OME 2" Springs - Any word yet?

[jwrezz]

THANX!

Thanx so much for the info. I'm gonna call or email them today. Hope to get these springs when I get back from camping in 2 weeks. That'd be great. Thanx again all!

 

[Tom Wilk]

Springs are on!!

Well, I finally got the bushings in and installed the springs this morning. Took about 4 hours to do the springs. I had already done the shocks a couple of weeks ago.

I'm pretty excited about this!! I managed to raise the front about 1 1/4" with the torsion bars to even things out a bit, but the rear still sits a bit higher than the front. I'm going to let things settle for a week or so before I make the final front end adjustment.

Haven't even driven it yet, but it looks much better just sitting in the driveway. I had to lower my antenna a little more to get into the garage (I put one of the old style adjustable antennas on it, since the original one hit the garage door frame even when stock). I'm going to my parent's house today, so I'll take a picture in the same spot in their driveway that I took a previous picture. That'll give me a before and after shot.

I'll let everyone know how it rides and handles after I drive it a couple of times, and get the alignment checked. I imagine that after raising the front end, several of the angles are off a bit. Alignment will be done after I make my final adjustment on the front torsion bars, unless it proves to be real bad, but I don't think things changed that much.

 

[Tom Wilk]

OK, I took it for a nice ride and the spring/shock combination works very well. Ride is tight, but not harsh at all. Cornering is pretty much the same as stock. Bumps were not a problem as they used to be with the stock shocks and springs; it used to lose directional stability over large bumps with the rear end bouncing laterally at times, but not any more (actually, the shocks cured that problem even with stock springs).

I ran into one slight problem; the rear suspension was making one heck of a racket when I hit bumps while turning. Turns out that one of the bolts that holds the gas tank skid plate on was pulled through the hole, so the skid plate had found itself rubbing against the spring. I don't know if it was out before I put the springs on or if the spring had contacted the plate and pulled it out. Anyway, the OME springs have some clamps on them and it was one of these clamps that was grabbing on the edge of the skid plate, and making tons of noise.

Solution was to use a bigger washer to keep the bolt in the hole. I loosened all the bolts and pushed the skid plate as far from the spring as possible then retightened. It still only has 1/4" of clearance, so I'll probably be pulling the plate off to make some alterations to it. I'd hate to rip a skid plate off without even leaving the road.

Other than that minor difficulty, everything works very well. It sits higher, but it still fits in the garage.

Oh yeah, someone tell TC that he's only 5" higher than I am now.

 

[William Schumacher]

HI Tom: I was just wondering if you went with the stiffer torsion bars (B code),or did you stick with the stock (D code) bars.and about the shocks,do we need to go to a longer
shock with the springs and twist ???
I want them (ASAP)!!!!!!!!!
thanks,

 

[Tom Wilk]

William, I stuck with the "D" springs up front. We'll see how that goes. I will probably continue to use them, unless I find that the rubber stops are being used excessively while off road (they did see some action in Moab, but that was at pretty much standard height).

As far as the shocks, I didn't measure the front ones, but the rear OME shocks are the same length fully extended as my factory ones were, so you shouldn't need new ones. I didn't measure them compressed, but I imagine they are pretty close.

One thing I noticed is that despite having several leaves, the OME spring stack is still about 1/2" shorter than the combination single leaf/spacer blocks found on the stock Sport. That increases the effective length of the shock a bit. Actually, I could trim the U-bolts about 1/2" with no problems.

 

[William Schumacher]

thanks Tom: I had forgotten that I had asked you about the torsion bars in an earlier reply,just went through the above posts,sorry about that.
I wish I knew of a dealer in my area of new york ??
thanks,

 

[Tom Wilk]

Bill,

Give ARB US a call at 1-888-427-2872. It's the number I got out of a Fourwheeler Mag ad. They're on the west coast so be sure to account for the time difference. Anyway, they will help you find a nearby dealer. Also, you can have the springs drop-shipped as I did, and it shouldn't cost any more than having them delivered to the store.

More good news on the springs; My rear end was making a serious noise prior to installing the new springs. I had previously attributed it to play in the differential caused by clutch wear. The sound had appeared when I was making somewhat hard turns, and sounded like the axle shafts were moving in and out. I even shook the truck side to side violently to see where the sound was coming from, and it sounded like the axle.

Well, much to my pleasant surprise, when I changed the springs, the noise disappeared. It wasn't the axle at all, and for that, I am greatly pleased. I may never know for sure what the source of my noise was, but now that its gone, I'm very happy. I can only guess that it may have been some less than precise fit between the aftermarket shackles and the bolts and/or bushings. Strange thing about solid metal is that it can carry sound to strange locations.

