Suspension system for FJ62

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chris0222

chris0222

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Sep 10, 2005
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Location
Sumner, WA
I have an 89 fJ62. I bought the truck about a year ago and it already had OME regular duty springs. This is the first LC I have owned so I am still learning, any help would be greatly appreciated. The springs are about 7 years old. The ride is prety bouncy and the spring packs shift arround corners making a clunk.

I am trying to decide what suspension system to replace it with. My wife drives the truck most of the time and it does not go off road. The lift I have now is 2 1/2" and I dont want to stay at about that. I would like to get the best possible ride on the road. There are a lot of systems out there but if cost was not an issue what would be the best system for this application? Does anyone do a coil spring conversion? On other 4X4's I have (ones I actualy take off road) I usually run Bilstein 5100 shocks but no one seems to use them for Toyota's. These shocks are great on and off road. Does anyone use these on there FJ60,62?

Thanks for any help.
 
Ever considered Parabolics?

I think I have decided to go that route when it comes time to do my suspension.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=15726

Price is reasonable and performance/ride/articulation seems really good. Probably get a bit more articulation than semi-ellipticals and a better ride. Lots will tell you that parabolics aren't the greatest for heavy duty usage, like for an expedition vehicle, but I think that has been fairly debunked.

Coilovers? Anything is possible if you have the money. I'm not 100% certain, but I think that would be a custom fabrication job. I've seen pictures where it was done on a 60, but it wasn't a kit. :)


Fred
 
There are a few businesses in Australia that modify the leaf springs with coils. They remove most of the leaves and then fit a coil spring on top of the remaining leaf/leaves. I have spoken to one fella that had his 60 series converted and he was really happy with the comfort. He stated that it now rides like a modern family car.
Aussie Links:
www.outbacksuspension.com.au
Freds 4WDConversions Pty Ltd (no website, but does sell kits).

To save money your existing springs may be able to be re-used. Re-set the height (if necessary), grease between leaves, greasable pins and shackles, and new neoprene bushes. A blacksmith could disassemble the springs and reset, maybe remove some leaves (to make ride softer) and tighten the spring clamps.
Good quality springs can be re-used, so long as they're not badly worn.

Rodd

PS also good quality shockies, and make sure that your sway bar/s have good rubbers, and aren't bent or damaged.
 
So what's wrong with the OME springs that are on it?

Unless the OME has about 150k + miles on it why would it need replacing? IF the OME is sacked out what does that say for the life of the product?
 
That seems like a great kit. It sounds like you could order it direct but shipping must me a lot. Also what if you had a problem with it.

Has anyone had this system on for a while? If so what do you think of it now? How does it ride on the street?
 
I just dont like the OME springs. They are very bouncy on the street and the sprig packs shift making a clunk sound. It does ride prety good on very rough rods though.
 
What shocks are you running with the OME springs? Do you have greasable shackles? These are major factors in assessing suspension performance.

M
 
chris0222 said:
I have OME shocks with greasable shackles.
Click to expand...

If they are not sagging ,I would rebuild those packs with new U bolts and bushes to fix the clunk.

Its the shock absorbers job to take the bounciness away and if they are 7 yo then they will be worn out.
I would do that 1st and see if it makes a difference.
You will need new shocks if you get new suspension anyway.

OME are the premier suspension company and Im sure you will get offers to 'dispose" of them for you if you dont want them:D
 
Put new OME shocks on and the bounce will go away. Be sure you've diagnosed the clunk source correctly. Get down in front of the truck and have someone turn it lock to lock. Pay close attention to your drag link. If it has not been lubricated properly, it'll make a clunk, will wear excessively and become loose. This is DANGEROUS.

Bill
 
beaufort-fj60 said:
take off the OME and put on some OEM.
Click to expand...


This is it.

If you do not want any lift, or added load-carrying capability, new OEM suspension is the way to go.

I've driven and installed a few entire new OEM suspension systems, and it is the cat's meow for street. (Before a coil conversion, etc)

Look for Cdan in the vendors corner, he is a Parts Manager at a Toyota dealership, and will get you the best price possible on those parts, plus he is a Land Cruiser junkie himself.

