Fj62 suspension issue. Stiff. Bouncy ride.

[robd1]

Hi guys, I have an fj62 89. It was lifted when I purchased it. It's a cool-looking truck. So I bought new 33 Micky Thompsons and Bilstein shocks to try to smooth out the ride. It helped but the ride is still very uncomfortable. It bounces way too much while on the road, especially on wavy streets. If the road is smooth then she rides smoothly. But any little bump or wave and she bounces. I try to avoid long trips. I started reading online about the possible issues with the stock leaf springs. Also, a buddy mentioned that the shackles are straight up and down and that shackles should be angled. He suspects that the leaf springs are too short which might be the cause of the stiffness. Could one of you find men guide me? Any input would be great. What leave springs do you recommend or do you know of a shop in Los Angeles that could help me? Thanks.

 

[Gimme a 60]

X2 mines bouncy too. Has a OME.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

Dobinsons springs seem to be long enough, a lot of aftermarket lift springs aren't which puts shackles at vertical or close to, which makes the truck ride like an ox-cart

 

[g-man]

I had good luck with Cruiser Outfitters. They can offer your real time support, correct parts etc. Offer you some advise on what may be going on with your suspension.

 

[OSS]

What model of Mickey Thompson tires? And size?
A very long time ago I tried the Mickey Thompson mistake - and boy was it a mistake. Those tires had such high rolling resistance that I had to keep them at their max psi (35 psi) which created a bone jarring ride. God they were horrible- but looked cool.

I sold them (to a poor sucker - but I warned him) and got some BFG All-Terrains and the ride was good again.
I don’t know if all Mickey Thompson tires ride like utter crap — but mine sure did.

Also as mentioned… vertical shackles make for a horrible ride too when the vehicle is unloaded. When it’s fully loaded down, semi vertical shackles are ok. The sheer weight makes the springs flex regardless of shackle angle.

 

[dbleon]

Pics of your setup will help.

 

[Seth S]

It sounds almost like you have stock springs and someone just put on longer shackles. I imagine if this were the case you could have all sorts of problems.

 

[kevin in okinawa]

like dbleon said, post up several photos of your springs and shackles so we can get an idea of what may be the issue.

 

[2mbb]

as OSS mentions check your tire pressure. The higher the pressure the harsher the ride will feel. this may not be the same as "too bouncy", but it's cheap to fiddle around with tire pressure to see if it does effect how the ride feels to you.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Pics please

 

[dbbowen]

bilsteins and ome are digressive shocks. Leaf springs have a progressive spring rate by design. Digressive shocks add a lot of compression dampening right at low shock shaft speeds, usually at the beginning of the shaft stroke to stiffen the ride for towing and street handling. Progressive springs firm up as you go through the travel. So you have your shocks adding compression dampening (stiffness) at the beginning of the shaft stroke, then your springs increasing their "stiffness" as they compress more.

Put those two together... youll have a super bumpy ride. If you want the comfiest you can get, get a set of linear shocks like Fox 2.0. Linear shocks go really well with progressive leverage curves. You still have bottom out protection built into the springs (shock shaft bottoming out, not your axle hitting your bump stop) but the shocks arent harsh.

You can go with a progressive shock like the dobinsons IMS but it will feel good at sag and in the midstroke but as shaft speed increases in compression, the shock and the spring will firm up together. So like small dips and small bumps will feel comfy but if you hit a pot hole it will be harsh. If you get the fancy adjustable dobinsons with the reservoirs you can open up your high speed compression to combat this stiffness, and leave the low speed somewhat firm.... but you could just get a set of linear shocks like fox 2.0 for like 1/3 the cost.


So with the progressive leaf springs in mind...

OME nitrocharger, Bilstein 5100 - digressive - handle body roll best, good for road handling and towing. AKA go through turns faster

Dobinsons IMS, and the more expensive ones - progressive - softer in the beginning of the stroke, firm up as shaft speed increases for more protection closer to bottom out. Good if you hit a lot of bumps. (i have dobinsons IMS and theyre ok. They have too much highspeed compression and rebound for the weight of my gas fj60. I feel like these shocks might have been designed for the diesel 60s. my gas 60 has Less weight, less sag)

Fox 2.0 - linear - dampening increases in a linear rate as the shaft travels. Will be the "softest" feeling out of all of them. If i was to do it again i woulda gone with these.

