Game on: Lift, Bumper(s), and Winch (1 Viewer)

[Hayes]

Warning: Long post.

Wow.
It looks like I will acutally be adding some stuff to my `93 this year that I didn't think would happen in the next few years-if at all.

Short story:

I've been bouncing the idea of fabricating a custom rear bumper + tire carrier off my dad for several weeks now. He's been welding his whole life, and after seeing Dusty's fine work I got particularly fired up about being able to build a quality bumper without having to bend much steel.

We looked over some pictures of Christo's, Dusty's, and others' bumpers last night, and he is definitely on board. He'll start rounding up steel today (he says he throws away two or three bumpers worth of steel every week).

The real surprise is how excited he is about building up my truck in general. He's also worked with and around cranes and industrial winches his whole life, and he's always had winches on all of his trucks. He's really into winches. He has concluded that I MUST have a winch. Long story short: He has decided that he is going to buy me a Warn XD9000 and a front bumper, and I can't talk him out of it.

At this point I feel like a kid again--getting toys from my father--but it's hard to feel too silly when he's more excited about it than I am.

In the meantime, I've convinced my wife that we MUST upgrade the suspension on the Cruiser to accomodate two big steel bumpers and a winch--"It just wouldn't be safe to drive the kids around."

New toys for Hayes:

2 x OME 850 springs
2 x OME 863 springs
1 x SD24 steering damper
1 x Caster correction (question to follow)
4 x OME / Bilstein / Edelbrock shocks (another question to follow)
1 x a custom rear bumper (sometime in the next few months)
1 x SLEE or ARB front bumper (as soon as you folks help me decide)
1 x Warn XD9000 winch (as soon as I get the front bumper)

Questions for the collected IH8MUD wisdom:

1. Is there a caster correction option for the 2.5" OME Heavy lift that will allow me to use the stock control arm bushings?
Search was inconclusive on this one (for the 2.5" lift).

2. I've got myself 90% convinced to use the Edelbrock IAS Performer shocks instead of the OME shocks. Their dimensions and stroke are less than the OME's, but longer than the Bilsteins--and I haven't heard any real negative comments on using the Bilsteins with the OME springs.

3. SLEE's front bumper vs. the ARB bull bar. The vast majority of folks seem to be running the ARB. Why isn't Christo's front bumper as popular? To be honest, I don't really want the Roo-smasher bars, and I'm sure that the SLEE front is excellent. Also, will Christo's front bumper fit the XD9000 (with spacers, like the ARB)?
Search got me nothing on this one.

I'm going to call Christo and order the suspension stuff as soon as I reach a conclusion on the caster correction and shocks. Hopfully I'll have a newly-suspended truck in the next couple weeks.

Feels like Christmas.

Thanks for the feedback.

Hayes

 

[Hayes]

Answered my own question about the XD9000 and the SLEE bumper by visiting Christo's new beta website.

Yes.

Hayes

 

[clarkrw3]

1. go with the caster plates from slee. If you go with the bushings and it doesn't fix the wandering (like in my dad's truck) you will have to put the stock bushings back in and then go with the plates anyway. I also think that the plates will only slow down the steering a bit if it is over corrected caster and that isn't a bad thing with the wife driving the lifted cruiser. IMO go with the plates!

2. don't know have the OME on both rigs I built up but wish i had Bilstein 7100 on my truck, but that is a whole different thing.

3. Get the slee! I love the slee but my wife loved the upper of the ARB so the ARB found it onto my truck. The lower part of the slee gives you better approach angles and the whole thing is made out of better steal and is a better bumper. I and many others think the perfect bumper would be the slee with the upper part of the ARB but I think since slee sells so much ARB stuff he didn't really want to copy there design. If you don't care about the grill part of the ARB no question go with SLEE.

 

[Atticus]

Answered my own question about the XD9000 and the SLEE bumper by visiting Christo's new beta website.

Yes.

Hayes

What is this "beta website" of which you speak?

 

[OGBeno]

What is this "beta website" of which you speak?

