I have seen an increase in the number of IH8mudders running Ironman suspension kits purchased from Eli at Camel 4X4. So I took advantage of Eli's Christmas deal of 10% off and free shipping. I ordered a set of TOY024C springs for the front and a set of TOY013B springs for the rear for my Beige FZJ80. I complimented the springs with a set of 4 Nitro Gas shocks. I also installed a set of Slee's new high flex 3 degree castor bushings to help with driveline angle and castor and Slee's front swaybar drop blocks. This was all done to a stock '97 FZJ80 Collector's Edition w/ factory lockers. The only mods are CDL switch w/ pin 7, LT285/75R16 Bridgestone Duelers, and running boards removed. I also own another stock '97 FZJ80 (White) w/ factory lockers, CDL switch w/ pin 7, and running boards removed. This one has an OME medium lift with 1" spacers upfront. The front springs are 851 and the rear springs are 860. I complimented the OME springs with a set of OME N73 shocks in front and N74E shocks in the rear. The lift has the Slee older black 3 degree castor bushings to correct driveline angles and castor. I also use Slee's front sway bar drop blocks. So, these trucks are identical except for the tires and Ironman springs/shocks and OME springs/shocks.
I also feel it is important to mention that the customer service from Eli at Camel 4X4 (where I purchased the Ironman stuff) and Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters (where I purchased the OME stuff) are unrivaled, except maybe Christo at Slee. So with all the background out of the way; I and a friend trekked towards Death Valley from Santa Monica on Thursday, 18 Feb for a 3 day side by side evaluation of the trucks. After 205 miles of pavement pounding we arrived in Ballarat, CA late Thursday night. Of course both trucks handle the highway and smaller state roads with ease. It was then the dirt started. I was immediately impressed with the command the Ironman suspension provided while negotiating the curvy dirt road leading to Ballarat and ultimately Chris Wicht Camp for the first night. I had been to this exact spot 11 months earlier and would say the Ironman performed equally to the OME, but this was far from the total test. The next day we headed north on high speed dirt to Panamint Springs Resort for gas. The washboarded roads were not too bad and curves not too tight. Again the Ironman performance was on equal to the OME. We pounded some short pavement to the dirt Saline Valley Road on our way to the Saline Valley Salt Lake, Sand Dunes and Warm Springs. Saline Valley Road was the beginning of the true test. The road was washboarded up the worst I have traveled to date; I have traveled many of miles on dirt in New Mexico, Utah, and California. The Ironman was awesome as I continually exceeded 45 mph leading my friend in my other OME FZJ80. We traded vehicles off and on a couple of times on our way to the Warm Springs and I was more impressed with the performance of the Iromman setup. It negotiated the high speed washboarded road better (not necessarily smoother) and high speed turns with more control then I felt the OME did. Don't get me wrong both suspensions feel the roughness of a post winter washboarded up road. The last leg of the Saline Valley Road involve the soft sand wheeling to the Warm Springs. I too like the feel of the Ironman suspension.
After a quick conversation with those individuals enjoying the President's Day festivities at the Warm Springs we headed for Steel Pass and Dedeckera Canyon to stop at Eureka Sand Dunes Friday night. The trail to Steel Pass and thru Dedeckera Canyon is about as technical as you will find in Death Valley. This trail is not "Hardcore" like Prichett Canyon, UT or the Hammers in Johnson Valley, but did flex the Ironman and OME suspensions. I again preferred the Ironman as it crept over the 12"-18" rocks and down the rock ledges in Dedeckera Canyon. As we exited the canyon we could see the Eureka Sand Dunes and the terrain change quickly. The wind was howling, approaching 50 mph gusts I'd say. We tranversed the sandy trails around the dunes approaching 50 mph. Again the Ironman handled the sandy whoops well and drifted nicely around high speed corners. The OME performed as well. We decided to not stay at the Eureka Sand Dunes because it was a sand storm like no other. This meant we were going to tackle the washboarded South Eureka Road to Hanging Rock Canyon to Crankshaft Crossing. These roads equaled the roughness of Saline Valley Road, however, they were much straighter. Switching on and off we travelled at speeds exceeding 50 mph trying to find a suitable camping location. The Ironman again took the high speed washboarded rough better than I had expected. I felt the stiffer shocks paired with the OME springs made for a more rattle-box feel in the White FZJ80 that was more pronounced than the Ironman spring/shock combo in my Beige FZJ80. Unfortunately, with it being so dark coming into Crankshaft Crossing we were unable to locate any camping spots and the wind was still howling. We decide to again press on to Mesquite Spring Campground via Big Pine-Death Valley Road. This 25 miles was much of the same old washboarded dirt road we had experienced on the otherside of the Last Change Range. Finally, we hit the 5 miles of pavement entering Mesquite Springs Campground thru Grapevine.
