OME 3" lift - prep and extras??

[DJTimyD]

I have the lift kit from quadratec for the OME 3" lift. I also have the bushings and the ubolts as the kit didn't come with those.

I am looking to do this lift soon... and I have a few questions from others who have been down this road:

PB Blaster, a torch, long-ass breaker bar, impact wrench and a Sawzall - any other tools I'll need?

Do I need a new trackbar? if so, any reason not to get an adjustable?

Do I need new swaybars? if so, any reason not to get disconnect-able?

Do I need new LCAs? any benefit over original?

This jeep is going to be 90% DD, 9% trail, 1% rock. I already have the OME lift kit with shocks, springs and coils so the only cost concern I have is if I run into something I cant do on my own, what is a shop gonna gouge me for.

I have already started the PB Blaster treatments... I plan on those going for a few weeks.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated. I did do a search and didn't find much for OME lifts - other than "they're great" comments, not much "this is what I did and why I did it and what went wrong" kinda thing. I hope to learn from others mistakes so I can make all new ones! :worship:

 

[bridgerx]

Depends on how rusted things are, but the tools you list should do it. bottle jack, ratchet straps, jack stands go without saying.

One thing you likely need and definitely should want (depends on year) is a slip yoke eliminator kit for your transfer case. T-case drop may work for a short term fix.

I destroyed shackles getting the rear leaves off... wound up getting some slightly longer ones after the springs settled. Get new bolts for the springs/shackles. use anti-seize. Torque, then recheck the torque, things loosen up.

You don't "need" a new trackbar right off, until you bend it or the stock mount at the frame. Yes, you need a longer one or adjustable one, or redrill your axle end mount to get the axle centered under the vehicle. Trackbar bushings and sketchy mounting are a very common cause of deathwobble.

You should throw the rear swaybar away. You'll want new links (and probably new bushings) for the front swaybar and you should get or make some that allow you to disconnect the sway bar.

longer LCA's will bring help bring you front caster/pinion angles back in line. Adjustable lets you dial it in exactly. Different bushings/end may help your flex, but not unless you disconnect the front swaybar when offroad first at a minimum. LCA mounts on the axle are a common thing to bash up.

Presumably you're doing this to fit bigger tires. You need bumpstops and or to trim fenders if you plan to actually wheel.

If you got the longer front shocks you may need to extend the front brake lines.

When I installed the OME springs and rear shocks at first the vehicle rode so high that the shocks were topped out at ride height. I moved the shock mounts on the axle up to axle level, which helped a lot, including more articulation, but then needed to extend the rear brake line too. Since then the springs settled and I got longer shackles to bring it back up.... but proper bumpstopping from the beginning may have prevented that.

 

[Greenz]

OME is a nice ride but...


Actual rear lift is closer to 4.5 in the rear. Remove third leaf down from the top to get closer to 3". My 2001 had vibes at 3" lift and SYE, shims and new drive shaft took care of that.



OME coils have a soft spring rate. Without an anti sway bar you will get scary body roll at highway speeds. I have JKS discos. Some claim to not run a sway bar but they have heavy spring rate coils, non OME coils.



I broke nearly every bolt despite heat and PB Blaster. Have drills and taps ready. Two of my leaf bolts hung in the bushing sleeves. Had to cut the leaf eyes and replace the bolts. Some have had the welds on the nuts break loose. Rear upper shock bolts are known for breaking.


Custom bumper, winch, and steering brace added so much weight to the from the OME coils sagged. With a 3" lift you probably got 2-2 1/4" spacers. I didn't want to add more spacers to mine to correct the sag. Ended up replacing the coils with longer RE coils and added ACOS. You may need to get some additional coil spacers to level out front to rear. A coil spring compressor tool is nice to have but it can be done with out it.



You will have lots of fun with your new lift but be prepared to spend more money than expected. That's not really specific to OME.

 

[DJTimyD]

thanks for the tips y'all… wanted to add a few things here:

I have the flag nut bar pin kit so if the top shock nuts snap off, I'm good.

I'm actually happy with the tire size I have - 31". Not planning on going more as I think that would take this out of the 90% DD and more into a dedicated trail rig, which I'm not prepared to do. The two main reasons I'm doing this are because the suspension is shot as-is so it needs replacing, and the 31s look funny scrunched up in the wheel wells.

I have heard that the actual lift would be closer to 4.5 on the back w/o removing a leaf - so I was already planning on that. Good call and thanks for confirming that!

Fortunately my Jeep isn't rusted... as near as I can tell. I have been under it quite a bit and its water-dry and dusty, but no rust that I could see anywhere. Even the original leafs are in good cosmetic shape... flat as hell, but they look good! I think my slow rear main leak is good at coating everything with oil - natures ant-rust compound!

I did forget to mention that my Jeep is a 2000. What sucks is the LP D30. A SYE is in the future, but my plan is to get a replacement transfercase and get it rebuilt with an SYE in place. Same with the front axle shafts - gonna grab some off a JY Jeep and rebuild the U-Joints. Only good thing about the LP D30 is the beefier U-Joints - don't have to grab a set of ABS axle shafts to upgrade - at least as far as I understand it.

