OME BP-51 Install Report and Height Adjustment

Could be the spring sagging a bit.

 

Do you guys think I should order extended brake lines? Or is their enough room to just relocate the brake lines to give a bit more slack.

 

do you have issues with your lines? My brake lines were fine with this kit and I’m almost at the max settings with no weight.

 

I havn't looked yet, i noticed some builds some guys were extending them with this kit. Just planning my shopping list before i start building.

 

i haven’t had any issues. I wouldn’t buy them unless you need them. I checked them at full droop and everything was fine.

 

awesome! Just what I want to hear.

 

What’s the consensus on this “can’t use a spacer” I’ve seen a lot of posts about a 1/4 spacer and planned to use one on each side with my kit. My thought is that it could net me a bit of extra lift while maintaining a softer ride. Is there some huge bad downside to running a small 1/4” spacer with this kit?

Are the 1/4” spacers actually adding any lift?

my truck is stock with Cali raised sliders. Maybe 100-150lbs. I’m hoping for atleast 2.5” of lift. Was thinking of going 5mm preload with 1/4” spacer on each side, but maybe I should go up to 7/8mm With spacers?

 

I think you are overthinking it all. From my experience with this kit, be ready to install, see what it nets you and adjust from there. I'm running a Headstrong 1/4" spacer on both sides with the passenger side being 1/4" higher then the driver (not enough to notice or care). I could adjust preload or remove the spacer on the passenger side, but I don't see a need personally.

5mm preload with the 1/4" spacer netted me: 1.25" of lift (I have a pro that is already 1" higher then an OR for reference) up front

15mm preload with 1/4" spacer netted me: 3" of lift (too much). Looks good imo, but ride is too stiff.

My current plan to get everything to a "good" height:

• Remove one of the leafs from the HD dakar pack to have a medium duty pack and get a "softer" ride. (I'm currently sitting at 3.5" of lift in the rear, will report back after spring removed)
• Installing full front bumper and winch to add weight to the front.

Going to see where everything sits after this, take pics and measurements and post back here as well as in my build thread.

 

Preload impacts ride height, not how stiff it is. Too much preload can also take the shock out of the ideal range which will make the compression/rebound off but it still won’t impact how stiff the ride is. No reason you can’t use a spacer, only possible “issue” is if the top bolts are still long enough once the spacer is installed.

 

Thanks for the info, I see a lot of info stating that their ride felt "stiff, harsh, firm" and then once they backed off the preload the ride quality improved. I can understand how compressing the spring would directly impact this feeling while driving.

I was initially thinking I'd try 5mm with the 1/4" spacer, but after what you netted i'm thinking i may crank it to 7 or 8mm and couple it with the spacer and see if i can net 2.5" Esp since I do have sliders.

 

The suspension may feel stiffer when preload is increased, but that's because adding preload compresses the spring, so it takes more pressure to move the suspension any further.

 

I started another thread discussing this and this provided some good information:

 

You're not compressing the spring though. That is until you max out your down travel (which would be real bad).

If your spring is being compressed due to preload, your suspension is no where near setup properly. That Accutune article (and images) you linked explains this well.

 

I see, after reading that diagram that makes sense.

 

The article helped me understand some of what's going on, but I'm still not fully grasping it all to be honest. I feel like this is something I should be able to figure out (especially with the diagram provided and explanation) but am still confused.

Would increasing preload, while not adding weight, increase my shock shaft length, thus making it top out sooner then optimal? Which, I understand top out as being no more shock shaft left as my wheel drops down.

 

That’s the exact way I understand it. Just what you said. Increasing preload without increasing weight increases shock shaft length, and raises the vehicle. Topping out sooner.

From everything I’ve gathered over the internet, this kit is designed to shine right in the 2~2.5” height range. Without spacers.

For your pro that would be 1-1.5” height over your stock height I believe.

 

I'm reading through the manual that came with my kit and i'm trying to understand the following. I understand compression and rebound settings and have setup shocks on Full suspension Mountain bikes, as well as Snowmobile suspensions. The manual states " For more rebound speed (more damping), turn the rebound ring to the right." and "For less rebound speed (less damping), turn the rebound ring to the left. The statements in parenthesis seem to contradict what is said directly before it in my understanding of rebound adjustments and have left me very confused. wouldn't more rebound speed actually mean "less damping" ?

it then goes on to give examples and says "Suspension "tops out" too hard - Increase rebound damping. which by this manual is saying to crank the rebound ring to the right. "increase rebound speed". I would think if my suspension is topping out too hard I would want less rebound, meaning I would want the shock to extend slower.

I guess all I'm wondering after this manual has confused me, which way increases the rate at which the shock extends and which way decreases the rate at which it extends. If I throw out what's said in parenthesis it seems to make much more sense of what does what.

 

If it's topping out hard, you want to slow full extension movement by "adding" more rebound adjustment.

If it is not returning to full extension fast enough (packing up) "take out" rebound damping.

On a Fox bicycle fork or shock, adding rebound (slower) is turning the red dial clockwise. Less rebound (faster) would be turning the dial counter clockwise.

 

I agree, top out means I need to slow the rebound rate, but the manual seems incorrect because it states to "increase rebound speed" if it's topping out too hard... it literally says, "more rebound speed (more damping) turn dial to the right." based on that statement, is turning the dial to the right making my rebound faster or slower, making my shock extend after compression faster or slower?

 

I see that and how my mind works I read it as 'more rebound turn right, less rebound turn left', regardless how the writer mentions speed, (cuz they wrote it backwards.)