By John Witherspoon on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 08:24 am: Edit

I've been inquiring about lifts, springs etc. and have decided to, at least temporarily, go with the CB method. It certainly puts a smile on my wallet's face! Two things: If I'm only switching springs...no spacers, shocks etc. Will I need to fidget with the brake lines? The other thing is...I contacted my dealership (Land Rover Greensboro, NC) and asked about warranty questions. I was informed ( by a truly friendly staff, I might add, just like the website says :-)) that upgrading the shocks/springs etc. would not invalidate the remainder of my factory, or the extended warranty that I have! Kudos, LRG for kicking ass in the service dept...Bring on the cheap bastard! (I must admit, that when funds are sufficient, I will go for the full OME kit!)

THanks everyone, for the help!

John
Recovering cheap bastard and rover addict

By Ron on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 09:22 am: Edit

What are you chosing for rear springs?

OME HD 762? RTE 2in? Something else? This is a disco I correct?

Let us know how you like it.

Ron

By Ron on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 09:23 am: Edit

NO brake line figiting if it is a Disco I. No experience with DII and brake lines but you should be ok with stock shocks.

Ron

By John Witherspoon on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 09:39 am: Edit

Plans now are to go with HD (762s?) OME in the rear. Here's one more question...just out of curiosity...How would this setup, with rears in the front, handle a new bumper/winch? I'm not looking right now, just curious. I'm sure I'll probably spring for the whole suspension shebang before I travel in the the uncharted winch/bumper waters!

John

By Ron on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 09:46 am: Edit

It handles it fine.

At first I thought it would not, but with an ARB bar and an XD9000i and a hilift on the front it was still fine. Mind you your front will be a bit lower (1in) than the rear if the rear is unloaded but this is the same as if you had OME HDs on all four corners with a winch and bumper.

What I don't think people understand is that there is NO good reason to go with OME HD fronts. They are so close to your stock rears it is a joke. I doubt you could even tell the difference. Or at least that has been my experience and what others who tried it have conveyed.

Ron

PS take pictures before and after for us and also please measure the lift. Measure from the dead center of the wheel to the bottom of the fender lip, both before and after.
PS 762 is the correct number for OME HD rears

By Clint on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 09:56 am: Edit

Hey Ron,
what about the LEan with stock springs?
My 97SE7 seems to have sagged and leans quite a bit to the right.
I thought I also read somewhere that the right rear springs may have been defective.
What do you have to say about this?
Is this the case of "its a cheap bastard lift anyway, so don't worry about the lean"?
Thanks,
Clint

By Ron on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 10:14 am: Edit

If your rears lean before you swap then you will probably lean after you move them to the front. A simple measurement beforehand from fender lip to wheel center in the rear will sort this issue out. If it is minor lean it can be corrected with a "trim packer" or two or you can ignore. Also make sure it is the springs and not the body that is causing the lean.

HOWEVER, it has been my experience that the majority of the lean issues I have seen are due to the stock FRONTS being POSes. The stock PS front is really light and the coils are spaced far apart thus it sags and causes a lean. Stock rears are closer to one another in spec.

I don't worry about such things. Unless you have a major issue any lean is unnoticable. There are other tricks to employ (put PS springs on the DS in back and put them correct in front--thanks gumby--)

Just measure what you ahve in back now and see how close you are.

Ron

By Clint on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 10:17 am: Edit

Thanks,
I'll check it out

By Matt on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 01:02 pm: Edit

Hey Ron, how did you rig up your high lift mount on your ARB? I'd like to do this myself. Thanks

By Ron on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 01:54 pm: Edit

I did not do it, it was Dom's truck.

Dom?

You out there?

Basically a couple of bolts though the antenna tab holes in the ARB

Ron

By Bill Bettridge (Billb) on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 01:59 pm: Edit

See the pictures of Sliders truck for the hi-lift mount on an ARB

By Clint on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:30 pm: Edit

Here are my measurements
97 SE7
Center of wheel straight up to fender lip
Driver front 17 3/4"
Pass front 17 1/4"
Both rear 18"

Does this look saggy?

