My OME 880/906 lift arrived from Toytec on Monday!! I got the 90004/60028 shock combination. Opened up the package and everything seemed to be there.

Work has been brutal this week so I am making myself wait until Saturday to put them on. I will take before and after pics/measurements for you guys.

I have a couple of questions though:

The kit came with a trim packer. If I remember correctly, one of the front springs on the 97 4Runner is taller than the other. Is that what the trim packer is for? If so, which side do I need to install the trim packer on?

I have used Autozone coil spring compressors two different times to replace shocks with the stock springs on a 4Runner. Do you think the OME 880's will be too stiff to safely use the Autozone rental spring compressors? Should I take the coilovers to a shop with a wall mounted setup?

Thanks guys. I am super pumped!

 

I finished up last Sunday and have been driving for about a week with the new suspension. So far, I am satisfied with this setup. The way I would describe the feel is strong and stable. It is a bit firmer than the stock springs and Bilstein HDs. However, little bumps and cracks on the are actually more comfortable with the new shocks.

Lift
Lift ended up being very minimal. About a half inch in front and just under a full inch in the rear. I can hardly tell the difference when looking at the pics posted below. A guy at work did notice that it seemed taller and asked me if I had put a lift on though.

Ride
I must say that I was surprised by how stiff the 906s are on the back. They are excellent with a bit of gear out back or towing two jet skis but a little firm with an empty cargo area. I absolutely love the 880s on the front, they are perfect.

Pics
The pics look a little washed out because i adjusted the brightness so you could see inside the wheel wells a little better. I need to learn to take better pictures I tried to to make a side by side comparison but it didn't really turn out because of the way I took the photos.

Before - Stock Springs (265k mi.)/ Bilstein HD Shocks (~120k mi.)


After 880/906 Combo


Just the 906 and OME Shocks on the rear. Stock springs on the front

 

The old TRD airbag that's coming off. They were blown


When pushing the poly bushing in, it helps to grease the inside of the lower shock mount.


It's a lot easier to access the driver's side shock top nut with the spare out. I just wanted to post this pic to plug my family's restaurants


The 880 compared to the stock 97 front spring. By the way, using lithium grease on the spring compressor threads made the job of compressing them so much easier!


The two coil-overs shown side by side. I am not sure this really shows anything with them not being compressed by the weight of the vehicle.


A little father son bonding. Thanks for the help Daddio! We used the OEM bottle jack to line up the lower shock mount with the lower A-arm mount by putting it inbetween the wheel well and the upper A-arm and cranking the upper A-arm downwards. He is holding the bottle jack just in case it pops out. It seemed to work best putting the jack in upside down.

 

Well yeah the 880's dont really give much lift. I personally like that though. I think it came out good!

 

Thanks. Yeah, I didn't really want much lift, I just wanted enough to run 265/75/16s again. The other option I was leaning heavily towards was the Sonoran Steel 3.0. I am going to build a sleeping platform/gear organizer for camping and I occasionally put a boat in the water/tow it to the gas station. I decided that the OME would handle the weight better.

 

This is how brake shoes look after a very slow rear axle leak lasting for about 2 weeks of daily driving.



Look, the gear oil is on the outer ring of the drum too!

 

Thanks for the pix! That's the exact lift I have my eye on, although the results will probably be even less than what you saw, since mine is a '99 with the stock tall springs. But, just having new suspenders on will be a huge improvement, I think. Thanks for following up!

 

Your family owns Lizard's Thicket? That's some good hangover food for sure. USC '09 Grad here. I'm in Charleston now though. Glad to finally see another YTer in SC, and glad to hear you like the lift.

 

Yep, my grandparents opened for business in '77 and it's been run by the family ever since. Thanks for the kudos. The food industry is not for me though, it's a tough business.

I noticed that you are a law student. I thought it is a bit of coincidence that my little bro graduated from USC in '09 and is a now a law student in Charlotte.

 

Looks good! Hook that boat in the background up to the 4 runner and the 906s will level out in the back rather quickly.

Next time I am paying a visit to my aunt and uncle in Forest Acres, I'll stop by the LT on Forest Dr. and leave ya a new inner axle seal.

Your grandparents saw my Visa many times while I was matriculating at USC getting my MBA in 2002-04. Two thumbs up to them for the good cooking!

 

Hah. That is pretty coincidental. I know a couple of people up at Charlotte law. Charleston School of Law is in a pretty similar situation to that of Charlotte School of Law, being relatively new and all. At least he's got the family connection to find Summer jobs in Columbia, the market sucks right now, even for the "blood-sucking" lawyers.

That's just so random to run into someone from the Lizard's Thicket family on YT. The food business is tough, but, actually, I'd like to get into hospitality someday in some form or another. Anyway, that's another story. Glad to have run into you, take it easy.

/hijack

 

Thanks for the comments...

J2F42C
Forest Acres is where I live. A new axle seal would be much appreciated. How about a new bearing and collar if you are in a generous mood. Just kiddin!

98SR5, good luck with law school. It sounds like first year is pretty killer based on what I have heard.