Old Man Emu Springs 2884 vs 2885

@Iamsecond how long have you had the setup? I'm worried OME shocks may be too harsh for what I'm looking for a dd @shifty`

 

They have been on the 4Runner for 5 years. No issues. Oddly enough, when I sold the forerunner, the guy was not gonna give me what I asked for it however, I told him that he had to drive it before I let him buy it. He came back with a big old grin on his face and said, I’ll give you what you ask. he said this rides better than my new Ford F150. he still uses it for his daily driver. He actually started going to my mechanic for oil changes, so that’s how I keep up with the vehicle. I never had a single issue with that suspension set up. And to be honest, I don’t put much stock or faith in lifetime warranties on anything. The 5100 strut, shock is cheap enough that if you blow it out you just go buy grab another one and move on. It’s less hassle than trying to get it changed under warranty. The springs are top-notch quality. And again what’s happening with warranties is the companies want you to buy their stuff but again most people are never even gonna keep the vehicle long enough for the lifetime warranty anyway,

 

Too many 1st gen drivers have had problems with OME strut setups, specifically with OME strut+spring kits, providing too much lift. There's a bunch of threads on this topic in the 1st gen forum (I'm sad this got moved into the suspension area, I think it dilutes model-pertinent search!)

5100 + OME 2883/2884/2885/2887 with 1st gen Tundras is a known good combo. I admire you trying to step out of that for research purposes, if it bears fruit I think that's valuable to the 1st gen section of the community as a whole. But if you just want something that works, I'd stick with 4600 or 5100 as your base. Given you can't necessarily adjust up (or shouldn't, per Bilstein) with lifted springs on the 5100, you may be able to save some $$ if you run 4600, and you should land with the same ride. Again, you won't get a ton of lift with a DC 1st gen with that combo. 2883 may net you like 1/2" - 3/4" lift if memory serves. If that's what you're hunting for, good!

 

@shifty` ill stick to my guns then and tell them 5100s and the 2884. I've got a AC with a topper on back so I think that'll get me level but no more really

 

Ah, sorry, I scrolled back to the 1st post in this thread and saw DC ... but failed to see it wasn't your post, you're not OP.

Yeah, 2883 should give you a nice lifted-front sport rake.

 

@shifty` with bilsteins on circlip 1 and 2884, should I go ahead and do a dif drop?

 

I'm lifted about 2.5" in front w/o a diff drop and no issues. When running throught the geometry changes that'd happen with a diff drop installed, I personally don't even think a diff drop would actually help in my case, but I haven't seen raw numbers from anyone who's done it. I have an angle finder from previous builds and I have a Toytec diff drop for our trucks, I just haven't gotten around to doing it b/c it really doesn't seem like my truck needs it.

 

Just coming across this thread while doing my own research for the same thing. So to confirm @shifty` and @Festerw , I can run OME 2884's on Bilstein 4600's for comparable lift to 5100s with 2884's on the bottom clip without any problems?

That makes sense if the collar-to-collar length is the same as stock regardless. 4600's with lift springs sounds like the exact config I need and it would save a buck and be more functional than spacers. I'm surprised that's not a more popular combination, seems like the only downside is losing the adjustable collar on the 5100 which you're not 'supposed' to use with lift springs anyway.

Do you think you're going to pull the trigger on that @860_UA7 ? Definitely keep us posted if you beat me to the install.

 

I got my 5100s and 2884s on last weekend. What a difference! I may do 4600s on the rear. This is after a week of settling, the ride is awesome. Thanks @shifty and @Iamsecond for the insight on this combo!!

 

Is it just the angle of the pic, or are you squatting in the rear about 1"?

4600 vs 5100: Think of them as the same shock, the latter has adjustable spring cup. But Bilstein doesn't recommend using anything except the lowest spring cup (circlip) setting if using lifted springs with the 5100. So think of them as the same.

If sticking with stock height springs, 5100 is your better bet because you can adjust ride height up or down by changing circlip. If going with lifted springs, since you've got to use the lowest setting, it essentially comes about looks and/or future flexibility.

Basically, you nailed it in the latter sentences you wrote.

 

@shifty` yeah she does have a little squat to her, but when I got it aligned they made sure ti let me know I need rear shocks, which I think is part of it along with the topper

 

Awesome, thanks for the follow up! Gonna go with the 4600+2884's in that case. I'll post some pics in measure up when I get the time.

 

Wait, remind me again, are you trying to get level? If you go with 2884, if we go by what @Sailor95's results, you may get more than you bargained for. He doesn't have that much weight in the back.

 

That's a good point, I was thinking about that, I wonder how much it actually has to do with his bad shocks. Mine aren't super high mileage, but I would still expect leaf springs would have a much bigger impact on rear ride height.

Closest thing I could find in 'measure up' is @bulltrout 's AC. Looks like that's got about a 1/2" squat with no bed cap and 5100+2884s, which kinda makes sense compared to this one. Not a lot of people leaving the back stock it seems.

