Old Man Emu Lift - Rear Springs - Opinions and Experiences (Sorry to beat a dead horse) - CS019R vs CS020R - 89 Toyota Pickup 4WD IFS

[cfrumpp4]

This has been covered to some extent for years, however OME offers different rear leaf springs than most of what I'm finding online. I'm reopening the discussion to allow for modern takes on Old Man Emu suspension and what they offer for 89-95 toyota pickups.

1989 Toyota Pickup, Regular Cab, 4WD, 5 speed W56 manual transmission, 4.10 Gearing, 22RE Motor, 31x10.5 Tires (might move up to 32x11.5 Tires in a year w/ Re-Gearing to 4.88s).

I'm looking into Old Man Emu lift options. Can't decide between these two Rear Leaf Spring options:
CS019R (Medium Duty) or CS020R (Heavy Duty).

Truck use:
70% Daily Driver, frequently in snow on dirt or paved roads w/ 150lbs minimum constant load when Daily Driving, generally no more than 200lbs constant weight load.
30% off-road driving, mostly bumpy/rocky/whoopy trails and fire roads with occasional "gritty" trail or "send it" moment, also frequent on-road snow driving - in this scenario I'm usually carrying constant weight loads between 200-650lbs+

My current suspension is super worn out. The rear springs are always bottoming out. My torsion bars are stock and pretty worn out as well - torsion bars are pretty relaxed. Both my front fender-to-top-of-tire (31's) measures 7.5in and both my rear fender-to-top-of-tire measures 6.5in.

My main concern is I don't want the truck to have extreme rake once OME lift is installed (extreme being around 2.5in+ higher in the back than the front). Ideally the springs sit about 1in higher in the rear than the front after settling but I don't want the rear to sag when I load 600lbs into the bed. I can deal with minor stiffness when unloaded or minimally loaded (100lbs-ish). I'm worried that if I go Heavy duty (CS020R OME Springs) the truck will have a 4" rake and only settle 2inches with 700lbs in bed. I'm getting a lot of mixed feedback when searching threads for the varying outcomes of installing HD vs MD springs.I definitely don't want to crank the torsion bars up super high to level - ideally torsion bars are very relaxed for comfortable ride. I'd rather not install a Ball Joint Spacer to level the front unless it's quite minimal so I as to keep torsion bars relaxed. I would rather not do a diff drop as a result of ball joint spacer unless it's needed. I know the rear springs might have to settle over a year or so through loading weight and using them.

I'm curious how much the CS020R springs will settle vs CS019R say after a year or two of moderate use with 500lbs+.

Does anyone think If I went with the HD CS020R springs, and rode around with about 500lbs in the bed for a month, would those springs settle for about 2in of lift when unloaded?

Any input is appreciated.

 

[Explorer4Hire]

Settling springs has always been a myth to me. Maybe after years and years… I’ve always had luck with lighter spring options. I’m sure many will disagree.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

If you lift the rear then you will want/need to lift the front, something I wouldn’t do since the stock setup is so robust and dependable. Therefore I’d go with a set of aftermarket stock height leaf springs. I did that with my ‘95 Nissan hardbody 4x4 and am quite pleased with the results. This mini truck can easily handle 3/4 ton of material in the back, and it has several times, with no subsequent sagging.
I do have a ‘90 4Runner with your front suspension setup. T he rear coils sagged bu the front has not at all. Mine has the original 35 year old ball joints too, and it lives on a very bumpy, rock road in Hawaii.

 

[mesa man]

I have a 1990(fall 89’) pickup extra cab v6 and was tired of worn out stock suspension and installed OME HEAVY leafsprings with 11/2” longer shackles in rear along with shocks, torsion bars, plus 1” body lift and cranked up the torsion bars. I don’t have a diff drop yet, I run 33” tires, have a rear spartan locker and I use the s*** out of my pickup. It is a work truck the “old reliable toolbox” I live on a bumpy 4 mile dirt road and she’s stiff without a load for sure.
I haul a 200 gallon water tank that’s 1600 lbs and it levels my suspension. It definetally had rake and looked like a stink bug at times.
I installed the lift 5 years ago and it has slightly leveled, I do have weight in it regularly and here it is recently in action using it for mobile scaffolding on the job site. I love my truck for what it does for me and have no regrets.

