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Help: Bushings for NWOR rear leaf springs

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by REDNICK, Jul 5, 2013.

  1. Jul 5, 2013 at 2:54 PM
    #1
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    Hey guys, I just bought a set of slightly used Northwest Offroad (NWOR) rear leaf springs but they didn't come with any bushings. I was wondering if the size was generic and I could simply use my stock bushings?

    I called NWOR and they said their bushings were $54/set + shipping costs (http://www.northwestoffroad.com/parts/bushings.php).

    Also, to be as specific as possible, the rear replacement springs I got were part #N73575 and claim to add 3/4" lift over stock height and an additional 700lbs of load capacity.
     
  2. Jul 7, 2013 at 10:14 AM
    #2
    TACO TX

    TACO TX Well-Known Member

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    I believe that the energy suspension bushings that you can get from wheelers will work also.
     
  3. Jul 8, 2013 at 11:02 PM
    #3
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    Thanks. I'm going to go ahead and just buy the NWOR bushings to ensure they will fit. Just trying to see if I could save some money, but when the day comes to install my lift I want to make sure I have everything I need!
     
  4. Jul 9, 2013 at 1:37 PM
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    3rd Taco

    3rd Taco Member

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    Rednick,
    I recently purchased a new set of NWOR leaf springs, mine are #N73560 which are for 2005-2012. They did not send bushings so had to call them and have them shipped. Did a quick measurement from the ground to the bottom of the hitch receiver, 15 - 1/2".
    Took old leafs out put new leafs in, bolted it all back together and measured again, now we are at 20 - 1/2".
    Called John at NWOR and explained nose dive, told me to loosen shackle nuts and drive it off some curbs and within 200 miles they will be at their final ride height.
    200 miles just showed up and the springs actually settled 3/4".
    Measuring from level ground on center line of wheel and measuring up to bottom of wheel well shows a difference of more than 4" height from front to back. And you can forget about seeing at night with the headlights, 100' max distance.
    Spring quality is great, just kinda thinking they sent me a set for a 2" lift although after todays conversation with John at NWOR he told me I need to put more miles on it before they settle in all the way. Will give him the benefit of the doubt although after the flip flopping on mileage I am leaning towards BS on this one. Really would like to find out what the actual stock ride height is for the 05. Anybody here have positive experience with front leveling kits?
    Would be interesting to see what your ride height is with what you got, they are good springs.
     
  5. Jul 9, 2013 at 5:18 PM
    #5
    TACO TX

    TACO TX Well-Known Member

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    Did you order the HD factory ride height leafs that are suppose to give like 3/4" over stock. I have been looking at these for my first gen but if there gonna lift 4" then i'll pass on them. Let us know because i wanted the extra weight capacity they offerm and wanted to level my truck 5100's.
     
  6. Jul 9, 2013 at 6:50 PM
    #6
    3rd Taco

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    Taco,
    I purchased the N73560 stock height +3/4" leafs, site states you gain another 700lb capacity, NWOR tells me 600lb. Stock springs were crowned that is why I replaced them. Searched the web and found NWOR. Called and ordered them and they stated these would be 3/4" higher than stock, sold.
    Put them on and now the rear is sitting a little more than 5" higher than the front, not the look I like.
    John at NWOR told me I could take them off ship them to him and they would drop the leafs on their jig and make sure they are right, like that is going to happen, ship 105lbs of steel from the east coast to the west coast on my dime and time. NWOR states that their supplier has all of the measurements for stock ride heights, asked him later in the conversation if he could get me those numbers so I could measure my truck, of course the answer was no.
    So at this point there are a couple things I am sure of, I like the ride of the new springs and really dislike the height of the rear along with headlights that you cant see a 100' in front of you. Not to mention that I will probably have to drop some coin to lift the front which puts me into a dilemma of how small the tires look. Truck came with 265/65/17" and the rear tires get lost.
    Distance from level ground to bottom of wheel well:
    Front: 34 - 3/4"
    Rear: 39"
    Actually it is a 5" difference.
    According to John the numbers above are the same ones I rattled off to him today and he told me that is not how you measure!?! Well then tell me how and I will give you those numbers.
    Would wager that if you called them tomorrow and asked if they have ever had any complaints about ride height (with stock +3/4 leafs) the answer would be no.
    Maybe they mislabeled these springs but they will never admit a mistake could happen, thinking maybe he is a politician at heart.
     
