old man emu's

[xtreem]

I see lots of you guys are running OME springs. Do you run the heavy duty or medium duty ones? anybody running OME shocks as well or the doetsch 8000's the yanks seem to use. I will be running rears up front with the rocky road kit (no chassis extension) and spring under.
Thanks.

[christover1]

I run medium duty o.m.e all round with fronts up front, but the rear right is heavy duty. allows for my weight, petrol and spare, and the torque twist. stops front left picking up. the springs take time to break in to their best..I been using o.m.e shox for over 7 years, and they still fine, not perfect tho, but thats only worn rubbers/nolathanes . christover

[xtreem]

Are the shocks soft enough? Its just on all the yanky sites they push the OME springs but hardly mention the OME shocks and they seem to think the Doetsch shocks are the best for the sierra weight.

[bigsteve]

Are the shocks soft enough? Its just on all the yanky sites they push the OME springs but hardly mention the OME shocks and they seem to think the Doetsch shocks are the best for the sierra weight.

I have the heavy duty OME rears all round with OME N76shocks they have enough travel for my springs and are super soft

[xtreem]

What shocks mounts Steve?

[xtreem]

Is the medium duty and heavy duty two totally different springs or just one extra leaf in the heavys?

[Guy]

Are the shocks soft enough? Its just on all the yanky sites they push the OME springs but hardly mention the OME shocks and they seem to think the Doetsch shocks are the best for the sierra weight.

They go with the Doetsch shocks because they are $40 or $50. the OME's are a bit more expensive, besides I run shocks designed for an 80 series in the back of mine ... I have no complaints whatsoever about ride quailty.

[bigsteve]

Is the medium duty and heavy duty two totally different springs or just one extra leaf in the heavys?

Full length second spring and an extra load leaf (Taken out of course)

[christover1]

my standard zook o.m.e shox are soft at slow speeds, ie crawling, but get stiffer with speed, they are still made same way I assume. christover

[greg]

One view is that the OME shocks (that are supplied as Sierra shocks) are valved too hard for a suzuki - i.e. they will work a treat for road driving etc, but not so good for slow crawling etc.

I'm running the Medium Duty OME Rear Springs all round (minus two leaves from each pack).

I think that the OME Springs are labelled Medium and Heavy duties - suggesting that they will outperform a soft stock spring i guess...

[droopypete]

I am running the mediums as well they have their clamps still in place, but the front left has had 60mm extra arch put in.
I am on my second set of rears thanks to an ineficiant track bar but i am spring over.
Peter.

[Guy]

I am running the mediums as well they have their clamps still in place, but the front left has had 60mm extra arch put in.
I am on my second set of rears thanks to an ineficiant track bar but i am spring over.
Peter.

Pete .. goy any pics of your inefficent track bar design ???

[droopypete]

I am running the mediums as well they have their clamps still in place, but the front left has had 60mm extra arch put in.
I am on my second set of rears thanks to an ineficiant track bar but i am spring over.
Peter.

Pete .. goy any pics of your inefficent track bar design ???

Mate you can come around and have it!!!
I am in the process of builing a new system.
Peter.

[Guy]

I am running the mediums as well they have their clamps still in place, but the front left has had 60mm extra arch put in.
I am on my second set of rears thanks to an ineficiant track bar but i am spring over.
Peter.

Pete .. goy any pics of your inefficent track bar design ???

Mate you can come around and have it!!!
I am in the process of builing a new system.
Peter.

Ooooh this I gotta see ... it's like adventuring to aladins cave

[droopypete]

I am running the mediums as well they have their clamps still in place, but the front left has had 60mm extra arch put in.
I am on my second set of rears thanks to an ineficiant track bar but i am spring over.
Peter.

Pete .. goy any pics of your inefficent track bar design ???

Mate you can come around and have it!!!
I am in the process of builing a new system.
Peter.

It was a quick fix to save my springs, and it did to a point, but at the expense of pinion angle, therefore stuffing uni's bigtime.
Peter.

[droopypete]

Ooooh this I gotta see ... it's like adventuring to aladins cave

No problems Guy, but you understand about the blindfold system don't you
Peter.

[Guy]

Ooooh this I gotta see ... it's like adventuring to aladins cave

No problems Guy, but you understand about the blindfold system don't you
Peter.

I flatly refuse to wear ONLY a blindfold again .. it was Ok in the warmer months ..

[Luigi Malone]

I see lots of you guys are running OME springs. Do you run the heavy duty or medium duty ones? anybody running OME shocks as well or the doetsch 8000's the yanks seem to use. I will be running rears up front with the rocky road kit (no chassis extension) and spring under.
Thanks.

X I see you have your answers, but just to put my .02c in, I ordered heavy springs back in about 93.
When they arrived there was a medium set plus an extra leaf for the two rear spring packs.

I have since gone to rear heavies all round (no overloads, can't even remember if they had them ) and clamps loosened.

Next step is CJ fronts in the rear. But only because they are longer, not because the OME's are stuffed.
Wouldn't give you tuppence for the OME shox. They don't match the travel allowed by the springs.

LM

Still have the original rear spring packs. Good as.

