comfortable suspension

[toolsplus]

i'm going to buy some new shocks and springs for my 80. i have OME Nitro shocks and springs
had them for a coupla years now and i'm fed up with the harsh ride on the dirt
all i want is the most comfortable set up
any ideas lads?

cheers

 

[grantw]

EFS is a popular choice on the forum - I have no first hand experience though.

 

[chapel gate]

If your not lifting it i would say genuine toyota. If i didnt want a lift this is what i would of done.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

If your not lifting it i would say genuine toyota. If i didnt want a lift this is what i would of done.

I'm with Mike on this. I replaced the springs and dampers with genuine on my original 80 at 140K and it transformed it to what it was when I bought it years before ( bit pricey though).
You might just get away with the larger tyres but I'd check. I had had 285's with 30mm wheel spacers and was just about ok.

 

[Lorin]

I just swapped out my OME for a new set-up and credit my choice, which I’m pleased with, to two things: reading this thread to get a good understanding of different shock and spring options https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/co...ponent-spec-thread-shocks-coils-more.1026595/; and properly matching my springs to the weight of the truck.

I matched Tourflex 3” HD dual rate springs with Iron Man Foam Cell Pro 4” shocks. I’m not saying this is the ‘best’ set-up in any way but I believe it was the best I could achieve for what I wanted and my budget.

 

[frank rabbets]

The later 80's had softer suspension than the early ones. Mines a mid 1995 and hard so the change was sometime later. Perhaps borrow a 1997 chassis number and order accordingly.

 

[toolsplus]

thanks lads
i'm gona do a 2'' lift instead of 3'',go down to 33'' tyres from 35'' and put the antiroll bars back
it's very capable at the mo' but a harsh ride,'tippy' and always wants to readily oversteer
i'm looking for comfortable and relaxing instead of harsh and capable
getting the right springs seems to be the right place to start
cheers

 

[Michael Montgomery]

I have 2in OME springs and dampers. Was in the vehicle when I bought it for I would of kept it stock personally with the electronic soft / firm setting on mine being a VX model but wasn’t to be. If I change them out when they need changing I’m looking at stock for the same reason for comfort. So is yours a VX?

 

[toolsplus]

I just swapped out my OME for a new set-up and credit my choice, which I’m pleased with, to two things: reading this thread to get a good understanding of different shock and spring options https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/co...ponent-spec-thread-shocks-coils-more.1026595/; and properly matching my springs to the weight of the truck.

I matched Tourflex 3” HD dual rate springs with Iron Man Foam Cell Pro 4” shocks. I’m not saying this is the ‘best’ set-up in any way but I believe it was the best I could achieve for what I wanted and my budget.

am fancying an Iron Man suspension 50mm kit with 33'' tyres,should be enough clearance?

 

[Tipper]

am fancying an Iron Man suspension 50mm kit with 33'' tyres,should be enough clearance?

I can fit 35" tyres with just a 50mm body lift.

 

[toolsplus]

I can fit 35" tyres with just a 50mm body lift.

nice one,i'm dropping down to 33'' to get the overall height down
when you push on a bit it always wants to oversteer and tip
i had 33's before 35's,the 33's felt more stable and gave more confidence

 

[Tipper]

nice one,i'm dropping down to 33'' to get the overall height down
when you push on a bit it always wants to oversteer and tip
i had 33's before 35's,the 33's felt more stable and gave more confidence

I find that towing a heavy trailer with the 35s on, it tows like a squid on meths. But with the 31ATs on it tows perfectly.

 

[toolsplus]

i'm running 7.5cm OME Nitrocharger shocks at the mo', with the corresponding springs they came with

can i just run softer springs to get the overall body height down?

or do i have to change the shocks as well?

cheers

 

[Lorin]

i'm running 7.5cm OME Nitrocharger shocks at the mo', with the corresponding springs they came with

can i just run softer springs to get the overall body height down?

or do i have to change the shocks as well?

cheers

OME shocks come in two lengths, ‘standard’ and ‘L’ (long). If your shocks are the standard length you can run them at anything from no lift to 75mm lift. If your shocks are the Ls, you can run them as low as 50mm lift with appropriate bump stop spacers. I’d hazard a guess you have the standards.

