Suspension input (please) before I pull the trigger (2 Viewers)

[liv2bike]

Hey y'all. The time has come and I am close to replacing the suspension on our 200. I am going to go with an OME lift. That's for certain. My main concern centers on which coils. First, I'll describe how we use our 200 now and how we intend to use it going forward. We are an active family of six. My third row is always up and no plans to reconfigure. Our 4 kiddos love the outdoors and we spend a lot of time exploring our home state (Idaho) and the beautiful landscapes that surround us out here in the mountain west. We don't do any crazy wheeling and don't intend on anything more than forest service roads to access lakes, trailheads and dispersed campsites/primitive campgrounds. When we do camp, we typically take my pickup and this is b/c we just can't fit all of our gear, four kids and six bikes on/in the Land Cruiser. So from a weight perspective, the suspension I am leaning towards is a light setup. No plans to fit bumpers or any additional weight to the truck. At times, I will carry bikes. My rack is a Kuat which can carry up to 4 bikes. I reckon the rack with 4 bikes weighs close to 175 lbs. The rack alone is around 125 lbs. It's a stout rack.

I would like to lessen the rake, mitigate nose dive on braking and just generally tighten things up. Come spring, I plan to install 285/65/18 KO2s on a set of TRD Pro rims I recently acquired. Honestly not looking for more than a +/- 1 inch lift. I don't feel my applications necessitate much of a lift besides the reasons stated.

We have been looking at off-road teardrops trailers. If (and when) we settle on a manufacturer, the LC will drag the trailer occasionally. More often than not though, my truck will drag it.

My initial thoughts:

• Front Shocks: OME-91005 - Nitrocharger Sport Shocks
• Front Coils: 2700 Stock/Light Load +1" lift
• Rear Shocks: 61029 Nitrocharger Sport Shocks (Softer Valving)
• Rear Coils: OME 2720 Coils - Medium Load - Less .75" Lift or OME 2721 Coils- Medium Load - No Lift

I feel pretty good about the front, specifically the coils. It's the rear set-up I am concerned about. I've read different things here, searching various OME terms in the search function. For example, some say rear coils actually lift the rear closer to 2 inches? I've been studying the OME coil spring specifications chart. I'm just not that familiar with free height, number of turns etc and how that translates to actual lift. I'm not looking for a 2 inch rear lift. I'd be fine with 0.75 but really not looking for more than that. Hence why I lean towards the 2720 or 2721 coils. One question I have...what is Less 0.75" Lift? Somewhere inbetween 0.25 and 0.75? 0.5? Just trying to understand better and make sure I am going down the right road.

I've talked to Toytec. They recommend the 2722 coils to prevent the rear from sagging when loaded. But I've read that 0.75 inch lift stated by OME is more like 2 inches. I have also talked with CBI. They will actually be installing whatever I end up going with. We are in Idaho Falls, home of CBI. Only recommendation CBI had was to go with the 61030 shocks for a firmer ride. I like this idea b/c I prefer a firmer ride. However it doesn't appear that Toytec recommends pairing the 61030 rear shocks with the 2720 coils.

All this being said (sorry to be soooo long winded)...looking for some feedback from the group. You guys have taught me a lot and I look forward to learning more from y'all. Thanks in advance. I really appreciate any and all feedback.

Guy

 

[SQRRRL]

I’m running light weight suspension as well. Not OME but Tough Dog. I have a family of 5 plus a dog. I do pull an off road trailer that’s 1000lbs unloaded. That being said it works great for me. My lift is 40mm up front and 20mm rear. It does have a little rake even when fully loaded. The rear springs are #600. This may give you some kind of base line. Hope it helps.

 

[liv2bike]

Just know going in that all of OME’s stated lift results are understated. The 2721’s certainly do not have zero lift. Expect a couple inches minimum. With 5 passengers and bikes, I’d do the 2721. The 2722 is shorter but stiffer, and not progressive IIRC.

Some forward rake is healthy when unladen. Too high in front means when loaded, Rear is low...and cranking too high in front also means pot holes and drops are more harsh as you start out closer to full droop and give away available down-travel relative to normal ride height.

If it were my own rig, I’d do 2721 in rear.

Expect a bit firmer, but less bouncy & more controlled ride.

Front springs? Talk to an installer familiar with the 200. That won’t likely be CBI...

Thanks man. So I just spoke to Toytec again. I am being told rear coils...

2720 - expect between 0.5 to 0.75 inches of rear lift (stated <0.75)
2721 - Maybe 0.25 inches of rear lift (stated no lift)
2722 - expect between 0.75 to 1.25 inches of rear lift (stated +0.75)

 

[ga12r1]

Thanks man. So I just spoke to Toytec again. I am being told rear coils...

2720 - expect between 0.5 to 0.75 inches of rear lift (stated <0.75)
2721 - Maybe 0.25 inches of rear lift (stated no lift)
2722 - expect between 0.75 to 1.25 inches of rear lift (stated +0.75)

You will definitely get more than .25” out of 721s unloaded. I got closer to 2”s with 721s.

