it's time (1 Viewer)

[frogger]

I've finally got (hopefully) enough cash to get a lift kit for my fj60 (roughly $1200). Read through all the tech posts several times over, but find it pretty tough to decipher the best choice- everyone has such a different reason. So I'm requesting "locals" help for some guidance.

driving style- I go fairly slow when off-roading. I like to see the scenery, that and typically all four kids and the wife are along for the ride, sometimes even the M-I-L. I typically carry a lot of gear up on the roof rack (can't fit it inside with the third row), so probably a more solid ride around corners would be better. A favorite local spot to go are the areas around Dixon Apple Farm. I also go up around Bluff, UT quite a bit.

I'm also looking at no more than 2-3" lift and no bigger than 33" tires.

I'm leaning towards the OME heavy duty, but also saw this one from BDS... https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=154721&highlight=fj60+lift+kit

any other suggestions?
any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[2manycruisers]

I'd go with OME. Ride quality in mine was excellent, though I'm not sure which springs I had. I can't say for sure, but I'd bet BDS won't give you nearly the ride.

 

[Cruisergreg]

Alcans. Luuuv mine. Most people with heavy bumpers, gear, roof racks etc. have had issues with OME unless they get the HD version which are supposed to be harsh riding.

 

[juane]

Alcans. Luuuv mine. Most people with heavy bumpers, gear, roof racks etc. have had issues with OME unless they get the HD version which are supposed to be harsh riding.

New springs in a saggy old 60 is an excellent investment. It'll be like a new car.

I agree with Greg.
You can custom spec Alcans for less money than off the shelf OME.
I installed HD OME on my 60 and had sag problems with the rear.

juane

 

[SteveLCetc]

New springs in a saggy old 60 is an excellent investment. It'll be like a new car.

I agree with Greg.
You can custom spec Alcans for less money than off the shelf OME.
I installed HD OME on my 60 and had sag problems with the rear.

juane

I'm not sure how much the price difference is, but I've been happy with my Skyjackers on the 40. Make sure you upgrade the shocks though if you go that way - but you wouldn't have to upgrade beyond whatever you would get with the Alcan's though, and anything else should be the same cost. I'd check both out. The Skyjacker may be the more cost effective solution.

You might be able to squeeze in an Aussie Locker for the difference...

 

[SteveLCetc]

Checking back in my archives... The 4" Skyjacker lift kit from mudraks.com was $600. I'm not sure what Alcan springs would be. You can get a 2" front and 4" rear if you will be moving your spare tire to the back and carrying "stuff" in the back end...

Of course, the Aussie Locker is part of the total lift package

 

[2manycruisers]

Last I checked Skyjacker didnt' make springs for 60s.
I've never owned Alcans, but my impression from other peoples' stuff is they are somewhat hit and miss with lift, spring rate, etc. At least they were several years ago when I was around more people who had them.
FWIW, when I crashed my 60 in Chinle, AZ, my wife, Ashleigh, rode with the Wolfes in their Alcan'd 60, and she commented to me that the ride was much harsher off road than my OME 60. Greg definitely carries more weight than I was, though.

 

[SteveLCetc]

I always thought Juane's rode really well - maybe an inch or so of additional lift in the rear would be a good thing. How much do Alcan's cost, and how much do the OME's cost?

 

[frogger]

I just sent in my price quote from http://www.alcanspring.com/ so hopefully I'll hear from them sometime this next week.
I also went to http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/ and was looking at the OME Dakar 2-3" complete heavy duty lift kit. That runs $1445, that includes greasable shackles.

The custom built Alcan's sound like they might be a good choice, but will wait on pricing. As I continue to add gear (front bumper and winch), rear tire mount, etc., my needs on the suspension will change, so I want to take that into account now even if it means a bit rougher ride in the beginning.

 

[Cruisergreg]

FWIW, when I crashed my 60 in Chinle, AZ, my wife, Ashleigh, rode with the Wolfes in their Alcan'd 60, and she commented to me that the ride was much harsher off road than my OME 60.

That's probably an "unfair" comparison because I was hitting the bump stops all the time that day. We met up after a week in Sedona and were loaded to the gills with luggage, xmas gifts, bike stuff, baby gear, etc...

 

[pappy]

Pappy's dos centavos ...

I've run Alcan, AllPro, Downey, and Rancho. Over all I like the Alcan. My 4Runner has Alcan in the rear and AllPro in the front. The Alcan ride better off-road and over speed bumps. It was nice to tell them how much lift, how much gear I carry to Baja, and the weight of the rear rack with tire. They made the springs accordingly. My xcab was setup similiar, only with Rancho in the front, and the observation was the same.

