Riding the Stink Bug....

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I was looking at the man-A-Fre website for add-A-Leafs when I came across the Level Stance suspension kits for the 80 series. Reading into the explanation (see below) made some sense, and explains why my 60 with an OME lift has that same “Stink Bug” or “Hot Rod” stance. The stance was beginning to bug me a little bit which is why I started looking into some add-a-leafs for the front end to bring it up a little bit. I can see where the added height is beneficial when you’re going to be loading the rig down. Realistically though, I use my rig as a DD, and when I do go on outings I tend to be a minimalist and carry as little as possible so I would prefer to have my rig evened out…..or closer to it.

This ring true? Do you Aussie’s Stink Bug your rigs?:)

Can anyone offer some do’s, don’ts, or look out for’s for adding leafs to the front end? I’m going to be doing the clutch in my rig soon and I’m thinking that would be a good time to tackle this if I decide to go ahead with it.

Thanks,
MT

"Old Man Emu is reknowned for engineering and manufacturing the best all around suspension systems available for Land Cruisers and you will get no argument from us. There is however a slight problem when a suspension that has been engineered for Australians and their type of long range off roading is fitted to an 80 series here in the USA. Australians will deck out their rigs with high capacity fuel tanks, roller drawer storage systems, Kaymar tow bumpers with dual spares, cargo barriers, water bladder or tank, a roof rack, ARB Bull Bar, a hand winch and enough spares to rebuild most of the vehicle. Then when they go on a trip they add their 12volt fridge, about a ton of gear and of course beverages (this is about as important as fuel capacity to an Aussie). What this means is quite simple, Australians tend to load their vehicle to a level most Americans cannot comprehend. Because of this loading, Australian suspensions tend to sit noticeably “butt high” when not loaded (also known as the Stink Bug look). Although this is not detrimental and if you do happen to load your rig like an Aussie it is a wonderful thing, most USA 80 series owners are not thrilled with this look."
 
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Just say screw it, throw some 33's on the back, and some gold spoke lowrider wheels on the front! :D

Get a mariachi horn, and cruise the strip. :flipoff2:

No, but seriously, you have to ask yourself if you're looking for height, or towing/load-carrying capability. Trade-offs to both.
 
The rear shackles are slightly longer than the fronts. You could purchase longer front shackles, or make yourself a nice drawer system in the back. The drawers I had in there before I sold her to you were about 100lbs. empty plus the weight of the tools and she leveled out quite nicely. Other than that, you would have to dearch the rear springs or add-a-leaf to the fronts. Just so you know, OME designed it with the fact that most people carry on avg. 100-200lbs. in the cargo area of their trucks. You should have a medium setup. Hope she's still running well for ya.

-R
 
You can also take out one of the big leafs.. I thing they might be double but you will regret it if you load it up as you'll have a bull-dog...
I did that on mine and put it back in.
 
I had a slight stink bug look, but resolved it by swapping the front and rear shackles around as they are different lengths. effectively raising the front and lowering the rear at the same time. These were standard ome 6 leaf fronts and 8 leave rears (including 2 load leaves in the rear)

I do agree it looks s*** when it's arse high. Personally i'd prefer the rear to sit lower than the front.
 
The rear shackles are slightly longer than the fronts. You could purchase longer front shackles, or make yourself a nice drawer system in the back. The drawers I had in there before I sold her to you were about 100lbs. empty plus the weight of the tools and she leveled out quite nicely. Other than that, you would have to dearch the rear springs or add-a-leaf to the fronts. Just so you know, OME designed it with the fact that most people carry on avg. 100-200lbs. in the cargo area of their trucks. You should have a medium setup. Hope she's still running well for ya.

-R


Still running strong. The alternator just went out but I've got another one on order. I forgot about the drawer system you had in her. I need to find that thread again.

If I decided to do anything, I would add leafs to the front and leave the rear alone. I see no reason the lower the rear and also lose some load capacity...good to have if I ever need it. I think I would rather gain height in the front to even it out....or get it closer to even.

Thanks all.

W.
 
One more thing to note is that it'll settle a bit just through normal use, as the springs break in. I'd drive it for a while before making any mechanical changes. Also, wait until your rig is built the way you want it - if you put in a rear bumper, it'll affect the ride height difference, etc. etc. That said, I don't know when you made your change and what your plans are.
 

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