If you're in the mood to grab a hub-center to fender measurement sometime @Sailor95 I'd definitely be curious to see that lol. It looks a little lower than I'd expect at a glance, but hard to tell.

2883's might be the move, they are still technically lift springs right? There's also a chance that the softer damping rate on the 4600's would sit a bit lower but I understand that's not really how that works.

 

2883 still lift yes. We have had a few people use on AC, and they had a slight forward rake. I want to say around 1.5” lift? I agree, you may want to roll 4600+2883 if leveling is in the cards. You may be able to get away without spending extra money on other stuff, but if still consider extended swaybar links.

 

I can get a hub measurement this evening, it is still settling more and looking more level the squatted luckily. I'll snag a picture too!

 

quick update for documentation's sake, just ordered UBJs, LBJs and bolts from Ourisman and got around to taking my own corner measurements. With this heavy cap I just got I'm sitting at:

FL:21" FR 20 3/4"

RL: 21 3/4" RR: 22 1/8"

Not really thrilled about the overall wonkiness there, but that seems to confirm that 2883's would probably get me closest to level with the current setup. Not sure how much I'll have the cap on vs. off long term, but I've been enjoying it so far.

Still on the fence about whether or not to do new tie rods. Just jacked it up and there doesn't seem to be any real evidence of them going bad. Couldn't make 'em click with a pry bar wiggle. The bit of play left to right also spins the steering wheel so I don't think that's actual play in the joints. As easy of a 'while I'm in there' job as they are, if they're not bad they're not bad right?? I'll do some more readin on it.

 

I was just checking the play in my front end yesterday. I'm brand new to doing that kind of diagnostic, but what I read was that you need to turn the steering wheel till it locks before checking side to side play, so in case you didn't do that, try it. Will help isolate actual movement from just steering movement. Helps to have a helper watching what moves, too, since I really couldn't see where I was getting play.

I've already pulled the trigger on OEM (not OME) front springs, with 4600s all around, but the 2883s are intriguing to me after reading this thread. I have 2883s with OME front shocks on my Tacoma, and while I like them, the ride is harsh. Basically, my Tacoma was set up for towing, which for me meant HD General leaf springs and air bags in the back, which gave me 1-1.5" lift. I wanted to even that out with something in the front, and first gen Tacoma OEM springs are no longer available. Basically either really low quality stock height aftermarket, or higher quality lift aftermarket, so I went with OME. Leveled out the truck, but it is a bit harsh up front.

If the coil/spring combo OME sells for first gen Tundras are the same as they sell for first gen Tacomas, I wonder if with the extra weight of the Tundra, that's actually a really nice combo? I guess I won't be finding out...I'm good with OEM springs and 4600 shocks. But I am curious.

 

It's interesting you say that, because in my endless waffling back and forth, I think I'm actually landing on the same thing. As nice as a slight lift would be, after realizing how close to level I am, and buying all the ball joints and pricing out a bunch of other odds and ends, all these parts that are "just about 200 bucks" are really startin to add up.

Not sure if the OME parts are the same for the tacos and tundras. The impression I get the more I read about all this stuff is that it's all sprung/damped/tuned with slightly larger wheel+tire setups in mind, and the 4600's are the best suited for stocks. This is generally good, and makes sense for most people since moderate off-road setups are kinda the whole point. I think for people (like myself) just looking for a comfy, mostly cosmetic lift, there's a bit of a compromise with an overdamped ride from 5100's and OME stuff at least. Small changes in unsprung weight can make a big difference.

Do you mean you're keeping your current ones, or have bought a new set? If I needed to replace my coils it would be a great excuse to get the 2883's, but I can't help but think 170K and some surface rust on stock coils doesn't demand a new set.

 

At first I was just putting on new shocks. My coils are likely "ok". But I'm spending a lot of money right now getting a new-to-me truck up to my standards. Going into some debt. Once I'm past this early stage, the tap's gotta turn off and I'm going to be hesitant to spend any money for a while on anything not strictly necessary.

I have little "float" going on up front and I wonder if it's shocks, but maybe also coils...I remember replacing the coils on my Tacoma at ~300,000 miles, and realizing they were way past due. So...Tundra at 225,000, I'm in a spending mindset, already having to deal with the coils when I replace the shocks so...I just decided to replace them with new OEM coils. Knowing that the Tacoma coils are no longer available, and knowing some Tacoma owners do a Tundra coil upgrade for a lift, I wonder how long before the OEM coils are out of stock, never to be restocked.

All that added up for me and I decided to replace them now.

I don't really want a lift. Just good firm suspension.

I agree I'll bet yours are fine, and when they need to be replaced, OME 2883s are a great option.

 

all that sounds wise, definitely good to get the important stuff taken care of upfront. I've been doing a very slow burn freshening up my truck in the few years I've owned it while trying to assess rust and stuff, but sometimes I wish I'd have just thrown more money at it in the beginning.

Good luck with the install, hoping to get mine on sometime next weekend if they show up by then.