And one in the snow a few years ago.

So you may want medium springs. Have fun!

 

[mesa man]

Oh, and this thread is worthless without pics!

 

[cfrumpp4]

I have a 1990(fall 89’) pickup extra cab v6 and was tired of worn out stock suspension and installed OME HEAVY leafsprings with 11/2” longer shackles in rear along with shocks, torsion bars, plus 1” body lift and cranked up the torsion bars. I don’t have a diff drop yet, I run 33” tires, have a rear spartan locker and I use the s*** out of my pickup. It is a work truck the “old reliable toolbox” I live on a bumpy 4 mile dirt road and she’s stiff without a load for sure.
I haul a 200 gallon water tank that’s 1600 lbs and it levels my suspension. It definetally had rake and looked like a stink bug at times.
I installed the lift 5 years ago and it has slightly leveled, I do have weight in it regularly and here it is recently in action using it for mobile scaffolding on the job site. I love my truck for what it does for me and have no regrets. And one in the snow a few years ago. So you may want medium springs. Have fun!

Dude, thank you. For the pics and great detailed info. This is exactly what I was looking for in terms of information and context.

Couple questions:
-Have you blown any CV axles or boots w/ the front body lift?
-What kind of torsion bars did you install and how do those feel cranked
-How's the overall ride quality when minimally loaded (200lbs or less) on your 4mile bumpy dirt road?
-How's the ride quality when loaded with like 700-1000lbs on the same road and/or somewhat gritty trails?

Seems like the Medium springs might be better for me, I'm just worried that if I break those in and load 1000lbs or more, it will sag and drive like s*** offroad/bumps.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

I have a 1990 Pickup like MesaMan. It has OME heavies in the rear. Shocks, torsion bars (also OME, which are beefier than stock), steering stabilizer, and so on, all new at the same time. I have a diff drop. No issues with cv joints so far. Tires are 33 with 4:88 gearing. I carry at least 500 pounds most of the time, and sometimes over 1000 hauling wood and such. I have noticed very little settling of the rear springs, if any. Ride is a bit stiff on FSRs, but carries very well over crossditches and bigger obstacles. Might be a but "pingy" if it was empty, but it almost never is, so I can't comment on that.

 

[dohcdelsol93]

I have the heavy duty springs on the back of my 87 4runner. The heavy hard top was ditched for a soft top. I have a 4x4 innovations rear tubular bumper with 285/70/17 65lbs 10 ply swing out spare.

I added 1.5" over stock rear heavy duty shackles to help the shackle angle.

Up front I have a 2 inch ball joint spacer kit

I had to remove the long leaf out of each to bring her down some. Still sits too high in the rear. After 3 plus years as a DD it never sagged or settled in like I expected it to. It's about 1.5-2 inches taller in the back vs the front. I actually don't think she's sagged or settled at all

One day I'll either SAS to level it out or have to cave and pull out another leaf which means the possibility of more/less pinion angle shimming. Or smaller shackles which again, possibility of different shimming.

 

[Explorer4Hire]

The "mediums" are probably nothing to sneeze at... keep that in mind. It doesn't mean they will fold like a wet napkin with 200 pounds in the back. The older I get the only thing I care about is tire clearance. Even if I was making a crawler, if I could fit 33s-34s under moderate load, thats what I would shoot for. I have always rode light though. My experience with the pickups is limited to an 84, 85, and 1st gen 4runner though... those are LITTLE trucks. Looks like you have gotten some good info. It would be nice to press a magic button and be able to just have the heavy springs when you need them..haha.

 

[mesa man]

Dude, thank you. For the pics and great detailed info. This is exactly what I was looking for in terms of information and context.

Couple questions:
-Have you blown any CV axles or boots w/ the front body lift?
-What kind of torsion bars did you install and how do those feel cranked
-How's the overall ride quality when minimally loaded (200lbs or less) on your 4mile bumpy dirt road?
-How's the ride quality when loaded with like 700-1000lbs on the same road and/or somewhat gritty trails?

Seems like the Medium springs might be better for me, I'm just worried that if I break those in and load 1000lbs or more, it will sag and drive like s*** offroad/bumps.

