RMP&O's v8 80-series

[RMP&O]

Slee 4" coils went in last night. Wow these are awesome springs!


OME 863J on the left and Slee on the right

Stock, OME, Slee

OME vs Slee

I gained nearly 1.5" in the rear over the relatively new OME 863J. In the front the truck remained about the same but I removed the 2" MT spacers. I retained the 1" Slee spacers in the rear. Truck now has a bit of stink bug. I may remove the 1" spacer in the rear or add a 1" spacer to the front to level it out a bit. Now where it really helped is to level the truck side to side. Seems I had some Cruiser lean going on. Kind of knew I had it but didn't know how bad. Well it was pretty bad. 1.5* from level side to side. Over 1" difference side to side, it was more pronounced in the front. Now with the new Slee coils, the truck is pretty level side to side. Only off by .2* and less than 1/4".

So I left out the sway bars and took it for a drive after putting in the new coils. Wow these are sweet coils, love them already! The truck is better in front, even with the sway bar out. It was pretty mushy in front before with the old OME. The rear feels about the same albeit a bit firmer. Very curious to see how the truck sits, rides and handles loaded up with lot's of weight.

Rear axle is off center by a fair amount now. Got a Slee panhard adjuster sitting here though, bought it last summer but never got around to installing it. Already got one in the front and the front is fairly centered.

So I am stoked! Should have bought these Slee coils awhile ago. And I am now sold on them, no more OME for me!

Cheers

 

[RMP&O]

I don't know how beefy the 863's are (never seen a set), but those rear HP Slee's ARE BEEFY... hope these solve your sagging issues.

If you decide to part out on that front axle housing with the modded knuckle balls let me know... I'm interested.
I'm thinking of doing the same thing.
I think you are running about the same height as I am on the FZJ60.

EDIT: never mind on that axle... I just re-read the posts on the mod and I noticed the Y link on the front...

Hey Frank, see post above. Slee's are in and oh man are they sweet!

No axle to part out. I am building an axle not parting one. When I am done there will be a housing available. If you want it to cut the knuckle balls off of it and use on a custom housing. I bought the spare 2nd hand housing so I don't need to take my truck off the road while I get the new axle ready. But I will be using all the guts from my current axle.

I wanted to ask you about the hockey pucks. I had thought it was kind of a joke. Must have never rear your posts about fitting them, in other words I thought you were calling the AA mounts hockey pucks. So how do they work? You just drill a hole in the puck and slap it in with some big flat washers? I got one toast AA mount, new ones in hand but want to hear more about the hockey pucks. Don't really plan to re-do my motor mounts anytime soon.

Cheers

 

[MANUCHAO]

Ian.
That's pretty much it with the hockey pucks.....
I was looking for something better than AA and the only other option was to redo the engine mounts.....
I too did not have the inclination or time to do so...
I tried hockey pucks with a couple of washers on either side and the thickness of the puck was right about what I needed......
I check them every 6 months for the last few years and they look as good as the day I installed them.......

Good deal on the Slee's...
I have never bottom out even when fully loaded on the rear....
One of these days I will spring some $$ for the fronts.....

Im not having any caster issues at all...
I just want to do without the caster plates and keep it as a simple as possible.....
Im contemplating getting the right control arms....or flipping them to the top of the axle.........
Im in no rush tho....

On the front DS did AA not sell a smaller diameter yolk to address this very issue ?
Or am I mistaken?
Im PT on the 4wd as well but dont really have any issues with vibes....
The drive shaft clears the tranny oil pan by about 1/4" or 3/8".

Laters,

Frank

 

[RMP&O]

Cool thanks for the info Frank.


I have found the caster to get whacky on 80's. Done a lot with my front suspension the last year. Drop brackets, no drop brackets, no bushings, 3* bushings and now a c&t. Also had height vary 2" with three different configurations in the front end. Have seen my caster out by as much as nearly 10* on this truck. With 4" lift and no caster correction iirc it was at 6* forward. Any ways, I have found it suits me best to be at 4* and it is best if I get there by a c&t. I was in the same boat as you, wanted caster right without drop brackets or plates. From what I have read, Slee or Superior radius arms will fix caster but not fix pinion angle. I almost bought a set of these but without fixing my pinion didn't want the expense. They are longer too so center the axle in the wheel well. I am thinking about moving my frame side radius arm mount when I do the new front end to center it up.



AA may sell a small yoke. I have no idea but am going to look in to it now. My only issues with vibes is in winter time when I drive around here in 4wd. That or the occasional trip to the dunes or a trip to the desert where I may run in 4wd at speeds. I would like to fix it though, just had my front shaft rebuilt before Baja, don't care to wear it out faster than normal. I have got less than 1/8" between DL and trans pan.

