OME or RTE?

[PCFRover]

Can anyone compare the OME springs to the RTE for flex and articulation? Thought I read somewhere that HD OME's are stiffer than RTE's and don't let the axles drop as much. Any truth to this?

Any other general comments on the two would be great.

I am ready to do a lift and need to decide which 3"er to get for my D1. It will be mostly a trail rig so I am not worried about on road handling.

Gary

Yes, I did a search and didn't really find comments I was looking for.

 

[Jaime]

Neither spring is retained at the top, so the amount of suspension drop is limited by other things...length of shock absorbers, sway bars, panhard rod, radius arms, etc.

Now, how far a wheel can stuff may be limited by the stiffness of a spring, and to determine that I would look at the weight ratings (stiffness)

 

[marc olivares]

to get an almost 3" lift w/ OME, you need a 1-1.5" spacer in the rear (you wouldn't want to add any more than that w/ a spacer)
w/ the RTE you get 3"+ with the springs only and have the option of adding spacers if you want to.
if you really carry a ton-o-crap, i would go w/ the OME and run a 763 (extra HD) in the rear w/ a 1.5" spacer to get you level. those are some stiff ass springs, and don't squat under a load.
i've run both setups, and the RTE seem to be a little flexier/softer, but with my setup it works( i run rear springs retained and 11" shocks)
i have the HD RTE 3" springs. after our second baby, we tend to pack a lot more crap than we use to, so i added a 1" spacer to the rear.

like Jaime indicated, your shocks and sways limit your droop currently and w/ a 3" lift you will need to address the short shock issue.

and what's with the "i don't care how it handles on the road" crap? you have every option open to you to make the vehicle as nice or as unrully as you want. i vote for making it nice

 

[rtiqulatendisco]

Go RTE. Steve can work with you from a 2inch lift to a 9inch lift.

 

[Steve Rupp]

You're going to get two basic opinions here. One will be soft/tall springs and sexy flexy. The other will be HD springs with retainers and lockers. IMO, nothing beats traction. I'm not a big supporter of super sexy flexy. Yeah, you're going to get the argument that your truck will be more stable and as long as you have a tire on the ground you'll get traction, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. I prefer traction with lockers over flex.

Back to your question, I had RTE springs on my 94 disco and they settled a ton more than my OME springs. OME offers a much greater array of spring rates and heights than the RTE. If you're looking for a 3" lift that will last, I would go with 764 front and 762 or 763 in the rear with 1.5" blocks.

 

[koby]

Or you can go from a 3 " lift to a -2" lift, like so:

Steve, is that about how much your RTE springs settled?

 

[Steve Rupp]

Yeah, I ended up with a -2" lift

 

[PCFRover]

I must confess that I was leaning to the OME setup, but the RTE has got my atttention with some positive comments in some threads here.

My usual loading is pretty light with mostly single day outings. No week long safaries with tons of camping gear etc. I am thinking the OME 764/762 or RTE HD might be a little stiff for my application. Maybe a 764/781 or a RTE MD setup would be more suited?

And it's not that I don't care how it handles, it's that off road is more important to me than taking the mountain roads at top speed. Well, maybe the fact I just got a speeding ticket on one of those kind of roads is blurring my thinking on that....

Gary

 

[DiscoDino]

I like to use "off-the-shelf" items like OME here as a) they have a wide selection, b) several outlets sell them, and c) you can have a replacement should you need one in 24 hours (even in the Middle East)

 

[bigred]

RTE.. Steve is very helpful, plus the new springs come with a 5 year warranty.

 

[noee]

Just call Steve

Gary:
Don't form your opinions just from what these guys (or me, for that matter) are posting. Call STeve (RTE) and talk to EE (OME) if you haven't already.

I've run both setups on my D2, I'm now on the RTE 3", had it on for almost a year, switched from the OME 2.5". I'm not sure I can quantitatively say one flexes more or better than the other, in my case, with ACE, shocks and the Watts linkage are limiting factors, given a similar spring setup (non-retained, etc.).

