2000 100 series - wife said okay to OME lift...question (2 Viewers)

[kevine]

So my wife is finally okay with me dropping $$ into lift and tires. I'm considering the OME 2.5" heavy lift from slee, as I'm going to run 33' duratracs and will eventually have steel front and rear bumpers with spare, etc.

Question is, slee offers kit with and without UCA. It's a $500+ difference with the UCA. The site says it's a common issue being unable to get the proper camber/caster (alignment) without the UCA.

Has anyone put the 2.5" OME lift on their 100 without the UCA, and did you have any issues with camber/caster or allgnment? Any issues with having room for adjustment or uneven tire wear?

Thanks.

 

[lrowe_csp]

Semper Fi, Marine!
Re your question, I ran 33" inch duratrac's on the stock 16" wheels on my '99 without any problem with the stock UCA's, but the 2.5 lift spring is really the lift at the rear, whereas you crank the front torsion bars up to whatever gives you the .75 to 1" rake (higher in rear than in the front). The OME was fine and I did not have any problems, but I eventually went with Slee brand heavies and Total Chaos UCA's over 295/70 18"s Nitto Terra's and I am extremely happy with the ride and steering for this size of tire. If you do crank the torsion bars up, you may want/need to use a diff drop to reduce the angle and stress on the front shafts.
I can't tell where you are located, but I recommend you call Christo Slee and talk with him about the project- he will give you honest feedback. Another gent who is sells UCA's is Carl at JT's and he is also an honest broker of information. Finally, Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters is also very knowledgable and helpful, and he recently built a real nice cruiser like you are envisioning. HTH

 

[kevine]

Thank you! The kit that Slee sells includes the diff drop, which I am planning on getting. The more experienced wheelers in the off roading club I recently joined say that the UCA is helpful, but not needed right away. If I can convince wife that additional $500 is needed now, then I'll order it with the kit. Otherwise, it may have to wait a couple months. From what I've read, I may not be able to get alignment to spec without UCA. I may just look for something online, other than the Slee one, since they seem to be the most expensive

 

[jLB]

I don't know anything about your truck or intended use, but I will share what I learned troubleshooting my son's 2000 TLC:

1.5 or 2.5, "medium" or "heavy" use the exact same torsion bars (front springs), so these terms are referring to the rear springs only.

The limit on front lift, that you can dial in by cranking the torsion bars, is based on the amount of "droop" you have left (amount of down travel from where the front suspension is at rest). If you go too far it rides like crap. I believe the minimum "droop" required was 50-70mm.

If you are one of those that has an aversion to the "stink bug" look, you're probably not going to be able to dial in 2.5" of lift in the front end.

If you are not running around with an additional 400+ lbs in the rear (all of the time), the "heavy" rear springs might be a little too stiff.

On my son's 2000 TLC, with a pretty close to level stance (1.5" medium rears), the SPC UCA (that Slee sells) were a night and day difference in being able to dial some caster back into the front end. The symptoms we had, before adding the SPC UCAs, were that the steering did not return to center after a turn and it felt nervous at speed. Our situation may have been exacerbated by worn steering rack bushings, but the difference of getting back to spec on caster was a huge improvement. Drivable without them, but much more pleasant with them.

I assume by 33s you mean 285/75R16 tires, I won't tell your wife, but they fit just fine with or without the lift.

 

[kevine]

Ha ha, thanks. I was up most of the night thinking about the UCA's which I am now strongly considering. As for my 100, I do intend to add steel front and rear bumper with full size rear off the back. The majority of time that I use my 100 will be for camping. It will not be a daily driver. Thus, I'm leaning towards the heavy springs, since it will be loaded most of the time that I drive it. Plus, I've read that the heavy springs are preferred with the lift and 33s. (I thought 285 was closer to 31?).

I've heard getting the alignment right and still having some room for adjustment is what the UCA provides. I'd rather just do it all in one install. Keep you posted and thank you for the info. I'll be using this info to further convince the wife...

 

[TexasCrane]

A 285/75r16 is usually just under 33".

