Suspension kit arrived....

[bluecruiser]

Just received my SLee suspension (OME) suspension today. I received the diff drop, front and rear shocks (N74L's) and torsion bars. I am awaiting the coils which should be arriving soon shipped directly from manufacturer. I will be running the 866 coils in the rear. I know I will have to beef up if I get a rear bumper, but until then, this will do. I may use trim spacers depending on how the cruiser sits.

I already encountered my first roadblock on the way to installation....I bought this rig used and it seem whoever last installed the steel skidplate on the front broke 3 bolts off in the frame and crossmember. They look to be pretty well in there and rusted. I think I am going to have to drill them out an retap them. Not fun I have been Liquid Wrenching the shock bolts so hopefully they will be not to hard to remove...I hope.....

I will hopefully have some picks by Friday, and hopefully I will be attending the FJ Rocks get together in Arizona this Saturday in my freshly lifted Mall Cruiser...

I have looked over Bull's suspension write up a lot......Any other tips would be appreciated...

This forum has awesome info, Thanks again...

 

[NMuzj100]

For loosening frozen bolts nothing beats PB Blaster.
Good luck on the install.

 

[spressomon]

My '99 came from the rust coast...I had the same problem as you with rusted bolts. FYI: If your rust frozen bolts are like mine it is futile to try Easy Outing the bolts. Just drill and re-tap to the same metric size as original...and of course coat with anti-sieze

After your lift keep an eye on your cv boots for leakage around the clamps. If you catch it early you can just reclamp instead of having to pull the cv shaft assembly and either rebuilding or replacing the unit.

Have a beer or three handy when you are doing the upper rear shock mount nuts...what a major PITA!

 

[Greg B]

If you're using N74L's with 866's, you are definitely going to need spring retainers. I have the 863's on my 100 with the N74L's and the 863's are very close to unloading when fully drooped. The 866 is probably a full 2 inches shorter than the 863.

I think you will have some seriously loose springs back there. The bottoms can be retained with a "strap" of steel welded to the spring perch to hold the spring in place. On mine, I did it more as a precaution since the spring does have some pressure on it even when fully drooped. But with the 866, you're probably going to have a very loose spring at full droop.

You may also need to look at some type of retainer for the top of the spring too. Even though there is a bump stop hanging down, it might need more than that to keep the spring seated properly. You are the first one that I know of that will be running the N74L's and 866's. Please post up some pics of one of the springs at full droop. I am curious to see how this turns out.

Also, make sure you use a 1/2 inch bumpstop extension for the bumpstops mounted on the frame rails. This will keep the N74L from being compressed too far. I assume, since you're running 866's, you're also running 33's? If so, you can compress the spring enough to hit the bumpstop. Without an extension, you could bottom out your shocks, causing damage.

One last thing, I had to make a drop bracket for the brake line. I used a 2.5 inch piece of steel to drop the bracket. There was another bracket for the breather tube that I just bent down a bit to leave enough slack in the tube when the axle is at full droop.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Just received my SLee suspension (OME) suspension today. I received the diff drop, front and rear shocks (N74L's) and torsion bars. I am awaiting the coils which should be arriving soon shipped directly from manufacturer. I will be running the 866 coils in the rear. I know I will have to beef up if I get a rear bumper, but until then, this will do. I may use trim spacers depending on how the cruiser sits.

I already encountered my first roadblock on the way to installation....I bought this rig used and it seem whoever last installed the steel skidplate on the front broke 3 bolts off in the frame and crossmember. They look to be pretty well in there and rusted. I think I am going to have to drill them out an retap them. Not fun I have been Liquid Wrenching the shock bolts so hopefully they will be not to hard to remove...I hope.....

I will hopefully have some picks by Friday, and hopefully I will be attending the FJ Rocks get together in Arizona this Saturday in my freshly lifted Mall Cruiser...

I have looked over Bull's suspension write up a lot......Any other tips would be appreciated...

This forum has awesome info, Thanks again...

FJ ROCKS ARIZONA! RIGHT ON! YOU BETTER SHOW!

Hey, you couldn't change the 866 to the 863 like we discussed, huh? I think the only way those will work with the N74L is if you:
1. Retain the spring bottom.
2. Use 20mm of trim packs to keep the spring wedged into it's area. Without the packs or some sort of spacer I think those will come out. The trim packs will also put it up the 863 height.

GregB's right on in his notes and he understands all the tech (unlike me).

 

[bluecruiser]

Yeah I called SLee back regarding going to the 863 rather than the 866's but he said without a bumper the rear would be way too high and a very, very stiff ride. I did not order any trim spacers, but I will, but they will probably not be on before Saturday. Will I still be able to do that trail without them? I can retain the spring bottom with a spring retainer. I hope I didn't screw this up as far as the coil goes.....I am out of money for this stuff for now

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Yeah I called SLee back regarding going to the 863 rather than the 866's but he said without a bumper the rear would be way too high and a very, very stiff ride. I did not order any trim spacers, but I will, but they will probably not be on before Saturday. Will I still be able to do that trail without them? I can retain the spring bottom with a spring retainer. I hope I didn't screw this up as far as the coil goes.....I am out of money for this stuff for now

I have 863 on the 80 and 863J on the LX and both 80's are unloaded and without bumpers. The ride is stiff though acceptable and IMO would be easy to live with until you added a bumper.

I have not measured an 863 before and after a bumper install. If I remember what others have said about that, the height drops little when slapping on a bumper compared to before. This tells me opposite should be true...the height without a bumper isn't much greater than with. This speaking of the 863.

