Old Man Emu setups on 1st gens

Agreed, pics are way too small for us to see what is going on.

 

Yup, looks like this piece is MIA. Indeed, the shop did NOT return this diagram when I picked up the struts. Additionally, they did not install the trim-packer, and did not give it back to me or mention it. I only noticed after I had gotten home - they hadn't mentioned it. Called them on it, went back, and they said it did not fit on the shock body, I specifically asked prior to service if they were familiar with ome, so as to not insult them by reminding them about aligning the top-hat stud and LCA eye (as mentioned in the instructions). ...Which was not done either. Thx for the replies.

 

No prob. Sounds like they owe you some free service and parts.

 

Fooking idiots, they are. It's not rocket science to assemble a set of struts/coilovers. I pretty much do all of my own work, but the few things I don't do I double check them as best I can before leaving.

 

Yeah, I need to be better about that kind of thing. When I asked about the alignment of the studs/eyelet they responded a bit like I was the dummy, so I didn't really feel like enquiring about the rattling/loose parts while I was there. Figured they were the experts.

 

Sorry for your trouble but unfortunately that is the world we live in. No one is going to care about you as much as you do.... which in essence is the issue with it all. People only care for themselves.

So, if you ever find a mechanic or some tradesman who treats you well and truly cares, they are worth paying extra for. Visa versa, be prepared to give 110% in whatever you do as well and you will be surprised at the dividends you will reap (long term)... my $0.02

 

I'm a little late. Haven't been here in a while. I have an '04 regular cab 2.7. I put J-59 Deavers on the rear because I don't tow and don't carry a lot of weight. I got the OME 880's up front and Nitrochargers all around. I had the stock, worn out suspension on there before and didn't measure height before or after but I would bet I picked up at least 2". The ride is very firm. Absolutely fantastic out on the interstate at 70-80 mph and wonderful at that speed over very rough pavement while slightly harsh off road at slower speeds. This is to be expected. OME's are made for carrying heavy loads and I only keep about 300 lbs in the back and have a shell on there as well. The truck sits level and probably would be a little higher in the rear without the 240lbs of sand tubes I keep in there for traction on icy roads, the shell and a tool box that probably weighs 50 lbs.
All in all I'm very happy with the OME. No complaints. I originally wanted Kings or ICON's or some other high dollar brand that would have given me much better ride but for where I live and what I use the truck for I think I made the right choice as far as durability and reduced maintenance going with the OME. The sand and the salt on Wyoming roads isn't nice to suspension systems. That doesn't mean I won't try out a set of the high dollar stuff down the road but for every day, low maintenance I think the OME is good stuff.
My last point is that I had Wheelers assemble the front struts and as far as I can tell they did a superb job. I have no BroLean that I can see. The struts were marked for the passenger and driver side. I just pulled them out of the box and stuck them up in there. I had no desire to mess with it. I could have but it was worth the $80 to have them do it. No complaints on that issue.

 

Thanks for the feedback! This helps keep a little better perspective since you also have the 2.7L 4 cylinder. I am leaning towards the 881 coils to keep me level with the rear Dakars.

I am a heavier guy (225lbs) so I will probably do some trim packers to avoid drivers side lean.

 

You're welcome. I don't post here a lot but stop by every now and then. I'm not what you would refer to as a rabid Taco lover but find this forum a wealth of info since I knew absolutely nothing about these trucks when I bought mine from my dad. I responded because you had a 2.7. Not too many do. I will say this. I don't know anything about the Dakars except that they are a good load carrying spring. My 880's up front are quite stiff so your 881's will be pretty stiff. Just thought I would mention that. The Nitrochargers are real stiff as well. What your getting will need some weight to soften things up but saying that. It might not bother you at all unladen. It's personal preference.

 

does anyone know the torque specs for dakar packs on an 02 DC? I have some specs for 99 OEM packs but I wasn't sure if it would vary by spring or body style.

 

If you are referring to the u bolts it should be the same...

 

I have a 99 extra cab 2.7 4wd. I just put the full OME kit on about a month ago. I think I should have went with the 881's because how it sits right now is about an inch higher in the front... Not what I was going after, but I'll live with it and find a way to raise the back end to leve it out once everything settles out. The only reason I went with the 883's was due to the fact that I have an ARB front bumper, and will be adding a winch shortly. Does anybody know if it will settle much once I put the winch on?

 

It wont settle much...put your weight on the bumper, it wont move much at all.

In that bottom pic it looks like the rear is higher than the front? You can always get a one inch block for the rear, or wheelers sells stackable plates that you put under your leaf packs to add little bit of lift or correct lean. Those are easy options to consider if u need more height in the rear.

 

Looks like you have locking hubs, which is good. Because that looks like an enormous amount of lift for just coil springs. Those CV angles must be very high.

Does it bind any when in 4wd?

 

Thank you. More so the front hanger bolts and shackle bolts.

 

I was noticing this weekend when I put it in 4 high it was sluggish, and seems like it wanted to stall going up steep hills. Is that what you by binding? I had a diff drop put on at the time of installation. This seemed like more lift than I was going after for sure with just the coils

 

Finally, a truck, engine, and potential lift like mine!!... I appreciate your feedback on this particular situation. Despite the super stiff ride, the height looks good and you will experience little to no sag EVER... I would be willing to bet. I think it was a smart move to go with the diff drop in your situation since it will not settle much in the future. Luckily enough, I am sure if you wanted to sell your 883's and go to the 881's, you wouldn't have too much trouble selling the 883's.

At the time of your purchase, your logic was good about trying to compensate for the heavy ARB bumper but since we have the 3RZ 4 cylinder, we are about 200lbs lighter than the V6 so I think this "offsets" the need to go to the 883's with a heavier bumper. The 883's are the same height as the 881's but the 883's are much heavier coil. Seeing the 883's on your truck give me a good idea about the initial height of the lift but I think it will settle a bit more and the ride will not be so rigid.

Do you know the actual amount of lift you got by measuring from center of wheel to the bottom of wheel well? What is it currently?

Also, did you do the OME AAL as well? or just the Dakars only?

 

I got off the phone with Steven from Wheelers a little bit ago and he said that once I put the winch on it may drop it and settle it out a little more. I'm gonna put the winch on and let it ride for a month then go from there. The winch will weight 80lbs, so it may. If not I'll throw and AAL in with the Dakars (I went with the Dakars only) and get the height dialed in and leveled out. This lift made my 31's look a tad small... The ride is good though, it's a little bit stuff but definetly feels grounded. The stock suspension was all over the place. I took some good pictures of it this weekend while doing some wheeling at my brothers, I'll post them up once I download them off my camera

I don't have the before measurements but right now it sits

Front driver-24.5
Front passenger-25
Rear driver-24.25
Rear passenger-24.5

Here is a before picture