OME Springs..install...Re-use rear "pads" (1 Viewer)

[JimDaddy]

When installing the rear OME springs, do you re-use the stock rubber upper and lower pads that sit between the lower plate (the one the shock bolts to) and between the axel and spring? You know what I mean?

these...

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I reused them. If you don't, the hole is too big and you need to make a collar of some sort.

 

[Shinichi]

I reused the ones on top of the spring, but not the bottom. I considered cutting the collar out of them and going without, but I was lazy and stuck them in.

 

[High Desert]

I used the top ones, cut the collar out of the bottom and used it as a spacer around the spring pin. All is well after couple thousand miles...(re-tourqed three times)

 

[beatdown83fj60]

Do those serve any real function other than the collar the the spring pin goes inside of? The only thing I can think is that they reduce shock to the spring pin hopefully lessening breakage but I dunno.

 

[JimDaddy]

Thats what i was thinking, I was going to just use the "collar." But, mine are pretty clean so I may as well just stick them in there. I threw it together without them, but I think I'll put them in the morning. I drove it that way to the store for beer. Ha Ha

 

[FJ60-Hokie]

I was told by MAF to leave them out. But, you guys are convincing me to put em back on.

What purpose do they really serve?

 

[Cruisergreg]

This has come up from time to time on the lists and it seems they are a vibration dampener. I reinstalled mine during the lift spring swap but they ended up in upside down. Never pulled them out and it's been well over 40K miles now. I not sure that without an OEM suspension anyone would notice a difference.

 

[beatdown83fj60]

Well if they are anything like my 94 toy pickup springs/rear axle were you will need atleast the collar to keep things tight back there because the hole in the spring perch is much larger than the spring pin itself, but the rubber pads themselves could only be for some kind of dampening whether vibration to the cab or to lower stress on the spring pin, I wouldn't mind knowing what the engineers thoughts were though.

 

[JimDaddy]

I got off the phone with Mudrak and he said he always reuses both the top and bottom. I just stuck the top half in. He said it keeps your rear axel in alignment. I don't think the bottom would be that critical, but he told me to put it back in so I'll do it later...maybe.

 

[lcwrench]

Old Man Emu sells a "center bolt spacer" basically a bushing so the spring pin fits into the large seat hole properly and does not move. If you reuse the isolator, OME sells side plates that go betwenn the lower u-bolt plate and the metal retainer so that when you tighten the u-bolts you are tightening metal to metal and the isolator is captured but not squeezed to the u-bolt torque. If you reuse the isolators but do not use the OME fitting kit you will be tightening down on old rubber instead of metal to metal, and when the rubber finally goes away you'll have a very loose rear axle. Also since you will have squeezed the rubber to the u-bolt torque they will no longer isolate anything anyway.

 

[Shinichi]

I am taking mine out and just using the collar. I want that extra 1/4" of lift, it'll look sweet!