The 913 Experiment

[rickshaw]

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Spring_0295v3sm.jpg

There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the OME 913's Lift Springs. When compared to the more common OME 912's. Some say the 913 is taller, some say the 913 is shorter and some say the 912 and the 913 are the same with different spring rates. I'm going to put all that to rest by being the guinea pig. I found this thread OME 912 vs. 913...what's the difference?!? (http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=10299) was somewhat helpful in the fact that the 913 was shorter.

I recently had new wheels and tires installed, Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/60/18. The tire place cranked the torsion bars about 2" to get tires to fit. I couldn't tell you how many turns on the torsions because the tire shop did that. With the front end lifted and aligned, the rear sat way too low. Now my challenge was to lift the rear to have a proper stance.

I had originally planned for a larger lift so I previous purchased OME 912's. The next day I installed the 912's which looked OK but was a bit too high when compared to the front. Then I tried the Spring Spacers on the Stock Springs. It was too low, needed something in between. Thats when I tried the 913's. Below is some measurements I made that may help someone else.

Instructions for installing OME Rear Coil Springs (http://www.vehicross.info/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&op=newarticle&id=60)
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The Experiment: Comparing different lift options

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_3sm.jpg
Set of Old Man Emu 912 & 913 Springs

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Spacers_1sm.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Spacers_2sm.jpg
Set of Daystar Spring Spacers - KC09103BK
(94-08 Dodge 1500-3500 2WD)
1 1/2 in. Front Budget Boost
Actual measurement of spacer is only 1 in. not 1 1/2 in. as stated on box

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Base measurements with Stock Springs:
with Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/60/18 (Diameter 31.38 in)

Front:
Gap between tire and cladding: 5 3/4 in.
Distance from floor to edge of cladding: 36 1/4 in.

Rear:
Gap between tire and cladding: 4 1/2 in.
Distance from floor to edge of cladding: 35 in.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_6sm.jpg
The front lifted and aligned, the rear with Stock Springs

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Spring measurements:

Stock Springs
measured height: 15 1/2 in.
measured spring wire diameter: 10.8 mm.

OME 913 Springs
measured height: 15 1/2 in.
measured spring wire diameter: 15 mm.

OME 912 Springs
measured height: 16 1/2 in.
measured spring wire diameter: 15 mm.

Daystar Spring Spacers - KC09103BK
Actual measurement of spacer is 1 in.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_4sm.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_2sm.jpg
Stock & OME 913 are the same height, OME 912 measures 1 in. taller

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Experiment #1
Daystar Spring Spacers on stock springs
Gap between tire and cladding: 5 1/2 in.
Distance from floor to edge of cladding: 36 in.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Spacers_3sm.jpg
Test with Daystar Spring Spacer on Stock Spring & OME 912

Daystar Spring Spacers on stock springs
with stock spring isolator inserted
Gap between tire and cladding: 5 3/4 in.
Distance from floor to edge of cladding: 36 1/4 in.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_6sm1.jpg
Stock spring isolator fits nicely into the Daystar Spring Spacer, added an extra 1/4 in.

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Experiment #2
Set of OME 913's
with stock spring isolators
Gap between tire and cladding: 6 1/4 in.
Distance from floor to edge of cladding: 36 3/4 in.

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Experiment #3
Set of OME 912's
with stock spring isolators
Gap between tire and cladding: 7 in.
Distance from floor to edge of cladding: 37.5 in.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_1sm.jpg

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Rear Lift Test Conclusion:

Lift with Daystar Spring Spacers on stock springs: 1 in. lift

Lift with Daystar Spring Spacers on stock springs with stock spring isolators: 1 1/4 in. lift

Lift with OME 913's with stock spring isolators 1 3/4 in. lift

Lift with OME 912's with stock spring isolators: 2 1/2 in. lift

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_5sm.jpg
The 913's gave me the stance I was looking with a very slight forward rake

I drove around with the 912's for 2 weeks before I installed the 913's. The 913's seems to ride stiffer than the 912's, the 912's felt softer and the 913's has less body roll in turns.

The Daystar Spring Spacers were less than half the price of the 1 in. Independent 4X Spring Spacers.

