Ive been searching a ton, but I'm still scratching my head on what to do here. My LC is currently on original springs (170k miles) with some KYB gas-a-just shocks that the PO had put on.
The ride is fine I guess, but the rear springs are sagging really badly. I carry a Baja full length rack as well as a Tepui Ruggedized RTT on top at all times. The tent is about 175lbs and I would guess the rack is about 70lbs. I also keep a full sized 33" spare underneath.
So in normal daily driving mode I have 250+ lbs of extra weight on the thing, the tent and spare are mostly over the rear axle. It sags just with this much.
When I go camping, I put a pretty large Yeti cooler back there, as well as a few boxes of camping gear and a big water jug. I would estimate another 250-350lbs + a passenger. That's 500+ lbs including the tent and rack! Needless to say, the rig sags reeeally bad in this setup. Here's a couple of pics for reference:
Pretty loaded up:
Just the rack and tent:
A couple of disclaimers:
1) I daily drive this thing about 40 miles every day. She's my do everything vehicle for the time being.
2) I'm currently on 285/75/16s and I don't have any immediate interest in going larger. She's already slow enough!
3) I've never really felt that I was overdriving the suspension. The kind of trails I've done so far have been totally doable for the OEM flex. However, I do whack my tow hitch on rocks a lot since it sags so much.
4) I have plans to get an ARB front bumper within the next 6 months or so, so I need to factor the weight of that into my decision. Rear bumper would be nice, but given the cost that's a ways away.
5) I know a lot of people hate the stinkbug look, but I honestly wouldn't mind some mild stinkbug daily driving if it means I had more clearance in the back when I go on trips.
Now, I've been looking at the OME 861/862 setup for a couple of reasons. I like the fact that I can just buy springs and most likely use my KYB shocks. This doesn't hurt the wallet as much. I also think the 285s fit nicely with the stock height setup fro what I've seen in pictures. It also keeps the rig more drivable on a daily basis.
However, I'm worried that I'm going to sag just as much. Has anyone used them with the amount of weight I carry? I'm open to spring packers as well if it doesn't sacrifice the ride too much. I'm not really interested in dealing with air bags.
The other option is I just pony up and get the 2.5" setup. Biggest drawbacks of this are drivability and cost. By the time I get the caster bushings installed, new shocks, I'm probably looking at least $1200 or so which is a big difference. Probably won't be able to buy the ARB bumper any time spending that much.
I realize I'm beating a dead horse here, but what do you guys think is best for my application? I need to do something soon because the sag in the back is getting awful.
The ride is fine I guess, but the rear springs are sagging really badly. I carry a Baja full length rack as well as a Tepui Ruggedized RTT on top at all times. The tent is about 175lbs and I would guess the rack is about 70lbs. I also keep a full sized 33" spare underneath.
So in normal daily driving mode I have 250+ lbs of extra weight on the thing, the tent and spare are mostly over the rear axle. It sags just with this much.
When I go camping, I put a pretty large Yeti cooler back there, as well as a few boxes of camping gear and a big water jug. I would estimate another 250-350lbs + a passenger. That's 500+ lbs including the tent and rack! Needless to say, the rig sags reeeally bad in this setup. Here's a couple of pics for reference:
Pretty loaded up:
Just the rack and tent:
A couple of disclaimers:
1) I daily drive this thing about 40 miles every day. She's my do everything vehicle for the time being.
2) I'm currently on 285/75/16s and I don't have any immediate interest in going larger. She's already slow enough!
3) I've never really felt that I was overdriving the suspension. The kind of trails I've done so far have been totally doable for the OEM flex. However, I do whack my tow hitch on rocks a lot since it sags so much.
4) I have plans to get an ARB front bumper within the next 6 months or so, so I need to factor the weight of that into my decision. Rear bumper would be nice, but given the cost that's a ways away.
5) I know a lot of people hate the stinkbug look, but I honestly wouldn't mind some mild stinkbug daily driving if it means I had more clearance in the back when I go on trips.
Now, I've been looking at the OME 861/862 setup for a couple of reasons. I like the fact that I can just buy springs and most likely use my KYB shocks. This doesn't hurt the wallet as much. I also think the 285s fit nicely with the stock height setup fro what I've seen in pictures. It also keeps the rig more drivable on a daily basis.
However, I'm worried that I'm going to sag just as much. Has anyone used them with the amount of weight I carry? I'm open to spring packers as well if it doesn't sacrifice the ride too much. I'm not really interested in dealing with air bags.
The other option is I just pony up and get the 2.5" setup. Biggest drawbacks of this are drivability and cost. By the time I get the caster bushings installed, new shocks, I'm probably looking at least $1200 or so which is a big difference. Probably won't be able to buy the ARB bumper any time spending that much.
I realize I'm beating a dead horse here, but what do you guys think is best for my application? I need to do something soon because the sag in the back is getting awful.