On my 3rd set of rear leafs in a year, finally got it right

I'm a newbie, I've gotten info through searches for years but have rarely posted. I just wanted to share a success story on 1st gen rear leaf spring issues. After sitting on blown out negative arch stock leafs for years (I've had my truck since 98, 190K miles, well maintained but used hard, wheeling, towing, and as a dd) I got a set of "heavy load" OME Dakars and OME nitrocharger shocks. The leafs failed in 4 days, on the first wheeling trip. Negative arch, dented the shit out of my shocks, sat lower than stock. Got replacements on warranty, they lasted about 8 months, then the same thing happened. Got another set on warranty but with tha AAL. Put those on with a set of 4.5 inch Energy Suspension polyurethane bumpstops bolted through the bumpstop contact point on the frame, instead of on top of the leaf pack. Works like a charm. I get more oversteer at high speeds in low traction situations, but that just makes it more fun. Yes my up-travel is slightly reduced, but after dealing with total leaf failure and coming home from a wheel and seeing my rear negative arched, sitting 3" lower than the front, I'll take it. I really don't notice a lack of articulation at all. The energy bumpstops are soft enough that I can barely feel it when they hit the leafs. Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place, but I couldn't find any 1st gen leaf spring threads newer than 2011.

 

post up some pics!

 

FYI a lot of people have the wrong idea about OME leaf springs. They are designed differently than a lot of other springs. The first thing to keep in mind is that they are designed in Australia where they have strict laws regarding lift height. Also, the vast majority of off-road travel is on rutted/washboard roads in the outback. Not rackcrawling or other situations where lots of flex is required.

In designing the springs for those conditions the leaf packs are set up with very little arch in them when compared to other brands of leaf springs. Keeping the leaf pack in the more "neutral" range (nearly flat) the springs are able to move more freely and absorb the high frequency bumps etc encountered on washboard and rutted tracks.

Also they aren't designed as a "lift" spring but as a replacement for factory springs to provide better ride and longevity. They just happen to provide a small amount of lift, but they are not designed to be a "lift" as most people think of it.

Running the Dakar leaf packs without the AAL will be very common to have springs that sit very flat or even with some negative arch when static, depending on the weight carried in/on the bed. That's normal. With the addition of the AAL some positive arch is regained and the load capacity is increased. There is also a small amount of additional lift (usually less than 1") that comes from the AAL. But even with the AAL the springs will still look almost flat. Many people see that and think the springs are worn out or bad. That's just not the case, but rather its how the springs were designed.

See this photo of my own Dakar packs with the AAL. This is with additional weight from my rear bumper and my bedrack which totals approx 200lb of extra weight.



You can see that the springs are very close to flat.

Also the OME Dakars have a pair of Progressive overload leaves instead of one stiffer overload leaf like many spring packs. The bottom two leaves are the overloads. The upper overload will allow some flex where the bottom leaf is more of a "limiting" leaf and will stop the spring pack from flex beyond that point. If you look at the static ride height and the arch of the overloads it's obvious that if the springs flex enough to contact the overloads they will be in negative arch. Again, that's part of the design.

Using bumpstops as a limiter is still a good idea because frequently pushing the springs into extreme negative arch will cause early spring fatigue. However normal conditions that put the springs into slight negative arch should not have a negative affect on the springs.

Here are my same Dakar springs at full bump/stuff. In these photos I don't have any bumpstops to limit the travel so the limiter is the overloads.

Full stuff


Full droop


Even with this setup a 4" bumpstop would just barely make contact at full stuff. I have been running these springs hard for almost 4 years now with lots of offroad miles and lots of flexing, as well as heavy loads of camping equipment and hauling my trailer. The springs are still functioning just fine and still sit nearly flat (as they should). It doesn't mean that the Dakars are worn out.

 

Somebody give this man a cookie.

 

I think it depends on if you have the shorter (pre 98) leafs. Here are mine with a cap and the bed fairly loaded. I had to remove an overload leaf.

 

Yeah, I just repped the crap out of him.

 

True there may be slight differences with the pre-'98 leaves. Also, you have a reg cab, correct? There is no difference between the leaves used on a reg cab vs. extracab but there is definitely a difference in weight between the two trucks so the springs will deflect differently between the two trucks.

 

Yep reg cab, 4 cyl

 

What Box Rocket says about the dakars is very true, and is precisely the reason I've stuck with them even though they've failed twice (and that they've stood behind their product and replaced both sets of failed springs at no charge). I live in the mountains, but on the edge of the Nevada desert so I deal with miles of washboard on a regular basis. For my needs, ride quality is more important than articulation. I have a heavy insulated shell, always at least 1 5gal gas can, often 3 or 4, 2 big coolers, firewood, several picks and shovels, folding couch/chairs, 3 tents, recovery bag, hi-lift, and a full camp kitchen(5gal propane tank, folding table, stove, pots/pans etc) in the back at all times. I never unload my bed, so that weight is constant. On trips I usually have two kayaks and two mt bikes on the roof. Let me clarify that when the two sets of dakars failed, they were not just flat, thay were buckled. It looked like I was a wannabe trophy truck with a SUA setup. My tires would rub over the slightest bump and the ride quality was horrible. All the weight on the shocks, bouncing and pitching all over the place. The ARB rep that handles OME out here took one look and didn't hesitate to sign off on a full warranty replacement due to product failure. I've ridden on all the options. Dealers, alcans, all pro, Chevy leafs....there are different "bests" for every application. If you're running 37s with 5" shackles and a chopped bed, dakars are not the right choice. If you're like me: 31s, dd, but always loaded with gear, spend at least 25-200 miles offroad every week, deal with bumpy roads, washboard, and rocks on a regular basis, I reccomend the dakars/AAL/extended bumpstops. I'm a fan of mounting the bumps on the frame simply because when they get destroyed or torn off, it's a quick easy and relatively cheap ($51 for the energy susp 4.5" on Amazon) fix without having to mess with re-mounting them on top of your leaf pack. By the way, Box Rocket, if you aren't getting paid by OME, you should be!

 

Yes I meant to write "deavers" not "dealers". stupid text-guessing iPad was quicker than me.

 

Thanks for this thread OP and Box Rocket. OP, you had the "OMD" chevy leafs for a while, what is it that you do not like about them that makes you go to the OME? Ride quality?

 

It's not that I disliked the Chevy leafs, they're just not ideal for my needs on this truck. The OMEs are great for a dd/expedition rig that carries a lot of weight at all times, and is used on every type of terrain, from highway, to bumpy mt roads with washboard, to rocks and deep snow. The ride quality is stiff enough to handle the weight, but the flat design allows a lot of absorption at high speeds on rough roads, and enough flex for any trail that you would attempt in this type of rig. The Chevy springs are more of a crawler/trail rig mod. Very stiff, lots of arc, and lots of lift. It also takes more fab work since you usually need to relocate the spring/shackle mounts. If you were going to build a mostly trail rig with SAS and lockers on 37+ inch tires, I think the Chevy mod is your best bet. For a durable and capable dd, OME gets my vote.