MAF 4" Lift

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Joined
Apr 9, 2008
Threads
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Location
The Valley of The Sun, AZ
The MAF 4" lift w/ shackle reversal for the 60 seems like a good deal on their site. anyone had good or bad experiences with this kit??? i was originally considering an OME heavy....
 
Not to thread Jack, as I am looking for the same info, but why does that look like a good deal? (not trying to be smart)

MAF at $1495, compared to
Rocky Road $1029
4x4 connection - build what you want $?
Cruiser solutions $1435
Safari 4x4 Four Wheel Drive Off-Road Parts and Accessories
Cruiser outfitters...

And is there something wrong with the HFS springs from CCOT, I never seem to find people using them?
 
just seemed like a good deal for the amount of lift you get, plus the kit uses mostly OME stuff and there seems to be minimal fabrication necessary to install it. which brings me to the other questions... can u run 35's??? and should you cut and turn the front axle?? from what i can tell OME heavy runs about the same price and you only get 2-3" of lift.
 
I have a buddy that has the suspension, and yes you can run 35's with no problem, his rub a bit in the back but it is due to the backspacing of his wheels (or lack thereof). I think it makes the 60 wagons look tipsy, but that is just me. I saw his next to one with the 3" lift with 33's and i'll have to say that the other looked better to me....my2c
 
You will need to add to that a set of OME bushings (the MAF ones suck donkey dong). No idea if the kit works out well.
 
I have it on my rig. I like it, but haven't wheeled it much. It does rub occasionally, but haven't figured out where. I am running 35's also.
 
real curious if that lift will endure any kind of heavy loads?? i want something that can withstand some weight and last a while without sagging too bad. do you have any pics??
 
MAF blows, period.... I would say well over 50% of people order once and never order again. Hidden fees, piss poor customer service, the wrong part, etc etc etc...
 
MAF blows, period.... I would say well over 50% of people order once and never order again. Hidden fees, piss poor customer service, the wrong part, etc etc etc...

I agree, they did send me two wrong parts on this kit, two of the same side shackle reversal mounts for the front and one the ubolt flip kit bracket was not made well so it didn't fit right so I had to send that back for exchange. The nickel and dime on you that type of stuff. I try to buy toyota parts only.
 
Probably go with the OME heavy setup from Cruiser Outfitters. Looks like a good complete kit using all OME stuff including bushings. I have heard alot of bad things about MAF, so it has made me very weary about ordering anything from them. However i have heard alot of good things about Kurt and Cruiser Outfitters. I have considered SOA but have also heard horror stories about them.
 
Regardless of which brand you choose, a 4'' lift, like I have in my sprung under 60 really does change them offroad. Not as stable without going to a better or wider backspacing or using wheel spacers.

Secondly, you will need to extend your brake lines front and rear, adjust your proportioning valve, use shims front and rear to correct the front castor issue and the rear tailshaft angles. You will need to extend the handbrake cable mount down, this is the bracket that sits just above the rear tailshaft.

Thirdly, don't be surprised if you need to move the rear spring shackle mount on the chassis back further. I found on mine that when fully flexed with the spring compressed in the rear, the shackle would lock back against the chassis. this would happen off road when wheeling or when the vehicle was loaded.

While I have heard most ppl say, just run an anti inversion shackle at the back, it doesnt actually fix the problem. The springs carry so much camber in them to get the lift, that when compressed they are actually too long, hence the need to relocate the rear shackle mount. If you do a search, I believe Mace had a rough formula to check if your shackle location will be suitable.

If I were to do mine again, I would stick with a 2" spring lift and look at a 2" body lift. Either that or spring over the truck.

Just so you know, the Old Man Emu springs sold in Australia are only a maximum of a 2" lift, and the Dakar range is made by Belton in indonesia for OME. Choose carefully, because a good kit will bring many a mile of enjoyment.
 
Are the OME springs from Australia even available anymore? I thought all springs were now the Dakars?
 
Man-a-fre is currently redesigning all their springs. As Mutley said the DAKAR springs have issues, the fronts are 2" too short, as are the rears. The springs rate are adequate but can be softened with a taller free arch. I am unaware of any available spring for the 60 that is done right. I've tried the Aussie Emus , dakars, McCoy ( BDS, MAF, HFS) Ironman and I doubt outside of ARB no one actually did any real enineering. Looking at the specs , I have a feeling most are ARB knock offs as far as basic specs. Unfortunately ARB had to compromise. ARB springs work within the range of their shackle, 1"
over stock, thus limitting the amount of free arch which requires running a higher spring rate to preserve a target ride height. To make the spring longer and correct this ARB would need to sell someone elses shackles
 
MAF and OME

I too have had some horrific experiences with MAF. I don't do business with them any more. OME springs are the best I have ever had on anything, period. Twelve years and 170k miles on the same set. They will handle virtually any load and ride much smoother than stock under any condition. They may not be the highest lift or whatever, but they cannot be beat for quality, ride, load capacity or longevity. I did a SOA conversion a few years back with these same springs. I modified the rear mounts to keep the springs as close to the frame as possible. It worked out very well and the rig has super long legs now, I can drive it like it's my CR500, it just absorbs whatever I throw at it.
 
Man-a-fre is currently redesigning all their springs. As Mutley said the DAKAR springs have issues, the fronts are 2" too short, as are the rears. The springs rate are adequate but can be softened with a taller free arch. I am unaware of any available spring for the 60 that is done right. I've tried the Aussie Emus , dakars, McCoy ( BDS, MAF, HFS) Ironman and I doubt outside of ARB no one actually did any real enineering. Looking at the specs , I have a feeling most are ARB knock offs as far as basic specs. Unfortunately ARB had to compromise. ARB springs work within the range of their shackle, 1"
over stock, thus limitting the amount of free arch which requires running a higher spring rate to preserve a target ride height. To make the spring longer and correct this ARB would need to sell someone elses shackles

To make the OMEs work as they should, you should really move the front and rear shackle mounts inboard 1.5 to 2 inches and run a five or six inch shackle. I have done three Cruisers like this and it works very well with no shackle inversion and much more axle drop on full extension. I consider it a must.
 
springs

I did the Safari 3" soft ride from Manafre. It came with OME front and Safari rear(looks like a log truck spring). Front came up 2 1/2" and the back 5". I replaced the rear anti inversion shackles with the old front short shackles. The rear is still too high. Probably have to remove a leaf or two or just scrap the rear and start over.
 
I havent had any problems with the MAF 4" ome medium SR lift. I definitely would have not bought it if I new I was going to do a spring over now. I have been happy with my lift, it works really well with a load in it. I had 35" AT's on it but went to a 34" ltb so I could go play in the mud too. You can see some of my pics here https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/235680-little-criuser-porn-hawaii.html
over all im very happy with the lift.
Oh, by the way, I don't like to order stuff from MAF so if I can get it else where I do.

Edit: I just found one of my rear shackle bushings is all bust up while powerwashing the mud off of it. Good thing they sent me a bunch of extra ones.
 
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This is true and ARB knows it, it's a shame they don't save their customers time
and just build the springs an 1 1/2" longer.


To make the OMEs work as they should, you should really move the front and rear shackle mounts inboard 1.5 to 2 inches and run a five or six inch shackle. I have done three Cruisers like this and it works very well with no shackle inversion and much more axle drop on full extension. I consider it a must.
 

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