Noobie to Forum and FJ40 Old Man EMU Question (1 Viewer)

[Rick Carroll]

Hi Guys, I bought a 1975 FJ40 about a month ago. It has an OME suspension that is extremely stiff. Almost no give at all. It was installed by Mudrak back in 2013 and the guy I bought it from didn't drive it much at all. The guy at Mudrak said it's normal but I've had Jeeps and other off road vehicle and never had anything this stiff. The local spring shop want $1500 to fix it but can I take out leafs to soften the ride or could that cause others to break? Is there another brand with a softer ride out there? I'm not going to be doing any rock crawling or serious off road driving but will have it in sand and on steep grades. Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Rick

 

[78fj40mg]

I have OME suspension and it's not stiff. What's your tire pressure?

BTW, Welcome to MUD Rick!

 

[Rick Carroll]

Around 28 psi but the suspension hardly moves at all. Does yours have 9 leafs up front?

Thanks

I love this forum, loads of good info.

 

[78fj40mg]

Around 28 psi but the suspension hardly moves at all. Does yours have 9 leafs up front?

Thanks

I love this forum, loads of good info.

I believe there's only 7, it sounds like you have the heavy duty leaf springs, mine are medium duty hence 7 leafs. It's an easy fix though just a matter of removing couple of leafs, common practice here on MUD.

 

[78fj40mg]

BTW, 28 psi is good, I use the same pressure on mine and it's a supper smooth ride.

 

[Rick Carroll]

Thanks again, I'm taking a leaf out of the front and rear and see how it rides. Should I keep the overload spring on the bottom of the rear set?

 

[78fj40mg]

Definitely keep the overload springs.
Here's a pic of my OME springs

Based on my pics it looks like I have 6 leafs, however. I'll have to verify the exact number later.

 

[78fj40mg]

Correction: I have 7 on the front set and 6 in the rear. Wow a crisp 29 degrees out there!

 

[Rick Carroll]

I just finished pulling 2 per side 4 total off the front (now down to 7) and will take it for a drive tomorrow. Still seems pretty stiff. I have 6 plus the overload on the back and I think I'll pull 4 off the back as well. The guy at Mudrak told me to put some weight in it and drive it around and break the springs in. Does that sound right to you? I never heard of breaking springs in before.

 

[78fj40mg]

Breaking the springs in and loading them sounds reasonable to me, with springs the more you use them the smoother they get. OME springs are the best money can buy I wouldn't give up on them.

 

[Rick Carroll]

I'm going to try everything I can. Add weight, lift one front tire and the opposite rear and let it sit then work the opposite side and remove more leafs if neccessary. Thanks for the advise. Have a good Thanksgiving!

 

[78fj40mg]

I'm going to try everything I can. Add weight, lift one front tire and the opposite rear and let it sit then work the opposite side and remove more leafs if neccessary. Thanks for the advise. Have a good Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Rick!

 

[Rustic76]

Don't think it's been mentioned but post some pics of the shackle angle and make sure the shackle bolts aren't torqued down too tight and are not articulating. If the shackles are not doing their job it will make for a harsh ride.

Also dependent on what your comparing the ride quality too, SWB rigs just have a stiff, brutal ride compared to something with a longer wheelbase.

 

[78fj40mg]

Don't think it's been mentioned but post some pics of the shackle angle and make sure the shackle bolts aren't torqued down too tight and are not articulating. If the shackles are not doing their job it will make for a harsh ride.

Also dependent on what your comparing the ride quality too, SWB rigs just have a stiff, brutal ride compared to something with a longer wheelbase.

Great point! I agree the shackles need to be checked.

I'm going to try everything I can. Add weight, lift one front tire and the opposite rear and let it sit then work the opposite side and remove more leafs if neccessary. Thanks for the advise. Have a good Thanksgiving!

Rick it would be very helpful to see a full pic of your rig and also individual pics of shackles and springs.

 

[justbecause]

an fj40 is going to be pretty stiff compared to other things, even old jeeps. My 79 wagoneer rode like a cloud. Or it did until a put a 6" bro lift under it.

Have you gone for a ride in anyone else's 40?

I was amazed how much my ride changed putting on new tires. My old ones werent even that worn/old... and my upgrade was to a set of E range...

 

[Tysano]

I have the ome Dakars I removed the overload and the third spring from the bottom on the rear I left the front alone. The springs get softer with age they ride pretty good now.

 

[Rick Carroll]

So far I pulled 3rd and 4th (from top) off the front with very little change. I pulled the 3rd and bottom (not the overload) off the back with pretty good results. I'm going to pull the bottom leaf off the front and then test it again. It seems to get a softer ride you start removing the bottom first. Maybe the top are for stopping wind up.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

If you want feedback that will actually help you, you need to post pictures of your shackles.

 

[Rick Carroll]

I'll try to get some pics up later today (working right now). The OME was installed bu Mudrak in 2013. I don't think the guy I bought it from drove it much so it may not be fully broken in.The shackles aren't straight up and down if that's what your thinking, they do lean back, are greased and at the right torque. Even the mechanic I took it to for alignment said its the stiffest he's ever seen. My 72 CJ5 rode rough but did have some give. Someone said there are 3 kits for the FJ40 light, med and heavy. This must be heavy to have 9 leafs in the front (I think). Anyway, I appreciate everyone's input and I'll post the changes as I pull (and maybe re-install) leafs.