The Spring install is very easy to do. I counted 7 times I changed out the Springs to do these tests. got it down to 15 min. a side.

I ended up selling the 912's and Spring Spacers to "Jofotz"

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Some other rear lift possibilities, better left for someone else to test.

OME 919's

Other Daystar Spring Spacers

Prothane Spring Spacers

Independent 4X Spring Spacers (I wonder who really makes these, Daystar?)

Any Spring Spacer that fits (94-08 Dodge 1500-3500 2WD)

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Sources I used:

OME 912 and OME 913
http://www.davesport.com/

Daystar Spring Spacers - KC09103BK
http://www.amazon.com/

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Additional Info:

OME913
Free Height: 390 mm., 15.35 in.
Number of Coils: 9.3
lbf/in spring rate: 180-300
Application: (medium Amigo/Rodeo 5door coil spring 98-02)
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OME912
Free Height: 420 mm., 16.54 in.
Number of Coils: 10.8
lbf/in spring rate: 180-300
Application: (medium load Trooper 92-02)
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OME919
Free Height: 430 mm., 16.93 in.
Number of Coils: 10.8
lbf/in spring rate: 200-280
Application: (heavy load Trooper 92-02)
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Source: OME 912 vs. 913 post #9 (http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?p=92266#post92266)

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http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/isuzuTrooper.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/isuzuAmigoRodeo.jpg
Source: ARB Application Guide (http://www.arbusa.com/Products/Vehicle-Application-Guide/All-Vehicle-Makes/115.aspx)

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http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3219/rickshaw03v2sm.jpg
The final result with OME 913's

I hope this answers some questions about the OME 913's.
rickshaw

[Sprey]

HOLY **** AWESOME THREAD RICK!

Very nicely done, when i decided to lift my vx i had the same problem of which ones to go with. I ended up going with ome912s because of the majority with them.

But your thread here clearly evens up all the confusion :D
Thanks!!!

[Gussie2000]

Thanks rick for going thru all this so now every body can have a better pic of how the VX looks like with different springs sets.

I may consider lifting my Vx couple of inches next year god's spare.


Love your VX man,looks better then new
Very nice !

[Ldub]

HOLY **** AWESOME THREAD RICK!

Very nicely done, when i decided to lift my vx i had the same problem of which ones to go with. I ended up going with ome912s because of the majority with them.

But your thread here clearly evens up all the confusion :D
Thanks!!!

X 2...:thumbup:

I'll add that I have 919's with a 1" spacer. I don't have any measurements for comparison, but I know they're designed to carry a heavier load than the 912's or 913's.
Nice job on the spring tutorial, sorry I couldn't provide more info...:_confused

[tomdietrying]

Great job......great write up! Thanks for the info.
Peace.
Tom

[VCrossfan]

Great visual info Rick: I purchased a set of 913's and they were for a lift but a smoother ride, but decided against lifting and sold them to a member. And as Ldub mentioned the 919 is an Extra Heavy Duty spring

[CrnCnn]

That felt like it should have been presented through a projector while we sit around drinking tea or coffee in a conference room.

Very Nice. Yet another reason it would be nice to have stickies.

[djvx]

Great, I wish I would have uncovered this 912 v 913 prior to this. I researched lift options for months on our site and figured ome 912's was the hands down winner. So I ordered some. Then I start finding all these "noise and vibration problems and all these cv boots rippin' and rear axle angle problem threads. Now it sounds like way more harm than good. I honestly thought the ome 912(the so called med duty ones) would be the more conservative overall lift versus the 913(heavy duty) springs. Now that goes out the window since Rickshaw found they are too soft and overlifted his ride. My OME 912'S will arive NIB next week from RockyRoad. They will likely be up for sale as soon as I get them so I can go back to researching for another 6 months.
Opinions welcome.

[JoFotoz]

Awesome write up Gene...

:clap::thumbup::clap:


jo

[Triathlete]

Jo,That must mean the silver mistress is getting some air space!:bgwp:

[nfpgasmask]

:thumbup: A+ dude. This is a first rate example of why this forum ROCKS.

Bart

[99VC]

Great Info....................

[Riff Raff]

Undoubtedly, one of the very best presentations I have ever seen on Vehicross.Info complete with graphics and commentary. Very professional and informative. Riff Raff

[AK Falco]

Thank you so much for great write up. decided to go with the 913's based on your info.

