Suspension overhaul advice for bone stock LC100 (1 Viewer)

[slimjim]

I'm about to overhaul my 100 with suspension/wheel/tire upgrades including an OME lift and hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. I've read quite a few threads about the topic but my mechanical knowledge of suspension components is quite limited beyond the basics (struts/shocks/springs/etc). Budget is not a concern I simply want to repair/fix/replace anything that should/could be done to insure the vehicle rides well and is reliable. Any advice is appreciated!

Background info: '99 LC with factory rear locker, been in the family since new, 170k miles and well taken care of in terms of the interior/exterior/engine -- completely stock. Has seen some off-roading but nothing crazy and its spent most of its time parked over the last 10 years. Spent its entire life in SoCal so rust is not a concern. The shocks are definitely done for and the last time I had the brakes done the mechanic recommended a complete suspension overhaul. Over the last few years it has been making a grinding/rattling noise from the rear during low speed cornering (ie backing out of driveway and turning hard+acceleration). Most recently it was driven cross country (not by me) and has since developed a vibration/wobble at highway speeds (I suspect its the very old-but-not-bald tires but could be something more serious).

My shopping list so far includes the OME 1.5'' sport lift kit with all the goodies (diff drop, adjustable front control arms, torsion bars), a set of Method 316's, and some Toyo Open Country A/T III LT275/70R17 rubber to match. I'm thinking while I'm at I'll go ahead and do the CV joints as well (I haven't inspected the boots but its probably not good). What other critical items (part numbers would be greatly appreciated) should be replaced as part of a full suspension overhaul? Any specific components to replace that might help eliminate the two aforementioned issues (highway vibration/wobble and low speed rattling from the rear)?

 

[MongooseGA]

Look in to the ball joints, control arm bushings, front diff bushings, steering rack bushings, sway bar bushings and end links, trailing arm bushings.

Also grease your U-joints.

 

[Bisho]

The OME lift is generally not a favorite in the 100 community, unless you have a heavy rig. I've read the ride is fairly harsh. Do a bunch of searching on the forum - there are a bunch of options, depending on your use case. One of the best options is honestly keeping it stock. The Toyota shocks and springs are very inexpensive, and you will still have a very capable rig for off road, if that is your thing. You do not need to replace your torsion bars unless you are really front heavy. I still have the factory TBs on my built truck. You do not need to do a diff drop unless you are lifting the front more than 1.5-2" - you actually lose an inch of ground clearance with a diff drop, so its a double edge sword.

Most likely, given the age, you'll need to replace most of the rubber parts (upper/lower control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, rear upper and lower control arms and sway bar bushings). You may need upper and lower ball joints and tie rod ends, but you should be able to inspect them. You can rebuild your CV joints if the boots are torn, no need to replace them unless you ran them dry. Definitely repack your wheel bearings and check the hubs for play on the axle shafts.

 

[slimjim]

Thank you for the advice, reading up now on all these rubber bits that need to be replaced (some of this stuff looks pretty hairy!).

unless you have a heavy rig

One of my primary uses for the vehicle is to go camping in hard to reach places (nothing a stock LC couldn't handle), completely filling up the rear with heavy stuff and/or simultaneously hauling a dirt bike in a carrier on the rear hitch. I've had her sagging pretty hard in the stock configuration for those types of activities which is why I'm leaning towards beefing things up and refurbishing relevant stock components. I didn't realize the diff drop eats up ground clearance though, I need to do more reading!

 

[suprarx7nut]

Your application sounds like you need OEM shocks. The factory Toyota shocks are great - and inexpensive. The OME nitrochargers are way too firm for a non-armored 100, IMO. If you've got full bumpers and skids, then maybe it's fine. If not, no way. Rides like a "tow package" pickup with no load - AKA terrible.

Stick with OEM shocks and put the $$ towards something else. If you need occasional extra rear support, you can check out air springs. You can fill and empty those according to your load. Sagging while loaded up is annoying, but so is an overly harsh suspension when you're not carrying the heavy loads and just driving around town.

New rubber all around is always wise. Inspect all the bushings you can see and tackle the obvious ones first.

 

[excessive]

Look in to the ball joints, control arm bushings, front diff bushings, steering rack bushings, sway bar bushings and end links, trailing arm bushings.

Also grease your U-joints.

I agree with this. Before spending money on fancy wheels and tires, check all these bushings. If you've got wear here, you'll just wear out those nice new tires faster.

 

[slimjim]

Your application sounds like you need OEM shocks

I'm digging into the archives about combining OEM shocks with beefier springs, considering the enormous price difference versus after market shocks this is an attractive option If I can get the details sorted. I knew OME's were much stiffer but it sounds like they would be completely over the top for my needs except in those rare cases where I'm very heavily loaded down. The truck is generally not used except to haul people/luggage and going on adventures so some degree of stiffness could be tolerated for the enhanced capabilities but extreme firmness is not ideal either. I'll look into the airbags as well but I'm weary about going that route from a longevity standpoint. Great advice all around, replacing all these bushings is priority number one before I commit to a solution.

 

[MongooseGA]

I'm digging into the archives about combining OEM shocks with beefier springs, considering the enormous price difference versus after market shocks this is an attractive option If I can get the details sorted. I knew OME's were much stiffer but it sounds like they would be completely over the top for my needs except in those rare cases where I'm very heavily loaded down. The truck is generally not used except to haul people/luggage and going on adventures so some degree of stiffness could be tolerated for the enhanced capabilities but extreme firmness is not ideal either. I'll look into the airbags as well but I'm weary about going that route from a longevity standpoint. Great advice all around, replacing all these bushings is priority number one before I commit to a solution.

The airbags, when installed correctly, can last years and years. I only removed mine as they ultimately were more of a hinderance to articulation than they were helpful in the (rare) occasions I towed. If you do go this route, just be sure not to tee the bags together, they each need to be independent of the other so you don't multiply roll in turns (Imagine leaning to DS in a right turn, and all the air from DC bag flows to PS, pushing you over more to the DS). Also, you'll want to make sure the hole cut in the spring perch is wide enough to give the air line room to move around without rubbing or otherwise making contact with the steel.

I think you're on a good track with the OEM shocks/upgraded rear spring idea. OEM shocks are cheap and very comfy. You likely won't ever need to upgrade your torsion bars short of drastically increasing your front end weight. That said, I have a full ARM bumper, skids, and 12k winch, and I actually went back to original LC bars instead of the upgraded bars I'd been running. No ragrets, not even one letter. Rear springs can make a huge difference. You'll want to weigh out your height and weight specs before deciding. If you're planning to run cargo drawers, I'd look at a medium rate spring at the least.

 

[Nuttysquirrel]

My usage is skiing hiking rig but not serious off roading and my daily driver. I ended up just going with OEM shocks (maybe Billstein) but did beef up the rear with medium load springs since I was sagging a bit when loaded or towing a 18' boat. Had torsion springs cranked a bit to level stance and overall pretty happy by lifting vehicle just slightly and think it looks good once I switch to 17" wheels.

 

[Jfcol]

Based on my research on here, I did the OME 2865 Springs and OEM shocks. No regrets! It rides great. Sits about 1.5 inches – maybe 2 higher. cranked the torsion bars as well. Not enough to need diff drop. Good to go!

 

[PIPO]

What heavier spring can be used that maintain factory height?