Author Topic: OME rear leafs too short?  (Read 6269 times)

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Yotaoverland

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OME rear leafs too short?
« on: Apr 27, 2018, 06:47:32 AM »
I recently put some OME leafs on the rear of my '80. They are the 2" lift leafs and when I got everything back together, they were short and the shackles pointed towards the front of the truck. I was told to put a lot of weight in the bed and let them "settle" but they are still pointing down.. I've heard I should have bought '85+ rears since they're longer..



I could move the rear hangers a bit? Or do I have any other options?
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #1 on: Apr 27, 2018, 07:07:29 AM »
Are you sure they aren't backwards??
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Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #2 on: Apr 27, 2018, 07:08:53 AM »
Are you sure they aren't backwards??

Well I sure hope not. I put them on with the arrow towards the hard mount, just as I did with the front ones.
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OVRAROK

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #3 on: Apr 27, 2018, 07:35:22 AM »
what springs where on it before? maybe chevy 63s  :dunno:
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Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #4 on: Apr 27, 2018, 08:47:08 AM »
what springs where on it before? maybe chevy 63s  :dunno:

Just stock ones. Since I bought new OME I'd hate to waste money buying a whole different set.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 27, 2018, 09:01:17 AM »
I would move the shackle hanger forward. That's the best fix in my opinion. If you go that direction maybe consider setting it up with a shackle a bit longer than stock as well.

That brake line looks kinda tight.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #6 on: Apr 27, 2018, 09:35:07 AM »
Is that at full droop?
Tight brake line says yes so what's it look like with full weight on the springs?
Is eye to eye measurement the same/similar to what you took off?

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #7 on: Apr 27, 2018, 09:45:02 AM »
They do look short. Do you have the axle on jack stands the weight of the truck on it? If not you have the frame supported and axle hanging from springs which is the exact opposite of what we need to see.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #8 on: Apr 27, 2018, 10:25:03 AM »
Well I sure hope not. I put them on with the arrow towards the hard mount, just as I did with the front ones.

I ask cuz it's happened before. Were there directions included that said which way to mount them?
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #9 on: Apr 27, 2018, 10:29:35 AM »
Pull a straight line from eyelet to eyelet. Then go check your old ones.
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Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #10 on: Apr 27, 2018, 06:01:51 PM »
I ask cuz it's happened before. Were there directions included that said which way to mount them?

I went off the ARB website. They said the leafs have a yellow mark on the side that goes to the hard mount (non-shackle).
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #11 on: Apr 27, 2018, 07:49:06 PM »
Have you put full weight on them?
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #12 on: Apr 28, 2018, 10:14:57 AM »

Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #13 on: Apr 29, 2018, 06:33:59 AM »
Have you put full weight on them?

Yup. The truck has been on its tires for a couple of weeks now and had extra weight in the bed to help "settle" them.. The shackles still point down, not slightly back.
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Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #14 on: Apr 29, 2018, 06:34:26 AM »
This is what I used to install mine.

http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_OME_leaf_tech.html

Yeah I seem to have put them on correctly.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #15 on: Apr 30, 2018, 07:26:46 AM »
You have them pointing the right way.  Mine look like that unloaded but with the bed on and a little weight they are almost 90 degrees, still not the angle I want.  I guess OME makes them a little shorter length to help them be the right shackle geometry when they are loaded down.   I carry a 200 gallon water tank twice a week so this was desirable for me.  I may end up taking the to two stock leaves from my old packs and replacing the top two emu leafs if I don't like it.  I have seen pics of them on 1st gens with a little weight and some miles though and they look more acceptable.  I am in the same boat as you so I hope they work as is. I haven't got a chance to use the truck yet though as I don't have my t-cases or drive lines in.  Soon I can give you some real feedback.

Can we see a pic of them with the weight of the truck and a couple hundred pounds in the bed on them?