[crager34]

I don't get it. It sounds like people are saying the 913's are better than the 912's. Looks to me that they are simply different. :confused:


And great write BTW.

[djvx]

I don't get it. It sounds like people are saying the 913's are better than the 912's. Looks to me that they are simply different. :confused:


And great write BTW.


I think prior to this write up there wasn't any true comparisons done to this extent. I imagine the better "choice" depends on your personal needs. I'm more interested in not destroying my cv's and I am not skilled enough to flip ball joints, repack boots, etc. And I don't trust just anyone to work on my ride since no mechanics I met have even heard of a vx.:mad:
I just like the looks of the lifted vx's.

[JoFotoz]

Hey Crager...

I dont think its a "better" thing...



I don't get it. It sounds like people are saying the 913's are better than the 912's. Looks to me that they are simply different. :confused:
And great write BTW.



....I think its an Aesthetics thing.

Simply a ride height appreciation....relative to personal likes/dislikes.


jo


.

[technocoy]

wow, i must say that i was never a fan of the green vx. this has changed my mind, you're combo of wheels, tires and lift makes this one mean, green son of a bitch.

nice ride and great post.

[crager34]

I think you would be surprised at your skills if you were to tackle lifting your rig. I have had no issues with my CV's since lifting mine. It's more time consuming than hard to do and with the 913's, it won't be as dramatic as with the 912's.


I think prior to this write up there wasn't any true comparisons done to this extent. I imagine the better "choice" depends on your personal needs. I'm more interested in not destroying my cv's and I am not skilled enough to flip ball joints, repack boots, etc. And I don't trust just anyone to work on my ride since no mechanics I met have even heard of a vx.:mad:
I just like the looks of the lifted vx's.

[djvx]

thanks for the advice crager...I appreciate that.

[JHarris1385]

The slight difference between the two will not decrease the ratio of being prone to torn cv's that much. If you worry about torn CV just get your brakets dropped.

[Moncha]

This has been copied to the "Reviews" (http://www.vehicross.info/modules.php?name=Reviews&file=viewcategory&cid=1) section for permanent display.

Great job rickshaw!

[PHO2GR4]

Great write-up. This one is a keeper for the archives. I'm also rolling with the 913's, and I've been loving them for two years.

[VCruz_52]

Whelp that solved my problem...... 913s it is.

[RamAirZ]

This write up is what helped me decide, I went with the 912's.

[Marlin]

I was just shopping for 919s for the wifeys trooper RS and found this thread. I have had the 919s on the VX for 1.5 yrs now. I have full extended the suspension more times than I can count (those that have seen my pics no that I "abuse" my VX, and I am on 34s. I get a tiny bit of wheel rub on forward half of wheel well if I brake going down hill on the trails. I did no rear well trimming. There is no problem with the 919s!!! I cranked to torsion bars to level it out, no ball joint flip. Never tore a boot and no alignment problems. It does rake forward a bit, but I daily drive her as well, and have no complaints, hence the search for the 919s on the RS, which will also be a daily driver/trail truck.

[BigSwede]

My understanding is that the 913s are intended as a zero lift spring for Troopers, whereas the 912s are a 30mm lift.

Both will probably lift more than this for a VX, as I am quite sure a Trooper is heavier than a VX in the rear half.

[Marlin]

Hmmm, I was troubleshooting the rear brakes and installing EBC green stuff pads when I noticed the OME 919 springs were upside down (tightly coiled on the bottom). I have been this way for two years, multiple wheeling trips and abuse. No problems, anyone think of any repercussions to running em like this. They look like they are seated just fine. I had them installed when I first bought the truck, prior to becoming mechanically enlightened. I still can't believe I paid someone 60 bucks to do that....

[Lizardmen3477]

Ok so just to be clear the Daystar Spacers are to Help raise the front up to lvl with the back? I think Santa is bringing me some Rear springs(think im going with the 912s) and maybe if im really good the Rancho 9000s XL. But on the lift posts ive seen the 912s make the back alot higher then the front, so will the spacers help lvl the front to be high after the torsion cranks?>

[Mile High VX]

The spacers are for the back to give it more lift than just the springs provide.