Keep in mind what others have said, with new shocks, some other small parts, and some labor, you could have that OME suspension riding much better than it does now.
 
what rosco said. Rebuild the OME suspension with new bushings and U-bolts and go for the Bilstein shocks - they are a great choice for on road driving. Put a little grease or sheets of UHMWP between the leaves when you reassemble and you won't get a clunk.
 
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Sounds like your OME setup is not what you want whether it is working or not. based on what you have said I would agree with a few above and look into stock height springs and shocks and go with some after market springs NOT dealer oem. they'll cost a bundle. YOu'll save by calling one of the vendors on the board and talking about your options. Also you shoudl definately SELL you OME setup with a disclaimer that you heard those noises and what you're problems were. If you post it on this site someone will definately buy it. You might make a few hunderd dollars on a complete used system.
 
OME offers 3 different rate front shocks for the 60(light, med, firm), and 6 different shocks for the rear, 3 for pre 1986 60's, and 3 for post 1986, also in the light, medium, firm variations. if you have the OME-110's up front they would be a 5 leaf pack and are the lightest rate ft offered by OME, if you have a 6 leaf pack they are the heavy version 11's, and taking out the 3 leaf from the top will lighten them up. On the rear the OME 221's which are listed as their "light load" offering are actually the harshest riding as they are not a dual stage spring and have an 8 leaf pack. Since changing to "DAKKAR" OME no longers offers a single stage rear like this for the 60. If you have a dual stage rear pack (OME-113) with a 6 leaf main pack, and 2 flat load leafs, this is a better riding spring, but you can still remove the 3rd leaf from the top and lighten this unit up some, and help cure the "stickbug" look while doing so.
 
FJ62's are going to be bouncy and stiff no matter what (compared to newer cars); and that's part of their charm. If money was a concern, I'd keep the springs (which will be your biggest expense no matter what), as they're probably not worn yet. OME's are pretty great and sturdy. You can fix the clunk on your own, as outlined above.

Consider buying OEM Toyota shocks if you want to lessen the ride's harshness for not much cash. They're a bargain and they drive really well. C-Dan sells all four for under 100 dollars (this is what I was using before I went to Old Man Emu, in fact).

If ride comfort is your biggest concern, I'd almost consider replacing the primitive front seats before replacing the springs. A good, newer seat can be had for much less than all new leaf springs, they'll improve the ride and you might even get things like power seats and heat in your Cruiser. You'll have to fabricate (or have someone else fabricate) the seat brackets, but you'll still be spending less for those and two seats than any decent springs. And your ride will improve dramatically.

Around here (Seattle), Bilstein's are a pretty common companion to Alcan leaf springs. If none of the above works for you, consider Alcans... they can custom make springs to your application.

Before you go tearing into things and spending serious cash, I'd suggest you try the OEM Toyota shocks. It's a minor investment and you can swap them in an afternoon. And before you do anything, make some friends in your neck of the woods with 60 series rigs, hitch a ride, and see how their cars compare. It's a lot cheaper, and easier, than trying out all sorts of setups on your own and you'll learn a lot about your FJ62s quirks by seeing which ones exist on other Cruisers (and which don't!).
 
Lots of great info posted above, prolly covering 99% of what you need to decide what to do, so I can only add a little...
1. Greasing between the leafs works, and is virtually free.
2. Count the number of leafs in the front and rear. Compare to whats posted. Removing a leaf is nearly free (cost of new u-bolts only).
3. New shocks is not free, but will make a huge difference. No matter which way you go, this is required.
4. Attitude - it's a dual solid axle truck. Not going to ride smooth. Kinda like learning to walk in clogs - good for you, but takes some time to adjust.
5. Suspension bushings can wear out. Are yours greasable? If not, you should replace them, and grease them well. Makes a diff in terms of the flex of the sus.

Ballardcruiser got it right on the seats...I replaced my stock seats with some Lexus leather seats. Amazing. Huge improvement. I just added leafs to front and rear, and it's more comfortable than when I had stock seats and fewer leafs...
 
I found with my MWB the relatively new dobinsons are taut ,but with 500lbs in the back it rides like a limo and is a pleasure on a long drive.:D
 
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