Not your usual suspension installation question (1 Viewer)

[djawahir]

So I have been replacing my original leaf springs and shocks with an OME 3" lift kit. I installed the front easily, but I am a bit confused about the rear. On the original leaf springs there were some rubber pads and a metal bracket enclosing the leaf springs at the axle's point of contact. The OME kit doesn't have any such bracket in their lift kit.

My questions to you are: Should I put the bracket and rubber pads around the OME leaf springs and install? Or should I leave them out?

I installed the rear driver's side one way and the rear passenger side the other way. So when you guys help me out, I can fix the wrong one. I just can't see any negative to adding this bracket to the OME lift, but I don't know for sure...

 

[NocalFJ60]

Adding the bracket will lower the spring away from the axle so that side will not get as much lift. I took the pads out and brackets on mine. I figure the pads underneath were for isolation but you don't need them.I like the pads out to keep the spring packs tight with the u-bolt.

Hope that helps.. It is cool to drive it after you put the lift on.

 

[cruiser_guy]

I left mine on. Figured they were there for a reason.

 

[Landpimp]

I left mine on

 

[cruzerfetish]

I put mine back on after a similar thread. I think they belong on there. I am glad I put mine back on.

 

[jefferson-mo]

Hehe I just did the same lift.........I put mine back in........I think they should be there

 

[djawahir]

So it looks like there are more innies than outies...

I think I will put the other side in.

Does it really change the ride height with them out versus in? I guess I can go measure up both sides of Eleanor...

 

[djawahir]

Jefferson-MO,
Where in San Diego are you? Do you drive the light blue FJ60 I saw parked in North Park area a few weeks back?

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

They should be on, since the bracket contains the right size hole to fit the extension on the springs.

 

[Mud_Guppie]

if your Cruiser had them originally, put them on
the u-bolt plates are different. The plates with the wraps have a larger center pin hole and the u-bolts are spaced further apart (side to side)
your rear axle housing will also have a larger center pin hole

I'm not sure of the exact year/month but they seemed to switch in 1983ish

 

[NocalFJ60]

Yeah I have mine off but I also am running the ubolt flip kits. Here is a picture of a front.

http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/uboltflipkit.htm

I thought about putting the brackets back in to lower the back alittle. Will look at my springs tonight. I think the stock u-bolts are wider so the bracket makes up the difference on each side of the spring. The flip kit u-bolts sit flush on each side of the springs to keep them from sliding.

Looking at your pictures it looks like the picture you have the bracket off their is some space between the spring and u-bolt on each side. My old OME kit came with aluminum blocks like you see in John's picture above.

 

[Tapage]

In my case with my OME ( uff 4 - 5 years ago ) and those pads are the center pin, those pads have some metal cap to fit tight the center pin on the axle ..

 

[YODA 88 62]

i had to replace those bushings on one side of my axle and a leaf spring. the owner before me took one of the leafs out and did not tighten the centering pin enough. about 6 months ago, i noticed that my cruiser had a whine like an EZGO golfcart. that noise turned out to be my pinion bearing. i checked the suspension and found that one side of my rear axle could moved about an inch back and forth on the leaf spring. the centering wollowed out the leaf spring.
i also had to replace the pinion bearing.

 

[Steve-O]

We remove the stock "isolation" system when we install these kits. The reason for this is because the OME spring is taller than stock. The u-shaped channel originally came down and met the u-bolt plate, not letting you over tighten the bolts, and clamping metal to metal instead of rubber. If you leave the rubber pads and u-channel in, you run the risk of the rubber failing and your u-bolts becoming loose. If you buy a kit from us, we supply a metal spacer (sort of like a washer) that fills the gap between the center-pin head and the hole on the axle.

It looks like lamd-pimp put some sort of spacer between the plates, this will also work, as long as the u-bolt plate tightens up against that spacer.

 

[jefferson-mo]

i had to replace those bushings on one side of my axle and a leaf spring. the owner before me took one of the leafs out and did not tighten the centering pin enough. about 6 months ago, i noticed that my cruiser had a whine like an EZGO golfcart. that noise turned out to be my pinion bearing. i checked the suspension and found that one side of my rear axle could moved about an inch back and forth on the leaf spring. the centering wollowed out the leaf spring.
i also had to replace the pinion bearing.

OUCH!

 

[jefferson-mo]

Jefferson-MO,
Where in San Diego are you? Do you drive the light blue FJ60 I saw parked in North Park area a few weeks back?

Naw I'm 'Desert Tan'(NOT Biege!).

But I do work at Pearson Ford(parts dude) and my Credit Union is on Park Blvd so I regularly drive down Meade at lunch time during the week.......it's much faster than El Cajon Blvd for that distance

before my lift:

 

[NocalFJ60]

It looks like lamd-pimp put some sort of spacer between the plates, this will also work, as long as the u-bolt plate tightens up against that spacer.

I bought my OME set like 4-5 yrs ago from you guys and you provided the aluminum spacers like in Landpimp's picture above.

So on the front axle the alignment hole matches the diameter of the centering pin and on the back if you take out the bracket you need this spacer. I took the bracket out and the aluminum spacers blocks when I put on my flip kits.

I guess I need the spacers that centers the centering pin in the hole in the axle.

Also what is the torque on the u-bolts for the flip kit? 80 ft/lbs?

Thanks

 

[djawahir]

Steve-O,

Are these the metal spacers you were talking about?

MAF CENTERBOLT KIT 3/8 INCH X 5 INCH 60 SERIES

http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/Leaf Spring Center Bolts.htm

 

[Steve-O]

I bought my OME set like 4-5 yrs ago from you guys and you provided the aluminum spacers like in Landpimp's picture above.

So on the front axle the alignment hole matches the diameter of the centering pin and on the back if you take out the bracket you need this spacer. I took the bracket out and the aluminum spacers blocks when I put on my flip kits.

I guess I need the spacers that centers the centering pin in the hole in the axle.

Also what is the torque on the u-bolts for the flip kit? 80 ft/lbs?

Thanks

Unfortunately I wasnt here 4-5 years ago so I dont recall those spacers that pimp has. You are correct about the holes though, the hole on the front axle is the same size as the centerpin, the rear axle hole is larger, the gap is filled up by the u-shaped channel. That channel has a step built into the top of it that fits in the hole.

You may have a gap around your centerpin, which means your axles could be shifting, I would suggest getting the centerpin spacers from us yes. Our part number is OME-CBS01, they are $4.39 each, you will need two. Unfortunately OME makes them a little too tall, so we usually grind a little bit off the top.

All u-bolts with or without a flip kit should be torqued to 95 ft/lbs.

 

[Steve-O]

Steve-O,

Are these the metal spacers you were talking about?

MAF CENTERBOLT KIT 3/8 INCH X 5 INCH 60 SERIES

http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/Leaf Spring Center Bolts.htm

No those are actually replacement ceterbolts, I'm not sure why but we dont have the spacers listed on-line. You can call us here of course anytime to order them.