How much actual lift do I have?

[CurtB]

PO installed an OME Light Duty (seven leaf) kit which I think is supposed to be a 2" lift. Sorting through the paperwork there is an invoice from a spring shop that recurved the springs. Shocks are now pro comp instead of the OMEs.

I'm trying to determine how much actual lift I have over stock height. Running on 33's, I have 18 3/8 inches from ground to center of front leaf spring pin on the rear spring. I have 20 inches on the front spring, rear pin.

Any idea what stock ride height was? I really just trying to figure out what all the pieces are....

 

[Output Shaft]

I do remember looking under a brand spankin new FJ62 at a Toyota dealership in 1988 after I test drove it and recall noticing how little space there was between the front bump stops and the axle housing.

About 1 inch max at the front. Maybe a little less. Brand new cruiser. But drive that brand new cruiser for a year, and the gap would undoubtedly shrink.

 

[CurtB]

About 1 inch max at the front.

Wow, that isn't much travel, is it? I have about 6.25 inches right now...

 

[Output Shaft]

The stock springs were designed for upwards travel. They have a LOT of upwards travel which makes for good articulation/flex.

 

[CurtB]

I must be misunderstanding what you are measuring then. The 6.25 that I'm talking about if from the top of the front axle to the rubber stop.

 

[Output Shaft]

The distance between the two red lines in the picture below was about 1" on a new cruiser when sitting in the dealer's lot. The picture here shows the front end when it's jacked up... not the stock lift height.

 

[CurtB]

Yep, that is where I have 6.25". I'm still confused, that limits the upwards travel of the suspension, right? So stock suspension could only compress an inch or so? The rest of the travel was in extending the spring?

 

[Output Shaft]

Yes. And the spring arch was pretty much flat and the shackles angled far forward (more than 45°) and there were 5 leaves in the front, 6 in the back. Any good bump while driving would contact the bump stops. Pot hole etc. The suspension was pretty much unbreakable set up like this because all the big forces ended up on the bump stops. Stock suspension though rode like hell on bumpy dirt roads at speed. Horrible.

 

[CurtB]

No wonder changing it is so popular. There were buck boards that had more travel...