This definately restored my faith in the Auburn, which I was quite worried about. I was beginning to baby it. All I can say is DUH.

BTW, after I made some more permanent adjustments to the skid plate, I gave it a good on road workout today. Took it through some fairly mean corners and it responded very well. I've received some positive feedback on its looks at work today, from the few people that saw it. The springs definately gave the Explorer a new personality which I cannot wait to try out.

 

[William Schumacher]

thanks Tom that's great news,I'm giving arb a call as soon as i'm done with this reply,they gave me the name of a place called speedworld in queens,ny but they want $230. a spring and want me to pay shipping as well , so I told them to..well, you know.... hehehe what should I pay for the springs, if I drop ship,and i'm also wondering about the shocks,if anything,I would only do the rears,and keep the front bilsteins on.
thanks,

 

[William Schumacher]

well !! I just ordered the springs,from a place in jersey
called OK 4 wheel drive (908-454-6973),they were $200. each,and an extra $75. for the shipping,but no tax. not bad,going to keep the bilsteins all around,but i'm going to change the torsion bars from the stock (D) code (mid stiff),to the (B) code (full stiff),due to the fact I have the full brush gaurd up front.I'm just sorry I could not put up with the firestones a little longer (3 months)cause now I can go bigger.....it's just probably too late
thanks Tom,

 

[Keith]

I just got a quote from 4wheelparts. They told me $204.95ea is that a good price. if not where did you get them for a lower price.

Thanx

 

[Tom Wilk]

Keith, if you're around $200 a spring, you're doing pretty good. I got mine for $195 roughly each from Peter's Off Road in Salem, Ohio (plus shipping). Don't have their number handy, but you can have them drop-shipped to your door. If you were quoted $204 without shipping, that's a good price.

 

[NoBoundaries]

I'm on my way to getting the leaf's and shocks, I started part one of my project! I purchased a set of 3 spoke chrome Explorer wheels from a 98' Explorer! $300 for all 4 wheels, lugnuts, and center caps, is that a deal or what?! Next will be the leaf's, then I will sell the wheels that I have now and get the shocks. I want to pay as little money out of pocket, so I am going one step at a time. I can't wait to get it all finished!!

 

[Guerilla Biscuits]

Why is there such a fuss over these springs? They are so expensive....what do they provide that is so great?

 

[jwrezz]

The 2" needed to equalize the torsion twist lift. Re-arches tend to sag, add a leafs make for a stiffer ride. These are just new springs w/ 2" of lift, perfect for the torsion twist. $400 may seem steep, but $2-$3k for a 4" suspension is much steeper!! That's the only option we '95 ups have right now (for a suspension lift).

 

[Tom Wilk]

Well, here's why I went with them. I tried shackles, and I didn't like the way the truck handled on the road. They were also noisy, particularly off road where they sometimes contacted my rear hitch. On the road, they just allowed too much lateral (side to side) movement. I also wanted a little bit firmer ride, which shackles dont provide alone.

I thought about adding a leaf, but I wanted something a bit more engineered. Besides, there don't seem to be any add-a-leafs made for my 3" wide monoleaf rear suspension, so I'd have to pay for custom springs anyway.

Another member here, Ray Lobato has these springs and has been very happy with them. I followed him up the Top of the World trail in Moab and watched how his rear suspension worked over some of the rocky obstacles. Granted, this isn't the hardest trail there, but it offers a decent challenge. While I was clunking and groaning my way up, his rear suspension silently flexed itself to follow the terrain.

His testimony on the springs helped me with my decision as well. He liked the springs.

They put a lot into these springs and the shocks that go with them. Beleive it or not, there is some science to this. The shape of the spring privides a flat area for the pads on the axles to mount. They use teflon pads between the leaves to prevent binding and wear. They shot-peen the metal to provide the strength to last longer. The spring rate is custom engineered along with the shock rate to provide the best ride/handling characteristics for the vehicle they are designed to fit. The overlaod leaves are curved slightly backwards to allow full compression of the spring when off road, so you should get more articulation. They use heavier clamps to prevent the leaves from twisting apart. They use a military wrap to prevent breakage as well as provide support if a main leaf breaks. In all, they are very well made.

So how do I like them? I haven't used them on the trail yet, but they ride very smoothly on the road, despite being a bit stiffer than the factory springs they replaced (keeping in mind that I have the OME matching shocks as well). The rear end doesn't skitter sideways on bumps, even when in a hard turn. It is much more controlled. I don't get the delayed sway when I make a quick lane change like I did with the factory spring/aftermarket shackle combination I had before. And I sit about 2" higher in the rear than I previously did. With about 1.5" of torsion lift, I sit with the rear about 1/2" higher than the front which is just where I want it.

