Old Man Emu setups on 1st gens

None of my local shops seem to be able to align my truck with SPC UCAs.

 

i dropped my truck off at 8am for an alignment. i was quoted $130. estmated 1.5-2hr work time.

i got a call about an hour later saying because of the +3deg caster they would need to adjust the UBJ to get the alignment done. so they would need to tack on 1hr of labor @$85.

i got the truck back around 12pm and it drives straight. i did not however get a copy of the #s so ima go back tomorrow and get my alignment sheet. out the door was $215. 3mo or 3k mile warranty. Future alignments were said to cost $70 since the UBJ were set up today. ill post sheet when i get it.

 

Bottom line, as long as you are happy with it. Get that alignment sheet - if they tell you they don't have it anymore, they can put the truck back on the machine and print out current numbers. No reason or excuse is acceptable for that one. As long as they can explain any issues with numbers to your satisfaction, you are good to go.

 

I think the shops in my hometown I took it to thought they could get some extra money out of me but I'm not sure. I got it aligned three times since I bought the truck and one of those times was with stock UCAs. I haven't tried to get it aligned where I live now because I'm in the middle of a 4x4 conversion and I'm trying to fix my major Taco lean.

 

I still have stock 31s so I don’t really need extra caster. Getting 255s installed tomorrow, so that could change.

 

I thought with larger tires, having more positive caster pushes them further forward away from the fender, body mount, etc

 

Positive caster pushes the tires closer to the cab. But with some aftermarket upper control arms like SPC’s, you can max out negative caster on the lower control arms, which moves the lower ball joints forward about 3/4.” Then you can add positive caster with the upper control arms without losing clearance between the tires and the cab.

 

What I meant. Although I think my 255s will be ok. I still got 2-3” behind my fender on 31s

 

Still stoked on my OME setup (+airbags), set it & forgetit

 

I will start installing my full OME kit with UCA and diff drop next week. A few questions for tips and pointers.

- What order should I do the front suspension in, UCA then suspension or suspension then UCA? Should I have both parts removed at the same time or finish one install first?

- What order should I do the rear suspension in, Leaf pack then shocks or shocks then Leaf pack? Should I have both parts removed at the same time or finish one install first?

- Would renting a ball joint puller/press and a bushing press be advise?

- Seems like I might be getting my full armor, front/rear bumper, sliders and skid plate set sooner. The plate bumper is about 110lbs. My OME suspension has the 881 already installed. I don’t plan on getting a winch at this time. Would the 881 be good for just the plate bumper?

Any other pointers and tips would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.

 

The order doesn’t really matter up front. You will need a puller to separate the ball joint.

You’ll need to install the leaf pack first because the lower shock mount is attached to the u-bolt plate.

 

Now she looks better

 

Oops, missed one of your questions. ^^^

The answer is yes, no, and maybe. It all depends on what you want. The 881 isn't going to maintain a lot of lift over time on a V6 double cab full of armor. You'll have to decide if that's what you want or not. I think **most** people would prefer a little more spring for your setup, but who's to say you're most people. haha. Give it a try, you can always swap the coil later if you want more lift.

 

I would swap your 881 for 883. You won't be happy once you get that bumper on the unless you are going for at least 2 inches higher rake in back. Front I would tear down one side completely and keep the other side intact in case you forget how it goes back together. Rear shocks are last. Easiest way to do the rear is one side at a time. Front hangar first, then shackle. U bolts next, get the spring pin lined up first then finder tight the u bolts. Repeat other side. Wait till everything is lined up before you start torquing bolts. Shocks can be frustrating. I use some lube on the bushing and rubber tipped c clamps. There is a 5th bleeder for the brakes above the rear axle and install the rear shackle pins with the grease zerk holes all facing out. Soak all bolts with penetrating oil a week before you start if possible. You shouldn't need a ball joint press, remove the sway bar before you start and the struts will come right off. Loosen uca and lca bolts to get some droop. Good luck

 

Ok. That’s what I plan on doing since I already bought them with the 881 pre install. I’ll be sure to take measurements before my new suspension are install. Then measurements with new suspension. Finally another measurement with the new armor. Thanks.