Here are mine with the bed on, bumper and a spare tire and some junk in there...
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #16 on: Apr 30, 2018, 09:04:33 AM »
Oh and the longer rear springs start in '89 for our US pickups.  The '85-'88 pickup rear springs would be the same as you got.  The center pins are in a different location so I'm not sure they would work that well on a 1st gen without moving the rear front hangers.
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Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #17 on: May 11, 2018, 01:57:09 PM »
You have them pointing the right way.  Mine look like that unloaded but with the bed on and a little weight they are almost 90 degrees, still not the angle I want.  I guess OME makes them a little shorter length to help them be the right shackle geometry when they are loaded down.   I carry a 200 gallon water tank twice a week so this was desirable for me.  I may end up taking the to two stock leaves from my old packs and replacing the top two emu leafs if I don't like it.  I have seen pics of them on 1st gens with a little weight and some miles though and they look more acceptable.  I am in the same boat as you so I hope they work as is. I haven't got a chance to use the truck yet though as I don't have my t-cases or drive lines in.  Soon I can give you some real feedback.

Can we see a pic of them with the weight of the truck and a couple hundred pounds in the bed on them?

Here are mine with the bed on, bumper and a spare tire and some junk in there...

Gotcha. Yeah, I had quite a bit of weight in the bed for a while and they looked like yours in the photo. I should have my new engine soon and be able to drive the truck and we'll see how it goes.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #18 on: May 24, 2018, 03:24:25 PM »
Late to the party, but they look right to me.  I've got OMEs on my 80 and that's what mine look like.  I went with the normal load (there was a heavy duty and normal) so it would ride better as it is my DD and I rarely load it down.....that said right after installing, I bottomed out the rear shocks hauling rocks and they would get stuck and I would have to pull up on back bumper and it would decompress like a foot (did this like 5 times, only one side would stick)....it didn't seem to mess them up though.  I also got the OME shackle and shocks to go with the springs.  The alemites that come in the bushings suck, all of mine broke off the first time I greased them.....and the threads are cut such that new ones will barely get finger tight before stripping.  I confirmed that they are supposed to be M6x1, mine are floating in the threads now awaiting being retapped to M8.

If I remember correctly, ARB does not list the 1st gen springs on the website, you have to dig it out of the catalog.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #19 on: Jul 05, 2018, 02:39:53 PM »
I have been running these hauling a welder, tools, fuel, fencing equipment, etc. and they are just starting to get little better shackle angle.  That being said they aren't riding too bad.  THAT being said I think they are set up to have just shy of 1,000 lbs in your bed all the time to sit how we thing they should.  The 1,680 lb of water tank just leveled the spring out.  Like it was comfortable with it, not overloaded feeling.

If I didn't haul stuff all the time I would consider pulling out a leaf.

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Yotaoverland [OP]

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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #20 on: Sep 18, 2018, 02:23:50 PM »
I got my new engine in and the truck is running. I've driven it to work a few times and now there is a pretty bad vibration in the driveline. The leafs still haven't settled and I believe the pinion angle is bad now because of it. I suppose I'll take a leaf out of the pack... not sure what else to do about the leafs..
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #21 on: Sep 18, 2018, 03:42:07 PM »
I have those same springs, but the heavy capacity ones in my 4runner, with longer shackles and I'd say they angle back about 10 degrees. I've had them on several trails and always have about 500 pounds of gear in the back of my 4runner in addition to the weight of the top and seat. If the vibration is a recent development it might just be a bad U-joint. I've been very happy with the ride quality and flex.
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Re: OME rear leafs too short?
« Reply #22 on: Oct 24, 2018, 04:04:36 AM »
After about 6,000 miles of hauling 500-750 pounds of tools on farm roads and mild off road conditions my springs are finally starting to ride smoother and ease into a little less rake and I now have a 90 degree or better shackle angle with a moderate load.  So they do break in a bit, it just takes a while.
“I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.”
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"Except for maybe Seattle."  -H8PVMNT

"I plan to hit 300k in this truck"  :)bestgen4runner

 "I'm jealous of your shop. It has concrete and doesn't smell like pickles like the old shop  "  300K

 
 
 
 
 

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