I took these measurements twice and there was always that 1/2 inch difference between the fronts. I don't exactly have level cement in the driveway, so I moved the truck and measured again.

I don't really know why the backs read the same and the fronts show different. Either the cement is not level or the frame and body are twisting or the fender lips are not bent the same or my tires don't have the same amount of air in them.

Then I looked at the springs. the driver side looked like it had roughly 8 coils while the passenger side had 6 thin coils.

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:39 pm: Edit

You will be fine. About what is exspected and it will work fine. You should be 19-19.5in front when you are done putting the rears in front.

Do the swap! Toss those fronts away. Stop worrying! They are supposed to be different like that if you can believe it.

Ron

PS Full tank of gas or no?

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:46 pm: Edit

For comparison:
Steve2 had:
starting measurements

lf= 17 5/8 rf = 17 1/4
lr= 18 1/4 rr= 18

And got 19 7/8in in front with his rears and he had an ARB so depending on things like how much gas you had and if you have a winch or not you might get between 19-20in in front which will be an ideal match for OME HD 762s or other 2in springs (RTE etc.)

By Clint on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:10 pm: Edit

Ron,
do you have any measurements handy for travel limits?

Specifically, what are the spring pad measurements when
1) the axle is on the bump stop
2) The axle is hanging by the shocks.

I have OME shocks on now.
I would like to know where my ride height is/will be in relation to my total travel.
According to OME specs, the shocks have 8.5" travel rear and 9.2" travel front.
Is all or more of this used?
Variables are bump stop location and shock geometry, articulation etc.

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:16 pm: Edit

Clint,

Ok you have a valid question.

I am going to give you a direct answer because it will probably be more helpful than if I try to explain it (which would take like an hour)

Just do it!

Ron

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:22 pm: Edit

Clint,

Do you really want an answer? The biggest thing you could do with what you have is to put a couple of 2in extentions on your rear shocks. Your front will not do much flexing anyway but a little more droop with HDs at the back helps as you don't get quite the stuffage as you do stock.

You will have to give me either the compressed or extented length of your shocks to give you the correct answer but if I had to guess I would say you are about midpoint to a little under now and will be about 3in from the limit when you are done in back.

We can definately figure this out but I don;t know that it will help much.

Ron

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:25 pm: Edit

Give me angle of the rear shock. Bumpstop bottom to spring top front and rear and either compressed or extended length of the shocks and I will do the math.

Ron

By Clint on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:26 pm: Edit

Just do it (the chearleader)?
OK I get it...

The travel thing is not a show stopper or anything. I was just curious.

I suppose it doesn't matter if the setup articulates fully and allows you to drive over curbs and casually look over to your passenger and ask
"did you feel something?"

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:30 pm: Edit

It will articulate fully you just have to give it the right inputs you know. You will max out the droop in the back which is why a lot of people do the drop kit thing (you can cheap bastard this as well).

The ride is very nice. The rears are a bit stiff and if I was daring I would get the RTE MD 2in rears as people seem to think they are a much nicer riding spring.

Try it and see.

I am done convincing. I don't even make any money off this. I will have to market this lift somehow.

Ron

By Clint on Friday, November 23, 2001 - 10:09 am: Edit

My brother wants to do the CB lift and now I just need to nail down which springs to get.
I don't want the thing to be harsh while unloaded.
What would be better for the rear
OME 781 or RR3 2" or other

Thanks,
Clint

By Ron on Friday, November 23, 2001 - 10:17 am: Edit

RR3
285-325 lb/in
progressive
rear

I would think would be your first choice as far as smoothness. The RTE sprung trucks seem to ride a bit nicer than the OME HD (762 rears) trucks I have been in. I have no experience with the OME 781. You might be a bit rear high with these in 2in form so maybe call John @ Rovertym and see what kind of lift to exspect out a 2in RR3 and see if it will match with the exspected front lift. likewise John Lee at expedition exchange would be a good person to call if you want to get the 781s and should be able to give more detail on them.

Springs are very personal issue, but I think you will be ok either way.

Ron