Old Man Emu Installation Video - 1979 FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[rgeorge15]

Does anyone have a link to a good video that shows how to replace an OEM suspension on a 1979 FJ40 (or comparable year) with an Old Man Emu Light / Medium duty suspension system (to include springs, shocks, greasable shackles, steering damper, etc.) I have seen some that were either sped up or part of a body off restoration, but nothing that showed everything from dismantling the old suspension and installing the new one.

Also, has anyone out there done this before and is it something I could do in my garage? I consider myself to be fairly mechanically inclined, however, I certainly don't have a garage full of automotive tools, jacks, lifts, etc. that would make this install easier. Let me know. Thanks!

 

[samatulich]

Plenty of guys have done this. Pretty straightforward honestly. I did mine over two days. Started with the rear the first day and completed the front the second. I used jack stands and floor jack to take the weight of the vehicle off the springs. I used the 1/2” impact gun to remove the ubolt nuts or angle grinder if cutting the bolts off.
i hung the fixed end of the spring first, then the shackle end. Had to use the floor jack to push up on the spring to get it to flex and line up the pin on the axle housing.
You can do this in your garage. I’d just make sure the area around the truck is clear.
Sorry, no video recommendations.

 

[rgeorge15]

Plenty of guys have done this. Pretty straightforward honestly. I did mine over two days. Started with the rear the first day and completed the front the second. I used jack stands and floor jack to take the weight of the vehicle off the springs. I used the 1/2” impact gun to remove the ubolt nuts or angle grinder if cutting the bolts off.
i hung the fixed end of the spring first, then the shackle end. Had to use the floor jack to push up on the spring to get it to flex and line up the pin on the axle housing.
You can do this in your garage. I’d just make sure the area around the truck is clear.
Sorry, no video recommendations.

Thank you! Great advice! Do you need to install the suspension in that order or does it matter?

 

[Tancruiser]

The hardest part is getting the old stuff off usually the pins are seized in the bushings. Remember the military wrap goes on the fixed end.

 

[samatulich]

Thank you! Great advice! Do you need to install the suspension in that order or does it matter?

I started with the rear suspension because it was convenient; hanging the fixed end first just made sense to me. I’ve only ever done this once.

 

[B y r o n]

Keep this in mind when installing your springs: Arrows point to the fixed pin on the frame and NOT toward the front. Check the fit of the pin to the axle perch hole, if the pin is smaller than the hole then a bushing is needed to keep the housing in the proper alignment. Double check the length of the fixed pin mounting bolts as they may hit the eye of the OME springs and will need to be shortened.

 

[tjeffries2000]

Keep this in mind when installing your springs: Arrows point to the fixed pin on the frame and NOT toward the front. Check the fit of the pin to the axle perch hole, if the pin is smaller than the hole then a bushing is needed to keep the housing in the proper alignment. Double check the length of the fixed pin mounting bolts as they may hit the eye of the OME springs and will need to be shortened.

Is that the same for the rear spring? On the front the long side of the spring is pointed to the front on the rear the short side of the spring in pointing to the front

 

[locklaw]

Is that the same for the rear spring? On the front the long side of the spring is pointed to the front on the rear the short side of the spring in pointing to the front

Yes, the arrow point to the fixed end always. Also important which gas not been noted, look at the markings on the springs. There should either be a "+", "O" or "-" on a blade.

"+" is firmer, "O" is neutral and "-" is softer in terms of spring rate measured compared to the spec range

Unless both blade per axle have the same markings, the firmer one goes on the driver's side while the softer one goes on the passenger side.

 

[tjeffries2000]

Yes, the arrow point to the fixed end always. Also important which gas not been noted, look at the markings on the springs. There should either be a "+", "O" or "-" on a blade.

"+" is firmer, "O" is neutral and "-" is softer in terms of spring rate measured compared to the spec range

Unless both blade per axle have the same markings, the firmer one goes on the driver's side while the softer one goes on the passenger side.

