OME Lift Questions

[retrofive]

So pretty much decided my next real $$ will go into a lift. Reading reading and more reading left me with some questions.

I emailed Slee awhile back and no answers.

My Goal: 2.5"-3" with a level looking truck running my current tire size (285/75/16).

Future Plans that could play into my choice: Slee Front ShortBus, Sliders (prolly Hannah or Slee), rear 4x4labs. Possible winch in there along the time frame. With that in mind time frame will be ummm sometime, several years.

So with all the 850's, 863's, J's, L's, 851's, Heavy's, Med's, Casters.... Any thoughts on a good combo?

Seems most of the "OME lift kits" are about the same price med. to heavy. Pros-Cons to starting heavy without the weight? or Starting Med. and re-adjusting and adding more to lift as the weight increases?

One last element of curiousity, Springs/Shocks. Used? I see springs for sale, I see Shocks for sale.... Little skeptical of piecing a lift together from used parts with variety of miles and use on them. Am I correct in thinking this? or would they just do fine?

 

[Ebag333]

The springs are the harder part. You can use even the OEM shocks with the OME medium springs until you can upgrade.

There's lots of different options.

If you want 2.5"-3" then you'll want a medium lift, or with lots of armor heavy.

I have the OME medium lift, if that helps you any. I also have a 1" body lift on top of that. Garett has the J springs, but when you break 3" then you probably need a front DC DS and plates. (Drives the price up quite a bit.)


What sort of price range are you looking at?

 

[TOY350]

It sounds like you plan on setting your rig up close to the way mine is. I am running J's all around and L shocks with Landtank's castor correction plates. I had a bad stinkbug at first but the rear has settled over time. I actually swapped out my J's for some 863's in the rear but went back to J's and I'm glad I did. 33's work great with this setup and I could probably put in 35's without a hassle. If you don't plan on going bigger than you can do the mediums or heavies and use Slee's blue castor bushings and take care of the castor problem that way.

My advice: If you plan on running 33's and not going bigger than I would recommend the mediums or heavies and Slee bushings. If you plan on going 35's eventually I would get Slee's 4" kit. If that is too expensive than go the "J" route and you can always add spacers if needed but you will need to address castor beyond bushings: Slee plates, Landtank plates or new arms and a DC front driveline. If I had or could do it all over again and had the $$$ I would do Slee's 4" from the start since I probably have invested close to that getting mine setup properly with the "J"'s.

I wouldn't have a problem buying used if they were in decent shape, at least the springs will be broken in.

If you need/want more info then feel to bug me because I can talk all day about lifting an 80

 

[Ebag333]

My advice: If you plan on running 33's and not going bigger than I would recommend the mediums or heavies and Slee bushings. If you plan on going 35's eventually I would get Slee's 4" kit.

Medium and 1" body lift (or even J's and possibly spacers if you have a lot of armor) is *PLENTY* for 35's. I can't get hardly any more flex by going higher, only get it to rub in a different spot.

Now if you want 36's or bigger, then you either have to go higher or start cutting. (Well, you *CAN* fit 36's if you go flareless, but it's about like fitting 35's with only a medium lift, you'll have lots of rubbing and not a lot of flex.)

 

[retrofive]

Thanks guys. That helps give me a better idea.

I dont plan going to 35s for some time.

 

[sleeoffroad]

I emailed Slee awhile back and no answers.

Sorry about that. We answer all the emails we get (or at least try to). Either ended in spam by us, or our reply ended up in spam by you.

My Goal: 2.5"-3" with a level looking truck running my current tire size (285/75/16).

Future Plans that could play into my choice: Slee Front ShortBus, Sliders (prolly Hannah or Slee), rear 4x4labs. Possible winch in there along the time frame. With that in mind time frame will be ummm sometime, several years.

If you don't wan't issues, go with medium and change the springs when you have installed the heavier bumpers. Search mud for vibrtaions/caster/3" lift. That should be enough to tell you that if you don't want issues, stay conservative.

Seems most of the "OME lift kits" are about the same price med. to heavy. Pros-Cons to starting heavy without the weight? or Starting Med. and re-adjusting and adding more to lift as the weight increases?

People think heavy refers to the ride, it does not, it refers to the load carrying capacity. If you use heavy with no load, you get to much lift for the spring and ride and handling is compromised.

One last element of curiousity, Springs/Shocks. Used? I see springs for sale, I see Shocks for sale.... Little skeptical of piecing a lift together from used parts with variety of miles and use on them. Am I correct in thinking this? or would they just do fine?

Used is fine if you can find them

 

[retrofive]

THANKS Christo! Totally understand the email thing

 

[tblume]

got my mediums used from a guy in salem, nothing else yet, plan on CC bushies, OME shocks, metaltech spacers for the front and probably never bigger than the 33ish 255/85's I'm running now; (don't want to do gears, 35+" tires are spendy)
looking for a bumper but may fab something light and strong eventually, but the stink bug is in full effect already, so spacers shocks and cc bushies are first I think. I'll do all those at once when I get the coin together...

if I can swing the meeting your welcome to drive my rig to get a feel for how it drives with just springs.

 

[retrofive]

got my mediums used from a guy in salem, nothing else yet, plan on CC bushies, OME shocks, metaltech spacers for the front and probably never bigger than the 33ish 255/85's I'm running now; (don't want to do gears, 35+" tires are spendy)
looking for a bumper but may fab something light and strong eventually, but the stink bug is in full effect already, so spacers shocks and cc bushies are first I think. I'll do all those at once when I get the coin together...

if I can swing the meeting your welcome to drive my rig to get a feel for how it drives with just springs.

Nice, Thanks for the response. Hope you can make it for meeting. It'll be fun to me a lot of you face 2 face.

 

[TOY350]

J Springs Sale

If interested in J's this price might be hard to beat if they are still offering it.

 

[Ebag333]

That's a great price. J's might require lots of CC stuff tho.

 

[TOY350]

That's a great price. J's might require lots of CC stuff tho.

Yep they will. J's put me at -2* and OME bushings brought me back to 0* which is short of the 2* - 4* factory specs. Factory bushings and Landtank's plates took me to 2.4* and a much better ride. Slee bushings might get you close enough that you don't mind the feel. Gabe has to be around 0* and might be able to comment on handling. Mine felt really "darty" and I didn't like it on the freeway, wheeling and around town it was fine.

 

[Ebag333]

What I have is what I consider borderline acceptable. If it were any worse, I wouldn't be comfortable with it.

Retro: Your welcome to drive my truck anytime and see what you think.

 

[retrofive]

We'll see if he has any still avail. That is a good price.