OME suspension lift

[Riding On Air Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riding On Air]

Re: OME suspension lift

Hi All,
Just like to make you aware that we can supply air helper bags like to polyair ones that are longer and have stronger air line tubing, this provides more lift from the bags at any given pressure. The longer bags we use are 1.5" longer than the standard ones that are used.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: OME suspension lift

Guys for those that have had quotes or fitted ome springs and nitro shocks lately can you give me a price update, i had a quote today of $1600 fitted.

[VKPrado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close VKPrado]

Re: OME suspension lift

Price here in Tassie is $1700 fitted.

[Hitam 2 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Hitam 2]

Re: OME suspension lift

Guys for those that have had quotes or fitted ome springs and nitro shocks lately can you give me a price update, i had a quote today of $1600 fitted.

I had mine quoted at $1600 fitted, drive in drive out service.
To be fitted next week :P

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: OME suspension lift

Well the garage has been raised 100mm and i am booked in for early 2010 as this month is booked, Greg at ARB Nundah is thinking 883 front springs which i am fine with, he was thinking 896 rear however most days i carry nothing. What is everyone's thoughts as i was thinking the 895 would be the go based on some comments around the 896 been rough around town when unladen. Feedback is most welcome.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: OME suspension lift

Well the garage has been raised 100mm and i am booked in for early 2010 as this month is booked, Greg at ARB Nundah is thinking 883 front springs which i am fine with, he was thinking 896 rear however most days i carry nothing. What is everyone's thoughts as i was thinking the 895 would be the go based on some comments around the 896 been rough around town when unladen. Feedback is most welcome.

He were advised against a 883f and 896r set-up... to big a front to rear rake.

[stewy Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close stewy]

Re: OME suspension lift

Well the garage has been raised 100mm and i am booked in for early 2010 as this month is booked, Greg at ARB Nundah is thinking 883 front springs which i am fine with, he was thinking 896 rear however most days i carry nothing. What is everyone's thoughts as i was thinking the 895 would be the go based on some comments around the 896 been rough around town when unladen. Feedback is most welcome.

Its hard to say what you'll be happy with. I would go with 884s with out doubt.
I recently had PML120R fit 884 and 896 springs to mine with the sports struts and shocks.
Mine now sits 1.95mtrs to the top of the roof rails.
The only weight in mine is the steel bar up front, and a pair of draws in the rear.
I've seen 883 fitted with 896 in the rear and the nose of the Prado tends to dip down a little.
My understanding is that 884's are a taller spring.
When I was deciding on the right combo, I was told by ARB Southside that even with an alloy bar,.. go with 884's.
But it depends on who you talk to I spose. I had read all these threads previously about the OME kit and driven some and looked at a few prado's with OME fitted. I'd almost decided by this stage what setup to go with but was a little unure of the right combo in rear shocks. I'm very happy with the result so far. The car sits dead level from front to rear.
The increase in height was amazing especially in the rear. With the rear draws full of stuff and both fuel tanks full, it still sits level. I was initially concerned about the ride being too stiff. But it feels quite good.
It's noticiably firmer but not stiff when your on the blacktop. On dirt roads the shocks just seem to soak up the bumps.
If your keen to see my pics, they're in the build ups thread for stewys 08 D4D
With the wheel alignment just make sure they get the Castor and Camber right.

Happy Trails,.....regards

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: OME suspension lift

We went 884f and 896r. Most days we don't actually carry that much in the rear and sure its a little firmer... but my missus drives the car weekdays and loves it. But when we load up, and/or connect the camper trailer, the car still sits level and rides fantastically. When we did our big journey along the Oodnadatta, Flinders Ranges and back up through Central Australia, the ride was very impressive all the way along. And the extra height and clearance was amazing. No more bottoming out like previously.

We are very happy with the improvements in ride, height and overall response that the OME set-up has given to us. See also: My build-up

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: OME suspension lift

My requirements were 2" lift & moderate load carrying ability (when loaded up for trips), level towing capability and (as much as possible), retaining comfortable ride characteristics for daily running. Comfort is important because my Wife has a painful medical condition as well as a bad back. Because I often have a couple of kids occupying the third row seats, I won't permanently fit a drawer system or carry a lot of extra weight in the rear during normal daily running. In the front, I have an ARB Deluxe steel bull bar, dual battery installation & IPF spotties.

With all this in mind I decided on the following:

Front: OME884 springs, 90000 Sport struts
Rear: OME895 springs, 60004 Sport shocks (with stone guards), Firestone CR5034 airbags.

After around 2,500km the juries still out on the overall effectiveness of the set-up. When loaded up & towing the camper trailer (and around 13psi in the airbags) the whole rig sits level & tows beautifully. Mission accomplished in that regard.

For daily running around town etc. I drop the air bags down to the minimum 5psi but the ride is still much rougher than I expected. On patchy bitumen (which is most streets in my town!), every bump is felt and translates quite sharpishly through to the cabin.

