OME flex pics please!!!!!

[chicago]

I'm gonna throw in my .02 about why I never ended up going SOA. With the height you end up losing a lot of usefulness off the trail. It's a pain loading/unloading a rig that high, especially with kids, dogs, stuff from Home Depot etc. A little tune-up requires a step ladder (and good balance). If the truck is for mostly trail then a SOA is the way to go but if you want something that's still user-friendly around town you might want to think hard.

CruiserGreg,
this is a good point you bring up, and I can see your concern in that situation.
Im pretty lucky in that, my cruiser IS A TOY and thus, has become my hobby! It is really a blank canvas, that I can do anything to it, and it wont effect my living situation cuz its not my DD.
The only real danger is the potential it has to BANKRUPT me . Ive got a list of fun stuff that I want to do, and its all pretty "big ticket" stuff. It is an EXPENSIVE hobby this cruiser/ off road stuff.
I donno, the more I research it, the more Im leaning towards the SO.
It'd be pretty unstopable with 35's and lockers!


Chicago

 

[chicago]

Tapage,
The links wouldnt open on my computer for some reason...
I think I saw the vids when you posted em about a month or so ago. Its quite a burly rig you have there. Im diggin it.

Chicago

 

[olem60]

Here is my rig!

1984 HJ60 turbo diesel
Spoa whith orginal flat springs
38"x15.5x15 MTZ


Ole J,
Norway

wisit my garage

http://nlck.no/forum/viewtopic.php?t=355

 

[calfj60]

That is a nice looking truck.....liked your 70 seriesd also...wish we got those in the states...

 

[DBS311]

Rockrawler, when I was OME I was running extended brake lines from Man-a-Fre. IMO they are worth it because I was never close to stretching them at max articulation and now that I am SO, they are absolutely necessary. Still running sway bars front and rear. When I was OME, I used the links that came with the kit and now that I am SO, I had to have custom ones fabbed up. With OME I was running 33x10.50's on 15x8 wheels with 3.5" backspacing.

Chicago, it is nice running 35's-37's with lockers and at times it makes you feel unstopable, but never underestimate what an OME wagon with 33's and lockers can do. It will do more and go a lot further than people think. In my experience, being SOA just makes the obstacles a little easier and sometimes this can lead to trouble, especially if you think you don't need to pick a line!

 

[rove_mcanus]

Question: For the guys actually running & getting flex from the OME setup...

Are you using stock brake lines or extended ones?
If extended, whose & do they work?
Are you still running sway bars front and rear?
Extended links?
Disconnects & if so from where?
What tire size & wheel size/backspacing?
Would you do it again or what regrets/down sides does the system have?

I found the stock brake lines just reach. the front is fine, but the rear is really pushing it. THough i haven't popped a line yet, it would be peace of mind to put longer ones in (that's no swaybars) The breaethers were the ones that didn't reach. but you should already have extended breathers...

overall it's a vast improvement on stock springs, but i still feel it's a bit stiff. I'm not sure what leaves i ended up with (heavy, light etc) but the rear packs are 7 leaves. I'm thinking of pulling one leaf from the back packs. That's with an unloaded truck though. when i put a trailer on it smooths out more.

 

[Rockrawler]

I called ARB and ordered my kit today, light front and medium rear, and ran the setup my buddy there recommended (and runs on his 60 just featured in Toy Trails) with rear shackles at both ends to get the front up a bit, and the "B" rear springs on both sides to drop the rear a hair, thus leveling the rig when done. I'll start my own thread when the install begins and document everything, but will be using extended brake lines and breathers, and fabricating extended sway bar links with disconnects.

 

[CSA]

I called ARB and ordered my kit today, light front and medium rear, and ran the setup my buddy there recommended (and runs on his 60 just featured in Toy Trails) with rear shackles at both ends to get the front up a bit, and the "B" rear springs on both sides to drop the rear a hair, thus leveling the rig when done. I'll start my own thread when the install begins and document everything, but will be using extended brake lines and breathers, and fabricating extended sway bar links with disconnects.

Call them back and order heavies for the front. You will thank me later. The auto tranny and EFI of the 62 adds about 245 pounds to the weight of a 62 over a 60, most of which is located on the front half of the truck. I started with lights in the front, too, but ultimately had to add a leaf in each of the front spring packs to turn my light fronts into heavies.

 

[89s rule]

I agree with CSA. Have never heard anyone get the light fronts and been happy after a few years. (Although you can pay even more to get the springs to upgrade them to a higher load handleing.)

Rockcrawler. No matter what remember to search on here b/f placing an order anywhere.

 

[chicago]

Chicago, it is nice running 35's-37's with lockers and at times it makes you feel unstopable, but never underestimate what an OME wagon with 33's and lockers can do. It will do more and go a lot further than people think. In my experience, being SOA just makes the obstacles a little easier and sometimes this can lead to trouble, especially if you think you don't need to pick a line![/quote]

I hear you there boss,
I have a 2.5 in shackle right now, no locker and 32 x 11.5's and the rig is a MONSTER! Ill look at an obstacle and say to my self..."there's NO WAY I can make that" I check it out for a while...try it...an make it with NO PROBLEMS! I have my doubts at times, but the cruiser ALWAYS makes me eat my words! Its never disappointed me yet.
I could keep it the same and be happy...but Ive just got that ITCH that just HAS to be scratched, YA KNOW!?
If you havent already...check out my write up on "events and trail runs" titled BLOTCH 2006. It was the death valley trip I went on a couple of weeks ago. That was my first REAL off roading I did with the rig and it impressed the hell out of me and everyone else there.

Chicago

 

[Rockrawler]

I agree with CSA. Have never heard anyone get the light fronts and been happy after a few years. (Although you can pay even more to get the springs to upgrade them to a higher load handleing.)

Rockcrawler. No matter what remember to search on here b/f placing an order anywhere.

My plan was to run the lights because the I'm not currently going to have a winch or aftermarket bumper for a while until my rockcrawling rig is done, then this would get stage 2 of the build and the bumpers,double batteries, etc were added on & extra leafs added for the weight. In the meantime I wanted a comfortable ride for the wife (Its her Cruiser) and not the bouncier ride of the heavier rated springs. I have been doing quite a bit of reading & talked to my buddy at ARB who made the recommendation of what I ordered, but then again, he has a 60 and I didnt know about the 62 supposedly weighing more because for the EFI & Auto Trans... it really weighs that much more than a manual/carbed rig?

 

[sandcruiser]

Another OME flex pic.... in the hills of Honduras. Note: the truck was VERY heavily loaded with all sorts of (mostly unnecessary) junk (2 spares, heavy rear bumper, rooftop tent, 2 people, clothes for a year, fridge, scuba gear, tools, 10 gal water and and and... I think that our overall weight at that point was just a hair over 6,000 lbs.
Notice how the front 31 stuffs way up into the wheel well. Now, I'm not calling anyone a liar, but I just don't see how a 33x12.50 could stuff up in like that without rubbing.

 

[Tapage]

Tapage,
The links wouldnt open on my computer for some reason...
I think I saw the vids when you posted em about a month or so ago. Its quite a burly rig you have there. Im diggin it.

Chicago

thanks ...

maybe yes .. those are one moth ago videos ..

 

[gulp3000]

Here's a couple pics of my BDS springs flexing...(or not flexing). It's doesn't flex that great, but at least it rides fairly rough.

To be fair, they are apparently very early versions and may not represent current BDS offerings. When fully stuffed, my 33s rub a bit.