I replaced 1 cv axle in the last 3 years (125$ @ vatochrome) that the boot ripped because it was old and the steeper angle does make the ribs of the rubber boot rub a little.

The body lift is for tire clearance , does not effect the suspension.

All OME parts installed including beefier torsion bars cranked up about 1 inch.
It is stiff with no load! Rides nice and smooth loaded. It’s a truck, it’s going to be bumpy no matter, get over it.

IFS is severely limited in down travel especially with cranked torsion bars.

If you plan on working your truck HARD often, then get the heavies, sounds like from your description if you’re using it 70% as a daily driver commuting you want mediums.

Sounds like you need someone with medium springs to chime in also to see what their ride is like.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

I have the heavy duty springs on the back of my 87 4runner. The heavy hard top was ditched for a soft top. I have a 4x4 innovations rear tubular bumper with 285/70/17 65lbs 10 ply swing out spare.

I added 1.5" over stock rear heavy duty shackles to help the shackle angle.

Up front I have a 2 inch ball joint spacer kit

I had to remove the long leaf out of each to bring her down some. Still sits too high in the rear. After 3 plus years as a DD it never sagged or settled in like I expected it to. It's about 1.5-2 inches taller in the back vs the front. I actually don't think she's sagged or settled at all

One day I'll either SAS to level it out or have to cave and pull out another leaf which means the possibility of more/less pinion angle shimming. Or smaller shackles which again, possibility of different shimming.

How bad would the shackle angle be if you went back to stock? Then it'd be level with the front. That fiberglass top isn't real heavy. I had a '85 4Runner. Yes, too heavy for one guy but it can't be much over 100 lbs.
Edit: Aftermarket source for my pickup springs could have been from General Spring, I'm not sure.

 

[dohcdelsol93]

How bad would the shackle angle be if you went back to stock? Then it'd be level with the front. That fiberglass top isn't real heavy. I had a '85 4Runner. Yes, too heavy for one guy but it can't be much over 100 lbs.
Edit: Aftermarket source for my pickup springs could have been from General Spring, I'm not sure.

In stock form they were close to a 90 degree angle from the fame. The ome springs are stiff I was trying give her a little less pogo stick ride quality.

I'm not positive on the hard top weight. I had two hard tops at one time, one was drastically heavier than the other.

 

[dohcdelsol93]

Come to think of it, if I had done more research before my build I'd likely have gone with a 63" Chevy set up for comfort and more flex for those who use it for more than a daily driver

 

[cfrumpp4]

If you lift the rear then you will want/need to lift the front, something I wouldn’t do since the stock setup is so robust and dependable. Therefore I’d go with a set of aftermarket stock height leaf springs. I did that with my ‘95 Nissan hardbody 4x4 and am quite pleased with the results. This mini truck can easily handle 3/4 ton of material in the back, and it has several times, with no subsequent sagging.
I do have a ‘90 4Runner with your front suspension setup. T he rear coils sagged bu the front has not at all. Mine has the original 35 year old ball joints too, and it lives on a very bumpy, rock road in Hawaii.

You make a good point on the stock setup being reliable and sturdy. I haven't given that option as much thought as I probably should. I would heavily consider this if I could find somewhat budget friendly rear springS that was around stock ride height (or +1inch) with decent quality on road but also (mandatory) performs well on bumpy/whoopey and sometimes dirt roads with the occasional gritty trail with 700lbs in it.

At this point I've got mesa man's HD anecdotes (thank you my dude) and a guy responded on this thread regarding his MD setup. Both with enough context to deduce that I'm right between the MD and HD OME springs hahaha. Leaning toward MD. If they don't meet the needs, maybe I can add a leaf in the future?

Anyone have experience with adding a leaf to the medium CS019R OME springs?

 

[cfrumpp4]

I replaced 1 cv axle in the last 3 years (125$ @ vatochrome) that the boot ripped because it was old and the steeper angle does make the ribs of the rubber boot rub a little.

The body lift is for tire clearance , does not effect the suspension.

All OME parts installed including beefier torsion bars cranked up about 1 inch.
It is stiff with no load! Rides nice and smooth loaded. It’s a truck, it’s going to be bumpy no matter, get over it.