The next morning we pounded pavement to Scotty's Castle. We continued west into Nevada to try and find another "castle" an old-timer told us about, but we were unable to locate it after 10 miles over the California/Nevada boarder. This part was all pavement and we drove thru some fierce winds approaching 80 mph. The body of the Ironman equipped FZJ80 seemed stable and under control. We turned around and headed to Ubehebe Crater, what a site. After seeing the crater we set off on the 25 miles to Teakettle junction. This dirt road was the worst washboarded road on the trip. It was arm-pump, kidney-belt-wearing, ass-numbing hell the whole time. I tried all speeds from 20 to 40 mph, it sucked the whole way. The worst part was after we would stop to switch rigs, the slow start up speed felt like the whole truck was jumping up and down 8". Both Ironman and OME transferred the bone jarring bumps directly into the trucks. The shock were definitely working overtime. I am sure I took a many of miles off both Ironman and OME shocks, oh well that is the price of playing the game. Once we arrived at Teakettle Junction we headed south-east to Lost Burro Mine and onto Goldbelt. The road to Lost Burro Mine was somewhat technical like Steel Pass/Dedeckera Canyon, no issues. We then enjoyed some snow wheeling up over the south pass/Hunter Mountain. Besides the Bridgestone Duelers sucking in the snow ,the snow filled in much of the imperfection in the dirt road and we were able to haul ass over the pass back to Saline Valley Road. Both the Ironman and OME handle this portion of the trip well, I was ambivalent. Now to what really sold me on the Ironman purchase was the second go around on Saline Valley Road and up Lippincott Mine Road. We blew by numerous trucks heading to the Warn Springs, battling the washboarded roads and tight curves for the second time. Knowing the condition of the road from the day before I was able to travel faster approaching 50 mph and drifted around corners at 30 mph. The Ironman flat handled better and felt more in control as match to the shocks over the OME.
Lippincott Mine Road was as technical as it can get in Death Valley, again not technical like Pritchett Canyon, Utah or Johnson Valley, California, but I was able to test the "rockcrawl" performance of the Ironman. It was slow 1st gear low the whole way up the mountain switchbacks. The Ironman performed well. It flexed well and was stable, but so did the OME. I give the Ironman an advantage due to the performance leading up to Lippincott Mine Road. We burned over to the actual mine and camped overnight Saturday. We woke up to 3" of snow the next morning. After cleaning up came I decided we couldn't leave Death Valley without visiting the Racetrack and Grandstand. I saddled the White FZJ80 and again felt how the stiff shocks bounced all over the place down the washboarded Racetrack Valley Road. It feels that the valving is too stiff and rebound too slow in the OME shocks, not the springs being too stiff. We then back tracked to Lippincott Mine Road to descend to the Saline Valley floor, about 2500 feet below. Again 1st gear low all the way down the mountain switchbacks. Both Ironman and OME handled well over the 12" rocks and ledges. We then switch and I lead the way to back to Panamint Springs Resort for fuel. This included about 13 miles of much needed pavement. The smoothness of the road was a welcome site and the curves fun to negotiate downhill. To conclude Sunday we headed to the Darwin Mines to explore and travel the maze of dirt roads. There were numerous rock ledges but no big rocks/boulders. The Ironman put the wheels to the ground really well. I think the newer designed Slee high flex bushings may have helped over the older design in the OME equipped FZJ80. We finished exploring the Darwin area by stopping in Darwin, CA and eating a sandwich. What a unique town, I am definitely going back this year. We then headed home back to Santa Monica on what I thought would be pavement only, and I was ready for the smoothness to come. However, my buddy suggested a dirt shortcut near the Coso Range Wilderness that cuts California 190. It was mostly high speed sandy trail. There were many washes that crossed the road, so we would accelerate and then quickly slow to cross the washes. This is where the OME shocks seem to handle the whoopiness of the sandy road better. I did think the Ironman still performed well. The last stop, because it was right there, was the Olancha Dunes OHV Area. We were the only ones there and tore up the hills, what fun. Finally, back to pavement and the 200 miles to Santa Monica. Overall, we cover approx 400 miles in and around Death Valley in 3 days. Of that I'd say 340 were dirt roads. Bottomline is I am very impressed with the Ironman suspension line, and coupled with the price, would recommend this kit to anyone looking for a 2.5" lift. I have attached a few pics of the trip as well.