I think you'll lose your springs if you wheel with 866/N74L without some type of wheel spacer to fill the gap. You're not out the dough until you install those 866's. You can always swap them, though you'd be out the shipping cost ($15?) back to Slee. (Though I can't speak for him)

I hate to be negative when you're about to transform that 100 of yours. I suggest you wait, swap the springs and play it safe. You do not want to give up those N74L's. No way! I'll look for comparo pics of my 80-863-no bumper compared to my 100-863-bumper. I believe they are quite close. Within an inch?

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Here's two pics. Both are with 315 tires.

Pic 1: 863 AND 20mm trim packs. SO.....without the 20mm packers the truck would sit almost another inch LOWER.

Pic 2: 863 by itself...no trim packs.

Bumper or not....the 863 is the way to go....in my opinion. (And, it's been tested "safe")

 

[bluecruiser]

I guess I will not be there this Saturday then...I would be happy with some spacers and spring retainers, but where could I get some spacers locally?.Will an offroad shop carry a spacer that would work, or is the spacer very specific type and size? (OME or something)

Well I will call SLee today and maybe the shipping will not be too bad unless some in AZ wants the 866's and would buy them from me....

I started this thread happy about getting my lift on.....but now I guess it will be delayed...

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

I guess I will not be there this Saturday then...I would be happy with some spacers and spring retainers, but where could I get some spacers locally?.Will an offroad shop carry a spacer that would work, or is the spacer very specific type and size? (OME or something)

Well I will call SLee today and maybe the shipping will not be too bad unless some in AZ wants the 866's and would buy them from me....

I started this thread happy about getting my lift on.....but now I guess it will be delayed...

You could have Slee overnight you 4 of them? 2 10mm for each side. Will it work? Probably...though you'll be the first tester in the US to find out for sure.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Bumper or not....the 863 is the way to go....in my opinion. (And, it's been tested "safe")

The 863's will sit way high on a 100 series with no bumper. We speced the suspension based on what is on the truck and for the proper ride.

Using 863's just to gain height with no regard to the load on the truck is not wise.

Ride is subjective, but the 863's would be way to stiff for most people.

I run 866's in my truck in the rear with just a rear bumper (no tire carrier) and it sits perfect and the ride is really nice.

 

[sleeoffroad]

I guess I will not be there this Saturday then...I would be happy with some spacers and spring retainers, but where could I get some spacers locally?.Will an offroad shop carry a spacer that would work, or is the spacer very specific type and size? (OME or something)

Well I will call SLee today and maybe the shipping will not be too bad unless some in AZ wants the 866's and would buy them from me....

I started this thread happy about getting my lift on.....but now I guess it will be delayed...

Mike, don't get ahead on yourself. Install the suspension as we discussed. The unseating of the spring due to running the L shocks is just something you have to deal with. Putting packers in there is not going to change the unseating. If the spring becomes unseated, the packer will also move around. Make sure the bottom of the spring is retained, then flex the truck out and check that the spring can not come out of the cone at the top.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

The 863's will sit way high on a 100 series with no bumper. We speced the suspension based on what is on the truck and for the proper ride.

Using 863's just to gain height with no regard to the load on the truck is not wise.

Ride is subjective, but the 863's would be way to stiff for most people.

I run 866's in my truck in the rear with just a rear bumper (no tire carrier) and it sits perfect and the ride is really nice.

Sounds like excellent advice. It's the addition of the long-travel shock that is the concern.

 

[sleeoffroad]

You can not just put big springs in to match the shocks.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Mike, don't get ahead on yourself. Install the suspension as we discussed. The unseating of the spring due to running the L shocks is just something you have to deal with. Putting packers in there is not going to change the unseating. If the spring becomes unseated, the packer will also move around. Make sure the bottom of the spring is retained, then flex the truck out and check that the spring can not come out of the cone at the top.

I've been with people that had springs come unseated. Two ended up stranded because nobody could help them.

He doesn't have to "deal with unseated springs due to having L-shocks". He needs to decide WHICH he'd rather deal with:

A. Unseated 866 springs
B. A taller 863 and seated springs. He could keep a bag of something behind the 3rd row seats when he's driving around town if the stiffness bothers him. Does he "plan on a rear bumper down the road"? If so, that's another reason to 863-up now.

And your idea of pre-testing is a great one. GregB and myself just highly doubt the 866's will work based on our findings.

I know me....I'd rather be safe and relaxed and with a stiffer ride than worrying about losing a spring. Considering how we all seem to look for the "fun" and "twisty" line, I'd have to be assured a 866 would work before I'd ride with them.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

You can not just put big springs in to match the shocks.

......unless it works properly. I could live with 863 in the rear and no bumper (and have for 3 years in the 80). Someone else may not. Bluecruiser is the only one who knows.

 

[sleeoffroad]

It is a little difficult to explain everything here since there we discussed the pro's and the cons over the phone.

Fitting the 863 is not the solutions. The 866 is the right spring for this application. Mike was aware and knows how to retain the springs. If need be, it needs to be done top and bottom.

863's will yield about 4" of lift in the rear and the front can not be set up to match. So he will have a rake of about 2". That is not going to work. Plus the ride won't be nice.

The bumper issue was also discussed at that time it was not in the cards.

"Dealing with the unseated springs" is meant to be make sure they don't. Not go on the trail and figure out what to do when they fall out

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Note: I personally would do WHATEVER IT TOOK to run an N74L in the rear of my 100 no matter how it was outfitted. (At least until something better comes along)

 

[sleeoffroad]

......unless it works properly. I could live with 863 in the rear and no bumper (and have for 3 years in the 80). Someone else may not. Bluecruiser is the only one who knows.

An 80 and a 100 is not the same truck. They do not react to the springs in terms of lift the same way.

 

[sleeoffroad]

GregB and myself just highly doubt the 866's will work based on our findings.

Why would it not work if the spring is retained top and bottom? IF that is what is needed to run the coveted N74L