Swampwalker

So my shocks are done and my springs are on their way starting to sag in the back. I want to get an OME lift kit but whats the difference between medium and heavy duty?

I live 2 miles back on a bad dirt road in Colorado and do offload sometimes, but I also drive 45 miles every day to town and back on the highway. I have a young back and prefer a stiff suspension but wonder if heavy duty is excessive for my use or just the trick.

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

did you try searching? There is good information here and on many other websites regarding your question.. To sum it up for you Medium and Heavy duty coils have higher spring rates to allow for additional weight over stock. Medium duty OME coils however have a higher spring rate than the Heavy duty coils which means over time less sag from the additional weight. There are a number of people that run the medium and heavy duty coils without additional weight. From personal experience, I ran the 883 front medium coils with no additional weight for a while and the ride was stiff. Now that I have a front aftermarket bumper the ride is a lot better. I have subs and other tools in the back of my 4Runner so the back rides fine with the 891 medium rear coils. The ride is bearable without additional weight front and rear but I wouldn't run the heavy duty front coils without anything. That would be way too stiff, just my .02

Fink

Medium is fine for normal driving and occasional off-roading.

Heavy duty is going to be a really rough ride unless you have extra weight - winch, bull bar, etc...

Go on www.arbusa.com and look up the specs and recommendations on there as well as searching here - there is a TON of info on this stuff.
You can also call them and get their recommendations for your particular setup and use, they are some of the best people to work with on this stuff.

Fink

MarkAidan

I went with the OME HD (F/R), because my initial thoughts were that HD would retain the original spring rate & height over the years. And, after almost 6 years with my OME HD 3" lift, my thoughts have been more than confirmed. I have continued to clear a few sets of 285-75 series mudders with no issues, whatsoever. Not to say that medium duty springs will not conform to the same standards, but I have no experience with that spring rate.

As for the ride quality... they are a little stiff at times, but well worth it once you install some larger tires; a larger tire seems to help offset (a little) of the spring rate. I would certainly purchase HD for any subsequent builds.

Search the forum and you'll find as many opinions as there are posts, but in the end you'll have to make that decision for yourself. Good luck!

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

yes, and no. It also depends on your tires as well.. if you go with the HD coils and get some E rated (10 ply) tires the ride is probably not going to be all that great. However D rated (8 ply) tires will be better for the HD coils but still the ride will be stiff.

To the OP.. between medium and hd coils, if I were you I recommend running Medium.

Fink

Bingo - great post.

I had no idea how much the load rating of a tire can effect the ride quality like I do after putting E rated tires on my Tacoma - the ride is still great for a truck but definitely bumpier.

To the OP, I think overall weight is going to be more of a factor than anything for you in this case - I, too, would go with the mediums.

Fink

Matt16

Mediums, unless you plan on hauling like 300lbs over each axle everywhere you go (ie: winch+bumper and huge, loaded cargo box+ rear bumper/tire carrier.

MarkAidan

I cannot argue with that logic. I run the Definity Dakota M/T (4 ply, I believe), so maybe that's why I have a fairly comfortable ride.

In any event, thanks for clarifying for the OP!

Fink

One thing I do to counteract the stiffness of the tires is to air them down lower than the normal pressure that you would run on a D-rated tire - it helps a LOT.

Just to clarify for us have you ordered anything yet or are you trying to decide for shocks and springs?
Some people have the logic of doing firm springs and soft shocks or vice-versa - that's kind of silly IMO.

I would just go with medium shocks and springs and be done with it - what tires are you planning on running?

Fink

Swampwalker

Thanks guys, exactly what I needed to know. I have not bought anything yet (recommendations on the cheapest place?) and just took over ownership of the runner after 10 years of driving it and actually learning to drive on it from my father. He got me new wrangler tires, but they are the wrong size I think, they are Goodyear wrangler RT/S 245/75/16, I think that's skinnier and taller, defiantly not a mud tire. Still fairly new with only like 4k on them so far I just wish I could have picked out rubber.

I think I will go medium all around, but that site you listed seems to not show an option for medium spring for the front, they just have one called stock and one called heavy duty. I don't have any mods that add weight.

