Old Man Emu: Questions, Answers & Pictures

Which rubber are you speaking of? The coil isolator or the top bushing? I can't see it too well on the ol IPhone. My KYB OeM-style strut mount/ isolators had a little distortion in the rubber when I first compressed the springs but Nowadays it looks normal. Strut mount bushings (top hat) also had some bulge but the weight of truck on the springs countered that. If there's no metal on metal contact and nothing is torn or broken, I'd say let it settle on the truck for a few days and look at it again.

 

i'll start by identifying i did a toytec lift but i also experienced a little deformation of the rubber that separates the top of the coil from the underside of the top hat. no metal to metal either so i'm not too concerned about it.

 

That's the coil isolator. Mine bulged out a bit too. After a while it looked normal. Put a few miles on it, let it settle and see how it does. I was a little concerned about the bulging rubber at first myself but it all worked itself out once the weight of the truck was on it for a bit.

 

i'll definitely keep an eye on it. worst case scenario, i end up buying a couple new coil isolators. thanks for the reply bud.

 

I did get it pre assembled from Wheelers. But those are toyota factory parts, except for the three bolts which Dan @ Wheelers recommended I get in extended length against the day that I ever needed to put a top plate on there.

 

Gonna put in an order for my full OME lift here soon, but still trying to figure out the 90000 vs 90021 shock question. Been searching but seems like most answers just echo what I see on the sales websites: 90021 better for on-road. Anybody have real-life examples of which strut is better for which application? I'm on mostly paved and gravel roads, a little mud and hopefully a little off-roading somewhere in the future.

 

The 90021 is valved for a better on road ride.

Think about it like a stock replacement compared to a performance shock, maybe Micah or Dan can better explain.

 

So where does the original Nitrocharger fit in - since Wheelers describes that as being even softer than the new Sport line? How does the original Nitrocharger compare to (non-TRD) stock?

 

I thought tge 90021 Sport shocks were stiffer

 

The opposite according to Wheelers:

Old Man Emu’s NitroCharger Sport Front Strut Set, valved for a more responsive and sport oriented ride. These are valved a little lighter than the 90000 for a softer ride.

 

oh , interesting

The more you know

 

I'm a 1st gen guy but the only thing that I could find different between the two from ARB's tech sheets is that the 90021 has 1mm more travel than the 90000 (131mm vs 130mm).

 

Incase anyone is looking for closer to 2” on a 2012 DCSB.

Stock:
Passanger Front 20.5"
Driver Front 20.5
Passanger Rear 21”
Driver Rear 21”

OME 884’s, 90021’s, and Dakars with the long overload removed:
Passanger Front 22.5"
Driver Front 22.5
Passanger Rear 23.5”
Driver Rear 23.5”

 

a few weeks back I installed my winch mount plate and TMaxx EW8500 winch and lost about 3/8" up front from the weight. I gained around 125lbs up front so according to ARB my 885x coils are 15lbs over rated capacity. Not too bad. Should I replace and go with 886x coils or just remove my 1/4" top plate spacers and install 3/8" instead to gain height back. 1/4" spacers give about 3/8" of lift and 3/8" spacers give between 1/2"-5/8" of lift. spacers are obviously cheaper route.

 

I think I pretty much know what I want, so I need a go-no-go from you knowledgeable gentleman before I purchase. I just want to make sure I'm not making a bonehead mistake or missing something I'll need.

It's a 2013 DCSB 4x4. I'm looking for no more than 2" of lift and a smooth ride. No plans for armor. Usage is 90% roads, 10% camping trips, logging roads, shitty snow, etc... Nothing too burly. Heavy loads will be very infrequent.

Looking primarily at OME from Wheelers.

884 front coils
N140S Nitrocharger front struts
N182 Nitrocharger rear shocks
Wheelers 1.5" AAL
Light Racing UCA's

The part I'm most unsure of is the rear leaf. It states that double-cabs may experience less lift - which is fine, because there's almost 2" of factory rack, correct? I should still have some rake after this. I know the Dakar's are highly recommended, but they have a bit more lift than I'm looking for, and I hear the ride is pretty stiff without load.

Is the Taco-lean predictable enough to where I should just have that spacer installed right away? Or should I wait to see how this all settles first?

Thanks for any help.

 

It's predictable enough that the stock coils are side specific.

 

I don't know if I ever posted this in here, but I remember a lot of people with an unexplainable "clunk" when hitting speed bumps and things of that nature.

Check to make sure the alignment tabs are cranked down to 150 lbs/ft. After my lift, I had the slight clunk and it turned out the alignment bolt was not torqued down properly. After tightening the clunk was gone.

 

An AAL will be sufficient. When I ran 884s I only had the TSB springs and still maintained some rake. AAL will make you sit just right IMO.

Trim packer on the drivers side is what compensates for the taco lean and yes get it. You'll need it.

 

Alright fellas, I'm looking for a little insight: I'm planning on installing a Relentless aluminum front bumper and am looking at the OME lift kit but I'm wondering about whether I should go with the 90000 or the 90021 shocks in front. Toytec specs the 90000 for 110-220lbs in front and the 90021's for stock trucks but the Relentless bumper is in the middle coming in around 65lbs. Majority of my driving is on-road but I do like to track back in the hills to camp/fish, so off-road capability is definitely on the table. Suggestions? Anyone running a similar set up that has any opinion?