It is the springs that determine the lift of the truck. It would be good if you could find out what your springs are: 862, 863, 864 etc..

To lower the lift of you truck you simply put in shorter springs. So to reduce from a 75mm lift to 50mm lift, it is just the length (i.e. the lift) of the spring that changes. You can then have the spring at any firmness available for a given lift.

Putting in a spring that is too soft for the weight of your truck will also reduce the ride height but it wouldn’t be usual way to reduce lift. You’d also have the issue of the truck going back up to 75mm when you take the weight out.

 

[CountryBoy136]

I stripped out the AHC on my 100VX and went for IronMan with a 2 inch lift... transformed the ride for my needs, admittedly is much more on 'paved' roads than off, but still lovely and predictable on dirt roads... would pick this setup for sure for an adventure truck back 'home' in Africa... but best to have a chat with Paul from the Iron Man importers and agent here in the UK... they/he desert races Cruisers so will have a pretty good handle on tuning a set up to suit your particular needs... good luck regardless

 

[CountryBoy136]

Tires and pressure will also make a big difference to high speed handling... but sure you know this already...

 

[toolsplus]

OME shocks come in two lengths, ‘standard’ and ‘L’ (long). If your shocks are the standard length you can run them at anything from no lift to 75mm lift. If your shocks are the Ls, you can run them as low as 50mm lift with appropriate bump stop spacers. I’d hazard a guess you have the standards.

It is the springs that determine the lift of the truck. It would be good if you could find out what your springs are: 862, 863, 864 etc..

To lower the lift of you truck you simply put in shorter springs. So to reduce from a 75mm lift to 50mm lift, it is just the length (i.e. the lift) of the spring that changes. You can then have the spring at any firmness available for a given lift.

Putting in a spring that is too soft for the weight of your truck will also reduce the ride height but it wouldn’t be usual way to reduce lift. You’d also have the issue of the truck going back up to 75mm when you take the weight out.

thanks Lorin
i'll find out what springs and shocks i'm running at the mo' and take it fron there

 

[Lorin]

This is a brilliant resource for figuring out what spring you might want. Most info is on the first page https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/co...ponent-spec-thread-shocks-coils-more.1026595/

 

[CountryBoy136]

It is the springs that determine the lift of the truck. It would be good if you could find out what your springs are: 862, 863, 864 etc..

To lower the lift of you truck you simply put in shorter springs. So to reduce from a 75mm lift to 50mm lift, it is just the length (i.e. the lift) of the spring that changes. You can then have the spring at any firmness available for a given lift.

Putting in a spring that is too soft for the weight of your truck will also reduce the ride height but it wouldn’t be usual way to reduce lift. You’d also have the issue of the truck going back up to 75mm when you take the weight out.

@ Lorin, you're totally bang on here, easy to forget this sometimes so thanks for the reminder... since trying to reduce height just by using a softer spring can lead to other handling issues and instability as the weight of the body effectively 'wobbles' around a little more on the soft springs and the handling becomes less predictable at higher speeds... never mind what then happens as you start to add more load in the truck.

Variable rate springs can offer more give on initial compression to deal with small bumps and corrugations as often encountered on dirt roads whilst still providing firm support for more serious offroad and load demands under further compression, similar to the effect of rising rate suspension typically found on dirt bikes.

Spring stiffness or softness is for setting vehicle ride compliance not ride height... as you so eloquently point out Lorin, is length of spring that should be determining ride height.

Of course, we haven't started to get into comparative effects of sprung and unsprung weight... as obviously the bigger and heavier the wheels and tyres, the comparatively less reactive and compliant the suspension will be at speed over small bumps and corrugations...

Just my tuppence worth...

 

[Michael Montgomery]

https://raw4x4.com.au/shock-value-no-bull-test/