  7. Jul 9, 2013 at 7:02 PM
    #7
    TACO TX

    TACO TX Well-Known Member

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    Damn, that sucks, i was thinking these springs and all pro coilovers for the front. You would have to have a huge lift up front to match the rear. The only other way to measure is from center of hub to fenderwell. Center of centercap.
     
  8. Jul 10, 2013 at 6:19 AM
    #8
    3rd Taco

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    Yaco
    Yea it sucks, should not matter whether you measure from center of hub or the ground, fender height is fender height only difference between the two measurements is the ground measurement will be a bigger number only because you are measuring the whole height of tire and not half.
    Really only other way would be to measure from top of axle to bottom of frame, or some defined location in that area.
    You would think that a place like NWOR would either know or have access to those numbers. Still think the pricks sent me the 2" lift springs probably hoping I would invest in their front leveling kit for another $1,000 +.
     
  9. Jul 10, 2013 at 6:52 AM
    #9
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    3rd Taco,

    I really hate to hear that happened to you. I can't believe you got 5" of lift?!?! Hard to believe your stock springs were so worn out that they would be sagging over 3" from stock... My leaf springs currently look pretty much flat with a little bit of negative arch and looks almost like a sad face :(

    The guy I bought my NWOR springs from said he put about 7,000 miles on them before selling them to me. He also had an 04 DC w/ a topper shell and he said he got 1.5" of lift over stock. I'm getting the Bilstein 5100s up front and setting them at 2.5" of lift so I'll be happy if the NWOR springs give me anywhere from 1.5 - 3" of lift.

    How many leafs do you have in your new NWOR springs? Mine have 4 main long leafs and then an overload leaf. If they didn't accidentally give you the 2" lift springs by accident then I wonder how much lift those bad boys would truly give...

    Loosening the shackle nuts sounds kinda odd to me but maybe John knows more than you or I do? I would definitely throw as much weight in the bed as possible and drive around for a few weeks w/ it in there to see if that will help the springs settle down even more.

    With all of that being said, if I were in your shoes than I would absolutely be PISSED that an advertised 3/4" lift over stock height gave you 4+ inches of lift! Also, I would be concerned about the length of your rear brake lines and your rear shocks. If you have the stock shocks and 4+ inches of lift from what I've read that could be problematic if you are flexing...

    Fortunately, it sounds like you are pleased with the ride quality, is that true? I also bought some Bilstein 5125s for the rear so my shocks will be able to handle the lifted height and flex properly. I'm leaving tomorrow for a cruise to Alaska! However, that means I won't get the lift and NWOR springs installed until the end of the month. I will make sure to take before and after photos as well as height measurements before and after and then post them on here. As for height, I will just measure from the ground to the bottom of the fender flare.
     
  10. Jul 10, 2013 at 3:25 PM
    #10
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    Old leaf spring driver side
    Old Leaf Spring Driver 1.jpg

    Old leaf spring passenger side
    Old Leaf Spring Passenger 1.jpg

    Also my current measurements from the ground to the bottom of the fender flare are as follows:
    • Driver Front: 35"
    • Passenger Front: 35 1/8"
    • Driver Rear: 36 1/8"
    • Passenger Rear: 35 5/8"

    Looks like I have a 1/8" "taco lean" on the driver side up front like other people have reported. I'm confused as to why my right rear is about 1/2" higher than my left rear... Either way I think replacing the entire rear springs is the best route to go. Also I'm sitting on 265/75/16 tires which gives me a little extra height over stock.

    This is a quick pic of my NWOR rear springs:
    NWOR rear springs.jpg
     
  11. Jul 10, 2013 at 3:28 PM
    #11
    3rd Taco

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    Rednick

    There are 3 main leafs and 1 overload leaf, ride quality ismuch better than stock leafs, technically it should be just because they arebent in the right direction and not constantly bottoming out. As far as puttingmore miles on it hauling weight may or may not help, who ever makes thesethings are using top quality steel. Do have a 2000 mile boat haul coming upnext month so that should make or break ride height. Boat and trailer weight isover 3000lbs. Emergency brake cables will not stretch enough to attach to newleaf brackets. Shocks were extended all the way down to fit in the bracket, didnot think of the flex thing, will have to keep an eye on that. What can you tellme about those Bilstein 5100’s, do they actually lift the front? May have tolook into those as an option of getting the nose up. I would say John is way ahead of us when it comes to suspension knowledge, like I stated earlier I am giving him the benefit of the doubt, for now. Enjoy your trip to Alaska, very nice countrynothing like it is here on the east coast.
     
