I think I will just spring for the OME kit. I have the $$ saved up, and I really need new bushings, damper, etc, so I figure I might as well just do the whole thing.
Now, heavy or medium?
Is the truck going to look goofy with 31's and a heavy kit? I have nearly new tires and don't want to change to keep the good look I have going.
I am assuming I will need longer brake lines, and will go ahead and upgrade to Stainless steel.
Can someone please explain the sway bar issue?
What about the shims? I don't get it?
I was planning on doing the job myself, should I have it done? I have decent wrench skills....the front axle overhaul was not difficult....
The install isn't too hard. I have done three and I have some opinons about stuff that you will encounter. First, the OME bushings are excellent. Energy suspension bushings are good too and less expensive, but probably not quite on par with he OMEs. Either one of them will make popping noises after getting wet if you don't grease them. So you can buy greasable shackles or live with it. I live with it. I have a set of heavy springs all the way around and I like them, still light years ahead of the stockers in ride quality and they will support a good load. I have had 1700 pounds of cement mix in the back of my wagon without problems, and they will still flex like crazy off road. I tossed my stabilizer as it hinders articulation. Others may have a different opinion, but I don't miss it. Shackles. Where to start? If you keep your stock shackles in the rear, they will invert, at least mine did, it's not fun. The arch of the spring is so deep, that the shackle went forward instead of backward when the suspension re-loaded. I lengthened them a bit and that solved the problem. Later on, and this is getting into some minor fabricating and isn't something you need to do but I found it benneficial, I moved the shackle mounts inboard about two inches and went with a six-inch shackle. This gives optimum shackle angle, better ride quality and more articulation overall, especially in the axle drop dept. You will find on the rear spring, that Toyota has wraped the spring with some rubber dampener and a steel shell around that. I, and most others people as well, just toss that. It does have a pilot on the top of it that locates the axle and spring together in the right spot. Getting rid of it leaves you with the pin in the middle of the spring that is about 3/8" or so, and a locater hole on the spring pad of the axle that is more like 3/4". You can purchase a bushing or do as I did and make your own out of a nut by drilling the I.D. to fit on the pin and grinding the corners off to fit into the hole under the spring pad on the axle. Make sure that it does not hang down too far, that will make it impossible to bolt the spring and axle together. I had a horrible time getting the pins out of the fixed end of the springs. The other two rigs I did came right out. Mine I had to cut using a circular saw with an abrasive blade for steel cutting. After that, I drilled it all out and used a 3/4" bolt with a nylock nut and never touced it again. Hopefully yours will come out without a fight. As far as shims go, after installing the front springs and likely some longer shackles, you will have tipped the whole assembly forwards a couple of degrees. This is called positive caster. You can correct that with shims between the axle and the spring with the fat end forward. This is negative caster, getting you back to where you started. Land Cruisers need some positive caster or you will experience a death shake that will scare you silly, so don't over do the shim, about two degress is fine. A good aftermarket steering stabilizer placed between the axle housing and the tie rod is very helpful, my rig can't be driven without one. The stocker is for decoration more than function. Brake lines. On the rear, I was able to bend the bracket on the axle to which the soft line is mounted to achieve the needed length. Eventually, I had to extend them both as I'm not spring over axle. I don't recall when I had to lengthen the front, just watch it. Any parts guy worth his salt (a guy like that will not usually be found at a Checker Auto) can sell you a brake line that will fit inbetween your hard line on the axle and the existing soft line coming down from the frame, or sell you a single, longer hose. I attached a light spring to mine to hold it up and out of the way when the axle is in it's static or compressed position. Shocks are a matter of personal preferrence but I will tell you this; on more than one occasion I have found the refference material that dealers use to be inaccurate with regaurds to shock application and Land Cruisers. I would highly reccomend that you do some careful measuring to determine the needed compressed and extended dimensions you will need or you stand a good chance of getting something that is too short or too long. The OME shocks are great but a tad spendy. I loved the Skyjacker Softride Nitros more than anything else I tried except Bilsteins, (but that is another story in itself). Again, MEASURE CAREFULLY! Do not trust the refference material unless it is OME, but even then I'd still measure. There is no point in having springs that articulate like crazy and shocks that won't let them.
....and yes keep the front sway bar but honestly on the rear i do not notice a difference without it
