Operation AHC to OME conversion is about to be underway (1 Viewer)

[jbyrd78]

Alright fellow Hundy & Luxer's. It look's like the weather in my area is going to be somewhat to my advantage for the next week. So I have decided that next weekend I am going to install my Old Man Emu Suspension kit that I purchased from MetalTech. I've been combing the plethora of knowledge available on this forum, and watching the YouTube video's posted by "BeginnersLuckGarage & OTRAMM" like a crackhead, combing the carpet for something to put in the pipe. My confidence level is good enough to where I feel my neighbor and I can tackle this over the weekend. I will be picking up some tools from Harbor Freight today, and I plan to put her up on jack stands either tonight or tomorrow and start spraying all critical points with penatrating oil 2 times a day until I begin the work next weekend. Here is my thinking out loud.

-Jackstand...what ton/ lbs will I be fine with?
- PB Blaster, or Deep Creep?
- Old Man Emu Suspension Kit w/ OME-860 Medium Load 2" Lift Springs. I have Nitto Ridge Grapplers 275/65/18 tires installed and I plan to keep the front height suspension between 19.5"-21" inches from the center of the wheel hub to fender. Will I need SLEE's Differential Drop Kit?
Toyota Cover Console box
- Pittsburg 8pc Offset Box Wrench set (Harbor Freight)
-Pittsburg 1/4", 3/8" long reach dual flex head ratchet (Harbor Freight)
- 30mm socket
-Brass hammer
-Carbide drill bit for front shocks
-Anti sieze
-Brake grease
-Coveralls & knee pads
-A Classic Rock playlist from hell

If I missed anything, or any of you fellas want to chime in to help make things go alot smoother, I would truly appreciate it.

 

[OwnerCS]

Thanks for sharing. Roughly how much does a conversion like this cost?

 

[jbyrd78]

For the complete Old Man Emu Suspension kit it was $962 w/ free shipping. That includes:
-All 4 shocks w/ bushings and washers
- 2 Torsion bars
- 2 springs in either 1.5 inch or 2 inch lift form.

 

[OwnerCS]

Nice deal. That is less than the cost of a new AHC pump.

 

[jbyrd78]

Nice deal. That is less than the cost of a new AHC pump.

View attachment 2212895

All 4 globes sell for around $1k

 

[ry303]

I did this last summer. Lots of work but I'm glad its done!

I would get one or two of the cheap tarps from Harbor Freight. Put that down on your garage floor or driveway. That AHC fluid stinks, gets everywhere, and is beyond slippery - especially when wet. (Isn't that a song?? LOL) So when you've made a big mess, roll it up and throw it away. Done!

If you are going to remove the globes and pump I would get a big pry bar to help get them off. The top bolts on the top of the frame rail didn't budge for me, so I broke the globes and pump off with a pry bar.

I used a sawzall to cut the shocks out - mine were super rusty. YMMV though. But cutting them out made it a <5 minute job.

A good playlist, beer/beverage, and a friend to help - and you're set!

 

[l3n0x]

I did mine on a proper lift, and would say against doing it on jack stands. Your life is worth a lot more than taking the risk of pulling the car onto your chest while wrestling the suspension components. Also makes access a lot easier.
My two biggest issues were
1, had to cut out all 4 shocks. I had an angle grider, but that wasn’t big enough (a too large disc would then hit the chassis), so after strungling for 3hrs, I went and bought a sawzall and cut it out 5min/shock.
2, The anchors and adjusters were rusted to the old TBars. It needed a lot of hammering & heat to get them off. If these were never off, it’s safer and easier to buy new ones IF you have rust. Especially the anchors (front) are problematic, because water can enter from the back and the front side of them both.

Once again: safety first! It’s no game.

 

[jbyrd78]

I did this last summer. Lots of work but I'm glad its done!

I would get one or two of the cheap tarps from Harbor Freight. Put that down on your garage floor or driveway. That AHC fluid stinks, gets everywhere, and is beyond slippery - especially when wet. (Isn't that a song?? LOL) So when you've made a big mess, roll it up and throw it away. Done!

If you are going to remove the globes and pump I would get a big pry bar to help get them off. The top bolts on the top of the frame rail didn't budge for me, so I broke the globes and pump off with a pry bar.

I used a sawzall to cut the shocks out - mine were super rusty. YMMV though. But cutting them out made it a <5 minute job.

A good playlist, beer/beverage, and a friend to help - and you're set!

Thanks for your post, and the helpful tips you mentioned. As of now, I am not going to remove anything except the shocks, springs, and T-bars. My front passenger side shock had leak into, so all the AHC fluid leaked out. All I'm gonna do is bleed the remaining amount from the globes, unhook everything. When it gets warmer out, I may get back under there and remove the globes and accumulator, and see if I can sell all that stuff to recoup some $$$.