 

[jLB]

I thought 285 was closer to 31?.

There is some variance between manufacturers and models, but based on the math:

275/70R16 = 31.16" (factory size)
285/75R16 = 32.83"
295/75R16 = 33.42" (some report this size may rub w/o additional work)
305/70R16 = 32.81"

 

[kevine]

Thank you for the info on tire sizes...I always wondered why the difference in size nomenclature. Like inches vs metric?

Back on topic, I informed the wife of the additional $575 for the UCAs...but mentioned, "I found a great deal on ebay for $125 less..." She's a great woman....that's all I have to say. I'll be ordering lift kit, diff drop and UCA end of this month....can't wait. I'll post pics of the install and some before/after. Thanks again

 

[lrowe_csp]

Great- looking forward to seeing photos. Do the before and after photos, it's always interesting to see the progression...

 

[scoonr]

There is some variance between manufacturers and models, but based on the math:

275/70R16 = 31.16" (factory size)
285/75R16 = 32.83"
295/75R16 = 33.42" (some report this size may rub w/o additional work)
305/70R16 = 32.81"

Hi. J
I just went through a s storm by bringing up tire size a while back. You mentioned here that "by the math....." and listed several size tires. What is the math? It would be interesting to know.

 

[ton504]

Hi. J
I just went through a s storm by bringing up tire size a while back. You mentioned here that "by the math....." and listed several size tires. What is the math? It would be interesting to know.

(275/25.4(mm to inch))X0.70(sidewall/width ratio)X2(account for two sidewall height)+16"(inner diameter/rim size) = 31.16"

 

[jLB]

Hi. J
I just went through a s storm by bringing up tire size a while back. You mentioned here that "by the math....." and listed several size tires. What is the math? It would be interesting to know.

For example, on a LT285/75R16

The "LT" denotes "Light Truck"
The 1st number is "section width" in millimeters (285)
The 2nd number is "aspect ratio" (75)
The "R" denotes radial construction
The 3rd number is "rim diameter" in inches (16)

"section width" * "aspect ratio" = sidewall height

(((2x) sidewall height) + (rim diameter * conversion to metric))/conversion to inches = tire diameter

285 * .75 = 213.75 (mm) [sidewall height]

2 * 213.75 = 427.5 (mm) [top and bottom sidewall]

427.5 + (16 * 25.4) = 833.9(mm) [sidewalls + rim diameter]

833.9/25.4 = 32.83" (convert to inches)

"section width"/ conversion to inches = width in inches

285/25.4 = 11.22"

So a LT285/75R16 is 32.83" tall and 11.22" wide (in theory)

 

[Riviera]

I use this religiously when figuring tires for lifted Wranglers......


Tire Size Calculator - Compare Tire Sizes | Tacoma World

 

[scoonr]

For example, on a LT285/75R16

The "LT" denotes "Light Truck"
The 1st number is "section width" in millimeters (285)
The 2nd number is "aspect ratio" (75)
The "R" denotes radial construction
The 3rd number is "rim diameter" in inches (16)

"section width" * "aspect ratio" = sidewall height

(((2x) sidewall height) + (rim diameter * conversion to metric))/conversion to inches = tire diameter

285 * .75 = 213.75 (mm) [sidewall height]

2 * 213.75 = 427.5 (mm) [top and bottom sidewall]

427.5 + (16 * 25.4) = 833.9(mm) [sidewalls + rim diameter]

833.9/25.4 = 32.83" (convert to inches)

"section width"/ conversion to inches = width in inches

285/25.4 = 11.22"

So a LT285/75R16 is 32.83" tall and 11.22" wide (in theory)

Thank you J thats awesome.

 

[brando1]

i have the full kit, with the uca's and diff drop.
It's a little on the stiff side when you try and even it out with the torsion bars, but it has handled more then I ever thought it would. I have 295 / 70 18 ridge grapplers. They rub a ittle on the front fender and I had to trim back the inner fender. I had 33's before and had no issues, but they looked small.
Overall I'm very happy with the results, and I drive it like I stole it.