[xtreem]

Love mud wrote: They go with the Doetsch shocks because they are $40 or $50. the OME's are a bit more expensive, besides I run shocks designed for an 80 series in the back of mine ... I have no complaints whatsoever about ride quailty.[/quote]

I don't think it is the price thing as the OME springs are much more exspensive than other brands and they still push them. And its all the different companys trail tough rocky road calmini they all go Doetsch.

I still don't know if I need heavy's or mediums. I don't want to be taking leafes out and stuffing around with them.

[grimbo]

I have used the heavy duty OMEs with a leah taken out. i would prefer to do this as it allows you a bit of tunability with your suspension whereas going with the mediums its pretty much that is it. If you use the car for camping duties as well the heavy duty is probably the way to go

[greg]

I still don't know if I need heavy's or mediums. I don't want to be taking leafes out and stuffing around with them.

Don't worry - it's not a big job to perform - to remove the two load leaves all you need is a spanner. However, to remove the retaining clips (which is the next step if you want to do it) you will need a grinder.

Working out if you need the HD ones is based upon how much load you are carrying in the car. Or, if you are going to be messing with the leaves pack - you may as well get the HD ones so that you will have more leaves to work with.

However, if you do not intend on touching the springs, but still go HD - you can expect to have a very hard right i'd reckon - esp if you don't have a lot of load in the car.

[qten]

so what sizes (lift) can you get the OME springs in just out of interest?

i would imagen at least 2" what other sizes can u get and how much would they differ in cost do you think as well as ride quality?

Cyas,
Qten

[greg]

so what sizes (lift) can you get the OME springs in just out of interest?

i would imagen at least 2" what other sizes can u get and how much would they differ in cost do you think as well as ride quality?

OME Springs are only available in a 2" lift... Though final results will depend greatly upon the weight of the vehicle.

I think this is why they are good springs - they are going to ride quality rather that lift heights.

Retail costs for the springs are between 175 and 225 depending on MD or HD and Front or Rear.

[Guy]

so what sizes (lift) can you get the OME springs in just out of interest?

i would imagen at least 2" what other sizes can u get and how much would they differ in cost do you think as well as ride quality?

Cyas,
Qten

OME kits are normally only 50mm or 2inches when used in the vehcile they were designed for ..

[oozuk]

I have king springs lifted 2.5" springs, im going SPOA soon and i want to use the springs but take the load carrier spring leave out and hoping they will sag down abit and turn inside out ok

has anybody used these with SPOA before how did you go ??

[xtreem]

I will be carrying abit of camping gear, nothing to much just a tent, cooker, table the normal camping stuff. And a blue heeler.

Maybe the best option for me would be mediums and adjustable rancho's then so I can stiffen it up abit when I have a load on board. The hard ride when unloaded with the heavys sounds like shit.

[Luigi Malone]

I will be carrying abit of camping gear, nothing to much just a tent, cooker, table the normal camping stuff. And a blue heeler.

Maybe the best option for me would be mediums and adjustable rancho's then so I can stiffen it up abit when I have a load on board. The hard ride when unloaded with the heavys sounds like shit.

No, not at all. I have the four leaf packs and they are sweet.
I have Rancho 5000's which are reknowned for being stiff. But I have them cantilevered in at the top. In fact I need a stiffer shock with this setup on road as the rear gets a sway on in corners. But off road it's sweet.

If you get mediums and stiffer shocks, then all you will achieve is stiffer damping. IMHO.

The OME Heavy pack has a long second leaf which will support the main leaf when you start flexing to the max.

Hard riding springs are generally due to thick leafs (suzuki ) or the over load leaf which acts like a harsh brake when your suspension cycles.

My advice is go heavy and make it a four leaf pack.
My zook gets loaded to the hilt, and is off roaded almost empty. It works very well. IMO. In winter I even carry a gas LPG heater as well as every thing ( lots a beer and wine ) that you could imagine.

LM.

[Guy]

I agree with LM .. the extra full length leaf is a real spring saver. I and others that use their Zuks hard had noticed without it the main leaf on the rear springs begins to get a bit ugly near the fixed eye end on the medium duty springs. This occurs due to the main leaf absorbing all the torque reactions for the rear and is basically unsupported.

The long leaves are your friend as you can add the ability to carry a load without scarificing to much in the way of flex or plushness (if thats a word ) .. At one stage I had 5 or 6 leaves in a pack basically a hybred of OME and suzuki leaves, it rode well, flexed nice and could carry quite a load .. To build it I used about 3 of the longest leaves from two packs and cut up a few other leaves to make shorter stiffer leaves.

[Rhett]

Steve I have two inch king spring soa in the rear. They don't seem to flex as well as I had hoped them to or as well as my old ultimates. They are starting to level out though. I have had them on for probly 4 or five months though.

[xtreem]

OK I will go heavys and remove leafes then. Is there anyway to find out what springs I have now, they are 2 inch lifted but I dont know what brand they are. The guy that had it before me was a bit of a ARB man he had tank and bar from them, It could possibly have OME's already, they are hell rusty and shitty looking cant see any markings to tell me what they are. The fronts must be sagged out because I reckon it sits a inch lower at the front.