OME 881 + 5100 too stiff, any other shock options?

Like others have mentioned, you have multiple factors contributing to your overly stiff ride. This may not be what you want in terms of lift, but I bet the ride would be pretty decent if you put the factor spring back on and put the clip at the middle setting on the 5100. Do you want a decent ride at .75 inch lift or do you want to stare at it in the parking lot at 1.5-2" of lift? Yes -- higher lift looks cool to many. What are you willing to give away to get that look? Spend more money or live with it? You have the stock spring -- put it on and try it out. All you lose is a little time.

 

Thanks for all the help guys! I really appreciate it. I decided to go and custom order the Toytec coilover kit that uses my current 5100 shock. I had to custom order the lighter 500lb spring since the kit originally comes with a 600lb which is going to extend delivery time. The tech advised that Nitrochargers are stiffer than the 5100's so I probably wouldn't like them. The eibach coils apparently are linear like the OME but they are longer with a smaller diameter coil so they ride better....we will see.

I couldn't use my old springs with my 5100's because they sagged so I threw them away. I also cant stomach using stock springs with my new SPC UCA's and 5100's...lol. Thanks again guys.

 

Definitely update on the ride change when you get them in.

 

That's bullshit. A lot depends on the pairing of various shocks with various coils. But if you pair OME coils and OME shocks, they work great and are not stiffer than 5100s, and in fact I can tell you the 5100s get stiffer over time in that setup, so I think it is well within reason to assume they do so with any other coil. And miy 5100s were not leaking (yet), which others have had problems with.

it is worth nothgin that Nitorchargers ceom in two version, sport (a bit stiffer, which is actually what I have now) and non-sport (less stiff).

It is also very hard for me to understand how a 5100 designed to work with a stock OEM 375 lb progressive spring-rate coil can perform well in a 500 or 600-lb coil.

 

I see your point. I only saw one type of Nitrocharger for sale with no option for choosing sport or regular. I am looking for a small 2"ish lift so apparently I can accomplish that with the collar set at the bottom of the coilover which will preload the coil a lot less which will soften the ride with a 500lb spring.

A big consideration was cost. I figured if I spent $520ish shipped for the Nitros, I would only be able to resell my used 5100's for about 250 (purchased for 370 shipped ) Pretty much going to eat about $390 in loss from switching to Nitros for the sake of a better ride. The Toytec kit was $400 shipped and I can resell my 881 springs for about $120. Basically I will spend $280 in my quest for a better ride but at least I have coilovers to show for it . I may be getting a plate bumper and winch in the future so having adjustability would be awesome. That was my logic when I gave out my credit card info and I really hope it pays off lol. I really hope this isnt one of those "I told you so" episodes.

 

I completely understand, cost is always a factor, and I was frustrated by this when I was displeased with my new setup and wanted to swap it out. I'm just unimpressed with what the tech advised. Suspension is complex, the variety of shock valving and design is complex, and I won't even pretend to understand it all. That's part of why I ended up with all OME all around. Proven and simple and matches my needs. It is harder to find the non-sport nitros, but I think Cruiser Outfitters in Utah can still source them, just FYI.

If you intend to add all that weight up front, the coilover adjustability makes good long-term sense.

 

I'd be curious just how much the OEM springs used on tacomas sag under normal use. Be nice to see a maintenance standard. Once a spring reaches x% of its original length, it needs to be replaced.

 

Ive got 881 and 5100 and I like the ride. Of course Ive got the 3.4 up front. So far it has been butter compared to the OEM with 120K on it. It too bad you bought new springs already I would have given you my old ones for the cost of shipping. Tires and tire pressure has a lot to do with ride. I run my C tires and 28 psi and it really really helps with a smoother ride, I learned that the hard way with my FJ40.