I've been debating pulling the trigger on a JKS adjustable track bar - think I'll just do it.

Pretty sure my kit came with new bolts for everything... but I'll double check. I was planning on using the Sawzall if the leaf bolts seized.

What did y'all end up drilling out and retapping? I do not have a tap and dye set but I can borrow one - I didn't think I would need it tho…

I had also been debating on getting new drop shackles to replace the OE ones... I might price those out too...


Thanks y'all!! I appreciate your experience and input

 

[Greenspan]

I am confused about the OME rear leafs? Should you remove a leaf or leave it in and wait for it to settle? It sounds like when you first install it, it rides high but then settles; so what are you supposed to do?

 

[ljobbins]

I just had to cut out the front leaf spring bolts today. They spun out of the welded nut in the frame but were seized in the bushings for the leafs. Super hard to turn and I had to kick my breaker bar 1/4 turn at a time. And then after it was loose from the welded nut, I used the sawzall to cut between the leaf and the bracket and replaced the bolts.

 

[DJTimyD]

I just had to cut out the front leaf spring bolts today. They spun out of the welded nut in the frame but were seized in the bushings for the leafs. Super hard to turn and I had to kick my breaker bar 1/4 turn at a time. And then after it was loose from the welded nut, I used the sawzall to cut between the leaf and the bracket and replaced the bolts.

This is exactly what I am expecting. I hope not, but I'll have the Sawzall ready if needed.

 

[DJTimyD]

I am confused about the OME rear leafs? Should you remove a leaf or leave it in and wait for it to settle? It sounds like when you first install it, it rides high but then settles; so what are you supposed to do?

I think it depends on where you want you jeep to sit in the end. I want my jeep to be at 2.5-3" which is where the new front coils will be. My understanding is that it sits at about 4.5" to start but settles to ~3.5" in a month or so. Removing a leaf from the pack will get it in that ~2.5" range. and if it compresses more, I have a leaf I can always add back in. I'd rather not use pucks in the front to level it off so that is my plan of attack.

 

[DJTimyD]

Your OME upgrade

How did it go, or have you done it yet? I see you were asking some of the same questions...

 

[smccollamjr]

You may already know this, but don’t torque the leaf spring eye bolts or u-bolts until the Jeep is back on the ground supporting its own weight.

 

[DJTimyD]

You may already know this, but don’t torque the leaf spring eye bolts or u-bolts until the Jeep is back on the ground supporting its own weight.

I had read that and suspected that, so thank you for the confirmation!

 

[DPG]

Before assuming lift heights and stance, etc, you need to know what part #'s you have.
If they went with ARB's info for the XJ, you probably got the 2930 front coils and CS033RB leaf springs. If you want around 2.5" of lift, you will want to remove that 3rd leaf from the pack. The 2930 coils will sit right around 2" of lift over stock on a stock XJ.

If you got the CS033RA, they gave you the wrong pack! It will be too tall-even with the 3rd leaf removed.
Actual lift heights of CS033RB is 3.5" plus.
CS033RA is over 4.5".

Both packs will settle some in a while.

CS033RB and 2930 coils on a stock XJ will have a bit of rake to the front.
Add another factory coil isolator if you prefer it more level.

Many people disagree about trackbars, etc.
If it's my own rig, I will add an adjustable trackbar every time instead of trying to run an old factory trackbar in a lifted application.
That way, I have a fresh trackbar to prevent shimmies and wobbles and I can perfectly center that axle- regardless of where it started or ended up.

 

[DJTimyD]

Before assuming lift heights and stance, etc, you need to know what part #'s you have.

If they went with ARB's info for the XJ, you probably got the 2930 front coils and CS033RB leaf springs. If you want around 2.5" of lift, you will want to remove that 3rd leaf from the pack. The 2930 coils will sit right around 2" of lift over stock on a stock XJ.

If you got the CS033RA, they gave you the wrong pack! It will be too tall-even with the 3rd leaf removed.
Actual lift heights of CS033RB is 3.5" plus.
CS033RA is over 4.5".

I actually have CS034A packs - which are the 2-2.5". Its an older kit that Quadratec doesn't sell anymore with that low of lift for OME. I am glad you pointed this out because I have been assuming that its gonna be 3-3.5" based on the current info from Quadratec, but that isn't the case. You can still buy these springs, just not in a kit. I do not know the coil part numbers, but I'm gonna find out today.

Both packs will settle some in a while.

CS033RB and 2930 coils on a stock XJ will have a bit of rake to the front.
Add another factory coil isolator if you prefer it more level.

Many people disagree about trackbars, etc.
If it's my own rig, I will add an adjustable trackbar every time instead of trying to run an old factory trackbar in a lifted application.
That way, I have a fresh trackbar to prevent shimmies and wobbles and I can perfectly center that axle- regardless of where it started or ended up.

I am pretty sure I want to upgrade the trackbar and the tierod… my issue is that all the trackbars I see are for a minimum of 3" and I'm not sure that I can dial them in short enough. Thoughts?

Thanks for getting my thinking juices flowing so I could dbl check what I have!

