Persistently rough ride (1 Viewer)

[Joshuak172]

Hey folks. First off, thanks for being a great group to bounce ideas off and for maintaining such an awesome repository of info on these trucks.

I bought a one owner 2006 LC with 124k miles and AHC from the same dealer it was originally sold at. It has been maintained there religiously every 5000 miles since it was bought new. I immediately began a baseline and have replaced the following with OEM parts:

outer tie rods
Steering rack
Front Upper control arms
Front lower control arms
Front wheel bearings
Engine mounta
Trans mount
Front and rear sway bar bushinhs
Rear upper and lower control arms

the ride was much improved but I had a persistent roughness and bucking that seemed to come from the front end and despite changing the globes and ensuring the pressures were all within spec the roughness persisted. I finally gave in and swapped the suspension for a conventional OEM setup. OEM torsion bars were not available through the vendor I chose so I used OME torsion bars which is the only non OEM part I used during any of the work I had done. Despite the suspension swap o still have a minor roughness from what seems like the front end. Could this be from the OME torsion bars? It’s a minor annoyance honesty and if I was only driving the vehicle short distances you probably wouldn’t even notice it but I have had multiple TBI’s and any longer drive when I lean my head against the headrest results in a headache. I am literally at my whits end at this point and ready to sell it and try something different because I can’t keep chasing the dragon. Is it worth swapping in OEM torsion bars as a last ditch effort?
Tires are OEM, have been road forced, and are set at proper PSI. I put on KO2s for a period of time but put the stock tires back on to eliminate that as a variable.
Thanks!

 

[jLB]

I’d suspect that the LT vs P-metric tires, probably make a bigger difference than the OME vs OE torsion bars, but if the ride is really bothering you that much, I’d probably swap out both.

Out of curiosity, what is your frame of reference for ride quality (What other current or previous vehicle(s) are your reference point?)?

 

[chuckscap]

I’d suspect that the LT vs P-metric tires, probably make a bigger difference than the OME vs OE torsion bars, but if the ride is really bothering you that much, I’d probably swap out both.

Out of curiosity, what is your frame of reference for ride quality (What other current or previous vehicle(s) are your reference point?)?

Do you have the stock shocks on, or did you replace them with OME? If you're using OME shocks they're the culprit. Switch to OEM, you'll lose nothing but the headache.

 

[hickuptruck]

Try out the el cheapo Toyota stock land cruiser shocks that are like $40 a piece. Also, the tires if they are LT factor in. And finally, try some stock Land Cruiser torsion bars and not the OME ones. OME ones are built for front bumper and winch added weight.

 

[Joshuak172]

I’d suspect that the LT vs P-metric tires, probably make a bigger difference than the OME vs OE torsion bars, but if the ride is really bothering you that much, I’d probably swap out both.

Out of curiosity, what is your frame of reference for ride quality (What other current or previous vehicle(s) are your reference point?)?

I have the p metric tires on now and will likely swap in the stock LC torsion bars.

I have and 08 tundra on 37’s with fox 2.0’s which seems to ride a bit better. My wife also has an lx470 which rides significantly better both before and after I replaced my AHC

 

[Joshuak172]

Do you have the stock shocks on, or did you replace them with OME? If you're using OME shocks they're the culprit. Switch to OEM, you'll lose nothing but the headache.

I have the stock LC shocks on now. I have heard how rough the OME shocks are.

 

[Joshuak172]

Try out the el cheapo Toyota stock land cruiser shocks that are like $40 a piece. Also, the tires if they are LT factor in. And finally, try some stock Land Cruiser torsion bars and not the OME ones. OME ones are built for front bumper and winch added weight.

I have the stock shocks and p metric tires on. Last step is to swap in the oem torsion bars, not much left that could be causing this.

 

[chuckscap]

Or you could borrow my 56 Dodge Power Wagon for a week. I'm sure your 100 series would feel pretty smooth after that lol

 

[Joshuak172]

Well, I swapped on oem torsion bars and the roughness/vibration persists. Would anyone care to comment on what’s left in the front end that could cause this?

 

[gregnash]

So first off switching from the AHC to a torsion bar setup is part of the problem. Many here will tell you that a healthy and well-tuned AHC setup is the cats meow of plush rides.
Outside of that, the hard part becomes the determination of what aspect of your ride feels "harsh/hard" and then moving from there. Valving of shocks to match springs and torsion bars to match the weight of the vehicle to match the type of roads and tires you are using all play a role into these things. This is simply NOT a linear path of how things should and should not work because everyone's "seat of the pants" feel is different.

For me, coming from a frankensuspension on my FJ60 that I cobbled together to the 1.5" OME Light/Medium lift that is now on my 100, I feel like my frankensuspension was much more plush. BUT, I did some research on things before I added the things I did on the 60 fully knowing that things were not going to be "plush". And honestly, compared to my ex's '11 4Runner SR5, they were far from it. But manageable.

With an approximately 3yr old OME suspension on my 100, I can tell you I will NEVER go OME again... the feel just isn't there for the price to performance ratio AND I already have one shock that is leaking after a handful of wheeling trips. I am currently doing my research to see what shocks I can replace my current with that will be the best ROI for my needs (80/20 on/off road).