Eric
I also feel it is important to mention that the customer service from Eli at Camel 4X4 (where I purchased the Ironman stuff) and Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters (where I purchased the OME stuff) are unrivaled, except maybe Christo at Slee. So with all the background out of the way; I and a friend trekked towards Death Valley from Santa Monica on Thursday, 18 Feb for a 3 day side by side evaluation of the trucks. After 205 miles of pavement pounding we arrived in Ballarat, CA late Thursday night. Of course both trucks handle the highway and smaller state roads with ease. It was then the dirt started. I was immediately impressed with the command the Ironman suspension provided while negotiating the curvy dirt road leading to Ballarat and ultimately Chris Wicht Camp for the first night. I had been to this exact spot 11 months earlier and would say the Ironman performed equally to the OME, but this was far from the total test. The next day we headed north on high speed dirt to Panamint Springs Resort for gas. The washboarded roads were not too bad and curves not too tight. Again the Ironman performance was on equal to the OME. We pounded some short pavement to the dirt Saline Valley Road on our way to the Saline Valley Salt Lake, Sand Dunes and Warm Springs. Saline Valley Road was the beginning of the true test. The road was washboarded up the worst I have traveled to date; I have traveled many of miles on dirt in New Mexico, Utah, and California. The Ironman was awesome as I continually exceeded 45 mph leading my friend in my other OME FZJ80. We traded vehicles off and on a couple of times on our way to the Warm Springs and I was more impressed with the performance of the Iromman setup. It negotiated the high speed washboarded road better (not necessarily smoother) and high speed turns with more control then I felt the OME did. Don't get me wrong both suspensions feel the roughness of a post winter washboarded up road. The last leg of the Saline Valley Road involve the soft sand wheeling to the Warm Springs. I too like the feel of the Ironman suspension.
After a quick conversation with those individuals enjoying the President's Day festivities at the Warm Springs we headed for Steel Pass and Dedeckera Canyon to stop at Eureka Sand Dunes Friday night. The trail to Steel Pass and thru Dedeckera Canyon is about as technical as you will find in Death Valley. This trail is not "Hardcore" like Prichett Canyon, UT or the Hammers in Johnson Valley, but did flex the Ironman and OME suspensions. I again preferred the Ironman as it crept over the 12"-18" rocks and down the rock ledges in Dedeckera Canyon. As we exited the canyon we could see the Eureka Sand Dunes and the terrain change quickly. The wind was howling, approaching 50 mph gusts I'd say. We tranversed the sandy trails around the dunes approaching 50 mph. Again the Ironman handled the sandy whoops well and drifted nicely around high speed corners. The OME performed as well. We decided to not stay at the Eureka Sand Dunes because it was a sand storm like no other. This meant we were going to tackle the washboarded South Eureka Road to Hanging Rock Canyon to Crankshaft Crossing. These roads equaled the roughness of Saline Valley Road, however, they were much straighter. Switching on and off we travelled at speeds exceeding 50 mph trying to find a suitable camping location. The Ironman again took the high speed washboarded rough better than I had expected. I felt the stiffer shocks paired with the OME springs made for a more rattle-box feel in the White FZJ80 that was more pronounced than the Ironman spring/shock combo in my Beige FZJ80. Unfortunately, with it being so dark coming into Crankshaft Crossing we were unable to locate any camping spots and the wind was still howling. We decide to again press on to Mesquite Spring Campground via Big Pine-Death Valley Road. This 25 miles was much of the same old washboarded dirt road we had experienced on the otherside of the Last Change Range. Finally, we hit the 5 miles of pavement entering Mesquite Springs Campground thru Grapevine.