 

[frogger]

Alcan had already responded by the time I checked my email this morning --

"...The cost of the springs: $ 205.00 each front spring $ 220.00 each rear spring. They come with bushings and take about 3-4 weeks to design and build...."

I don't think that includes U-bolts. Also, what I've seen, Shackles and shocks are not a huge deal to get elsewhere, so figure about another $200-300 for everything else I'd need.

With tax that'd take me to right around the $1200 range.

 

[pappy]

Don't forget that shipping those springs to NM is not cheap. Unlike the OME, Alcan just sells the springs ... so no u-bolts or shocks, or anything I would call a "kit."

 

[marcfj60]

Don't forget the extra ~$800 for the new tires to complete the lift. Things will look a little funny on 31" or smaller with a 2-3" lift. That's the reason my estimated cost of $2,000 for a lift has prevented me from doing it.

 

[juane]

Don't forget the extra ~$800 for the new tires to complete the lift. Things will look a little funny on 31" or smaller with a 2-3" lift. That's the reason my estimated cost of $2,000 for a lift has prevented me from doing it.

And don't forget: your steering wheel will be off center from the lift. DO NOT CENTER the wheel by pulling it off and repositioning it on the steering shaft. You'll need to lengthen the relay rod to compensate for the greater distance between the frame-mounted steering box and the new relative axle position. Other Wise your rig will be going down the road side Wise like mine did until I Wised up and fixed it right. A good alignment is now in order.

And don't forget: Cut the new u-bolts down after they are installed.

And don't forget: Now is a good time to replace the tie-rod ends (OEM, not Napa). After all, how many miles on the rig?

And don't forget: $$ to regear the diffs. You'll want to make up for the loss of low-end gearing from the larger tires. 4.11s will take you back to stock final gear ratio with 33" tires on a FJ-60.

And don't forget, if you are into the pumpkins, that's obviously the time to consider some sort of traction control device (re: lockers).

And don't forget: this is also the time to rebuild the axles (seals, bearings).

And don't forget: Lift means greater angles on the u-joints. More stress, if they've never been replaced ...well, you know what to do.

And don't forget: Don't let you wife see this post.

juane

 

[pappy]

And don't forget ... Juane is right

 

[Cruisergreg]

And don't forget:

Juane woke up on the cranky side of the bed this morning...

 

[frogger]

I forgot what were we talking about?
oh yeah, draining my bank account...

Seriously though, with over 200k my 60, it's been in desperate need of some TLC (no pun intended)- the guy I bought it off of was from Austin living in Pecos and didn't change the oil on it in almost three years (this he tells me after I handed him the cash). Still runs like a champ though.

I've slowly been doing some of the fixes, but it looks like based off the list above (thanks Juane) that the estimated 2k is more like 3k (ouch). Need to add a pitman arm to the list.

I'd opt for the 5spd instead, but that is coming with the engine and transfer case rebuilds in a year or so hopefully. Then there is the ARB bumper with winch and couple other little odds and ends.

Now I wonder why the wife won't let me buy another one?

 

[frogger]

I started reading posts about pitman arms the 80 vs 60, flat vs bent, etc... Since I'm just starting to really get into working on my 60 more (always been into cars).

I need some advice on the "how, why, and what (and how much)" of pitman arms to correct for an increasingly bad pull of the front end. I know the basics, but it seems there's a different reason applied for off-road applications.

I figure if I'm going to have the whole front end apart (thanks Juane) I should look to fix this first. If anybody can give the rookie a hand, that'd be great.

 

[Cruisergreg]

I started reading posts about pitman arms the 80 vs 60, flat vs bent, etc... Since I'm just starting to really get into working on my 60 more (always been into cars).

I need some advice on the "how, why, and what (and how much)" of pitman arms to correct for an increasingly bad pull of the front end. I know the basics, but it seems there's a different reason applied for off-road applications.

I figure if I'm going to have the whole front end apart (thanks Juane) I should look to fix this first. If anybody can give the rookie a hand, that'd be great.

The reason to consider pitman arm modifications with a suspension lift is to avoid bump steer that comes with the increased angle of the joint. With the degree of lift you are talking about I wouldn't mess with the pitman arm.

Also, there is no adjustment on the pitman arm so that shouldn't have anyhting to do with a "pull". Now there ARE adjustments on the cross link (this is the bar whose lenght you will need to adjust to recenter the steering wheel after the lift). I would make sure those joints are tight before messing with anything else.