New LC80 Disciple Needing Clarification/ Advice On Suspension

[ajfive]

Hi Fellow LC80 Enthusiasts,

First of all thank you for all the informative posts which helped me understand SUV's specifically LC80's more. In the process, I am getting more and more in-love with my 80. it is an hdj80 A/T diesel with only 109T kms.

I bought front suspension parts and installed yesterday:
OME 851 springs (medium duty)
Bilstein 1477 shocks

Before replacing the stock springs and shocks, I measured the clearance from the ground to the center of the fender (86cm front, 89cm rear). After replacing the front shocks and springs, front clearance from ground is now 91cm!

I will replace the rear spring and shocks tomorrow and would really appreciate if you can help me understand the following:

1. What is the stock height or clearance of the LC80 ( as my initial measurement might be unreliable given the old springs and shocks)?

2. Is the 91cm front clearance after replacement of springs and shocks normal given the parts that I used?

3. Am I correct to use OME 860 springs and Bilstein 1478 shocks in the rear?

4. More importantly, do I need to replace or use castor kit and steering damper? Some say it is a must but others are saying it is only needed for 2.5 inch lifts or higher.

I expect to use my recently acquired rig mostly on hi-ways (80%) with occasional rough roads/ light to medium trails (20% or once to twice a year trip to the farm). My tires are Bridgestone Duelers 275x70x16. I initially wanted to maintain stock height but now have to accept a maximum of 2" lift. No plans to put arb bumpers or any winch as I like to keep the stock look as much as possible.

Thanks in advance for your guidance and inputs.

Jones

 

[ajfive]

Hope you can help by sharing your knowledge?

Someone with experience or knowledge please help...

 

[idaho fzj]

I have an OME 2 1/2" lift that I put on about two years ago. It included heavies up front and mediums in the rear with the OME shocks.. I replaced the steering stabilizer with the springs and shocks. I drove it for about 18 months without any caster correction and it was not bad but it did wander a bit. Put the OME bushings in using the Landtank templates a couple of months ago and have noticed some improvement in the tracking down the road. Not a huge difference but still noticeable.

 

[greentruck]

SNIP

4. More importantly, do I need to replace or use castor kit and steering damper? Some say it is a must but others are saying it is only needed for 2.5 inch lifts or higher.

I expect to use my recently acquired rig mostly on hi-ways (80%) with occasional rough roads/ light to medium trails (20% or once to twice a year trip to the farm). My tires are Bridgestone Duelers 275x70x16. I initially wanted to maintain stock height but now have to accept a maximum of 2" lift. No plans to put arb bumpers or any winch as I like to keep the stock look as much as possible.

Thanks in advance for your guidance and inputs.

Jones

The steering damper is optional. Unless you're getting some indication the old is failing, like leaking, it's probably OK. Our truck has more than twice as many miles/kms on it as yours, still the original damper.

The caster kit? Many say they get by without it, but also report dodgy steering. They live with it. Me? I'd just bite the bullet and get the caster corrected. Some trucks don't need it, but based on reading here, most likely do it. Install the coils, then see how it drives. Most likely you'll want to get things measured to see where you're at, then go from there.

So you wanted stock height? That's the 861/862 combo, but sounds like you're going for the lift. So long as you don't go with heavies, you sound like you're in the ballpark with the way your truck is set-up. But I'm a stock height guy, so others with experience with your coils can tell you more. With the stock height coils there's almost never a need for caster correction. Ours drives straight and true with no issues.

 

[ajfive]

Idaho- thanks for sharing your experience, ill drive it around for a month and see if i will feel any need to put the castor kit and steering damper.

Greentruck- i originally wanted to maintain stock height but the stock height OME springs is out of stock. I was willing to accept a 2" lift at most and the salesman told me that OME 851 and 860 will give me a 2" lift. But when I got home and checked the forums, most are saying the lift is 2.5". That is why I am tring to find out the stock height of the 80 from ground to center of the fender. Hope the other memebers here have that information

The steering damper is supposed to eliminate vibrations at high speed caused by lifting right? Thanks for the inputs.

 

[greentruck]

You already have a steering damper on the truck, unless someone removed it. It will make a man out of you to change one, been there, done that, leave 'em alone myself unless obviously failing.

If you have vibes after a lift, it likely won't be anything the dampener will help with.

Sometimes when people go with the 2.5" lift they do find a worn U-joint or something else driveline related shows up. Mostly not, as 2.5" is a modest lift for an 80. It's just that every truck ends up a little different after being on the road a few years, wear and tear, etc.