Recently though, I went on an off-road excursion and things do seem to be settling down a bit more (or I'm getting used to it!).

Overall: I thought the spring / airbag combo would give me the best of both worlds, I'm still not certain that's what I've achieved. The airbags do seem to act as a more intrusive bump stop (even under minimum inflation) than I thought they would.

I'm still wondering if the 896 springs without airbags on the rear might have been a better all round option (if the firmness was going to be there anyway).

Here's a link to my build thread where there's more detail: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=7401&p=104487#p104487

Sunday

[Riding On Air Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riding On Air]

Re: OME suspension lift

Hi Sunday,
To work out where you un-laden harshness is coming from you may like to try the folowing. With the vehicle un-laden, deflate all the air from the air bags (this will not damage them for a quick test) then drive over a familiar piece of road, then re-inflate to 5psi and do the same. If there is any difference with the bags inflated you could run them at 2-3 psi as they will have settled in to shape by now.
If the ride is still to rough with the bags deflated then you would be looking at the springs and shocks for the cause, if is quite possible that it is the shocks as this style of shock tends to be quite stiffly valved in compression from low pistion speeds, when you get in rough going this is not really felt.
Agian an experiment can be done by re-fitting the standard shocks and doing the same test drive, then if neseccary try the new shocks and old coils. This should reveal if the springs or shocks are the main cause. One thing to remember is that you have had aftermarket suspensiion fitted that is design to suit the widest range of people, acording to their perceptions.
Hope this helps,
Brett.

Note - If the springs are a problem you might also like to consider fitting full air suspension - this provides the optimal spring rate at any load and allows the shock to be as soft as possible.

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: OME suspension lift

Hi Sunday,
To work out where you un-laden harshness is coming from you may like to try the folowing. With the vehicle un-laden, deflate all the air from the air bags (this will not damage them for a quick test) then drive over a familiar piece of road, then re-inflate to 5psi and do the same. If there is any difference with the bags inflated you could run them at 2-3 psi as they will have settled in to shape by now.
If the ride is still to rough with the bags deflated then you would be looking at the springs and shocks for the cause, if is quite possible that it is the shocks as this style of shock tends to be quite stiffly valved in compression from low pistion speeds, when you get in rough going this is not really felt.
Agian an experiment can be done by re-fitting the standard shocks and doing the same test drive, then if neseccary try the new shocks and old coils. This should reveal if the springs or shocks are the main cause. One thing to remember is that you have had aftermarket suspensiion fitted that is design to suit the widest range of people, acording to their perceptions.
Hope this helps,
Brett.

Note - If the springs are a problem you might also like to consider fitting full air suspension - this provides the optimal spring rate at any load and allows the shock to be as soft as possible.

Hi Brett, appreciate the input. I'll certainly experiment with the first option (dropping the airbags temporarily down to zero to see what difference that makes).

Just to clarify: if 5psi in the bags appears to be the problem, are you saying it should now be safe to run only 2-3 psi all the time (as the airbags have settled into shape)?

Cheers,
Sunday

[Riding On Air Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riding On Air]

Re: OME suspension lift

Sunday,
Once the air bags have settled in to their shape, which takes about 2 months at 5psi or a few days at 15psi or above, they are safe to run at 2-3 psi as this will maintain the shape in the bellows and stop anything getting caught between the bag and the coils. In this application, along with some others, the bellows are a smaller diameter than the inside of the coil spring they need to stretch out to fill the coil space, they will stretch at a pressure of 15psi or above.
Regards,
Brett.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: OME suspension lift

Guys, does any one with 883 front and 896 rear have any side profile photo's of the vehicle interested to see how it sits front to rear.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: OME suspension lift

Well the prado has been lifted today and i am wrapped with it. I have fitted full OME with the nitrocharger sports shocks.

the measurements are:

Front old 723 - 727
Front new 778 - 782
55mm up front should settle a little.

Rear old 766 - 770
Rear New 817- 823
52 mm average in the rear.
I have only gone 883 up front as i have only got alloy bar an dual battery.
Rear again no load 50 weeks of the year have gone 895 in rear.

The ride is almost the same as standard, maybe been a lttle sharper but still rides real nice.
Less rock and role sidewards and less pitching under brakes.
I am wrapped with the out come as i didn't want a massive lift just enough to give that little extra clearance and the car sits nice and level.

Once again Greg and the guys at ARB Nundah really looked after me as always.



Compared to standard.



Just needs some new rubber now, the old tyres look almost two small for the car now.

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: OME suspension lift

Glad to hear it's worked out for you Hutch. I'm beginning to wonder if there's something amiss with my installation (884s & sport struts up front, 895s & sport shocks in rear): ride is still very choppy, even with the airbags in rear fully deflated. I wonder if it's something as simple as mis-labelled shocks / springs fitted (though boxes indicate right items)? Anyone know if there's a model no. visible on OME items once installed???

Sunday