dezm Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 3 hours ago, DesertKyle said: I feel ya, I had way too much rake previously with the 9447's and a 1.5" spacer and stock springs in front. Here's my truck now with the 9447's and ome hd's with a 1/2" spacer. The springs settled quite a bit over the first few days and I have a little rake again but it looks so much better than before. Without the spacer I think it would be too raked out for me. Ymmv That helps me out a lot! Might need to bite the bullet and get a spacer... Thanks for the info/pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 On 5/6/2020 at 10:12 PM, dezm said: That helps me out a lot! Might need to bite the bullet and get a spacer... Thanks for the info/pic I really do not recommend installing any spacer on struts with stiffer springs. The OME HD spring already is near maxing out the length of the strut while truck is at rest. Adding a spacer pushes your cv beyond acceptable specs at rest. Think about the stress on the cv out on the trail with slight flex... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dezm Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 1 minute ago, R50JR said: I really do not recommend installing any spacer on struts with stiffer springs. The OME HD spring already is near maxing out the length of the strut while truck is at rest. Adding a spacer pushes your cv beyond acceptable specs at rest. Think about the stress on the cv out on the trail with slight flex... Thanks, I've decided that won't be the path (no pun intended) that I'll be going down. I'd much prefer the reliability/performance versus the minor change in appearance. I think I'll just accept the rake, which shouldn't be too bad as I'm usually carrying a decent amount of weight between my RTT and hitch bike rack. Coincidentally I'm just about to pull the trigger on the LR springs tonight. Still struggling with 9447 versus 9449 but leaning towards the 9447. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 5 minutes ago, dezm said: Thanks, I've decided that won't be the path (no pun intended) that I'll be going down. I'd much prefer the reliability/performance versus the minor change in appearance. I think I'll just accept the rake, which shouldn't be too bad as I'm usually carrying a decent amount of weight between my RTT and hitch bike rack. Coincidentally I'm just about to pull the trigger on the LR springs tonight. Still struggling with 9447 versus 9449 but leaning towards the 9447. I do think the 9447 will sit more level with ome hd springs. I have the 9449 and they are definitely stiff with hardly any sag loaded with camping gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dezm Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 6 minutes ago, R50JR said: I do think the 9447 will sit more level with ome hd springs. I have the 9449 and they are definitely stiff with hardly any sag loaded with camping gear. Yeah it seems they would be best suited to towing and/or if you have a rear bumper with swing out etc. Thanks for your feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertKyle Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Lots of horror stories and warning's about spacers but this is my experience. I ran 1.5" spacers for a year and wheeled pretty hard with them. The cv's would bind badily at full droop but this was never a problem practically as the only time this would occur was with the suspension fully unloaded, like going over whoops or hitting a steep incline at speed. Both situations easily avoided with mindful driving. Flex or wheel lift is not an issue as the sway bar limits movement to prevent full droop as long as one wheel is loaded. I also carry a spare axle on difficult or remote trails but would do this regardless of what lift I have. None of this appears to be a problem running a small spacer (as there's no bind). The cv's may wear faster but this is true with any lift that causes them to sit at more angle than they normally would (Another good reason for manual hubs). Just my 2 cents, do whatever makes you happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 1 hour ago, DesertKyle said: Lots of horror stories and warning's about spacers but this is my experience. I ran 1.5" spacers for a year and wheeled pretty hard with them. The cv's would bind badily at full droop but this was never a problem practically as the only time this would occur was with the suspension fully unloaded, like going over whoops or hitting a steep incline at speed. Both situations easily avoided with mindful driving. Flex or wheel lift is not an issue as the sway bar limits movement to prevent full droop as long as one wheel is loaded. I also carry a spare axle on difficult or remote trails but would do this regardless of what lift I have. None of this appears to be a problem running a small spacer (as there's no bind). The cv's may wear faster but this is true with any lift that causes them to sit at more angle than they normally would (Another good reason for manual hubs). Just my 2 cents, do whatever makes you happy! You had factory springs with 1.5" spacer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingpathy Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 14 hours ago, R50JR said: I really do not recommend installing any spacer on struts with stiffer springs. The OME HD spring already is near maxing out the length of the strut while truck is at rest. Adding a spacer pushes your cv beyond acceptable specs at rest. Think about the stress on the cv out on the trail with slight flex... Have you ever heard of adding a spacer between the coil and the body mount instead of the common spacer between the body mount and body? Sure it will add more extension to the strut in neutral position but it wont change the axle angle. I put in OME HD's up front and got very little lift and massive rake with the 9447s in the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 3 hours ago, flyingpathy said: Have you ever heard of adding a spacer between the coil and the body mount instead of the common spacer between the body mount and body? Sure it will add more extension to the strut in neutral position but it wont change the axle angle. I put in OME HD's up front and got very little lift and massive rake with the 9447s in the back. I have no idea what you said... from rereading several times what you wrote, I think you're talking about a body lift on a body-on -frame vehicle? Please explain what you mean.