dodecagon2000
Adventurer
i was wondering what would be better for long term expedtion travel, running OME 886 coils and N140S shocks or running Sway A Way 2.0 coilovers? The driving would be mostly on road and dirtroad traveling with some wheeling.
OME 886 Coils VS. SAW 2.0 Coilovers for expedition travel
- Thread starter dodecagon2000
- Start date
laxtoy
Adventurer
don't know about the ome's, but i did run trd tundra coils for about a year with the ome stiffer struts. i liked the ride, a little jarring at times, flat as a race car in the corners :smiley_drive: and unfortunately not a lot of flex off road, but that's what you get from a half ton coils. i run the 2.0 saws now, and i am happy with them, but they are more expensive obviously, and will need to be rebuilt periodically. with plans to add a winch, i like the adjustability, and that is the main reason i went with the saws along with the performance gains, if you look around, many guys opt for them or donahoes who spend a lot of time off road. if you plan to be on road mostly, and don't plan to add a ton of weight with bumpers, winches and the like, the ome's are a good option. one thing to consider- the ome's require you tear down the exiting coilovers and either rent spring compressors, which can be scary to use, or take it to a shop, and swap out the top plates. adjustable coilovers, you just take them out of the box, install and start cranking them up, and can save your old stuff for use with a spacer (still need to put on longer studs requiring teardown and reassambly, but it should be cheap, and no downtime) for a week when you send your saws off to be rebuilt.
devinsixtyseven
Explorer
Answered best by how much labor and attention to detail you're willing to spend on your vehicle, how often you'll make major changes to the front axle load or ride height, how long you expect to keep the vehicle, where you live, and if you expect to make a major modification to the front suspension that would involve changing or removing this set of coilovers.dodecagon2000 said:
The biggest advantage of setups like the SAW is adjustability, from the ride height to the valve stack to the nitrogen charge. The biggest drawback is maintenance and time to tune all those parameters, and rebuilding if/when the exposed shaft is damaged.
With the OME, the advantage is resistance to abuse (salt and debris) by design, comparative ease of install, and lower cost. The biggest drawback is not having all the adjustment ability that you have with a fully rebuildable shock absorber, and having to completely replace the shock if it's damaged.
I would be comfortable opining that most people who own adjustable, rebuildable coilovers do not actually need them (including myself for many years), and the parts are only an added expensive headache and source of potential damage if used improperly (as mine were). On the other hand, if you like to fiddle with stuff and poke at it until it's perfectly tuned to your truck exactly, or you like moving fast over rough terrain, then you'll love the SAWs to pieces (as I do).
Both will suit your use very well.
-Sean