OME vs Dakar springs?

[deadbeat son]

I've noticed quite a few complaints lately regarding Dakar leaf springs. My memory may be skewed, but I don't recall as much fuss with the old standard OME springs. (I'm sure those who've sold OME since before the switch would have a better recollection of issues with the old product.) I know that OME found a new factory to build their springs and was able to provide their products at about half of the price as a result. Where are the new springs made? Are they also made in Australia? Does it seem as if quality dropped when the price did as well?

Just observations, not trying to start a flame war or an "I hate China" thread (if the Dakar springs are, in fact, MIC). All of my apple products are made in China. I'm just trying to see if my suspicions are correct or if I'm truly a member of the "tin-foil hat brigade"!

 

[keezer37]

IMHO, regardless of where they are made, unless there is some quality issue yet to be solved by ARB, they are made to ARB's specs. Plenty of fine products are made in China and elsewhere overseas. They'll make what the company asks, no more, no less.
When the time comes, I think a call to Alcan will be the best way to go. Though I've heard very little about this company over the years, I don't recall hearing anything negative. I need something that can carry a load not run 50mph over a washboard.

 

[deadbeat son]

I'm taking some project management courses now, and it just makes me think of the pros and cons of outsourcing a portion of your business. Sometimes it can be very cost effective, but it's difficult to maintain a strict level of quality when a someone else is doing the work for you (regardless of their location).

 

[Dave Bennett]

It is true they have "outsourced" the OME springs, thus the Dakar name change IIRC.

FWIW, I have the Dakar springs and they have been one of my favorite upgrades. Been running them almost a year now with zero issues over hard trails - even pulling a trailer they have been great IMO.

 

[bat]

I had OME springs on my jeep that started to sag in less than a year. I called and emailed them numerous times and nothing. The thing that made me mad was in all the emails all I was asking was which AAL I should use to fix the problem. I was not asking for new ones or refund just advice. Will I use the product again sure I just need to realize the service may suck.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I will be the first to say I was worried when plans to switch from the the OME to Dakar announcment was made. In fact so much that I bought what they had left in some of the popular Land Cruiser offerings when it came down to end. Fast forward 5 years now (the switch was in 2005) and I can't say I've seen any 'more' spring issues than I did when they were OME. We move 4-5 times as many as we did then but proportionally we see about the same when it comes to warranty, install issues, etc. That number is really low, in fact I can count the springs we've warrantied on one hand in the last 2-3 years, out of hundreds and hundreds... so statistically low. There were some initial issues with Dakars right when they came out, all of those were quickly remedied as production ramped up. I trust them enough to run them on my personal vehicles, Dakar rears on my 04' Tacoma and Dakars front and rear on my sprung over axle FJ40 (you didn't just read that ARB reps )

 

[bjowett]

The springs are made in Malaysia. Fit and finish is excellent.

 

[alan]

It's amazing! someone makes a negative comment about ARB and all the flag wavers come out, rigged!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

It's amazing! someone makes a negative comment about ARB and all the flag wavers come out, rigged!

Flag waver or satisfied users? You decide. OME springs could and did fail, Dakar springs can and do fail, I don't think anyone is expressing otherwise.

 

[keezer37]

I initially shied away from the Dakars due to the height increase over stock when considering vibration issues. This was back in '06.
What would help me is to know where my ride height would likely be with x amount of weight in the back.
100lbs.=x.xx"
200lbs.=x.xx"
etc.

Not to doubt individual claims but, confirmed data on a seller's website holds more weight for me than opinions on a forum. Confirmed data from a manufacturer is likely to open my wallet.

 

[deadbeat son]

I will be the first to say I was worried when plans to switch from the the OME to Dakar announcment was made. In fact so much that I bought what they had left in some of the popular Land Cruiser offerings when it came down to end. Fast forward 5 years now (the switch was in 2005) and I can't say I've seen any 'more' spring issues than I did when they were OME. We move 4-5 times as many as we did then but proportionally we see about the same when it comes to warranty, install issues, etc. That number is really low, in fact I can count the springs we've warrantied on one hand in the last 2-3 years, out of hundreds and hundreds... so statistically low. There were some initial issues with Dakars right when they came out, all of those were quickly remedied as production ramped up. I trust them enough to run them on my personal vehicles, Dakar rears on my 04' Tacoma and Dakars front and rear on my sprung over axle FJ40 (you didn't just read that ARB reps )

Fantastic info as always Kurt, thanks for chiming in! This precisely answers the question I was asking. So although we hear more people complaining now, the increase in volume of product sold yields the same ratio of issues/defects as the previous product.

Thanks!

 

[Arvin G]

I noticed immediately how flat my Dakars were after install. A year later and they are the same as the day I installed. I found this on TTORA.


http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159285&referrerid=38215

Copied from TTORA thread-

I contacted ARB and their response is below.

Marc was very responsive and made me feel a little better about what going on here.

It would appear as though they are designed to sit flat.

---------------------------------
The springs themselves are built to provide a comfortable ride which sets them near flat in a static position. This allows the spring to react either up or down very easily as road conditions dictate improving ride quality. What were the before measurements with the stock springs compared with the OME springs fitted.

given the front lift I would say the rear is exactly where we would expect it on your particular (heaviest of all those models) Tacoma. The flatter leaf pack will actually flex better than one with greater arch as the spring is nearer to the center of it's available travel. You'll also note that the rear overload is negative arched to allow the primary pack to bend over it without damaging the spring under extreme load or heavy articulation. The spring itself should not fatigue rapidly as it is working within its engineered parameters. What destroys springs is when they are forced beyond what the steel can recover from, not the position of the pack itself.

bumpstop extensions are not required with these springs. As for AAL, most guys don't need them, but we do offer them and they increase the spring rate by about 15%. Typically only trucks carrying 500-1000lbs of gear/equipment all the time require the AAL, ride quality suffers otherwise.