  12. Jul 10, 2013 at 4:39 PM
    #12
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    3rd Taco,

    Just looked on NWORs website again and I see where the N73560 springs are the correct part # for your desired 3/4" over stock lift and additional load capacity. I also scrolled down and saw that part # N73560-2H are the springs that give you 2" of lift and they claim on the website that these springs "ALL 2-STAGE TACOMA REAR SRINGS ARE ENGINEERED TO LEVEL OUT ALL 3" FRONT COIL-OVERS OR SPACER KITS." Any chance your springs have that "2H" written on them anywhere?

    That's great news that you like the ride quality! Hopefully hauling that boat will help the springs settle down even more. The Bilstein 5100s I'm getting upfront will be ordered from DownSouthMotorsports (DSM) as they have the best price $185 + free shipping for my truck! For the front you don't have to buy a single extra part to use these shocks. They are ride height adjustable and I believe have 3 or 4 settings where you can go from stock height all the way up to 2.5" of lift over stock. I have heard great things about these shocks and can't wait to install them!

    If you don't hear back from me in 3 weeks I may have been mauled by a bear while in Alaska. haha :p
     
  13. Jul 11, 2013 at 10:44 AM
    #13
    3rd Taco

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    Thanks Rednick,
    Will look into getting a set of those 5100's and if the leafs settle in I can always adjust the front back down.
     
  14. Jul 23, 2013 at 11:01 AM
    #14
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    Just wanted to let ya know that I survived my trip to Alaska and had an amazing time while there! Now I just have to order a couple more parts so I can get the lift installed in the next few weeks.
     
  15. Jul 24, 2013 at 1:44 PM
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    3rd Taco

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    Welcome back Red,
    glad you enjoyed your trip to the last wild frontier. Have a little update info on NWOR.
    Called John yesterday and asked for leaf spring measurements of their stock item that I purchased, told me to call back later and he would have them.
    Called later in my day, he gave me the measurements that I requested, which is distance from center to center of shackle bolt holes, then place straight edge from bolt hole to bolt hole, now hold straight edge in center of holes, measure from straight edge down to top of leaf spring, of course you would measure from the center line between the bolt holes.
    Measurement John gave me is.(Spring must be laying on its side for this.)
    Center to Center: 53"
    Bottom of straight edge to top of leaf: 5 - 3/4

    Reassured me that they do not make mistakes and that all springs are checked and measured to assure quality.

    My measurements from the springs I ordered through NWOR N73560 which is stock height + 3/4"(after getting measurements from John I headed out and yanked one side off, this is starting to piss me off now)
    These are my measurements:
    Center to Center: 52 - 1/2"
    Bottom of straight edge to top of leaf: 7"

    Okay, so now I call John and give him the measurements I have, he sounds a bit perplexed:confused: and tells me to take a photo with the straight edge in place and a tape measure showing distance between top of leaf and straight edge, then gave me an email address to some guy who will decide how this will be addressed.

    Have not heard from them yet, will contact them too see if they at least got the email.
     
  16. Aug 1, 2013 at 12:16 AM
    #16
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    Dang man that sucks that none of the measurements are adding up correctly. Seems that NWOR clearly didn't provide you with the correct springs for 3/4" lift over stock... I went ahead and ordered all new bushings from NWOR and was told they would be delivered on Wednesday. I've made plans to install the lift this Saturday at a friends house but the bushings haven't arrived yet... I'm not going to be a happy camper if those suckers don't arrive by Friday! Anyways, if the lift goes on smoothly I'll have some results to share with you later this weekend.
     
  17. Aug 1, 2013 at 6:17 AM
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    3rd Taco

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    NWOR changed up on their measurements:
    Center to Center on shackle bolt hole: 53 - 13/16"
    Bottom of straight edge to top of leaf: 6 - 7/8"

    Measurements for the springs they sold me:
    Center to Center on shackle bolt holes: 52 - 1/2"
    Bottom of straight edge to top of leaf: 7"
    Therefor the springs they sent me are correct, according to John. I asked John to explain the 1 - 5/16" difference in the spring measurements (53-13/16 and 52-1/2), hello, hello, hello, John done hung up on me, twice, customer service at its finest.

