OME Springs

[KG6BWS]

Finally got my new OME Dakar springs installed the truck. Id love to know what the deal is with these.

Theyre worse than stock!!! Sure they ride beautifully offroad, but the springs have negative arch!!! The truck sits right at, if not a hair lower than it did with the stock springs that have 215,000 miles on them!!!! Theyre sitting on the overloads and I dont even have my rtt, or any of my camping gear in the truck right now!!!! ******?!?!?!?!

I verified the part numbers on ARB's website. Part numbers are correct, springs are on the correct sides. These things just cant handle the weight. All of the good things Ive read about these springs, none of them must carry any more load than an ice chest and sleeping bag.

Has anyone else had this happen?? Im gonna be calling ARB tomorrow to ask about this. Maybe I just got a bad set of springs. Im just kicking myself for not taking measurements from the frame to the ground before I started. Any ideas from anyone right now??

Not the greatest picture of the ride height, but this pic gives an idea of where it sat with my stock springs.

 

[adventureduo]

That first photo of the leaf shows negative arch for sure. Something has to be wrong dude. I bet they're mis-marked. Let us know what they say after you talk to them i'd be interested in hearing.

 

[7wt]

Just how much weight is back there???

 

[sn0wspyder]

I just installed mine and they are smiling just fine... I would say you got a bad set or missed marked. I'll put some install photos up on my build thread tomorrow.

 

[SAR_Squid79]

You've got a hell of a lot of weight on the back of your rig!
(I thought I had a lot)

I'm on my 4th redo of my rear suspension, and I'm FINALLY pretty happy with it. Based on my experience, I don't think there's ANY off-the-shelf 'cookie-cutter' leaf pack that's going to work for you.

Think about it. Leaf spring manufacturers have to walk the middle of the road to try to please everyone. A leaf pack that would work for your truck, would jack another truck 5" over stock! They have to try to build a spring that's not too hard, not too soft, not too high, not too low. People build these trucks in a million different configurations, and use them in a hundred different applications.

You're probably going to be a lot like me, and you're not going to be happy until you get a set of springs that is custom built for YOUR RIG, and YOUR APPLICATION.

...if you're in Lancaster, there's no reason you can't do what I did. Load your truck up exactly as if you were going out, drive to Deaver Spring in Santa Ana, CA and have them build a set of springs JUST FOR YOU!

That's what I did, and the cost came out to be about the same as buying a standard production set of springs + shipping. They fixed me up same-day, while I waited. I didn't have to lift a finger (except to pull my wallet out ).

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1474348&postcount=27

Contact Information
http://www.deaverspring.com/

Telephone
714-542-3703

FAX
714-542-2898

Postal address
902 E. 2nd Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Email
General Information: info@deaverspring.com
Sales: sales@deaverspring.com
Customer Support: service@deaverspring.com

 

[KG6BWS]

Just how much weight is back there???

Not sure. Never really weighed it. I am just comparing these though to my stock springs with 215k on them.

At the same time, Ive seen pics of several Tacomas using OME springs, with a HELLUVA lot more weight than me. Unless their racks were built out of aluminum that is...

You've got a hell of a lot of weight on the back of your rig!
(I thought I had a lot)

I'm on my 4th redo of my rear suspension, and I'm FINALLY pretty happy with it. Based on my experience, I don't think there's ANY off-the-shelf 'cookie-cutter' leaf pack that's going to work for you.

Think about it. Leaf spring manufacturers have to walk the middle of the road to try to please everyone. A leaf pack that would work for your truck, would jack another truck 5" over stock! They have to try to build a spring that's not too hard, not too soft, not too high, not too low. People build these trucks in a million different configurations, and use them in a hundred different applications.

You're probably going to be a lot like me, and you're not going to be happy until you get a set of springs that is custom built for YOUR RIG, and YOUR APPLICATION.

...if you're in Lancaster, there's no reason you can't do what I did. Load your truck up exactly as if you were going out, drive to Deaver Spring in Santa Ana, CA and have them build a set of springs JUST FOR YOU!

That's what I did, and the cost came out to be about the same as buying a standard production set of springs + shipping. They fixed me up same-day, while I waited. I didn't have to lift a finger (except to pull my wallet out ).



Contact Information
http://www.deaverspring.com/

Telephone
714-542-3703

FAX
714-542-2898

Postal address
902 E. 2nd Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Email
General Information: info@deaverspring.com
Sales: sales@deaverspring.com
Customer Support: service@deaverspring.com

Yeah I understand that they have to go middle of the road to please everyone, but from everything Ive read, I was under the impression that these were good springs for not only ride quality but also weight carrying ability. THese cant even hold what my stock springs did.