Since you mentioned rust, how was getting the T-bars out? Did you have any issues getting the bolt out, and the bar free from the anchor, and key end? If you have anymore knowledge you could send my way, I'm all ears.

 

[ton504]

Bolt cutters. Way easier to remove the ahc hard lines in small sections.

 

[ry303]

While my shocks and ahc stuff was super rusty and crusty my tbars and that hardware was good. I did soak them with pb blaster before just in case. It'll depend on how bad yours are rusted. There is an awesome post for tbars etc

For those with torsion bar questions

Torsion bars 101 FOR NON AHC VEHICLES First some terms so the search function picks this up: - help with torsion bars - how to adjust torsion bars - reindex torsion bars This all went in Amy's thread but I thought those who weren't subscribes may like to see it. Ok lets try get to the...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[yukon]

Go find some AeroKroil. Fastenal and sometimes NAPA has it, think PB blaster, but actually works, and smells really nice.

Flex head 12mm ratcheting wrench is a must, the fluidd is kinda weird, and seems to dry up by itself instead of leaving stains like oil, which is nice because it will get EVERYWHERE. A way to but hard lines is nice, think a huge pair of wire cutters.

 

[l3n0x]

I did my hard lines with a dremel (with a small dremel metal cutoff wheel)

 

[NolaNomad]

I did my hard lines with a dremel (with a small dremel metal cutoff wheel)

Would a sawsall work?

 

[MongooseGA]

Whatever you do, DO NOT start going crazy cutting AHC lines that you haven't specifically traced to the AHC. Some of the hard lines run very close and look very similar to brake lines.

 

[l3n0x]

Would a sawsall work?

I don’t think so. There is little space & precision is needed

 

[jbyrd78]

Whatever you do, DO NOT start going crazy cutting AHC lines that you haven't specifically traced to the AHC. Some of the hard lines run very close and look very similar to brake lines.

Thank's for the heads up. As of right now, I don't have any plans to cut anything out, other than the top of the shocks off if need be. When it gets warmer out, I plan on getting back under there and removing all the AHC components and whatever else I can so I can try and sell it to recoup some of the cash I spent to get this OME kit.

 

[jbyrd78]

Go find some AeroKroil. Fastenal and sometimes NAPA has it, think PB blaster, but actually works, and smells really nice.

Flex head 12mm ratcheting wrench is a must, the fluidd is kinda weird, and seems to dry up by itself instead of leaving stains like oil, which is nice because it will get EVERYWHERE. A way to but hard lines is nice, think a huge pair of wire cutters.

AeroKroul it is. Yeah, the AHC fluid is nasty stuff. I just got done cleaning it up off the floor in my garage. When the weather gets warm, I'm going to soap and power wash the garage floor.

 

[jbyrd78]

So since I'm not going to be lifting my Lux, will I need the SLEE Differential drop kit? Or is that just strictly for higher than normal lifts, and offroading?

 

[Leandro]

I'll add a few more items missing in your list based on your location
* get a sawsall
* get a sawsall
* get a sawsall
* get a sawsall
* get a sawsall

Torsion bars can be a real pain to remove after many years of corrosion. I had to cut them off, then put the bracket that goes into the LCA in a block of wood and hit it with a 10lb mallet for about 15 minutes (each torsion bar) to get them out of the bracket. Thankfully, the part that goes towards the back with the adjuster bolt came out much "easier" about 30 minutes of pounding on each.

 

[AlpineAccess]

On my LC the rear shock top nut takes an odd size socket. 22mm if I remember right.

If you have even surface rust underneath I would spray all of the bolts you're loosening a few days on advance with penetrating oil. Then again 24 hrs prior and then again before starting the job. Make sure to hit the torsion bar adjusting nuts liberally and the lca mounts.

I use 6 ton Jack stands because they are bigger. Whatever you decide to use, Flip the removed wheels/tires and slide them under the trans cross member or frame rails. You can stack some wood blocks on top to fill in space.

You're going to need a sawzall and some bimetal blades. Don't start the job without one. My LC is completely rustless and the oem shocks had 60k on them, still had to be cut out.

You might want to examine and do sway bar bushings at the same time. You'll be disconnecting everything anyways and these are usually dried out and cracking.

Antiseize is very underrated. Get a bottle and put some on the torsion bar splines and a very small amount on the torsion bar adjusting nut.

You'll want some kind of paint pen for indexing the torsion bars.

You might end up wanting a diff drop if you get some minor vibes, but it's unlikely you will need one now and under 21". You're not pulling anything for the lift kit that makes swapping the diff drop any easier. It's a totally separate job.