The only way to create lift on the front of the VX is to crank the torsion bars.

[Lizardmen3477]

Thats what I thought but these say Front
http://www.amazon.com/Daystar-KC09103BK-Comfort-Spring-Spacer/dp/B001GH1LWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290799371&sr=8-1
Is there a Limit to how much you can crank the front to make it even? Most i ttthink ive seen is 16 turns which I believe calculated out to just under 4inchs

[Triathlete]

4 inches is about max...but you will probably want to make yourself real familiar with the cv replacement procedure.

[Lizardmen3477]

Yea I dunt wanna go that high and prefer not to buy cvs every week, Thats why I was looking into the lift and I have seen most people dont have problems with the Cvs. I just wanna get the 912s and lvl the front to them which should only be 3"s ish. So hopefully wont be to many side effects

[Marlin]

Yea I dunt wanna go that high and prefer not to buy cvs every week, Thats why I was looking into the lift and I have seen most people dont have problems with the Cvs. I just wanna get the 912s and lvl the front to them which should only be 3"s ish. So hopefully wont be to many side effects
FWIW
Not sure that the 912s will get you 3". The 919s are the tallest and stiffest (well, the 929s are stiffer, but they are shorter). I have 919s on both my zus, with no spacers, and I got right at 3" of lift. 13 or 14 turns on the Tbars, and away I go. I have not busted any CVs (until I installed the locker, and they were aftermarket CVs). I also never tore a boot, until I swapped in garbage mecatech boots.

[Lizardmen3477]

O I heard the 912s were the main spring that most had and it was a 3" lift from them. Could someone Share how much their lift is from the 912s. I havent heard much about the 919s How do you like they you say a stiffer ride? How much stiffer then the stock ride? Are you lvl with the 919s and the 14 cranks?

[Triathlete]

912's will net you about 2.5 inches.

[Marlin]

O I heard the 912s were the main spring that most had and it was a 3" lift from them. Could someone Share how much their lift is from the 912s. I havent heard much about the 919s How do you like they you say a stiffer ride? How much stiffer then the stock ride? Are you lvl with the 919s and the 14 cranks?

I am level. Ideally, the front end should sit a bit lower than the rear end. (unless you want one of those cali looking pseudo baja trucks where the front end is 2 feet higher than the rear end, on an F250 no less). I can't tell you the ride difference between the 912s and the 919s, I put the 919s and Rancho9000s on at the same time. I would guess that setup gets you as close to factory teeth jarring stiffness as possible. When you do the springs, make sure you do the shocks as well, they are probably toast. Our OEM shocks are not known for their longevity. The good thing about the rancho9000s, if its too stiff for you, just dial em down to soften the ride.

[SilverBullet75]

Thats what I thought but these say Front
http://www.amazon.com/Daystar-KC09103BK-Comfort-Spring-Spacer/dp/B001GH1LWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290799371&sr=8-1


Ahh. The reason it says "front" is because they are originally for the front of the Dodge 1500 truck, which happened to work for the VX rear.

BTW... I did 16 cranks on the front, then did a measurement of all 4 (floor to center of wheel well arch) and ended up backing the right front down by 2 full turns. At full height, switch from counting turns to leveling by measurement.

I also have the 919s, and recently removed the Daystars. The lift was too high in the rear. The 919s don't give much under static weight, so the lift is a solid 3". If you add the Daystars, it **COULD** give you unwanted strain on the rear driveline. Mine did. I removed the spacers and had GREAT results. It drives like stock with a full 7" (overall w/tire height) lift.

Hope this helps.

[Lizardmen3477]

Hmm awesome info guys I think this has swade me to go with the 919s now, and yea Marlin my shocks are stock and have 140k on em lol so I could prolly use some new ones. seems Avg price that I can find for the Rancho 9000Xls is about 110-120 for each one. Any one have a secret site that may be cheaper? And everyone gets their springs from Rocky-road.com right? ( Just trying to get the best deals ;) )

[SilverBullet75]

For the Rancho Shocks I'm probably going to go to Sears when the time comes. Their warranty is excellent. I've heard of people blowing 1 shock and Sears replacing ALL of them for free.