IFS is severely limited in down travel especially with cranked torsion bars.

If you plan on working your truck HARD often, then get the heavies, sounds like from your description if you’re using it 70% as a daily driver commuting you want mediums.

Sounds like you need someone with medium springs to chime in also to see what their ride is like.

Good to know on the CV's and good points about tire clearance. I understand I'll have to just try some parts and see what happens, just trying to get as educated as possible before wasting money.

I'm good with a bumpy ride, but this thing is GNARLY. I even cracked my camper shell in multiple places while driving on my local hot spring road (washboard with off-camber whoops and a couple cross dips) - wasn't even romping hard. I guess what I'm getting at, is that I have no baseline for what a "stiff" ride in this truck is. Bought it two years ago as a project. My brother rolled my actual rig a few weeks ago, so I'm now expediting the build on this..

Thanks for all your info Mesa Man, incredibly helpful and I appreciate it greatly. I actually got a couple responses from guys w/ MD OME Springs on Reddit (link #1 and #2 below) that provided similar metrics with time, weight, spring settle, etc. It seems like the MD's are all I need until I load my 1000lb camper w gear. At that point, it sounds like my rear will sag enough to be slightly concerning offroad but won't be absolutely detrimental. It also sounds like the HD's won't settle much, but will definitely drive really well offroad with my 1000lb camper + gear.

MD OME SPRINGS - CS019R - Link #1

MD OME SPRINGS - CS019R - Link #2

 

[aztoyman]

Leaf springs spring rate is what it is. Heavy springs for heavy loads, light springs for a cushy ride. They don't do both. Medium MIGHT be a good compromise for you. Longer springs definitely ride better than short ones. Going from my original 48" springs to 63" Chevy's made a huge difference.

Is there an air bag option for your truck? I've run them on my 06 Tacoma double cab long bed and my current full size non Toyota.

I had a fiberglass tonneau cover then went to a SnugTop shell on the Tacoma. Rode nice until I put two adults in back. Rode on the bump stops with camping gear in the bed. Air bags are great if they are an option for you. Adjust as needed.

The feedback you're getting from others with the same setup is great. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Mudder]

Come to think of it, if I had done more research before my build I'd likely have gone with a 63" Chevy set up for comfort and more flex for those who use it for more than a daily driver

I have my OME on a 84 Toyota but I’d recommend going with the mediums. After having mine since 2015 or so and how crappy of an angle my OME heavies shackles still have, I’ve been looking at the Sky’s kit for Chevy 63’s. I got the HD springs because I have a heavy flatbed on my truck that weights pretty close to 600 pounds if I’m remembering correctly. There was even a point from 2017-2023 that the truck sat with an engine on the flatbed and a bunch of random parts and the shackles are still at almost a 90 degree angle.

I also remember when I ordered my kit and selected the HD springs @cruiseroutfit called me to verify I had the right amount of weight on the truck because of people getting the HD springs and being unhappy with them due to lack of weight. I don’t see it on their new site but they used to have a weight that the OME HDs were meant for. It was something like a constant 500 lbs to the gwr of the truck.

I also would not run the OME shocks. I would get a set of Bilsteins and call it a day. The ride quality with the OME shocks was always crap. When I redid a lot of stuff in the truck I did new shocks to Bilstein 5100s and it was night and day different in ride quality.

Edited to add: if you’re fine with my stock height springs it may be worth inquiring with Alan to see how much a set of rear springs cost now a days. They’re a high quality option.

 

[cfrumpp4]

I have my OME on a 84 Toyota but I’d recommend going with the mediums. After having mine since 2015 or so and how crappy of an angle my OME heavies shackles still have, I’ve been looking at the Sky’s kit for Chevy 63’s. I got the HD springs because I have a heavy flatbed on my truck that weights pretty close to 600 pounds if I’m remembering correctly. There was even a point from 2017-2023 that the truck sat with an engine on the flatbed and a bunch of random parts and the shackles are still at almost a 90 degree angle.

I also remember when I ordered my kit and selected the HD springs @cruiseroutfit called me to verify I had the right amount of weight on the truck because of people getting the HD springs and being unhappy with them due to lack of weight. I don’t see it on their new site but they used to have a weight that the OME HDs were meant for. It was something like a constant 500 lbs to the gwr of the truck.