OME lists it as a 2.5" lift. Initially, it will probably do that maybe even a little more. After a few months, coils will settle a little, so you might be down to 2" of lift. As far as the truck is concerned, it will not notice that 0.5". Unless you're trying to squeeze into a garage or something -- and that would be cutting things entirely too close for me -- not sure 2.5" vs 2" will matter.

If you really need or want stock height, I'd wait fro the next container from Australia to show up. Sticking with the stock height makes life really simple. You can use stock length shocks - your choice -- and all you do is slip the old coils out and the new in, after taking the proper safety precautions.

Going to 2.5" isn't too big a deal, so long as you're prepared to deal with caster correction if needed. I think you have to get longer shocks with it, but those two things are the only real difference -- other than the 2.5" of course.

Me? I've got to fit into our garage and a 2.5" would be living dangerously -- I'd have to always be careful to creep in and not bounce. So I can feel your pain if that's the situation you're facing.

Sorry I don't have the stock ride height measurements handy. Our old coils were sagging badly, so would only indicate ride height of a tired suspension anyway. I can tell you that if you put the stock height OME coils on in place of old saggy ones, it does amount to a modest lift, maybe about 1.5" initially, 1" after a few months, plus whatever extra in the rear you get if you're running without the indicated load for those coils.

 

[ajfive]

Thanks for raising that point, I believed the salesman in one of the shops I went to who told me I had to buy the complete set of parts including steering damper to eliminate vibrations at hi-speed. Now I am convinced he was just trying to get me to buy more parts from him

The only reason why I was hoping the lift is only 2" is because i came across some threads saying up to 2" lift doesnt require castor correction and steering damper. Hence I was hoping not to alter my castor and steering damper. after installing OME 851/ 860 and Bilstein 1477/ 1478.

Got my rear parts and will have them installed tomorrow.

 

[Kungpaodog]

You won't catch fire running down the road, your Cruiser will not spontaneously flip over, and your wedding tackle will not fall off if you do not change the castor.

However, the Toyota engineers are probably smarter than most of us. There's a reason they set castor around 3º. It helps the truck "self correct" and go straight with less input from the driver.

I just installed the OME castor correction bushings with the OME Dakar springs/sport shocks (same springs as you I think). I then had the shop do an alignment and install new tires. They told me the castor was at 1.9º left and 2.1º right. So I probably could have been a little more precise when I installed the bushings, but I'm happy with the correction being closer to original spec.

 

[foo57]

I recently installed the castor correction bushing and steering damper in my 96 LC with a 4 inch lift. After I had a front end alignment done there was very good improvement in the steeing.
I can now drive down the road with only one hand on the steering wheel, leaving my other hand free to hold my diet coke until i can afford the high dollar cup holder!

 

[greentruck]

SNIP

The only reason why I was hoping the lift is only 2" is because i came across some threads saying up to 2" lift doesnt require castor correction and steering damper. Hence I was hoping not to alter my castor and steering damper. after installing OME 851/ 860 and Bilstein 1477/ 1478.
SNIP

This is a case where 2.5" = 2". We're talking about the same thing, it just doesn't sound like it at first. There is no magic 2" kit that will keep you from having to adjust castor.

You may or may not need to adjust castor with it and no way to tell on any particular truck in advance whether installing the lift will lead to needing the castor corrected. You just have to install and drive. If it was me, after the install I'd plan on taking it in to have it measured at a shop with proper equipment just so you know where it's at, then go from there in deciding it correction is needed or not.

 

[ajfive]

Finally installed my rear OME 860 springs and Bilstein 1478 shocks. Very happy with the way the lc80 looks and significant improvement in Ride quality.

Had wheel alignment after installing and noticed that the computer showed negative 0.2 degrees castor. I will drive it around a bit to feel it but most likely will do the caster kit next. Any tips how to spot some handling errors aside from the wheel not returning to center?

Thanks greentruck, foo57, kungpaodog, ang idaho fzj.

 

[greentruck]

The steering will seem dodgy, want to wander instead of just tracking well from what I've heard.

The measurement pretty well tells the story, though. Looks like you'll want to go ahead and correct it.

But the improvements with new coils are worth celebrating!

 

[Pin_Head]

Castor is a bean plant used to make castor oil.

Caster is an alignment parameter.

 

[Offroads4x4]

With your 2.5" lift I'd replace the caster bushings and the OEM one on each side.

You don't normally need caster plates until 3.5" and higher as I recall.