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 3 hours ago, R50JR said: I have no idea what you said... from rereading several times what you wrote, I think you're talking about a body lift on a body-on -frame vehicle? Please explain what you mean.. He's talking about a spacer that goes inside the strut assembly. Rather than just moving the strut away from the body like a normal spacer, it instead compresses the spring (or rather, it occupied space that the spring would have otherwise occupied, however you want to think about it). 7 hours ago, flyingpathy said: Have you ever heard of adding a spacer between the coil and the body mount instead of the common spacer between the body mount and body? Sure it will add more extension to the strut in neutral position but it wont change the axle angle. I put in OME HD's up front and got very little lift and massive rake with the 9447s in the back. It used to exist. It went between the strut mount and the strut mount bracket (normally there's nothing between them). Problem with this approach is that it tends to need a machined spacer to either have a shape that supports the strut mount the way the bracket does, or an alternate design above the upper spring perch would need a seat and lip to fit the strut bearing. Both are a bit more complex than normal spacers. You're better served with a firmer/taller spring, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingpathy Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Thanks, hawairish. Exactly what I meant. I ended up getting the ARB 2928 coils for the front and I'm not getting as much height as I probably would have with the AC coils. This idea I mentioned was something I wanted to explore. Are there other alternatives to the AC's? Living in Canada, it would cost me $350 to get a pair shipped from Florida... which I kinda find insane tbh. It begs the question though, people seem to manufacture custom spacers to fit above the strut assembly, and it sounds like these AC coils are custom manufactured to fit pathfinders as well... I'm kinda surprised nobody has also come up with a solid design for "inter-strut" spacers if you will. It would allow for more spring options up front, without exceeding CV shaft specs. Just a couple thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Yeah, US -> CAN shipping is ridiculous, it's so expensive and tedious filling out pro forma documents and such. Seeing as AC is the brand of the retailer (4x4parts.com = Automotive Customizers = "AC"), the only other readily available option is OME. Ironman4x4 has finally established a NA site and they have springs, but the specs put them between the light-duty and medium-duty OME springs, well below the HD springs you have. The problem with inter-strut spacers is that they induce top-out, just like a taller spring does. You gain lift at the expense of extension travel either way. The convenience of a conventional spacer is that the spring and strut travel is unaltered, but then you alter the operating range of the CV. Inter-strut spacers have their own limitations, though. But let's face it: the limitation is not the lift method—it's the IFS. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertKyle Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 On 5/12/2020 at 9:42 AM, R50JR said: You had factory springs with 1.5" spacer? Yes On 5/12/2020 at 9:10 PM, flyingpathy said: Thanks, hawairish. Exactly what I meant. I ended up getting the ARB 2928 coils for the front and I'm not getting as much height as I probably would have with the AC coils. This idea I mentioned was something I wanted to explore. Are there other alternatives to the AC's? Living in Canada, it would cost me $350 to get a pair shipped from Florida... which I kinda find insane tbh. It begs the question though, people seem to manufacture custom spacers to fit above the strut assembly, and it sounds like these AC coils are custom manufactured to fit pathfinders as well... I'm kinda surprised nobody has also come up with a solid design for "inter-strut" spacers if you will. It would allow for more spring options up front, without exceeding CV shaft specs. Just a couple thoughts. It was my understanding the AC springs were just rebadged OME HD springs, although I can't remember where I read that now. I got my OME's on eBay for $180 shipped, 4x4parts.com is a ripoff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PathyDude17 Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 1 hour ago, DesertKyle said: Yes It was my understanding the AC springs were just rebadged OME HD springs, although I can't remember where I read that now. I got my OME's on eBay for $180 shipped, 4x4parts.com is a ripoff! AC has an in house brand, and then also sells OME springs, but they don’t call them OME springs- they mask the brand. But the coils referred to as AC coils are different than OME and will lift a bit higher. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingpathy Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 57 minutes ago, PathyDude17 said: AC has an in house brand, and then also sells OME springs, but they don’t call them OME springs- they mask the brand. But the coils referred to as AC coils are different than OME and will lift a bit higher. This sounds like shady business to me. I'm not a fan of it. They should support other industry companies instead of taking a profit off their products. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PathyGig12 Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 3 hours ago, DesertKyle said: Yes It was my understanding the AC springs were just rebadged OME HD springs, although I can't remember where I read that now. I got my OME's on eBay for $180 shipped, 4x4parts.com is a ripoff! Umm no. AC coils are definitely not the same as OME HD, it’s a different brand entirely. People using the ACs have gotten noticeably higher lifts in the front vs the OME and they have been producing them for a long time. Someone correct me if I’m wrong but I believe they were the original way of lifting the R50, before any other options existed They are expensive, I’ll give you that. I paid $180 for the front two coils. But that’s what happens when you sell the only guaranteed 2” spring lift for the front. If others made similar options, you’d see the prices come down. Unfortunately the dozens of us who lift these rigs don’t make for a very large market 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PathyDude17 Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 41 minutes ago, flyingpathy said: This sounds like shady business to me. I'm not a fan of it. They should support other industry companies instead of taking a profit off their products. ??? Look at the links below: Light duty front coils: https://www.4x4parts.com/i-18981450-pathfinder-light-duty-front-coils.html Heavy duty front coils: https://www.4x4parts.com/i-18981313-pathfinder-heavy-duty-front-coils.html If you look at the SPU's you can infer they're OME coils. If you look at the weight ratings and lift specs in the description, that also matches with OME coils. There's nothing wrong with reselling OME's products. You can buy OME coils on amazon, carid, and on and on and on. Taking a profit off their products? Thats exactly what keeps companies like amazon, carid, and 4x4parts in business..... 4x4parts buying and reselling OME coils is supporting OME...... I don't think ARB/OME is somehow unaware of what 4x4parts is "up to". 4x4parts certainly isn't gaining anything by failing to mention OME directly.... 4x4parts is selling a genuine performance part. Now, those shipping charges, those are something else. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtchal Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 2 hours ago, PathyDude17 said: 4x4parts is selling a genuine performance part. Now, those shipping charges, those are something else. I had a look to see how much shipping the AC Coils to NZ would be, the total cost was 500+ USD... I don't think I'll ever be able to justify that purchase. I'm sure if they had a reseller here they would be selling a few, quite a few R50s on our roads still. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertKyle Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 11 hours ago, PathyDude17 said: AC has an in house brand, and then also sells OME springs, but they don’t call them OME springs- they mask the brand. But the coils referred to as AC coils are different than OME and will lift a bit higher. Ah my bad. My memory isn't great (one too many head injuries) musta got something confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingpathy Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 10 hours ago, PathyDude17 said: 4x4parts buying and reselling OME coils is supporting OME.... I see what you're saying. I just don't see why they don't become an official distributor of OME parts. Seems unorthodox to buy someone else's product, give it a new part number, and resell it. I dont really care tbh, that's between those two businesses, but I'd prefer to buy off a business who's more straight forward about their products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGoat Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 I see what you're saying. I just don't see why they don't become an official distributor of OME parts. Seems unorthodox to buy someone else's product, give it a new part number, and resell it. I dont really care tbh, that's between those two businesses, but I'd prefer to buy off a business who's more straight forward about their products.Yeah, overall I think you’d be hard pressed to find many who “like” AC. The practices you mention & the shipping leave a bad taste. I tried to limit myself to one painful purchase as I couldn’t find some of the poly bushings elsewhere. I love that they are delivered in a package with the real cost of shipping on the outside so that you can know just how much they overcharged you. No reason to buy ARB OME from them at all. Personally, I’d buy from Desert Rat out of AZ. My local 4WheelParts manager matched them by discounting to essentially a “no tax” purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outie Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Just purchased a 2001 SE and plan to lift it a little. There’s a tremendous amount of good info on this forum. So much I’m a little overwhelmed when choosing lift options. I recently ordered the NRC 9449 from LR Direct and probably gonna go with 26”/14” shocks (not sure what flavor yet) and just 2” spacers on original struts in front. Has anyone done this combo and what was your outcome? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakzackzachary Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 On 7/19/2020 at 4:06 PM, Outie said: Just purchased a 2001 SE and plan to lift it a little. There’s a tremendous amount of good info on this forum. So much I’m a little overwhelmed when choosing lift options. I recently ordered the NRC 9449 from LR Direct and probably gonna go with 26”/14” shocks (not sure what flavor yet) and just 2” spacers on original struts in front. Has anyone done this combo and what was your outcome? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, The 9449 + strut combo should work well, but the 2" spacer on the front is typically not recommended. Might be able to run it for a while, but most people prefer to go with an upgraded front spring in an OEM spec strut (like the KYB). AFAIK there's only one upgraded front strut- the OME strut, but they're pricey and harder to come by. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Just purchased a 2001 SE and plan to lift it a little. There’s a tremendous amount of good info on this forum. So much I’m a little overwhelmed when choosing lift options. I recently ordered the NRC 9449 from LR Direct and probably gonna go with 26”/14” shocks (not sure what flavor yet) and just 2” spacers on original struts in front. Has anyone done this combo and what was your outcome? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated,Like [mention]zakzackzachary [/mention] has mentioned, avoid a spacer on the strut. If you must add one, I’d do 1/2” max in OEM cv axles ONLY. Sent from my Pathfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outie Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Thanks I appreciate the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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