Swampwalker

Ohh and how involved is the install? I've never done suspension stuff, I am guessing I need a spring compressor and jack stands and just unbolt the shocks? A local auto club with lifts and tools offered to help me with the install.

brian2sun

Just an FYI, toytec sells the 883 as a "medium" coil and it will still be stupid stiff w/ a stock bumper. Mine's stiff w/ an ARB. Stay away from 883s and 882s unless you are positive you will be adding weight and soon. If you don't haul around at least 200+ extra lbs. ALWAYS, don't get 891s (MD). If you decide to anyways, E rated tires will make you hate your truck. If you're gonna stay stock weight and you don't want to feel like your junk is welded shut, get 881s w/ top spacers (standard duty) with 890s (also SD). And I also recommend D rated tires w/ that set up although Es wouldn't be unbearable. I hate my E rated tires w/ my MD coils now that the snow is melting, I'm going to get Ds ASAP.

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

Oh cmon Brian... It's not THAT bad. I do agree though my 883/891 setup is stiff even with my ARB but it's maraginly better than no additional weight at all. Brians post Is pretty accurate though, standard duty would be best on a mostly on road DD but if you tow look forward to a rear sag again. Only reason I went medium coils and dealt with it is cus I have rear additional weight and planned on adding a ARB, winch, & skids.

brian2sun

You're right that it's bearable, but I just drove on washboard dirt roads for about 15 miles today and it pissed me off because it was bouncing like mad. At the stage that it is at right now, the suspension is not what I like. I got the 883/891 setup because I already had the ARB, I just got the sliders, and I always planned on adding a winch, rear bumper, and skids.

Now that I got rear ended a couple days ago, the CBI bumper is coming a lot sooner than I even thought. I'm probably going to add skids to the very soon list too because I'll have some dough from the insurance check (if I decide to do mods instead of fixing the dent) and I've got my eye on the D rated Bighorn M/Ts in 255/85 and some Cragar Soft 8s w/ 4" BS to kick them out a little to widen the track. I should be able to get all of that at the cost of an ugly dent, but in addition to all that stuff being awesome in and of itself, all that weight will finally make it ride the way I want it to. I know it will because it feels awesome when I have a couple of my fat buddies riding with me now

pfdaxe

I was also looking at replacing my 2.5 Daystar spacer lift with the ToyTec kit with 881 w/top plate spacer up front and 890 in rear. I don't have any additional weight so will this set-up sit level like mine is now?? I hate having a rake and want to be a bit higher than my Daystar.

brian2sun

That combo sits pretty darn level. I had the 2.5" Daystar also and my 883/891s got me about .25" higher. some thoughts... aside from looks, a little rake is a good thing (your departure angle is higher so you will be able to drive up steeper hills without dragging your a$$.

pfdaxe

I may even add a 1" BL with the new set of coils. Still thinking about it

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

why you wanting to go with a skinny tire? Lookin forward to seein that CBI. I say screw the dent and go with more mods. Hell your bound to get some body damage on the trails sooner or later I say SAS it hahaha

brian2sun

Skinny tire because I saw proudrunner's rig (over on t4r.org) in person and his new 255s were noticeably taller than my almost new 285s. So to answer your question, axle clearance. It seems like I get on a lot of rocks that I need just another maybe 1/4" and my pumpkin would clear. I was pondering 35s (and I sort of am still) but the 255s seem like a good compromise w/o having to cut into my fenders and/or get more lift. And I would keep a little more of the power I get from the 4.88s if I go with 255s. Plus all the + feedback they seem to get.

My only issue was that they are so skinny, they would shorten my track and lift my truck and raise my COG which I do not need. So I thought I'll get new rims with about .6" less BS and it will push them out to where my 285s are now which is perfect. I can live with .25" of lift.

I'm starting to really not give a crap about the dent the more I think about tires, wheels, skids, bumper.. hehe.

I'd buy an '85 w/ a 22RE before I'd SAS my runner and for probably less $$ in the end, but it would still be sweet.

AlexJet

I have HD on the back, but I do have CBI bumper there with 2 cans, tire and Hi-Lift + gear in the trunk.