I was thinking the same, one side at a time for the front and rear. Would I need to bleed all my brakes when I install in the new brake extension line? My biggest worries are the main bolts like the ones that hold the leaf front and back. I hear those can sometimes get stuck inside. I sprayed some penetrating oil on all the bolts front and back a couple days ago and will spray some more the day of the install. I’m also installing new SPC UCA so wouldn’t I need a ball joint puller? I read that for the back suspension I should lower the truck first then torque down all the bolts? Thanks.

 

@TacoJohn4x4, one side at a time is the smart way to do it. That way you're only wrestling one half of the rear axle at a time, and you have one side still assembled for reference. You should just have to bleed the rear brakes but if they feel weird or spongy afterwards, it would be wise to bleed all 4. If the main eye bolts on your leaf springs are rusted into their metal bushings, buy or borrow a Harbor Freight 4" electric grinder with a cutting disc, chop off the nut and bolt, and you can wiggle the leafs out. You might have to pry the spring perches apart a little bit but they're easy to bend back into place.

Definitely rent a ball joint press. I couldn't imagine trying to beat the old upper ball joints out. I used a ball joint press on mine, and I still had to use a long 1/2" drive ratchet along with a big pry bar to brace against the ball joint press so it didn't spin out of place as I cranked it down. There is a snap ring on the old upper ball joint that is nearly invisible, so don't forget to take that off first. The ball joint press is also needed to press in an insert for the SPC upper ball joint. I like to use a 3 jaw puller to pop the old upper ball joint out of the old UCA. Beating it with a hammer doesn't do much because the other suspension components absorb most of the force.

Last but not least, you are correct that you should put the truck back down on its wheels before you final torque all the new hardware.

 

Looks sweet! I’m like the fit of that wheel-tire combo.

 

Got it. Thanks. I’ll need to recheck what replacement hardware came with the kit. Is there a place I can buy the hardware for any bolts that did not come with the suspension kit? Is there a hardware kit available?

 

I've been dealing with this for over a year since I installed OME 880 coils and Bilstein 5100 shocks:

1. Installed 880/5100 combo with stock UCA's and got 2.25" lift, not 1.5."

2. Got lifetime alignment at Firestone. Technician was excellent, warned me caster would be out of spec and recommended SPC UCA's. Truck drove great other than occasional harsh bump steer. Tires didn't rub anything.

3. Drove that way for over year.

4. Installed SPC UCA's. Went back to same Firestone and the good technician had moved on. New technician aligned it to factory spec. Truck drove like ass, pulled hard to the right even when the road crowned left, tires rubbed frame at full lock.

5. Returned to Firestone 1 week later due to poor alignment. New technician either made it slightly worse or didn't do anything, it was hard to tell.

6. Read all 55 pages of this thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...driving-report-with-light-racing-ucas.158795/

7. Increased caster on SPC UCA's. Bump steer was much better, tires rubbed frame worse.

9. Scheduled appointment with local alignment shop with good reputation for alignments on 4X4 trucks and race cars. Patiently waited 3 weeks for next available opening.

10. Arrived at local alignment shop. Met owner, who was to perform alignment. Per Tacoma World alignment thread I asked for maxed out caster on LCAs to move lower ball joints forward, increasing clearance between tire and cab. Then set toe to 0*, but set camber to 0* and caster to 3* by adjusting the SPC UCA's, not the stock LCA's. He instantly knew what I was talking about like he'd done it a million times before. He recommended slightly less caster on driver's side. He did the alignment and my truck finally drives normal again and the tires don’t rub anywhere.

 

i just installed everything you have plus a few more parts. the most PITA was changing the brake lines.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...st-gen-edition.138573/page-8074#post-18424379

good advice up here