my $0.02. This is like super simplifying it, and assuming you have the right leaf springs on your truck hahahah

 

[robd1]

Hi guys, I have an fj62 89. It was lifted when I purchased it. It's a cool-looking truck. So I bought new 33 Micky Thompsons and Bilstein shocks to try to smooth out the ride. It helped but the ride is still very uncomfortable. It bounces way too much while on the road, especially on wavy streets. If the road is smooth then she rides smoothly. But any little bump or wave and she bounces. I try to avoid long trips. I started reading online about the possible issues with the stock leaf springs. Also, a buddy mentioned that the shackles are straight up and down and that shackles should be angled. He suspects that the leaf springs are too short which might be the cause of the stiffness. Could one of you find men guide me? Any input would be gr

like dbleon said, post up several photos of your springs and shackles so we can get an idea of what may be the issue.

It sounds almost like you have stock springs and someone just put on longer shackles. I imagine if this were the case you could have all sorts of problems.

This is exactly it. I'm just trying to work with it. The best route I think is swapping the leaf springs with the rights ones.

 

[Gimme a 60]

Is it possible that the leafs on a 62 are longer than the normal 60?

 

[robd1]

Pictures per your request. Leaf springs look stock. And it looks like the previous owner just upgraded the shackles. When I bought the truck I replaced new shocks thinking that would solve the problem. Let me know what you guys think I should do to reduce the bumpy ride. Thank you.

 

[franklin40]

i have OME mediums and bilstein shocks and love them. very smooth ride. i have dick cepek 33s for summer and duratracs for winter and the ride is equally good. i dont fully agree that the digressive design (i don’t really know anything about it) makes for a harsh ride. ive had friends tell me its as smooth as their modern tacomas (theyre really surprised how well itnhandles). getting the proper length spring to match the proper shackle will be your key here.

do you have any accessories like aftermarket bumpers and sliders or roof racks. extra sprung weight will also smooth out your ride while extra unsprung weight will make it bouncier.

 

[robd1]

i have OME mediums and bilstein shocks abd love them. very smooth ride. i have dick cepek 33s for summer and duratracs for winter and the ride is equally good. i dont fully agree that the digressive design (i don’t really know anything about it) makes for a harsh ride. ive hd friend twll me its as smooth as their modern tacomas. getting the proper length spring to match the proper shackle will be your key here.

do you have any accessories like aftermarket bumpers and sliders or roof racks. extra sprung weight will also smooth out your ride while extra unsprung weight will make it bouncier.

I don't have any accessories. How can I go about getting the right leaf springs? The truck is all stock except for the wheels and suspension.

 

[franklin40]

as others said call kurt at @cruiseroutfit . he’ll get you all set

 

[g-man]

Clean the dirt off the top leaf and see if you can find a model number for the springs, I mean if you think they are OME. Also OME should be tapered on one end and that end goes the the front of the truck for front springs and toward the rear for rear springs. You may need to turn them around. They do have a short end and and long end when measured from the axle to the shackle end. Here are some pics of my OME springs. Note the angle of the shackle and the tapered end facing out. CALL Cruiser Outfitters.

 

[Skniper]

Clean the dirt off the top leaf and see if you can find a model number for the springs, I mean if you think they are OME. Also OME should be tapered on one end and that end goes the the front of the truck for front springs and toward the rear for rear springs. You may need to turn them around. They do have a short end and and long end when measured from the axle to the shackle end. Here are some pics of my OME springs. Note the angle of the shackle and the tapered end facing out. CALL Cruiser Outfitters.

The most badass tire on your truck is the spare.

 

[cruisermatt]

Pictures per your request. Leaf springs look stock. And it looks like the previous owner just upgraded the shackles. When I bought the truck I replaced new shocks thinking that would solve the problem. Let me know what you guys think I should do to reduce the bumpy ride. Thank you.

Those look like they might be stock springs but have a lot of arch if so. Either way the packs aren’t super think so should be pretty good.

However those shackles are too long for those springs in my opinion, for fastest/cheapest/easiest I would call Cruiser Outfitters @cruiseroutfit and get a set of either the greaseable stock-replacement or the shortest ARB anti inversion shackles.
Also might be time for a full set of bushings and springs as well (definitely get greaseable for those).

If that is still not up to your standards swap the springs/shocks out for Dobinsons or maybe reevaluate your vehicle choice