1996 fzj80 suspension help

[KFZJ80]

Hey Guys -

Still learning here and this forum has been a great source of info. I'm looking into swapping out my stock suspension and am looking for input. I've looked into OME stock, dobinsons stock, and OME medium duty 2.5".

I just threw on BFG KO2 265/75/16s so I'm concerned any lift would leave too large of a wheel well for the 265s. I should have gone at least 285 but wasn't planning on lifting at all. I don't plan on adding much weight over stock so I will not need anything too beefy. Most of my driving is around Brooklyn and the occasional weekend camping trip. Thoughts?

 

[RFB]

Dont let your current tire size dictate your planned lift, tires come and tires go. JMO and the yankees suck.

 

[Tallyho74]

I just went through what you are starting off on, just a little different path. I started out with a 95 original saggy suspension cruiser with factory 265's. I did an OME 2.5" lift with heavies up front and mediums in the rear. The lift with the 265's left a huge wheel well. Getting ready for fall/winter I installed some Falken 315/75r16's. Tires looked huge until you get them on there. Not the best pics but a before and after:

 

[KFZJ80]

Thanks Tally ho. That's what I was afraid of. Leaning towards sticking to stock height for that reason. Hoping new suspension will handle a heavier tire better. My current setup with mushy stock susp and stiffer/heavier E rated KO2s leaves a pretty rough ride. I'm thinking stiffer springs will handle a heavier tire better.

How is the ride with your setup?

While I do like the look and functionality of more ground clearance, I'm afraid my mostly urban driving doesn't really need it.

 

[Box Rocket]

There are a few stock height options out there. There are some other options with better performance as well that will add a bit of lift but keep it relatively stock looking but improve ride and handling dramatically. It may be a bit more money but take a look at the Slinky 50mm Stage1 Intermediate suspension. This will be roughly the equivalent of a 2" lift and the intermediate rate springs are well suited for a truck without lots of offroad stuff bolted to it. I ran the 75mm heavy version of this suspension for the past year and it's definitely been the best ride and handling I've experienced in an 80 with bolt on suspension.

Your tires are a factor in your ride quality but I don't think a suspension change will result in too much change in how the tires are handled. Since your truck is fairly light and you have tires with thick/stiff sidewalls you might consider lowering the air pressure in your tires a bit. It will help smooth out the ride some. I'm sure someone will comment on lower air pressure will impact fuel economy. Let's keep it real, we're talking about a Land Cruiser here that is getting mpg in the low teens on a good day. A small drop in air pressure is not going to impact much in this case but can help the ride a lot. Not everyone is comfortable with this for daily duties but I run 25-28psi in my tires on the road. Been doing that for 20 years with no measureable downside.

 

[half k cruiser]

I personally am not a fan of OME having used 2 sets of there springs. Dobinsons would be worth checking into.

 

[Tallyho74]

I personally am not a fan of OME having used 2 sets of there springs. Dobinsons would be worth checking into.

I think I would agree however it goes with your intended use. I live nowhere near the mountains and doubt I ever do any rock climbing. Who knows though. I liked a couple of the other setups but the OME kit was the best priced for what I was looking to do. I didn't look at the Dobinsons kit, however I wish I would have just to be sure I got the best bang for my buck! I will say the OME kit has made a world of difference driving wise. It rides really comfortable compared to where I started and wasn't to bad to get installed.

 

[Blade 80LC]

If you like the height of your rig, and just got new tires, and you just wish it rode softer ...have you tried lowering the air pressure in your tires a little? When I bought my tires, the shop inflated them to 40 psi. I liked the ride a LOT better closer to 32 psi.

 

[Red Merle]

So how much of a difference does new springs make? I have new shocks and new BFG KO2 285/75/r16 that are using the original springs. I feel like the truck handles OK for what it is, but it does seem to sag a bit more in back than I would like with a load of camping gear and a couple of men in the back seats. I also notice that the truck seems to be a little clunky when I am driving over rough roads. I don't see anything broken underneath, it just seems like it should handle that stuff with a little less noise.


I don't want to add any lift as I like the way the truck looks and I don't plan on ever adding bigger tires. Most of my use is on pavement and lots of gravel forest service roads up north. I don't need rock crawling capabilities.

 

[Tallyho74]

So how much of a difference does new springs make? I have new shocks and new BFG KO2 285/75/r16 that are using the original springs. I feel like the truck handles OK for what it is, but it does seem to sag a bit more in back than I would like with a load of camping gear and a couple of men in the back seats. I also notice that the truck seems to be a little clunky when I am driving over rough roads. I don't see anything broken underneath, it just seems like it should handle that stuff with a little less noise.


I don't want to add any lift as I like the way the truck looks and I don't plan on ever adding bigger tires. Most of my use is on pavement and lots of gravel forest service roads up north. I don't need rock crawling capabilities.

I went through Slee Off road and picked up the OME kit. They do offer the stock height replacement kit, I just went with the 2.5" because it was the same work for a small lift. When we were still rolling on the stock springs, it sagged noticeably especially towards the passenger rear. While not being so much noisy, it seemed to wallow over bumps and in turns. Since I did springs and shocks at the same time, I can't quantify just doing the shocks however the springs and shocks made a world of difference. Adding new tires smoothed it out even more.

 

[half k cruiser]

So how much of a difference does new springs make? I have new shocks and new BFG KO2 285/75/r16 that are using the original springs.

It can make a huge difference. With your tire size a stock height lift makes a lot of sense. I would still suggest contacting @David Otero or @crikeymike and talk to one of them about which springs would best fit your needs.

 

[Red Merle]

Thanks for the responses. I will look into this and see where I end up.

 

[kevinkevinkevin]

Thanks for the responses. I will look into this and see where I end up.

Hey, Red Merle

What'd you end up going with? Currently in the same predicament. Want to keep my 94 stock, but improve the ride quality. Did you end up going with a 2.5" OME lift or keep stock height? What kit did you end up going with??

Currently debating on whether or not I want to go 265/75 or 285/75 KO2's.