Yeah--same question...man, I'm really out of the loop....

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Have fun....i spent more time on it this morning then on mud, its sweet


http://newsite.sleeoffroad.com

 

[stuck in GA]

I am an arb bumper fan. I like having the grill.

 

[CruisinGA]

newsite.sleeoffroad.com

Christo posted it in another thread recently...

 

[Hayes]

Anyone have any additional feedback about using the 4" lift caster correction plates instead of the correction bushings on the 2.5" heavy lift?

Hayes

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Anyone have any additional feedback about using the 4" lift caster correction plates instead of the correction bushings on the 2.5" heavy lift?

Hayes

PM concrete jungle, that is the setup he's running and i think it works fine.

 

[stayalert]

Dear long lost brother Hayes....so good to hear from you. Please tell Dad to double up on the build-up and free bumper/winch for his other son....

Sounds awesome!

 

[Atticus]

Have fun....i spent more time on it this morning then on mud, its sweet


http://newsite.sleeoffroad.com

Thanks. I'm there. (Not a post pad).

 

[tucker74]

Anyone have any additional feedback about using the 4" lift caster correction plates instead of the correction bushings on the 2.5" heavy lift?

Hayes

Second that - I've got the 850/863 combo with a 1" spacer up front and OME CC bushings ... not enough correction. Going to be switching to the plate setup with OEM rubber bushings (once I muster up the energy to replace those bushings - again!) - weren't available when I was building mine. Go with the plates!

I shouldn't be posting this - but that link makes me really sad ... some of you know what I speak of

Tucker

 

[Hayes]

Here's one:

If I go with the correction plates and OEM bushings, should I replace the bushings with new ones, or just keep them as-is and avoid the whole bushing in-out challenge?

Hayes

 

[Beowulf]

1. Is there a caster correction option for the 2.5" OME Heavy lift that will allow me to use the stock control arm bushings?

Search for a thread that had posts by Photoman and Alia. There may be 2 different threads.... I can't remember. They both built custom caster correction and I believe Photoman's was adjustable... maybe both were adjustable.

Also look for a very nice thread by bjowett. He came up with an ingenious way to modify the adjustable caster from an IFS mini and adapt it to the SFA. It looks very promising for what you want to do.

2. I've got myself 90% convinced to use the Edelbrock IAS Performer shocks instead of the OME shocks. Their dimensions and stroke are less than the OME's, but longer than the Bilsteins--and I haven't heard any real negative comments on using the Bilsteins with the OME springs.

Keep in mind that the OME shocks are tuned for the OME springs and they are a little longer than stock to give you a little more axle droop. They also make the "L" shocks which are quite a bit longer than stock.

3. SLEE's front bumper vs. the ARB bull bar.

The Slee front is a quality front bar. It has robust recovery points, a stout hoop to protect the radiator, is built for a 12K winch (vs 10k for the ARB), is made from grade 80 steel, and has a much better approach angle than the ARB.

As for why the Slee front isn't as popular as the ARB, I would say that it is more expensive and many people prefer the frontal protection that the upper tubes provide. No doubt that the ARB would protect the vehicle better if you're bouncing deer or roos off the trail.

I selected the Slee for those items that I mentioned and the fact that the "cleaner" single hoop was more visually appealing to me.

-B-

 

[Beowulf]

... should I replace the bushings with new ones, or just keep them as-is and avoid the whole bushing in-out challenge?

New Toyota bushings aren't cheap.

-B-

 

[Tools R Us]

2.5" and plates points the pinion down, may need a CV drive shaft?

 

[G-Cat]

See the ROTW for a modified ARB bumper...less the roo protection.

 

[Jomama]

I have the OME J springs, a spacer up front (I think a 10 and a 5 mm), and caster plates. Drives really nice. Had to grind downt he top of the front control arms to stop some rubbing by the sway bar.

 

[Hayes]

After talking to Ben at SLEE, I've decided to get my current caster measured before I do anything. Sounds like the only reason to use the plates on the 2.5" lift would be if my current caster is very low.

Hayes