hikerobby

So I just finished putting in new cylinder heads in my 92 pickup and she's running like a champ. Still a gutless 3.0 but what are ya gonna do?

So next step is the suspension. It has been feeling very stiff, I feel everything I go over, speedbumps are giant mountains, and even 2 inch bumps I feel strongly, didn't seem to always be that way. 15 months ago, before I learned much about my truck, I put in the cheapest shocks I could find. Could that be the reason it is so stiff now? Is it that simple?

The rear has leaf-springs and shocks, but the front has no leaf or coil springs? I don't understand what I can replace in the front besides the shock? Thats my main question, what to do with the front? (I have searched alot for this answer, lots of talk about stuff to do with the rear springs, but nothing about the front...)

Second question is what would be the best for the rear? My options are: the ZUK mod, 63" chevy 1500 leaf spring mod, or buying OMEm leaf springs and shocks. Does anybody have experience with all those options and recommend one over the other? I would like to fix my sagging rear and have it be level with the front. I don't mind adding lift, but not a ton. I mostly want it to be smooth, but also I'd like to haul 7-800lbs once in a blue moon.

hikerobby

I like the idea of the OME springs and shocks, and I love my truck, but other days I wish it were a 3.4 and think I should stop putting money into it and try to upgrade, rather than spend $900 on ome suspension....

Sturmcrow

You should check the ride height using the specs in the FSM.

It is very possible that a previous owner cranked up the torsion bars on the front. It gives more ride clearance, but kills the ride quality, since the spring is overstressed.

Of course, it could be your shocks too

hikerobby

ok good to know, the front is way higher than the rear so i should measure that! thanks

hikerobby

So does "cranking the torsion bars" mean tightening the adjusting nut more? I just looked it up in the fsm and don't see how you can raise the vehicle that way?

Sturmcrow

It does. By tightening the adjusting nut, you increase the preload on the torsion bars and the vehicle rides a bit higher. At full "crank" you can expect 1.5 - 2" of increase.

hikerobby

anyone with experience of zuk vs 63" chev vs one?

RSR

Search the forum dude. Lots of writeups on this. In fact, suspension and tire sizes are the dead horse on these forums.

Zuk isn't ideal; it's for when you're too cheap to swap out springs. It increases axle wrap.

New springs are ideal. The chevys are a junk yard mod. The OME are new production and can be ordered at multiple heights...

hikerobby

I had searched, thats why I knew about those mods in the first place. Was wanting an assessment of the pros and cons like you just gave;-)

Also... I measured and I have 1.5" instead of 2.3" so the previos owner did crank the torsion bars and lift the vehicle. I loosened it to 2.3" and it feels smoother (or maybe I just want to think that I fixed it!) So now maybe put better shocks on the front (Bilsteins or OME?) and hopefully that will make it smoother

RSR

No problem. Typically if you read long enough you get all the pros and cons...

OME are typically ride softer than bilsteins, but the slightly stiffer bilsteins work better at high speeds on asphalt are also capable offroad -- just more rigid.

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

Well if you're getting the OME leafs to be able to carry weight and fix the saggy butt, then you should pair them with OME shocks. To match that 2" lift they'll give, you will need Bj spacers in front otherwise you'll have to crank tbars again and it'll be stiff all over again

hikerobby

did you see my photo? It seems like the rear is so saggy a two inch lift would just level the truck out?

Sturmcrow

Not necessarily. You are probably sagging quite a bit below stock, so the new leafs would lift you up to stock, plus 2".

Is your bed actually sagging from level? I thought that my truck had a saggy rear until I realized that there is supposed to be more fender clearance in the front from stock. When parked on level ground my bed is dead level, so I decided to let it be.

RSR

Don't know about everyone else, but I cannot see your photos. Appears as a bad/broken link for me at least...

hikerobby

not sure about the photo, i can see it....

the fender in front is 4-5 inches higher than the wheel than the rear. But I havent got the level out, I'll do that tomorrow

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

Pics not working for me either. Anyways, toyotas are notorious for saggy butts after time. A 2" lift will be 2" over stock height- and you're sagging 2-3" lower than stock it sounds like, so that would be like 4-5" from where you are now. On 2nd gen trucks and 1st gen 4runners the fender profiles are actually higher in front than rear for a level truck which adds to the visual of the rear being much lower - if you go level the fender gap the rear will be raked forward slightly, so go by top of bed to check levelness

Innocent Fool

I'm thinking you probably have a spring shop in town. These guys do springs and suspension all day long and know there stuff and can custom build what you need. Might want to take the truck down there and see what they have to say.

RSR

From what I understand, new springs settle pretty quickly btw. But, if you get springs with the lift you want and they settle lower than you want, you can always install shackles after -- I'm not a suspension expert, but I don't think you want to go too far over stock spring height or it increases the curvature of the springs which causes issues with axle wrap I think. Why it's good to combine shackles and springs I think. Again, something you'll answer much more thoroughly by searching previous threads on the forum.

I have the standard OEM shackles on mine and the previous owner installed new 3" downey springs prior to putting on an ARE fiberglass bed cap...

With the 3" spring package on the rear, mine rides level currently and new rear springs were installed only about 6 years ago... I'm sure a lot of that is the bed cap however. And I've never really inspected my torsion bars either btw...

hikerobby

its odd toyotas ride higher in the front. You'd think that empty the rear would be high so when it was loaded it would level out.

So I just used a level and it is sloped to the front, which amazed me. The front needs to be raised to have a level bed. I don't understand this. So I guess I shouldn't get leaf springs with any lift...

RSR

It shouldn't need need to be higher in the front to ride level. It might your body to frame bushings are shot in front but not the back of your bed... Have you checked those? 4crawler sells some well reviewed body lift kits and has a bunch of info over there re lifts in general: http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...BodyLift.shtml

There are other lift kits, his just seem to get some of the best reviews...