Cheers

 

[RMP&O]

Well, motor blew up in one of my work trucks yesterday. I shouldn't say blew up, it just has a very bad knock. It is the old 350tbi in the work truck. Last night I start looking around for a replacement or what it will cost to rebuild. Get a long block GM 350 crate motor for about $1800. Then just like an hour ago I am talking to a bro of mine and he says, why not put the 5.7L in the work truck from the Cruiser and buy yourself that 5.3L you been wanting. All I could say was, ya that is a good idea, I should have thought of that, think I will do just that!

:********:

Cheers

 

[MANUCHAO]

Dude sorry to hear that...
A few more bucks will get yah the 6.0
Just saying...

 

[RMP&O]

Dude sorry to hear that...
A few more bucks will get yah the 6.0
Just saying...

Eh, bound to happen. Interesting enough it is the only truck in the fleet I bought with over 100k on it, rest I bought new or low mile and we have put all the miles on them. The truck that has the bad motor, we have only put about 35k on it in the last 7-8yrs. It was kind of amusing actually because the few days leading up the the knock I was talking up the work truck and how it was one of the better ones in the fleet. How we should paint it because mechanically it is super sound. Well, I ate my words on that!

I am up for whatever, including a 6.2L. Will just come down to $$ when it is time to buy the engine. Don't think I really need more than the 295hp of the 5.3L though. My 5.7L is only like 255hp iirc and I don't feel it lacks in any way. Great torque rating on the 5.7L though. If I can re-use my 4L60e (think I can) and my AA adapter it makes it all that much easier and cheaper. I only need the motor. 5.7L should be great in the work truck, lot's more power than the ole 350tbi.

Not going to jump on it right away. The work truck can sit idle for awhile as we have other trucks in the fleet to use.

Cheers

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Cool thanks for the info Frank.


From what I have read, Slee or Superior radius arms will fix caster but not fix pinion angle.


Cheers

Have you thought about a cut-n -turn on the front housing? I've done this a couple times. You get the best of both worlds without having to build a custom housing.

Nice rig.

 

[RMP&O]

Have you thought about a cut-n -turn on the front housing? I've done this a couple times. You get the best of both worlds without having to build a custom housing.

Nice rig.

Ya, actually it is already done.

I set caster at 4* when I did it. Thing is, can't change pinion angle without torching off the radius arm mounts axle side. And if doing that, might as well do more to the front end. Axle housing solves a bunch of issues for me from no need for diff skid to setting all my brackets where I want. Looking at it a little more recently, I can move the front axle 2" or so forward too. Will just have to move the radius arm mounts on the frame or go custom mounts.

Cheers

 

[Box Rocket]

So to clarify, still OMEJ in the front? or 4" slee at all 4 corners?

 

[RMP&O]

So to clarify, still OMEJ in the front? or 4" slee at all 4 corners?

Slee 4"

Cheers

 

[Box Rocket]

Thanks. Good to hear. I have no complaints about my OME J's but I've entertained the idea of running something else. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[RMP&O]

Thanks. Good to hear. I have no complaints about my OME J's but I've entertained the idea of running something else. Thanks for the feedback.

I think the J's are good to about 6,000lbs. I didn't have any complaints with mine until I got heavy. In my opinion though, the Slee's are a much better spring. Best you can get for an 80. Ride is really nice with them. HDP in rear is stiff though and I am at 6200ish lbs. I hear the Slee HDP's are really nice once you start loading it down. I have not done that yet, only had the Slee's a couple weeks.

Cheers

 

[MANUCHAO]

I hear the Slee HDP's are really nice once you start loading it down.
Cheers

I can vouch for this.... Once loaded up... The "progressive" part of the spring comes alive... It really handles the extra weight like nobody's business, butta smooth and the best part is that no squatting is noticeable... At least not on my rig.....

 

[RMP&O]

I can vouch for this.... Once loaded up... The "progressive" part of the spring comes alive... It really handles the extra weight like nobody's business, butta smooth and the best part is that no squatting is noticeable... At least not on my rig.....

Awesome! That is what the problem was with my J's. Much more than 6200lbs and they squatted badly. Even the new ones. I got some pretty good stink bug with the 1" spacer in the rear. Was thinking of trying a 1" spacer in front. But I may also try no 1" spacer in the rear. I also been running around with no sway bars since the Slee's went in. Funny but it handles better with the Slee's and no sway bars than it did with OME and sway bars.

Cheers