Interesting. I measured from the spring pin to the mounting bolts. The front has the longer side to the front but on the rear it is installed with the short side to the front.
If these springs are correct EMU lift kits suck. The rear axle should remain centered in the wheel well.

Tommy

 

[locklaw]

Interesting. I measured from the spring pin to the mounting bolts. The front has the longer side to the front but on the rear it is installed with the short side to the front.
If these springs are correct EMU lift kits suck. The rear axle should remain centered in the wheel well.

Tommy

You should measure OEM and most other manufacturers' OE spec springs, you might have to reconsider whether EMU springs suck.

Have you not considered that the offset centre pin is so for the exact reason you are complaining about, which is to centre the wheel in the wheel well as far as possible while taking into consideration the lift achieved and trajectory of the pin in relation to the bump stop (keep in mind the "lengthening" of the spring as it compresses and the fact that people generally don't want to move spring mounts and bump stops in basic lift kits.

 

[POPO AGIE]

Terrain Tamer has a series of videos and has a spring replacement on a FJ70.

 

[POPO AGIE]

 

[OPMACHINE]

I am putting new leafs on my 79 fj40 now. Going from OME to Dobinson.

Keep in mind that the driver side is heavier that the passenger, so put your heavier rated spring on the driver side. I still needed a 1/2” lowering spacer on the rear passenger side to level out the truck and eliminate “cruiser lean” on my OME lift.

https://www.coolcruisers.com/levelerblock.html

 

[tjeffries2000]

You should measure OEM and most other manufacturers' OE spec springs, you might have to reconsider whether EMU springs suck.

Have you not considered that the offset centre pin is so for the exact reason you are complaining about, which is to centre the wheel in the wheel well as far as possible while taking into consideration the lift achieved and trajectory of the pin in relation to the bump stop (keep in mind the "lengthening" of the spring as it compresses and the fact that people generally don't want to move spring mounts and bump stops in basic lift kits.

Mate I hope you are correct. Maybe when it is completely loaded the rear will settle and the rear axle will shift back some.

 

[locklaw]

Mate I hope you are correct. Maybe when it is completely loaded the rear will settle and the rear axle will shift back some.

Let me put it this way. We have the rights to ARB and Old Man Emu for an entire continent and do multiple suspensions daily. Get the spring rate and the "+", "O" and "-" combination right and give it a while to settle and you are good.

Otherwise, take out a leaf (usually 3rd from the top) and wear in the pack until you have enough weight, whereafter you refit the leaf you removed. Lube the wear pads/areas and bushes correctly and only with a molybdenum sulfate type grease. Follow torque spec and enjoy.

 

[OPMACHINE]

Removing a leaf on the high side is probably a better strategy. OME build great stuff

 

[jvincig01]

Been thinking about lifting mine 2" with OME. I already have Billstein shocks B8 5125 (0-2 inch lift) I think. Is running OME springs with Billstein shocks dumb?

 

[OPMACHINE]

Nope, the OME shocks are very stiff. I switched to Bilstein shocks and had a noticeable improvement in ride quality.

Front: Bilstein 33-233970 (7.4'' of travel)
- Compression length - 13.00''
- Extended length - 20.4''
Rear: Bilstein 33-186542 (9.24'' of travel)
- Compression length - 15.11''
- Extended length - 24.35

 

[mrldcty]

One mistake I made when installing my OME kit was that I didn't realize that the rear shackles were an inch longer than the front. I ended up moving them rear to front, then back to the rear trying to get my pinion geometry to work out properly. Not sure if this is the case with the lighter springs (I have the heavies), but the longer shackles are intended for the rear springs.

I have run my rig around quite a lot this summer and the ride has definitely improved. Plus, spares, tools, fishing gear, four full cans in my 4-plus carrier, the spare AND a bike on a rack... I'm very glad Kurt @cruiseroutfit convinced me to get the heavy springs!