
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