To me, there's cheaper ways, but I don't think that there's a better product out at this time that will provide what these springs provide.

 

[NoBoundaries]

Here are some links for info on the springs and shocks if you would like to know more about them:

http://www.rocky-road.com/omesprings.html
http://www.rocky-road.com/omeshocks.html

Hope this helps!


[Edited by NoBoundaries on 07-09-2000 at 07:05 PM]

 

[Rick]

 

[Ray Lobato]

Here is the original report I did on the shocks.

Project "Off the Beaten Path" 97 Explorer

The other day our illustrious Editor and Chef, Rick Horwitz asked if I would be willing to do a product review on the new "Nitro Charged" shocks made by Old Man EMU, for the late model Explorer. I wished he had asked me that 2 weeks earlier, before I laid down the cash for the new Edlebrocks that I just put on, but hey, this might be just what he needed. I already have new Edlebrocks on, so why not do a comparison of these new OME's against the King of the shocks, Edlebrocks. These shocks are made in Australia and they haven't come to the American market yet, so we here at Off the Beaten Trail are breaking the news first.
First off the OME's are built heavier. The shafts are 18mm thick, as opposed to the Edlebrocks, which are 12.7mm thick. Also the OME's shocks are 1/2" longer. The front OME shocks are positioned different than the Edlebrocks. On the Edlebrocks the shaft is on the bottom connected to the A-arm. On the OME's, the shaft is connected to the upper shock mount. Both use grade 8 bolts. OME's are 1.5" and Edlebrock's are 1" in length. The mounting rod on the OME's is solid metal, machined. The Edlebrocks look like it is heavy tubing with the ends pinched together and the holes drilled for the bolts to mount. I had to put the mounting rods together and insert them in the shock, then put a snap ring on to hold the whole thing together on the OME's. All very nicely done. I did use a little silicone lube to make it easier to push the mounting rods into the shock. The front shocks were a little hard to mount, because the 1.5" bolt that goes closest to the CV boot was a pain to get into the hole. It was easier to put the Edlebrocks in because the bolts on them were 1" and the mounting rod is not as thick. The rear shocks would have been easier if I had two 13mm box wrenches instead of one and a socket. I couldn't use the socket on the top of the upper mounting bracket, and it was pretty hard using it on the bottom side of the upper mounting bracket, because of the width of the shock, it wouldn't allow for the socket to go on straight on the bolt.
Now that they are on, it was time to take a spin and see how they ride. My initial impression is that they are very stable and smooth. To me they felt even smoother than the Edlebrocks, and I really like the Edlebrocks. Being a technician by trade, I figured that just saying "It felt like this shock was better than that shock" was not good enough, so I needed to find some way to gauge the difference between the two shocks. Well, after some thought I came up with a method of comparison to substantiate my opinion. I would use a Discman (more susceptible to bumps than the truck's CD player), taped to the console and my favorite CD (The Dixie Chicks) to use as a gauge. Any time the truck hits a bump that would jolt the CD player to skip, I would consider that a point. The shock with the most points looses.
The coarse would be up and over Highway 152, which gives me plenty of curves, bumps and highway speeds, then I would take it to Hollister Hills, to see how they handle off road. Before I changed the shocks I took the trip with my Discman playing as I went over the 152 and down 101, back to 152 then home. I got the CD player to skip 5 times with the Edlebrocks. After putting the Nitro Chargers in I went over the same course. The CD player also skipped 5 times in the same place that the Edlebrocks did. Well what does this tell me? The OME shocks are as good as the Edlebrocks as far as the test is concerned, but in my opinion the OME's just hedged the Edlebrocks out. I thought that the OME's had less side roll then the Edlebrocks and didn't have that little springy bounce that the Edlebrocks have at high speeds (80+mph).
So in conclusion the Old Man Emu "Nitro Charged" shocks are a heavy-duty constructed shock.
They are as good if not slightly better than the Edlebrock shocks.
When I put the springs on I did that exact same course, but what I found out was going over the same bumps, the CD player didn't skip once. I also went over a wash board road and didn't have to slow down. The spring/shock combination worked superbly. Hope this helps

 

[William Schumacher]

Ray:,I just got my new ome springs the other day,as well as my (b-code)torsion bars,and new spring bushings,they should go on tuesday morning !!!can't wait !!!
I just hope my Bilsteins will work well with them???

 

[Guerilla Biscuits]

How much are the springs? Do they come with the shocks or are they extra....if so, how much extra? Thanks.