I feel the ride with the RTE springs is much better offroad than the OME setup, of course, that could be the shock setup I have too. I'm sure that's a big part of it. Seems like the truck just floats over big and small obstacles compared to the OME, which was not as subtle and seemed bouncier.

You might also note that a truck with stock bumpers and close to stock weight with the 3" RTE springs will probably get more than 3" of lift.

HTH,
Mike

 

[rovercanus]

You might also note that a truck with stock bumpers and close to stock weight with the 3" RTE springs will probably get more than 3" of lift.

Right you are Ken!
Mike is right about the ride height on the RTE springs. I've got the 2" and have closer to a 3" lift then 2". The springs have not settled noticably in the year that they have been on my 2000 D2. The settling stuff was an early sping problem that has since been corrected.
Steve is very helpful and just a nice guy all around.
Koby, You're always pimpin' the EE schnizle!

 

[Eric N.]

The sagged spring that Koby posted above is one of the older RTE springs. They where made different then the new ones.. The old springs where not made to be fully compressed so by fully compressing the spring it would damage it and cause the spring to sag once it was damaged. The new springs that RTE sells are made to be fully compressed over and over again and are a much better quality spring then the last manufactures were.

Either RTE or OME offers different spring rates (RTE offering more options) and RTE can also get you pretty much any custom spring length you want and they stock up to 5 inch lift springs.

Either one will work.. Just keep in mind that with the 3 inch lift ( or 2 inch for that matter ) you could have to spend some extra cash to get any vibe issues you may end up with corrected.

 

[dave_lucas]

EE and Rovertym both have great customer service, I do not think that you could go wrong with purchasing a lift from either of them. As a matter of fact I have 2 discos and purchased a lift from EE and Rovertym, and they are both doing great.

As far as the saggy spring thing goes give Steve a break. He has really improved Rovertym since he started running the business. The new springs are improved and much better than the old ones IMHO. And yes, I did have a set of the old springs a few years ago that sagged, but when I called them to ask them about it they made things right without me even asking.

Ooohhh and If you go with OME or Rovertym and use longer shocks or lower mounts I would recommend using EE retainers on the rear not drop cones.

If you decide on OME buy it from EE

 

[rovercanus]

If you decide on OME buy it from EE

Damn Dave, now you be pimpin' EE stuff, yo!

Personally, I'd shop around for OME stuff. EE is great with lots of useful info but I'm cheap and still look around for the best prices.

 

[koby]

Damn Dave, now you be pimpin' EE stuff, yo!

Personally, I'd shop around for OME stuff. EE is great with lots of useful info but I'm cheap and still look around for the best prices.

You won't hesitate to use their website for info though, will you?

 

[dave_lucas]

Hi Walter,

No pimpin here, it is a plain and simple fact that EE has good service and that is worth a few extra dollars in my opinion.

Have John/Ho and I had our differences of opinion in the past? Yep

Will we have a difference of opinion in the future? Of course.

But that does not change the fact that they provide good service and are knowledgeable about the product that they sell.

 

[rovercanus]

No doubt about it Dave. From what I heard they have great service and a great product line.
Yes Koby, I've looked at the information on the site. That's what it's there for, right?
When I need something that they sell, I will purchase from them, if the price is in line with what everyone else is charging. Back at ya!
I will say that a lot of stuff EE sells is hard to get anywhere. They seem to carry a lot of what the Rover owner needs and are real enthusiasts, and thats a definate plus.
So anyway, I look forward to doing buisiness with them in the future.

 

[Ron L]

Personally, I'd shop around for OME stuff. EE is great with lots of useful info but I'm cheap and still look around for the best prices.

You know, I went through this before with someone else. They got the springs for less from one place and the shocks from another. In the end the guy spent around 20 bucks more then getting it all at EE.

 

[rovercanus]

I see your point Ron. Shipping charges are a big part of shopping around.