The next morning we pounded pavement to Scotty's Castle. We continued west into Nevada to try and find another "castle" an old-timer told us about, but we were unable to locate it after 10 miles over the California/Nevada boarder. This part was all pavement and we drove thru some fierce winds approaching 80 mph. The body of the Ironman equipped FZJ80 seemed stable and under control. We turned around and headed to Ubehebe Crater, what a site. After seeing the crater we set off on the 25 miles to Teakettle junction. This dirt road was the worst washboarded road on the trip. It was arm-pump, kidney-belt-wearing, ass-numbing hell the whole time. I tried all speeds from 20 to 40 mph, it sucked the whole way. The worst part was after we would stop to switch rigs, the slow start up speed felt like the whole truck was jumping up and down 8". Both Ironman and OME transferred the bone jarring bumps directly into the trucks. The shock were definitely working overtime. I am sure I took a many of miles off both Ironman and OME shocks, oh well that is the price of playing the game. Once we arrived at Teakettle Junction we headed south-east to Lost Burro Mine and onto Goldbelt. The road to Lost Burro Mine was somewhat technical like Steel Pass/Dedeckera Canyon, no issues. We then enjoyed some snow wheeling up over the south pass/Hunter Mountain. Besides the Bridgestone Duelers sucking in the snow ,the snow filled in much of the imperfection in the dirt road and we were able to haul ass over the pass back to Saline Valley Road. Both the Ironman and OME handle this portion of the trip well, I was ambivalent. Now to what really sold me on the Ironman purchase was the second go around on Saline Valley Road and up Lippincott Mine Road. We blew by numerous trucks heading to the Warn Springs, battling the washboarded roads and tight curves for the second time. Knowing the condition of the road from the day before I was able to travel faster approaching 50 mph and drifted around corners at 30 mph. The Ironman flat handled better and felt more in control as match to the shocks over the OME.
Lippincott Mine Road was as technical as it can get in Death Valley, again not technical like Pritchett Canyon, Utah or Johnson Valley, California, but I was able to test the "rockcrawl" performance of the Ironman. It was slow 1st gear low the whole way up the mountain switchbacks. The Ironman performed well. It flexed well and was stable, but so did the OME. I give the Ironman an advantage due to the performance leading up to Lippincott Mine Road. We burned over to the actual mine and camped overnight Saturday. We woke up to 3" of snow the next morning. After cleaning up came I decided we couldn't leave Death Valley without visiting the Racetrack and Grandstand. I saddled the White FZJ80 and again felt how the stiff shocks bounced all over the place down the washboarded Racetrack Valley Road. It feels that the valving is too stiff and rebound too slow in the OME shocks, not the springs being too stiff. We then back tracked to Lippincott Mine Road to descend to the Saline Valley floor, about 2500 feet below. Again 1st gear low all the way down the mountain switchbacks. Both Ironman and OME handled well over the 12" rocks and ledges. We then switch and I lead the way to back to Panamint Springs Resort for fuel. This included about 13 miles of much needed pavement. The smoothness of the road was a welcome site and the curves fun to negotiate downhill. To conclude Sunday we headed to the Darwin Mines to explore and travel the maze of dirt roads. There were numerous rock ledges but no big rocks/boulders. The Ironman put the wheels to the ground really well. I think the newer designed Slee high flex bushings may have helped over the older design in the OME equipped FZJ80. We finished exploring the Darwin area by stopping in Darwin, CA and eating a sandwich. What a unique town, I am definitely going back this year. We then headed home back to Santa Monica on what I thought would be pavement only, and I was ready for the smoothness to come. However, my buddy suggested a dirt shortcut near the Coso Range Wilderness that cuts California 190. It was mostly high speed sandy trail. There were many washes that crossed the road, so we would accelerate and then quickly slow to cross the washes. This is where the OME shocks seem to handle the whoopiness of the sandy road better. I did think the Ironman still performed well. The last stop, because it was right there, was the Olancha Dunes OHV Area. We were the only ones there and tore up the hills, what fun. Finally, back to pavement and the 200 miles to Santa Monica. Overall, we cover approx 400 miles in and around Death Valley in 3 days. Of that I'd say 340 were dirt roads. Bottomline is I am very impressed with the Ironman suspension line, and coupled with the price, would recommend this kit to anyone looking for a 2.5" lift. I have attached a few pics of the trip as well.
Eric
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Apparently I only saw the edited version.
still.....very cool and interesting. looks like a bitchin trip. I would also wonder if the shocks made all the difference????
way to test! 
