Cruiser Outfitters vs. Specter Off Road (SOR) 3" Heavy Duty Lift (1 Viewer)

[rdublt1]

Here is mine. In this pic I have tools & a spare in the back. Without those items it gains little height but nothing like a 70's hot rod on fully pumped up air shocks (as some have mentioned!). Also, in this pic I still had front and rear sways hooked up with stock sway bar end links. After I removed them I gained a little bit of lift and the ride improved. OME Heavy/ Heavy W/ 33x12.50x15 on 15x8" wheels.

 

[bosljeff]

Kurt and rdublt1:

Thank you. After "bosljeff" has probably become synonymous with PITA, I finally have an understanding and most likely a decision between all the choices out there. I really want the 4", but that is probably due to the never ending problem of being a guy: bigger, longer, taller, more is always better.

I kept reading explanations on Kurt's site too fast. I didn't realize that on the Heavy Plus kit, if you remove a leaf in the rear packs, you still have a heavy setup. I thought that meant you essentially changed the rear to a medium/light by removing the leaf. I feel like quite the dumb ass.

I think my problem is solved (I'll order Heavy Plus, take out a leaf in the rear and still have Heavy in the rear).

Quick questions:
1. No need for shims or extended sway bar or brake line components? From rdublt1, it sounds like running stock sways holds the lift down a little and makes for a rougher ride.

2. What length shackles do you include for rear and for front if I want to run/risk ordering longer shackles?

3. Is #2 a bad idea if I want to strive for 4"?

 

[rdublt1]

I'm sure people will argue my sway bar comment. In my case it may have been that I broke my rear bar attachment & tweaked the front end links a little- which may have contributed to my issues.
I still have stock length brake lines but I'd change them if you are doing all this work. A small price to pay for a little insurance.
You most likely will need to adjust your caster if you run really long shackles in the front (via steel shims). I am running the OME greasable shackles that come with the kit & no shims- tracks straight & true.
I'm with you on the bigger is better. I keep pondering an SOA & 37"s- but then I remeber that is what my FJ40 is for!

 

[bosljeff]

Cool thanks. So here is the plan to achieve a level 4" lifted ride. (From dozens of other threads, it sounds like multiple approaches to a level ride are possible: different weight capacity springs front and back (whether by purchase or removal of springs) or different shackle lenghts i.e. 3" up front, 2" in rear...or something like that.

MY PLAN:
1. Order Heavy Plus front & rear and consider remove leafs (1 or 2 of the extra D1/2XL) as necessary to find the balance between level look, ride characteristics and potential loads being carried.

I'm Ron Burgandy?

I feel this is the best way to invest in the future and be able to have all possibilities rather than ordering too small of springs and needing bigger later. I'd rather remove one or 2 of the D1/2XLs and have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.

2. Order 2" sway bar extensions ( http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/parts_pictures/48802-KIT.jpg)

3. I noticed today, the PO already has some crappy, now flattened out, lift springs and did extended brake lines, but if they weren't already done, I would order those too.

4. If I understand right, Kurts AI shackles are roughly the same length as stock (stock shackles run rear slightly longer than front, right?

If I want to emulate the stock shackle setup but want to level it out, what would you suggest? To emulate stock, I would get 4" in rear and 2" in front. But if I want to bring the front up, I would do the opposite: 4" in front and 2" in rear...?

Man, I'm annoying myself. I promise I'll pay the price by doing a step by step write up of the install, the parts, and every other thing I have started to address here.

5. Get it aligned after the lift to determine what STEEL shim angles I need.

Anything else?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Hey Jeff, answers to your questions

OME GS2 - Front Shackles - 3.125" center to center
OME GS1 - Rear Shackles - 3.5" center to center

You could run longer shackles but you then will most likely need to address other items (as you have noted) ie brake lines, sway bars and caster. I stock several different caster shims. Really until you have everything mounted and get an alignment it will be hard to precisely predict your caster needs but we can work that out.

 

[bosljeff]

So, fronts are 3 1/8, and rears are 3 1/2.

My ext shackle options (at least through MAF) are 3 3/8 (3/4" over), 4 3/8 (1" over) , 5 3/8 (2" over), and 6 3/8 (3"over).

I could either get equal length front/rear ext shackles (i.e. and adjust for front/rear tilt by removing your extra leaf(s)

or

I could get 2 different length ext shackles and put the longer up front in hopes of leveling out the ride and allowing me to keep all spring pack intact.

A lot of guess work if I want to raise the overall lift to 4". That may mean raising the front 2" because it could sit ~1" lower than the rear. So that would mean 3" shackles up front (ideally 4" from another vendor that sells 4") and 2" in rear.

I have a feeling I'm gonna have to buy a lot of extra stuff, test fit it, and hope I can send back the stuff I don't use.

 

[bosljeff]

I was bored...check this out

This is without shipping. Pre-made kits, no matter what the brand, are the way to go...obviously.