    John stated that the smaller the number between shackle bolt holes the higher the lift. So on the second measurement of 53 - 13/16" that would actually be a lower lift than my measurement of 52 - 1/2". Don't even think about telling them there is over 4" of rake from front to back, apparently (according to John) you need a college degree to determine that, no amount of eyeballing or measuring will do.
    I was wrong to buy from them.
     
  18. Aug 1, 2013 at 3:01 PM
    #18
    REDNICK

    REDNICK [OP] Active Member

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    Man I hate to hear that. I'm feeling the exact same as your last sentence "I was wrong to buy from them." The only reason why I have these rear springs is because I got them for cheap off craigslist and then I needed the bushings for them. Bushings were over-priced to begin with IMO. Guess what, today is Thursday and still NO bushings... So I called and asked if they could give me a tracking number. He looked up my information and said that they would be here by Friday but gave me no tracking number. How does he know they will be here Friday with no tracking information?!?! I reminded him that he told me when I purchased them they would be here by Wednesday and his response was that there is no way he could make a guarantee like that. Come on man, why must you start back-pedaling now on what you told me last week?

    Then I asked him why I had 2 separate charges on my credit card and one of those charges was $3.75. He told me that my credit card info must not have been a perfect match so it charged me a fee and now I must be home when they are delivered because I have to sign to receive the package. I was like WTF?!?! I've never heard of this charge before and why should I pay for his mistake when it comes to entering in the information on my credit card? Then he went into a rant about how he's been doing this for 28 years and it must have been my fault for giving him a "nick-name" instead of the way it appears on my card. Well I would love to see what information he had written down for my card. Anyways, this is freakin' 2013, so why the hell can I not just buy the damn parts myself off of your website and why do you keep all of the prices hidden???

    Sorry, just had to vent some of my frustration out even though my problems are tiny compared to yours 3rd Taco...

    But for John to hang up on you TWICE is absolutely ridiculous! I wouldn't trust a thing he says anymore if the measurements have miraculously "changed" from the first time he gave you them. Nobody needs a college degree to figure out how much lift the springs gave you, geez. A 3rd grader knows how to use a yard stick to measure...
     
  19. Aug 1, 2013 at 3:03 PM
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    Konaborne

    Konaborne Pineapples on pizza Hawaiian does not it make.

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    700lbs? Holy fuck
     
  20. Aug 1, 2013 at 5:39 PM
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    3rd Taco

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    Red,
    I have pasted my latest e-mail to nwor in hopes you get a chuckle, difficult people to deal with.


    Tom, 07/31/2013

    After speaking with John this afternoon he informed me thatthere was a mix up with spring numbers, at that time he said the springs I have73560 will have a measurement of:

    Center to Center: 53 – 13/16” (First measurement given byJohn: 53”)

    Arch height of: 6 – 7/8” (First measurement given by John:5-3/4”)

    The springs I have measure: (These numbers have not changed)

    Center to Center: 52 -1/2”

    Arch height: 7”

    I must admit I am wrong on this matter and should have donemy home work, if I would have done that I would NOT have bought from NWOR= Nowarranty or returns. Your stock plus 3/4" springs are a +4” lift plain andsimple. I do not need 6 years of college to see that the product you sold medoes not deliver as advertised, honest you are not!

    I now have a truck with a +4” rake, e-brake cable isflapping in the wind due to excessive ride height and no place to attach itwithout making a clamp extension, the carrier bearing needs to be shimmed down,along with other inherent problems associated with an excessive lift. I have answered every question that wasasked, provided all images and measurements and only thing given in return isexcuses. Am also positive this will fall on deaf ears due to the superioritycomplex I have encountered with NWOR. So give each other a pat on the back forcontinuing your scam.

    I know for certain that they will not respond, it is not in their nature. I ordered the adjustable 5100's you recommended and also got a set of shocks for the rear, existing rear shocks are extended all the way down to reach the mounting bracket, and like you said once I do a little body twist, snap. Headed back to the Dakotas for a family visit and will be doing some wheeling and don't need to break anything while I'm away. Hope you get your bushings in on Friday.


     

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