As for the springs, I went to 4Wheel Parts. If you have a store nearby it's easier... but they do have a website for ordering.
http://www.4wheelparts.com/

The 919s are part number:
ARB2919 -- REAR COILS -- $149.99 (plus shipping to them $15): $178.35

They arrived in store within a week.
I ordered from Rocky Road a while back, but they were all on back order... for months. Cancelled and went with 4wheelparts.

[vt_maverick]

Piling onto rickshaw's review to avoid starting another thread...

This past weekend yellowgizmo99 and I installed the Daystar Spring Spacers on my VX. Last year I went to 265/60/18 tires on Borbet CW3 rims with a -2 offset, which pushed the tires just outside the wheel wells. An aggressive look for sure, but the reduced distance from tire to cladding worried me. Aside from looking more like a sports car than a bad-*** SUV, I was concerned that offroad articulation might cause the tires to rub the cladding. In addition, I added Tone's nerf bars a few years ago which caused me to lose about an inch of ground clearance.

So with all that in mind, I decided to do a very mild lift. Lots of members have reported problems related to tearing CVs when going to 3" or more, so I wanted to avoid something that drastic (in my mind at least). After reading rickshaw's review I decided to try out the Daystar Coil Spacers, which were only about $35 shipped. It took Billy and I a couple hours to get them installed (thanks again Billy!), mostly because neither one of us had done it before. Aside from the coil spacers we cranked the torsion bars by about 5-6 complete turns to raise the front end while maintaining the OEM rake/angle. (Useful information I found while searching on Saturday: 3-4 turns = about an inch of lift, and both bars need to be cranked clockwise to go up, counter clockwise to go down.) Judge for yourself, before and after pics appear below (sorry for the quality, I took them with my crappy cell phone camera) followed by ordering info. I'm VERY pleased with the outcome, as this is a very subtle, cheap, and useful mod.

Installed Picture:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Springs_6sm1.jpg

Before:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3264/DSC00277.JPG

After:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3277/IMG00243-20110213-1515.jpg

Before:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3277/IMG00238-20110212-1259.jpg

After:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3277/IMG00248-20110214-1253.jpg

What to Buy:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Spacers_1sm.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3223/medium/Spacers_2sm.jpg

Where to Buy:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Daystar+KC09103BK&tbs=shop%3A1&aq=f#q=Daystar+KC09103BK&hl=en&tbs=shop:1,p_ord:p&fp=3065f9b59bf7e6e1

[JAMAS]

Do you feel like that made the ride more comfortable by raising farther away from the stock bump stops?

[VX KAT]

Oh, good question JAMAS! Logic would seem to say yes, can't wait to hear.

Mav- it looks great, not too much, just perfect! :thumbup: You know what, I think (IMHO) it may be time to replace the amber lenses (turn & triangle)...the whiter lens would go better with your wheels & rack and give better symmetry. I know the triangle lenses from Klearz haven't been the best fit, but you can sand them down to fit better. mhill just did it, and put some black striping around the edge closest to the paint.

[vt_maverick]

Hard to say on the ride comfort, trimming the bump stops made such a huge difference that I was rarely hitting the stops before the lift. What's interesting is that a lot of members have reported better ride quality after their 3" lifts, but by cutting the stops and doing a 1.5" lift I've effectively created the same spacing without the additional lift and associated suspension geometry change.

I've debated going from amber to white so many times I couldn't even count. Maybe I can convince Billy to let me try out his clear triangle markers to judge the difference. For now I'm holding off because I'm planning on having my calipers spray painted orange at my first brake service (that's right ladies and gentlemen, 11 years on and I'm still on the original pads and rotors). Got to keep with the Virginia Tech theme. :D

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/reviews/car/09q2/2010_mercedes-benz_e63_amg-first_drive_review/gallery/photo_126/2723480-1-eng-US/image_cd_gallery.jpg

[Triathlete]

And now you need bigger tires, then more lift, then...

...and so it begins!:bwgy:

[vt_maverick]

Lol, probably very true. I've already decided to go up to 265-65-18's when I need new tires, which will in turn push the tires up in the wheel well by another inch, recreating the same problem as before. Maybe I'll stack Daystar spacers on top of each other lol... :D