I also would not run the OME shocks. I would get a set of Bilsteins and call it a day. The ride quality with the OME shocks was always crap. When I redid a lot of stuff in the truck I did new shocks to Bilstein 5100s and it was night and day different in ride quality.

Edited to add: if you’re fine with my stock height springs it may be worth inquiring with Alan to see how much a set of rear springs cost now a days. They’re a high quality option.

From what I'm hearing (like what Mesa Man and others have indicated) is that the HD OME's really need a LOT of constant weight in the back to even begin to settle - which results in minimal settling after 5+ years. Probably going w/ the MD OME's but I know I'll regret it once I have 1000lbs in the bed on a gritty road and I have little sag w/ less clearance.

Interesting take on the OME shocks vs Bilsteins. I've been wondering if I could throw a pair of 5100s in front and/or rear because I had some on my old rig and they worked really well for me. Did you have a crap experience with the OME nitrocharger shocks?

I've heard of the Chevy 63 swap and it sounds like it works well but I'd rather not do any real fabrication or welding, just bolt on for now.

I think the HD OME's are rated around the 500lb constant load mark but that metric is only listed on some sources and not on ARB's site etc.

Leaf springs spring rate is what it is. Heavy springs for heavy loads, light springs for a cushy ride. They don't do both. Medium MIGHT be a good compromise for you. Longer springs definitely ride better than short ones. Going from my original 48" springs to 63" Chevy's made a huge difference.

Is there an air bag option for your truck? I've run them on my 06 Tacoma double cab long bed and my current full size non Toyota.

I had a fiberglass tonneau cover then went to a SnugTop shell on the Tacoma. Rode nice until I put two adults in back. Rode on the bump stops with camping gear in the bed. Air bags are great if they are an option for you. Adjust as needed.

The feedback you're getting from others with the same setup is great. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I haven't looked into Airbag options, but I'm sure they exist. To my knowledge airbags would help not blow out my suspension, but will not ride well when offroad or in general on bumps/dips. If I'm wrong about that assumption then please lmk.

How hard was the Chevy 63 swap? I've read great things about it. Make sense w/ the longer spring = better ride

 

[Explorer4Hire]

My next truck will be on 63s most likely if applicable. I’ve seen people with them get flex that my 85 and 86 never ever could. Plus a superior ride. I’m 47 now and ride quality does matter SOME. Haha. Jolting around sucks. Again, I’d rather sag the few times I’m super heavy than have a migraine 90% of the time. There are lots of good write ups on the 63s. People seem to love them. If you don’t want to fab then get mediums with a bit of weight or check out dobinsons. You can email them and tell them what you are after and they will recommend a spring pack.

 

[aztoyman]

The airbag kits just bolt on where your bump stops go. I've put those kits on a handful of full size trucks and my Tacoma.

The key to using them anywhere you will flex beyond the bags limit is to not bolt it to the bottom cupped base. That way it doesn't tear the bag. So its a stock type install but without the bottom bolt in the bag, it will hang from the upper mount on extreme flex and settle back into the bottom when the axle is in a more normal position. IDK if your application will flex that far??

I've seen posts of guys installing them on crawlers but I don't have any links to give you at this moment. Dave Chappelle (Dirt head Dave) of Dirt Everyday on Youtube has air bags on one or two of his rigs.

I put my first set of 63" Chevs on my IFS 88 standard cab pickup. I bought it from my buddy that had some heavier torsion bars and rear springs. I "think" they were from NW Off Road way back when. Not much lift, no BJ spacers or anything. Just 31" tires. The front suspension rode fine. The rear was like it had no springs, just solid. I think the stock spring length was only 48" so even shorter than your generation truck.

I got a used set of 4 leaf Chevy springs, made my own front hangers, Marlin Crawler rear shackle hangers, a U-bolt Flip Kit and shock mount (from Sky's I think) and made my own shackles. Cheap Rancho 5000 shocks back then. I put the springs on as received and they were a definite improvement but still a bit stiff and a bit too tall. I pulled a leaf out and they were perfect for me. I didn't carry much weight typically.