 

[ty240]

I got 2" with the 2721s

 

[liv2bike]

Dang...2" with 2721's...I am beginning to rethink this. Perhaps I should just go OEM with spacers up front. I just don't need 2" of rear lift.

 

[Markuson]

Thanks man. So I just spoke to Toytec again. I am being told rear coils...

2720 - expect between 0.5 to 0.75 inches of rear lift (stated <0.75)
2721 - Maybe 0.25 inches of rear lift (stated no lift)
2722 - expect between 0.75 to 1.25 inches of rear lift (stated +0.75)

They are way off on the 2721’s.
Makes me think they are not familiar with actual installs on the 200. Would be very surprised if you got less than 2”.

 

[bloc]

Dang...2" with 2721's...I am beginning to rethink this. Perhaps I should just go OEM with spacers up front. I just don't need 2" of rear lift.

OE Spacers alone up front and stock in back isn’t enough spring or damping for the load you are planning on. That’s the setup I have but I generally travel solo with second and third row removed, and maybe 250-300# of sliders/camping gear/tools/cooler. It sits perfectly level but you won’t like all the rear bump stop contact when you have that many people in there.

 

[hedd]

One other configuration that you might consider: helper airbags. You could run airbags in the stock coils. I have a TD lift with the light load coils. They are better at carrying weight than the stock coils but I really need a heavier spring when loaded. I also have a 4 bike tray rack with a swing and that thing is heavy and puts the bike load pretty far behind the rear axle. This, plus a fully loaded car was asking too much of the light load springs.

I installed the helper air bags which do provide some additional lift .5-1" somewhere in that range. We just recently went on a trip to the beach with the truck fully loaded, 2 adults, three kids a dog, the back loaded to the roof, roof box, pelican cases on the roof, awning, tray rack with swing, 4 bikes... I aired up the rear bags and it sat level and worked great. Once there I just aired down the bags to the desired level, aired down the tires and we used the LC on the beach for the week.

This setup worked well for me, I do have an onboard compressor which is helpful but a bike pump would also work just fine as they don't need a lot of air. Using the truck around town provides a good ride but also allows me to provide more load carrying capability when needed.

One other thing to consider. If you load the vehicle a lot you might want shocks that can handle the additional weight. I have the TD adjustable shocks which helps when weight change are made. More weight requires more dampening to control it - I can just turn the dial if more dampening is needed.

Reliability of the airbags is still TBD for me. They are used all over with good results but can't be as good as just a spring. Install was pretty easy. Good luck!

 

[liv2bike]

Thanks for all the input guys. I appreciate the feedback. I'm going to look into Tough Dog as well. Airbags are probably not in the cards but I like the idea, especially if/when the 200 is our tow vehicle.

Guy

 

[LCMemphis]

I'm closely following b/c I'm wanting to do a near identical lift for a more controlled ride and occasional towing of Mule or small fishing boat.

 

[Sac Cerevisiae]

I recently installed the OME lift. I went with 2702 front coils with the 91005 struts and the 2722 rear coils with 61029 rear shocks.
I've settled at ~2.5-2.75" of lift. I still have a bit of rake which I prefer. Ride is firmer than stock but not uncomfortable. I don't have plans for a rear tire carrier/bumper but I may do drawers sometime in the future.

You may not think that you want more than 1" of overall lift, but I bet you'll be happy with a bit more. Ingress/egress is impacted, but not by much and as long as you keep the running boards or install sliders it's not much of a problem. My 5'4" wife and 4-year old can get in just fine.

(picture before slider install)

Edit: @liv2bike give Kurt (@cruiseroutfit) and Bryce at Cruiser Outfitters a call and they can walk you through the OME options.

 

[LCMemphis]

I recently installed the OME lift. I went with 2702 front coils with the 91005 struts and the 2722 rear coils with 61029 rear shocks.
I've settled at ~2.5-2.75" of lift. I still have a bit of rake which I prefer. Ride is firmer than stock but not uncomfortable. I don't have plans for a rear tire carrier/bumper but I may do drawers sometime in the future.

You may not think that you want more than 1" of overall lift, but I bet you'll be happy with a bit more. Ingress/egress is impacted, but not by much and as long as you keep the running boards or install sliders it's not much of a problem. My 5'4" wife and 4-year old can get in just fine.

View attachment 2076346
(picture before slider install)

Edit: @liv2bike give Kurt (@cruiseroutfit) and Bryce at Cruiser Outfitters a call and they can walk you through the OME options.

Thanks for sharing. Your rig looks really nice...I like those wheels, are they 18"?

 

[Sac Cerevisiae]

Thanks for sharing. Your rig looks really nice...I like those wheels, are they 18"?

Stock Toyota aluminum 18x8J 56mm offset wheels.

 

[SQRRRL]

Dang...2" with 2721's...I am beginning to rethink this. Perhaps I should just go OEM with spacers up front. I just don't need 2" of rear lift.

