How much of a difference in ride quality does suspension really make? (1 Viewer)

[AttoirRE]

Please only first hand info.

I have never ridden in a 4wd with 'real' quality suspension components.

My stock 80, on the dirt roads to the trails, absolutely beats me to death. Truck feels like it's shaking itself apart. I air down quite a bit and it helps very noticeably, but it's still flippin miserable.

Your run of the mill slee, ome, whatever 2-4" lift with springs and shocks, does it make the rough road ride quality that much more tolerable?

 

[dannyp]

I have ome medium springs and procomp shocks and it is much smoother off road. I read a few people say the procomp shocks were softer than some of the more expensive shocks but i like the ride and the price was right.

 

[neal0124]

My ironman 2" lift with foam cell shock made a considerable difference on rough roads compared to my stock suspension. I've driven an 80 and a 4runner with an ome 3.5" lift and those trucks were quite a bit stiffer than mine. My buddy on the other hand has an lx450 with stock suspension, koni shocks, and his truck is way smoother than mine over the same roads.

 

[rolliges]

What is the age of the stock components? What tire air pressure are you using off-road?

 

[AttoirRE]

Age of the components are unknown. Too old, for sure. I'm sure it's all very old and worn.

 

[BrotherRob]

It sounds like something's wrong, or you've never driven offroad. Offroad driving will rattle you teeth but an 80 rides smoother than most 4wds. Try driving an old school leaf sprung truck. They'll beat the s*** out of you.

 

[Douglas S]

My impressions on the suspensions in my 80:

Factory - on soft suspension setting - rolls around corners like a whale on land, far too soft off road
Factory - on sport suspension setting - noticeable firmer on the road, still too soft for off road
OME - Heavy front, med rear with front bullbar/winch - nice overall, maybe a little bit too hard (but not enough to be bothersome)

 

[SiRaDuDe]

I have Ironman 4" with FoamCell shocks and my ride is very smooth on and off road..

Check your stock springs... they might be really tired and you might be bottoming out on your front bump stops.

Check the distance on your bump stops in front, I will bet you have less than 1/2" of clearance from the bump stop and your axle!

 

[MARKTLC80]

Hey Attoire,

I had my 80 for about 6 years before OME 2.5 Medium was installed and to be honest big improvement over stock, better cornering and overall ride quality. When it comes to riding on rough road the noise and shaking is still there almost same as with stock suspension. I don't think that you should expect any suspension that is out there to make the ride perfect especially when you off road. But I can tell you this cruising on the highway at highway speeds it feels so confident, smooth and natural that all the 80 should have had this done straight out of factory. Good luck.

 

[skintunes]

Haven't bolted one on an 80 but did a 2.5 OME on a LR Disco - Last week we were on Nantucket Island- riding washboard at 45 mph and exiting the 1.5 foot burms of this trail and you could not seem to spill your wine- I have never seen a suspension handle stuff this easy and i've been wheeling for nearly 30 years

 

[maybe_a_80...]

when I added my OME 2.5" medium lift to my most recent 80, I was surprised at how much body roll was reduced in corners. What a nice benefit!

Off road, I really like the additional travel and overall "firmer" (more stable?) yet more compliant ride I get from the extra travel. Rolling over berms etc the truck is so in control and keep tires on the ground way better.

If you are considering upgrading your suspension to increase your truck's ride qualities off road, make sure to pay particular attention to the shocks and how they are operating - the right shocks will really give you the ride you are looking for. If you purchase new springs, you may want to consider "medium" rear springs and "heavy" front springs in order to get a "level stance" for the truck - this will not (at least with OME) increase the spring rate, it simply makes the spring longer to carry more weight, or to make the front end sit a little taller.

A final note on off road rattles etc. A larger diameter tire will have more air volume and a better break-over angle. So you may want to consider your tire size as you find ways to address this issue.

A phone call to one of the'Mud vendors to discuss any goals you may have with an aftermarket suspension kit will likely get you the answers you are looking for as you make a purchase decision. Of course, the better your information is and the more questions you have to ask after doing your research here will get you even closer to the ideal set-up.

 

[livinoffroad]

My stock suspension @ 65K with KYB's installed by the PO, rode like a pogo stick.
Then I installed a 2.5" OME lift kit. Progressive rate springs of a larger gauge than stock, and 2 stage damping from the twin tube nitrocharger shocks (non-sport version) handles the washboard really well.
The aussies designed the shocks for their "corrugated" so...valve open for little bumps, valve stopped down for bigger movement.
My driveway is over a mile of 5-13% grade, improved dirt/gravel road with sections of washboard.
This setup has worked well for myself and wife, kids, and grandkids when going to and from home in the LC. No complaints anyway. HTH

 

[KS-Ryan]

My 80 rides on OME 2.5" medium springs and Fox coilovers. Rides like an IFS truck in the desert. Super smooth.

 

[wasnt me]

Ive only seen a few coilovers on 80's, do you have a pic with more info/ part# for them ?

 

[scottryana]

I think he means remote reservoir shocks not actual coilovers, but a nice coilover system and air bump would be cool on an 80.

 

[Qball]

OME stock height springs with rancho 9000 shocks, it is WAY smoother than the saggy stock springs.

Empty it is smooth as butter and with some weight in the back it is smooth as glass!