THe plan right now is to take them off next saturday and put my stock springs back on until I get a decent set of new ones. Unless ARB says that they look faulty (mismarked or just a bad set), Im gonna get rid of them and get custom ones, probably Deavers. Hell since Ive already got these maybe Deaver would be able to add another leaf or rearch them, or something.

Dunno. Going to try and reserve judgement on them until Ive had a chance to talk with ARB about them.

 

[TangoBlue]

My Dakars were going flat to slightly negative after about a year. I added a Dakar X29 AAL per ARB Techs recommendation in March 2009 and am very happy with the results.

My Tacoma's weight is 4600 pounds as listed below in my sig with about a full tank of gas. Overland weight adds about another 300-500 pounds according to the trip and duration.

But that's what works for me. I understand you carry a lot of gear with you from your past posts, so I think Jamie's advice is pretty good if you can swing a trip to Santa Ana. But I agree with you... talk to ARB first; they'll work with you.

 

[Zam15]

Here are my Dakars with an AAL I had leftover from the stock springs. I just have so much crap on my truck and normally travel full of gear and people. They sit flat now. If I get a rear bumper with with a swing-out I may have to put in another AAL..

It looks like you run about the same setup as me.

Also the Dakars like to dent the OME shocks.... They could have at least warned me... Nothing like a self destructive product.

Painted it black to stop the rust.

Hope this helps

 

[KG6BWS]

I do carry alot of stuff with me. I go out alone so often that I tend to go over prepared just in case. I could understand them going a little flat after some time, especially with the loads I carry, places I go and the miles I put on. I wouldnt have so much of a problem with them going a little flat after a year, but hell its been driven 2.1 miles!!!!

With my truck FULLY loaded (about another 200 - 300lbs over whats in the pic), including gas, water, firewood, rtt, camping gear, and whatever I need for the particluar trip (fishing, hunting, prospecting, etc) the stock springs are right at flat. Its not even fully loaded right now and the springs are PAST flat!!!

I sent off an email to ARB, and Im gonna call them tomorrow or the next day, so Im waiting to see what they say. Depending on what they say, Ill take it to Deaver and see about having these rebuilt. Maybe an AAL or two, and some rearching will take care of it. I dont know.

TangoBlue - How does it ride with the AAL in there?? I live on dirt roads, so I ran it down the road real quick for a test drive. The ride is the ONLY thing Im happy with right now.

 

[adventureduo]

So what are the Dakar springs built for... an empty pickup? Do they have different springs for heavier loads like they do with their coils? (Medium, Heavy, Super Heavy etc)

I mean if a spring pack is weaker than a pack thats been beaten for 200k+ miles? How's that right? Doesn't make sense. If so, What size tire are you supposed to run .. a 29"? Supposedly these are to net 2"-2" of lift?.. that's with what ... a fully stock rig? Don't most of the rigs in the outback carry spares, gear and have ARB front and rear bumpers?

Derek , your rig is far from over loaded and heavy.. that amazes me you have to put in an AAL at all.

Justin, OME now makes springs for Sportsmobiles.. you should order those

And yep, Jamie is right.. Nationals, Deaver and Alcan have always been the best leafs. But they also cost twice as much.

Can't wait to hear what they say. Im still thinking/hoping they're mis-marked. We love our OME coils.

 

[KG6BWS]

Rear Medium Load Spring 2.25" 2 CS046RA/B

Thats copied from ARB-USA's application chart. Doesnt give a load rating for the rear, and this is the only rear spring available, according to the chart, for the 04.

 

[7wt]

I wonder if they are having so quality control issues? There is a guy on TTORA having the same problem as you,

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158730

 

[Overland Hadley]

I have an 05+ Tacoma, so I do not have a direct comparison, but I think you have a set that is marked wrong.

My Tacoma can weigh close to 6,000 lb. and I do not touch the second overload leaf.

 

[Bergger]

I installed OME leafs on my double cab tacoma about 5 years ago and they gave me 3" of lift over the stock TRD springs. I dont carry a lot of weight but they certainly have done their share of towing and weight bearing over the years and they have hardly sagged at all. I love them. Did the quality of the product change when they became dakar springs? I'm having Dakar leafs put on my 87 4runner this week and I hope i don't have an issue with them.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

AAL's and possibly some other tweaks. I've got a pretty heavy Tacoma and don't have your problem, CS046's with mods are extremely common, in fact we send more out tweaked then stock. Regarding the dented Nitrocharger, This was a problem with the older shocks, not a problem with the Nitrocharger Sports as they have a plastic upper shield rather than the steel on the standard Nitro's.

Call whomever you bought the springs from and ask them what they recommend for a solution. They took your money, they should be there to offer tech support and advice and hopefully have some product insight to solve your problem.