I’m running light weight suspension as well. Not OME but Tough Dog. I have a family of 5 plus a dog. I do pull an off road trailer that’s 1000lbs unloaded. That being said it works great for me. My lift is 40mm up front and 20mm rear. It does have a little rake even when fully loaded. The rear springs are #600. This may give you some kind of base line. Hope it helps.

Forgot: 12.5 baby bear LRA auxiliary fuel tank as well.

 

[Tommy Dwyer]

I recently installed the OME lift. I went with 2702 front coils with the 91005 struts and the 2722 rear coils with 61029 rear shocks.
I've settled at ~2.5-2.75" of lift. I still have a bit of rake which I prefer. Ride is firmer than stock but not uncomfortable. I don't have plans for a rear tire carrier/bumper but I may do drawers sometime in the future.

You may not think that you want more than 1" of overall lift, but I bet you'll be happy with a bit more. Ingress/egress is impacted, but not by much and as long as you keep the running boards or install sliders it's not much of a problem. My 5'4" wife and 4-year old can get in just fine.

View attachment 2076346
(picture before slider install)

Edit: @liv2bike give Kurt (@cruiseroutfit) and Bryce at Cruiser Outfitters a call and they can walk you through the OME options.

I have this exact same OME package sitting in my garage, waiting on install....just have to find time to work it into the schedule.

 

[Sac Cerevisiae]

I have this exact same OME package sitting in my garage, waiting on install....just have to find time to work it into the schedule.

Do yourself a favor and purchase spring compressors. If I were do it again I’m sure I could have avoided having to loosen other suspension components. I did it by myself and I would also recommend having a friend there to help.

 

[sleeoffroad]

As mentioned on the phone yesterday, it all depends on what you want for ultimate stance and overall lift. We are normally not obsesses with absolute lift vs having a truck that works. I checked our measurements and we get about 0-1" from 2720's in the rear. I might have mentioned that we list them as 1.5" but from most trucks we get slightly less. That spring is a progressive rate spring, so when loaded it does not drop a lot. Once you have decided on the rear spring, then you chose the front based on if you want to remove some of the factory rake, vs, having the truck lifted the same to get the same amount of rake as before lift.

With the front OME spring, you are limited with how low you can go in the front. With the BP51 adjustable coil overs we can actually set it up lower than with any of the fixed springs.

 

[liv2bike]

As mentioned on the phone yesterday, it all depends on what you want for ultimate stance and overall lift. We are normally not obsesses with absolute lift vs having a truck that works. I checked our measurements and we get about 0-1" from 2720's in the rear. I might have mentioned that we list them as 1.5" but from most trucks we get slightly less. That spring is a progressive rate spring, so when loaded it does not drop a lot. Once you have decided on the rear spring, then you chose the front based on if you want to remove some of the factory rake, vs, having the truck lifted the same to get the same amount of rake as before lift.

With the front OME spring, you are limited with how low you can go in the front. With the BP51 adjustable coil overs we can actually set it up lower than with any of the fixed springs.

@sleeoffroad Thanks again Christo. I appreciate your call back yesterday and your input above. What you said makes total sense and I fully trust your professional opinion. After our conversation, I want Slee to get this done for me. I just have to process the options. While I would absolutely love to go with the BP-51 kit, it's not in my current budget. If we decide to go that route, I need to put away some more cash before I pull the trigger. It does sound like the best in terms of setting ride height and for overall ride characteristics.

Thanks again. When I am ready...I'll be circling back around and definitely calling you. Looking forward to getting this done, meeting you and visiting the shop/Golden! I also have a close friend that actually lives less than a mile from the shop. Cheers.

Guy

 

[Hammeredsole]

I wanted my 200 to be about the same as you. My goals were family vacations, loading up luggage occasionally, etc. I had absolutely no aspirations to make a dozer out of my 200. I went with 2720's and Radflo 2.5 IFP Coilovers in front. The great thing about the 2720's is not simply the lift being very mild and perfect with 285/65r18. It is the fact they are a progressive spring unlike most of the other options.

The spring rates are available from a OME chart somewhere, but in short... Their initial spring rate is only 100lbs greater than OEM rears, and they ramp up quickly to control body motion with weight in the truck. They were supple and sporty when it was just me flying down roads, but also performed flawlessly hauling about 800lbs of my belongings from DFW Texas to northern California. Even in the mountains or crazy side winds in the Mojave, I never experienced a lack of control.

The OEM front springs are 500lbs, so a 600lb front spring gave the truck perfect balance and eliminated all the wallowing and brake dive. 100lbs over stock on all corners, and huge firm shocks totally transformed the truck.

I've since sold my 200, since I didn't drive it enough and bought a 4runner to replace it for errands. Anyways, here is how it looked when I owned it. I think the guy that bought it from me lifted it 8" with a 2" body lift and put 38" super swampers on it, and also straight pipes and TRD stickers.