I put my 2" OME on a couple weeks ago and am just getting the chance tomorrow to put the casters in. I have access to a 20 ton press and all the shop tools needed and I turned a press pushing at work the otherday. So my question is how long should I expect it to take, is a 20 ton going to press them out and are there anything regular issues people have that I should be ready for? I read something about the bolt at the frame being serrated?
Thanks in advance for everyones help.
I used a HF 20 ton press and it worked just fine. You'll need a press tool or large socket to press the oem bushings out. Be ready for a loud bang when pressing 'em out. This link from Slee shows exactly what to do, Slee - OME Suspension Installation (Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser)
Sweet. Thats the exact press i'll be using and the bushing I made is exact like the slee bushing just steel instead of aluminum. I made it big enough to contact the metal sleeve so I'm not pushing on the rubber. How long did it take you?
The video is good but so far everything lacks a good description with how to align the front bushing. The OME instructions say to mark 90 of the horizontal while the cruiser is on the ground at its new ride height. However according to the picture there is no need to have the arm on the vehical at all. It would be easier mark the 90 with them off. So when they say 90 to the new horizontal are they really saying 90 to the ground?
I'd press those babies in. Don't worry about the plates, as you do not need them for the lift you have. I went several years before I got around to this task, and wish I would of done it a lot earlier. If I were you, I would hold off a little longer and get a landtank template, It went real smooth and took all the level work out of it. And while the control arms are off, I would also replace the rear bushings as well. Mine were twisted and separated, probably due to age and maybe the lift torquing them a bit.
The loud bang when they let loose is fun, so be prepared. Don't torque the bolts back on till the cruiser is on the ground also, just hand tighten everything before you put weight on it. My controls arms came off real easy, maybe an hour start to finish. It took probably two or three hours for me and my buddy to press the old ones out and the new ones in, but most of that time was spent looking for the right sockets to do the job. The second control arm took like fifteen minutes to do.
I've never heard you loose flex, and if you do its gotta be about nothing. If you were really worried about it you could do the hitch pin mode or remove the bolt for extreme rock crawling moments. Its definitly nice to get those few degrees back, good luck
About 1.5 to 2 hours and a 12 ton press. Very loud. Most of the time was spent getting the axle back after rotating slightly ; I had both off at the same time.
Sure. Read the OME installation instructions on the Slee web site and you can see how to orient the bushings. This could be off several degrees and not make a significant difference in caster. You can use the other arm to align the center to center distance between the bushings.
I did mine 2 weeks ago and it took about 4 hours. I have a 10 ton HF press and it was able to do one side, but not the other. THe 20 ton should be fine. Biggest head scratcher was how to rotate the axle and get the rear bolts in the arms when I put them back in. I used a floor jack under the end to hold it at the correct elevation. The axle moves around easier then you think it should until you get the arms bolted in.
This link from Slee shows exactly what to do, 