 

Well my truck had a small rake in the front when I purchased it brand new back in 2004. Around 75k miles 4 years later, the rake was a lot worse. Its funny because I always hear about the rear leafs sagging but mine are still pretty good since I dont haul too much stuff around. I live in sunny socal so rust and weather was never an issue. I think the v6 springs hold up much better than the 4 cylinder springs from what I see in town.

 

I think my issue has a lot to do with the fact that I have the 4 cylinder and E load tires. I got the tires used for 500 bucks with oem alloy wheels and 265/75/16 nitto terra grapplers so I didnt really have a choice on the load rating. I dropped my PSI to 28 cold and it did help with the ride a bit. When I drive over speed bumps/potholes at any speed other than crawling, my front slams down really hard.

 

Slams down/bottoms out or tops out on the rebound?

 

I have 5100s and Eibachs 620lb springs with no weight up front and the 2.7l.. I top out all the time, I really hate the ride. On top of the ride sucking I cant flex at all. Toyotec added the little note on their page about not using these springs with the 2.7l months after a bought them.. I have been trying to find a way to lift 3" up front without using spacers or pre-loading springs or buying expensive coil-overs. I have come to accept the only way I'm going to get a good ride with lift is to add weight up front with a plate bumper and go from there.

 

Tops out. Is this due to the springs overpowering the shocks?

 

Yep. You could look at getting a set of limiting straps, but it'll still ride with the same harshness. When I had a top plate/spacer on the OEM struts it would do that same thing. It'll do it with the 881s and 5100s still, but not near as bad. But I have a plate bumper getting shipped right now as well as a winch sitting in the garage to go with it. I'll see how that goes when ever I get time to mount it all.

 

UPDATE!


Got the Toytec coilovers installed on my 5100's with the 500lb springs. The 500lb Eibach springs are about an 1" shorter than OME 881's and the coil diameter is thinner. The install went very easily. Only issue was that I set the threads at 1 " exposed which resulted in a stock height. It was a pain in the ass cranking these coilovers mounted for another inch of exposed thread which resulted in about 2"-2.5" lift. If I had to adjust that much again, I would remove the assembly from the truck and compress the springs. Small adjustments are fine mounted on the truck but doing an inch was tiring with all the spring resistance. Right now the measurements are 23" from hub center to fender with about 50 miles driven.

And the results are............


A GREAT RIDE! They ride SO much smoother than the OME 881's on 5100's. They dont rattle the truck apart and the stiffness improved greatly with a lot less bouncing. I was really worried about this investment but I am so glad it worked out so well. I am guessing this is due to the thinner springs with less of a preload. The shorter Eibach springs appear to be sitting lower on the shock body than the 881's with the 0 clip setting. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

Looks great.

 

link to the eBay user you got those UCAs from?

 

the seller is ultrarevparts on ebay. I checked his store and he doesnt seem to be selling any. He sold mine for $370 shipped with the best offer option.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/ultrarevparts

 

Glad it worked out.

I've been researching spring rates because I'm currently running 880's with 5100's in an Xcab v6, and like the ride.

My question is in your research, did you find any reason why a 500# Eibach is more compliant than a 500# 881 (or in my case 880)?

You are still using a 5100, so its not down to the shock, and if anything you preloaded it, which should effectively raise the spring rate.

In my case I want to go to coilovers (SAW Toytec or the like), but the standard seems to be 600# or even 650# springs, but I drive rough roads daily at a decent speed, so I don't want to rattle my truck to pieces in the process.

Thanks in advance, its always nice to find someone who is looking at similar circumstances and benefit from their knowledge.

 

I'm not really sure to be honest. The Eibach spring is clearly marked at 500lb's and it's a little over an inch shorter than the OME 881. The spring coils are noticeably thinner than the OME 881 also. If I were to get coilovers with a V6, I would probably buy 500lb springs since you already like the 880's. I set the coilovers at 2"ish lift and the bottom of the coils seem to be at around the same level of a "0" clip setting on the 5100 shocks. So there is less preload on the Eibach spring since it is shorter than the 881 for the same amount of lift....atleast thats my best guess.