 

[DPG]

I actually have CS034A packs - which are the 2-2.5". Its an older kit that Quadratec doesn't sell anymore with that low of lift for OME. I am glad you pointed this out because I have been assuming that its gonna be 3-3.5" based on the current info from Quadratec, but that isn't the case. You can still buy these springs, just not in a kit. I do not know the coil part numbers, but I'm gonna find out today.

I am pretty sure I want to upgrade the trackbar and the tierod… my issue is that all the trackbars I see are for a minimum of 3" and I'm not sure that I can dial them in short enough. Thoughts?

Thanks for getting my thinking juices flowing so I could dbl check what I have!

Oh wow- I haven't seen any CS034RA's in years. I wonder if those are from some old stock they had left or what. Pretty sure OME isn't producing those any more unless they are special ordering them direct in large quantities.

If memory serves, those packs sit around 2.75" to 3" of lift without removing a leaf. ARB's info is often a little conservative. I would add a spacer to the front coils if needed, before I would remove a leaf from those packs. They are fairly soft already.

We use the JKS #OGS126 JKS trackbars in our 2" to 2.5" lifts all the time.

 

[DJTimyD]

Oh wow- I haven't seen any CS034RA's in years. I wonder if those are from some old stock they had left or what. Pretty sure OME isn't producing those any more unless they are special ordering them direct in large quantities.

If memory serves, those packs sit around 2.75" to 3" of lift without removing a leaf. ARB's info is often a little conservative. I would add a spacer to the front coils if needed, before I would remove a leaf from those packs. They are fairly soft already.

We use the JKS #OGS126 JKS trackbars in our 2" to 2.5" lifts all the time.

Yeah - its been in storage since 2014, so that probably explains it. And 2.5"-3" is exactly where I want... I'm fine if it settles down to ~2.25" as I'm using this mostly for DD anyways so I don't want to kill the pocketbook getting the geometry correct.

I actually have that JKS trackbar in my cart on Amazon waiting to pull the trigger - thanks for the confirmation that it will work! Its a solid piece of kit and I really wanted it, but was unsure about the fitment.

 

[DPG]

Yeah - its been in storage since 2014, so that probably explains it. And 2.5"-3" is exactly where I want... I'm fine if it settles down to ~2.25" as I'm using this mostly for DD anyways so I don't want to kill the pocketbook getting the geometry correct.

I actually have that JKS trackbar in my cart on Amazon waiting to pull the trigger - thanks for the confirmation that it will work! Its a solid piece of kit and I really wanted it, but was unsure about the fitment.

Sounds good.

Make sure the trackbar is the OGS126 and not the 125...

 

[DJTimyD]

CS033RB and 2930 coils on a stock XJ will have a bit of rake to the front.
Add another factory coil isolator if you prefer it more level.

I have the 2930 coils (OME930) so there might be a slight rake in the stance but I'm guessing it will settle nicely.

 

[Greenspan]

How did it go, or have you done it yet? I see you were asking some of the same questions...

I bought the Medium Duty OME Cherokee Lift (Springs and Shocks) from Rocky Road Outfitters (https://www.rocky-road.com/old-man-emu-xj-cherokee.html) spent a lot of time discussing it with them before hand. I have aftermarket bumpers that are quite heavy (ARB Winch Bumper, and Smittbilt XRC Tire Carrier). I am only looking to run 30" and am only looking for about 2" of lift so that's why I went Medium duty, it sounds like that will run closer to 2". I didn't remove a leaf from the rear because the XRC bumper with tire carrier is quite heavy and I figured removing a leaf would be too much. I don't remember the exact part numbers of the springs I got, but I'll try and find it. At their suggestion I also got the 10mm trim packer for the front springs. I also got bushings, ubolts, adj track bar, and tie rod w/ ends to do while I'm at it.

I'd like to do it myself, but I don't have the time or the space so I have a mechanic friend installing it for me right now. He's done the rear so far and it looks quite high but that might just be the way it looks since the front is still stock, I haven't had a chance to measure it. I'll let you know how it turns out, I'm hoping I won't have to go in and take out a leaf, I don't have time to be swapping out the leafs back and forth experimenting with the ride height only for it to settle again in a few months and have to put it back in, argh..

 

[DustyWagoneer]

This is the 033RA OME/DPG kit on the back of my Chero.
I have to thank DPG for all the consult on it, and my situation is a bit unique as I often have to carry heavy loads in the back of the Jeep.
So I left all the springs together in the pack, and between the OME springs, and the OME shocks it rides really well in the back.
The springs did settle a bit from this picture, but all in all I love my DPG/OME kit back there.


OH!
There is also a roof rack on top now, and that thing gets loaded down when camping.

 

[DPG]

This is the 033RA OME/DPG kit on the back of my Chero.
I have to thank DPG for all the consult on it, and my situation is a bit unique as I often have to carry heavy loads in the back of the Jeep.
So I left all the springs together in the pack, and between the OME springs, and the OME shocks it rides really well in the back.
The springs did settle a bit from this picture, but all in all I love my DPG/OME kit back there.


OH!
There is also a roof rack on top now, and that thing gets loaded down when camping.

Looks good Dusty!