I recently bought my first Landcruiser, a 1996 FZJ80, with the straight 6, gas engine. White.
I looked at most of the forums, and I immeadiately put on the Medium spring, Old Man Emu 2.5 lift kit with the Caster correction bushings.
I love it, but I noticed that the handling was not as smooth and it does not seem to "track" as well in the steering.
I put 33" Cooper ST Maxx tires on it, I love them.
I went to a local 'Cruiser mechanic here where I live in the Napa Valley, and he told me to get the Slee lower front suspension arms, and that would put a More Correct caster on the front end. He told me that the OME bushings don't fully correct the caster like the Slee Lower front suspension arms will. But he has the "J" springs on his rig. He said it makes the steering a lot better on his FJ80.
And he owns and runs a Tire and front end alignment shop, and works on Cruisers as well, so I think he knows what he is talking about.
His put his whole family in 80's, the wife, daughter, son. They all drive them. He swears his daughters life was saved in a head on by being in a 80 with an ARB bumper in front. Almost no damage to the vehicle, other car totaled.
But the Slee arms won't work with my 2.5 lift, as Cristo (at Slee) said I need at least the 4" lift for them to work properly.
Now I am wishing I had done a Slee 4" Lift on my FZJ80, because then I could:
-upgrade to the Slee lower arms, getting better handling.
-Gain more clearance
-be able to put 37" tires on in future after I re-gear (planning on doing at ARB air locker install).
Because the way I am heading with my 80, I am going that direction anyways, It is not my Daily driver anyways, so what is the point of keeping it almost stock anyways?
I mean, they don't get good gas mileage anyways so I might as well turn it into a real offroad rig.
just saying I wish I had gone with the 4" at the beginning, because now I am going to be taking this OME kit out in about a year anyways.
