Old Man Emu: Questions, Answers & Pictures

@2013XSPX talk to marie at
HeadStrong Off-Road @HeadStrong Off-Road.

get braided stainless replacement brake lines. it's not about reach but bss lines give better brake feel. it's worth it lifted or not. especially front suspension. spc are HIGHLY recommended for alignment and allow the balls to be replaced and greasef (zerk fittings).

i had a full bp51, dakars and spc, archive hangers with their shackles and hydro bumps.

It was a HUGE improvement over stocks but I went long travel because mid travel is good but not great

 

Do yall think the Soft ride shocks are better for ripping down bumpy forest service roads or the nitro Sports?

 

The kit they have spec'd out is essentially all you need. The only thing I'd add are extended brake lines for the rear for peace of mind.

 

Yes, you want a softer ride on the trails and a firmer ride on the roads.

 

Thank you both! I will def get the extended brake lines. Any particular recommendation? I had a VW R32 and I remember doing the upgraded lines made a nice lil difference.

I will continue to look into the Rocky Road vs SPC UCA's. With such a mild lift I just don't know if I'll get the extra $400 price difference out of them!

 

Headstrong has everything you need. Get the SPCs, makes alignment and irregular tire wear a non issue with ride height changes.

 

I went with spcs because of the adjustability I got my caster to 3.6 and the ball joints I can get locally

 

The brand of extended brake lines doesn't really matter. What matters is the droop that you'll want to maintain with the beefier leaf spring packs out back. One bad flex on either side could cause major issues with those stock brake lines.

 

Question, and advice wanted:

I have a 2000 Taco SR5 Extended Cab, generic white version. It's a commuter and work vehicle, frankly I do not really have any need for extra lift. However the suspension is getting sloppy after 170k miles. Along with new LCAs and ball joints I am considering getting the full EMU kit seen here From what I can tell, the 2880 coils are stock height. Correct?

Why or why not would I want AALs on the rears?

How hard is it (or is it even advisable) to swap out leaf springs?

Is there any question I'm not asking out of some obvious and embarrassing level of ignorance?

Mucho gusto.

 

Suspension Install. - Before and After by Alexander Traver, on Flickr

Are you running trail armor & how much lift did you loose or what did you do to regain/maintain lift?
Tire & wheel specs & rub or what you did to eliminate rub.
Are you still running a sway bar?
What did you put up front & what did you get?
885x Coils & 90000 Struts
Not 100% on net lift in the front, as there was a leveling kit on before this, but measured out at 1.25" over the leveling kit.

What did you put in back & what did you get?
EL112R (HD Dakars) NitroCharger Sport Shocks
Sitting super high right now, only have the bedrack at the moment, tent is on order. Net right now is 5.5" over original height. (Sagging TSB replacement packs)

Are you running trail armor & how much lift did you loose or what did you do to regain/maintain lift? No Armor yet, planning for skids and a bumper hopefully next year.

Tire & wheel specs & rub or what you did to eliminate rub. Factory TRD-OR Rims 265/75R16 Wildpeak AT3Ws. No rubbing that I've found yet, only have about 100 driven miles since install. Planning to go to 35's when I get the next set.

Are you still running a sway bar? Yes, still on there.

 

Just bought dakar medium’s

Hope its enough for my shell, sliders, and skids, the HD’s sounded stiff unless you have a steel rear bumper

 

Hey a few questions for yall

I just got my dakar medium duty leaf packs, bushings and u bolts, cb drop

Tldr: can i install the new leaf packs with everything else still stock?

My rear is sagging about 2 inches due to weight (fiberglass shell, sliders, skids, tools). My rig prob has 400lb extra over the rear.
You can see how bad it's sagging


Trying to save up for Fox and buy once, can i upgrade the rear springs in this case while keeping everything else stock?

Can i damage the stock rear shocks by running a moderate lift?

Can you lift the rear, and then lift the front months later? Or will that cause crazy vibrations?
Last, do i need new bumpstops?

Thanks for your advice guys

 

So, on my first gen, I have this pack: https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/s...for_1998-2004_Tacoma_(PAIR)_-_CS046R_A/B.html

The issue is the "B side" is a + and the A side is a -. I installed the plus side on the drivers but I have also seen people say the A side no matter what should be o the drivers side. Can anyone give me some information on this?

 

Just ordered my Dakar medium duties. How's the ride on the road unloaded? I am running Fox 2.0 resi's is the back, 2.5 Adjustable's with JBA UCA's upfront.

Thanks

 

My 2015 off road rides good unloaded. Way better than the add a leaf.

 

Rear leaf question... is this normal?

I have 885s with Nitrocharger sport shocks up front. MD springs EL095R. I installed the lift about a year and half ago. I have my initial measurements somewhere so I have a good reference for any settling. I just changed out my brakes and noticed the “W” shape in my leafs. Tried my best to get a clear picture of it. I know the spring hangers were super tight but is just the springs being over loaded or could the bushings not be moving. I carry around probably 200lbs of tools all the time and added a camper shell. I know the medium duty are supposed to maintain on a constant load of 330 lbs but I don’t know if that would push these out of shape like this. Thanks in advance.

 

Well fellas, it's been a ride. Today, I'm one step closer to replacing all of my OME suspension. This is the final piece of the puzzle.

 

Damn bro, looks like you were on the Nice List this year

 

When you're in charge of your own list (no more wife), you take care of yourself.

 

Gotta treat yourself haha. Mine told me “I got you your xmas gift!” I say “is it for the truck?” She says “well...no”
All i do is talk about the truck and truck parts, u think she woulda got me something for the truck....
Gonna be fun wheeling in my new sweater