mrnick1979

Hey guys, i am getting ready to start my new project, a 1985 4runner. The springs are shot and sagging, i have been reading and reading about different leaf springs and have decided to get some OME springs for the 4runner. The only problem is when you buy the springs they dont come with bushings...... so now i have to fork out another 30 bucks a spring for bushings, and another 24 bucks a spring for u bolts. so thats $216 more for bushings and bolts. My question is , are the OME springs compatable with any aftermarket urathane bushing kits? Is there a shackle kit with bushings i can get from another company that would fit the OME springs? I am just trying to get the most for my hard earned money here, hell i still have to rebuild the motor, and get new tires 33's, and regear before i get to enjoy all my work.

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

Subscribed. Picking up an 85 runner today. Pretty set on 2-3" OME lift. Always wanted one when I had my 85 pickup. Now I get a 2nd chance. From what I have read on that lift people still recommend going with a cross over steering kit as well. Either that or a dropped drag link instead of the flattened one. I think I got that right. Now if I could just find my coffee.

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

technically speaking, yes you can put any brand of bushings in any location on your rig as long as they are the correct size, there is no difference really between brands. OMEs is simply a kit and takes all the thinking out of it and has all you need. you may be able to find the bore size/bushing sizes online somewhere and then shop around - or call ARB and ask what brands fit their OME leafs. my gut feeling is they are the same size as everyone else's but i could be wrong. just make sure your bore for the shackles is the correct size. OEM was metric, either a sleeved smaller diameter bolt ~14mm or a non-sleeved bolt ~18mm - many bushing and shackle kits come in SAE vs metric. for shackles and ubolts, you could simply get TG ones. id' recommend ubolt flip if you can swing it.

fishguy - yes, crossover steering would always be good if you're lifting over stock height.

mrnick1979

ok, i was thinking about buying a whole bushing kit for the body and suspension, i didnt want to buy bushings twice. I am still looking at the OME kits , it seems to be good for some trail riding and highway comfort.

mrnick1979

I see a few different dealers of OME, is there anyone out there who recomends one over the other, there are some drop shippers out there and there are some parts dealers who actualy understand what they are selling and help their customers. Who do you guys recomend??

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

Most are drop shippers, just like most of the TG dealers. Look for places that stock and sell high volume of OME products - more specifically look for those that cater to the Toyota crowd vs those who have product for every make.

RBX

Find the closest ARB/OME dealer to you and save on shipping. Hopefully the dealer will stock it, or lump in the springs with another shipment to the store to save on shipping. I run the OME rears awith the HD shocks. I think I paid $50 shipping for the spings, I don't recall if that was $50 a piece or pair. I did the U-bolt flip while i was replacing the springs also, Ruff-Stuff has the best u-bolt flip prices IIRC.
I like the OME springs alot, but they will be retired to my sons 4Runner soon when I link the rear.

parchisi

I have the OME springs, and the bushings for them are same as stock, hence the springs are pretty much a direct bolt-on mod. I bought a complete set of Energy Suspension poly spring bushings off eBay. I do recall having to reuse the metal tubes inside the stock bushings, so hang onto those.

I went with stock shackles for a while with no issues if you want the least height increase and least hassle. Then I installed the All-Pro 6" shackles (2.5 inches longer than stock, an extra 1.25" of lift) and am pretty happy with it though the rear shackles are essentially vertical (not ideal) and the angle of the front springs with the longer shackle looks a little weird. Plus with the 6" shackles, the front driveshaft would fall apart at full droop so I had to upgrade that as well. Shims for the rear axle are a good idea to correct the pinion angle. I'd also recommend longer shocks and brake lines. I didn't upgrade the steering for a while, and it was drivable, but installing crossover steering did make a significant improvement.

I bought my OME springs from a website called Fat Bob's Garage, a place in Utah. Best price I could find at the time with reasonable shipping cost and they carry all the ARB suspension products. Only problem was they sent me two right-side front springs so I had to weld in a 3/8" pad on the driver side to even out the stance.

Edit: My profile pic shows the pickup with the OME's installed with stock shackles and 33's.

mrnick1979

Thanks parchisi, this cleared up the picture part, i like the look with 33 tires. I figured i could always add a shackle kit later if i need to lift a inch to level it out, i will be going with the heavy duty up front and medium for the rear. I already have a winch bumper on the 4runner so when i get to add the winch it should be good. Thanks again for all the help, it will be a little while before i start my build but when i do i will take plenty of picks and share my thoughts.

Green93

I could have sworn they were different sizes so I had to go tear into my stash to check them out. They're the same size, I guess ill have extras once i finally get mine back together.

I ordered from rocky-road.com. They had good reviews and walked me through the whole purchase. I bought their whole kit for a 93 truck. They drop shipped it from the nearest ARB. Shipping was fast and well under $100 to Blaine, where I picked it up.

Jason

Slowly but surely

I got a 1st gen pickup and I'm puttin OME springs and shocks up front. I can't tell if I Need extended brake lines or not so Any input would be helpful?

parchisi

On my '85 up front with the stock shackles and OME springs, I'm pretty sure there wasn't enough droop to require longer lines. But definitely test it before doing anything serious off road.

Slowly but surely

I just went ahead and got em anyways to be safe. Thanks for the input tho.

Slowly but surely

I'm about to get OME springs HD and firm shocks for the front of my 1st gen 83 pickup. I've been reading everywhere about people needing the drop drag link after installing OME but some say it works without. I'm gettin the thinner ubolt but would like to get everything in one go if I do need the DDL. What are some thoughts on the DDL? Or will the ubolt do the trick?

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

I don't know but I'm a suffering from build envy that your buying the parts and I'm just reading about it. Hope it turns out awesome and we will need lots of before and after shots

Mrbeans

I bought the ome kit from rocky road outfitters. I also got the heavy springs front and rear with longer shackles. And did a 1.5" body lift. I love the ride with 33s and it looks great. Took it thru fordyce with no major issues. I did not need extended brake lines, but it wouldn't hurt to have them. The only issue I had was with the shackles. Because of the added shackle lift, the rear shocks are too short to mount. The front shocks were fully extended at stock height. I ended up returning the shocks and opting for some cheap procomps for now. Ride is still great and it looks really. Rocky road had great customer service and I would definitely buy from them again. I think the kit was around $1k.