 

[redmuttonchops]

sway bar extensions

as to the sway bar...i would personaly just remove them. took my rig out to AZROCKS 2010 this past weekend and allthough i didnt do any of teh serious nor puckering up rock crawling taht most of teh others were doing.did some rather reasonable wheeling and hill climbing and a few river crossings (needless to say the last crossing i got buried in a damn buggies rut so had to be pulled out) however .before that fun time getting my feet wet .we were on a pretty flat road and while climbing (in 4x4) i heard a metal cliunk liek something had fallen off onto teh road. hopped out did a quick recon and discovered that the front sway bar extensions had snaped in half just above to where they bolt to the actual sway bar it self on both the drivers and passenger side and the rear sway bar the lil hanger that it conects to at the rear axel had also severed. and also with all the flex i was getting the rear sway bar was pinching both my tail pipe and teh fuel tank so now i got a half dollar size dent in both...no punchers thankfully . so limped it back and took them off need less to say if your just gonna use it as a comuter and not do any serious wheeling or rock stomping id say sure leave them. but if your gonna use it for alot of driving and wheeling dont even bother putting on teh extensions. mind you i did notice that the stock sway bar hardware was a solid rod with the brass tube that slipped over the rod .but the MAF ones were just a threaded rod top to bottom and im sure under the stress of flexing that extension just couldnt support that amount of constant articulation.needless to say im gonna have a talk with Steve from MAF about this and a few other thing tomorrow and see if we can make things right...but frankly reguardless ill just leave teh sway bars off .i must say after pulling them off she seemed to to take the road a lil better. just sucks i had to find out teh hard way

 

[bosljeff]

Hey Jeff, answers to your questions

OME GS2 - Front Shackles - 3.125" center to center
OME GS1 - Rear Shackles - 3.5" center to center

You could run longer shackles but you then will most likely need to address other items (as you have noted) ie brake lines, sway bars and caster. I stock several different caster shims. Really until you have everything mounted and get an alignment it will be hard to precisely predict your caster needs but we can work that out.

Just out of curiousity. Why did you choose those lenghts in your design? To emulate the stock setup? Isn't the stock same front & rear? Why the different lengths? Just curious.

 

[Bandicoot]

There are no plug and play suspensions

Hey bosljeff, just jump in, the waters warm and shallow too

 

[bosljeff]

Hey bosljeff, just jump in, the waters warm and shallow too

Yeah, your Frankenstein monster is scaring me off. I look at the daily updates and pee my pants a little. I kidded myself in thinking that with the right tools and know-how, that it would take a weekend, maybe 2. But I am like you: I want a lift that could survive re-entry into the earth's atmosphere and that's what you are building and that's what I don't know how to do.

So...until I get my $$ situation under control, or my leafs finally snap (whichever comes first) I will continue to obsess over it and not do anything about it....


Seriously, I have a plan and am ready to initiate it, just gotta do it.

I want to Frankenstein my own level 4" non-SR and I will track my progress for all of those out there that are scared of yours too.

Plan: OME Heavy Plus. Don't take any leafs out, and then mix & match ext shackles to get as near to 4" as possible and a level ride...probably 2" over shackles in rear (to make the rear 3" lift a 4") and 4" over shackles in front (to make the front 2" lift a 4").

Ugh. When I move and the Army reimburses me, there will be a call to Kurt.

Jeff

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Just out of curiousity. Why did you choose those lenghts in your design? To emulate the stock setup? Isn't the stock same front & rear? Why the different lengths? Just curious.

Hello again Jeff,

I can't take credit for the design, those parts were spec'd by the fine engineering gents at ARB in Aussie many years ago, in fact the GS1 and GS2 long pre-date my involvement with Cruisers (15 years now). My theory is the same as yours, to emulate the stockers which were in fact different lengths on OEM setups. OME for the most parts designed their suspension components to work with the OEM components where possible, ie spring pins and shackles. The length of the shackle is relative to the length of the spring and the desired shackle angle, knock on wood they have nailed it pretty darn well over the years. Some don't like any rake and choose to switch the fronts to rears, while this works, the rears are a bit beefier (thicker plates) than the front, some might consider that a plus considering the abuse front shackles can take. Rake is really a subjective subject, after spending a month in Aussie last summer I have a whole new outlook on rake... take your pick, level while loaded and or sagging when loaded. My Tacoma has ~1" of rake when unloaded (both factory and with my modded Emu setup), I absolutely love it, it sits near level with 2-300 lbs of gear in the back, last thing I need is less ground clearance when I'm actually taking it someplace it matters

 

[t_tentech]

Subscribed!

 

[traveldud]

My vehicle is at GAWR vs GVWR, approximately 1000 lbs over GVWR. I have one inch sag on tired HD OME lift. They're older, so maybe tired, however I would like to get thta lift back and probably will have few hundred pounds with external fuel and supplies. Which 3" lift springs are the heaviest rating? Thx

 

[cruiseroutfit]

My vehicle is at GAWR vs GVWR, approximately 1000 lbs over GVWR. I have one inch sag on tired HD OME lift. They're older, so maybe tired, however I would like to get thta lift back and probably will have few hundred pounds with external fuel and supplies. Which 3" lift springs are the heaviest rating? Thx

When you say "HD OME lift" do you think you have the heavy load springs or the heavy plus load springs? How many leaves are in each pack? How old are your springs?