4WD Suspension

For most applications, we suggest you look at the Nitro Sport shock. It has advanced valving compared to the older Nitro Gas model, along with a host of other features:

In our experience, the on-road ride quality of these shocks is unsurpassed, and the feel of leaf spring vehicles approaches that of a coil!

On coils, its heavenly!

Original manufacturers leaf springs are well known to have a limited life and perform poorly with a harsh ride during that life. Also known to sag in the rear with less than maximum legal load capacity.

Old Man Emu leaf springs provide optimum performance in all conditions.

OME leaf springs are manufactured from SUP9 high grade spring steel, have drawn & diamond cut leaf ends to ensure progressive loading, nylon interleaf anti-friction pads to reduce friction and wear at the high load leaf tip, have ‘military wrap’ for extra support of the spring eyes, precision manufactured, heat treated in an electronically controlled furnace, Shot Peened, Scragg & Load tested – all processes aimed to eliminate long term sag and maintain performance.

OME leaf springs have increased height for ground clearance and increased bump stop distance – hence more time to absorb a bump resulting in an improved ride compared to standard leafs.

Accurately calculate the extra weight of accessories fitted and load when considering what leafs your vehicle needs.

Available

• Ride Comfort – Medium Load
• Heavy Duty – Constant Load or Occasional Heavy Loads
• XHD – for Excessive loads

Consider Air Bags in conjunction with HD leafs for substantive Loads or a GVM Upgrade if loads are going to be Excessive.

Remember, HD springs with load will flex & ride like medium springs do with a lesser load, and greaseable shackles and pins will add extra flexibility – help to compensate a tight ride inherent in HD leafs with minimal load when empty, plus extend the life of the shackle bushes and spring eyes.

OME coil springs are precision manufactured, heat treated in an electronically controlled furnace, Shot Peened, Scragg & Load tested – all processes aimed at eliminating long term sag and maintain performance.

Available in a variety of coil wire diameters and numbers of coils, providing a range of options of ride height, ride comfort and load carrying capacity for different applications on the same vehicle.OME coil springs are precision manufactured, heat treated in an electronically controlled furnace, Shot Peened, Scragg & Load tested – all processes aimed at eliminating long term sag and maintain performance.

Available in a variety of coil wire diameters and numbers of coils, providing a range of options of ride height, ride comfort and load carrying capacity for different applications on the same vehicle.

Linear Rate (evenly spaced coils) – Improved ride and load carrying Progressive Rate (variable spaced coils) – excellent ride with acceptable loaded height.

‘Progressive Rate’ coils can be made to sound like nirvana by the inexperienced Salesperson but unfortunately this is often NOT the case.

When loaded, the Progressive Rate Coil will often ‘sit-down’, the close wound coils will go ‘coil-to-coil’, (metal to metal), so that part of the coil has no movement at all. Immediate loss of height.

Be honest and accurately calculate the extra weight of accessories fitted and load when considering what coil your vehicle needs. If you are not sure, contact one of our experienced team to help guide you to the best result.

Don’t forget, HD springs with load will flex & ride like medium springs do with a lesser load.

Available

• Ride Comfort – Medium Load (Linear or Progressive)
  
• Heavy Duty – Constant Load or Occasional Heavy Loads (Linear Only)
  
• XHD – for Excessive loads (Linear Only)
  
• Consider Air Bags in conjunction with Coils for substantive Loads or a GVM Upgrade if loads are going to be Excessive
  
• Consider Air Bags for HD or Substantive Loads, particularly if there is a big variation in load.
  
• If Ride Comfort Coils are fitted, but the situation changes and you require greater load carrying capacity in the future, ie significant towing, then Air Bags can be added at that time.

OME coil springs are precision manufactured, heat treated in an electronically controlled furnace, Shot Peened, Scragg & Load tested – all processes aimed at eliminating long term sag and maintain performance.

OME HD Replacement Steering Stabilisers, often called Steering Dampers, have a 35mm piston diameter. Used on vehicles with replacement suspension, or larger tyres.

Coil-Over style Steering Stabilisers have a 35mm piston diameter piston with external coil spring mounted over the damper body. Used on vehicles with over sized tyres OR very high lift OR to neutralise ‘front-end shimmies’.

XHD Coil-Over style have the 35mm diameter piston with XHD coil mounted to the damper body. Used on more extreme examples of above, 35” or larger tyres.

OME Torsion Bars have an increased spring rate or load capacity by increasing the diameter relative to standard plus manufacturing from higher quality material.

This has several advantages

• Reduces brake dive under severe or sudden braking that results in loss of traction reduces body roll during cornering reduces tyre wear by maintaining correct wheel alignment longer.
  
• The IFS Torsion Bar front is a flexible design that provides good ride comfort due to the control arms moving independently of each other but with limited wheel travel.
  
• However, the Torsion Bar design uses quite ‘short bodied’ shocks, hence low oil capacity (compared to long bodied shocks used in other suspension designs).
  
• Consider Air Bags in conjunction with Coils for substantive Loads or a GVM Upgrade if loads are going to be Excessive
  
• Consider Air Bags for HD or Substantive Loads, particularly if there is a big variation in load.
  
• If Ride Comfort Coils are fitted, but the situation changes and you require greater load carrying capacity in the future, ie significant towing, then Air Bags can be added at that time.
  
• If the vehicle has done a reasonable number of kms or had a hard life – upgrade them
  
• If there is a significant lean to one side or a wide variation in the adjusters – upgrade them
  
• If not, then simply adjust the existing Torsion Bars. Ride will be better with original bars and minor front load.

For IFS Torsion Bar suspensions, the upper bump stop on most applications should have approximately 10mm clearance to give adequate ‘down stroke’, yet achieve good height increases over standard.

Upper Ball Joint Spacers and Replacement Upper Control Arms are available for some models – to allow for greater travel and adjustment, in combination with a Diff Drop Kit.

OME and GO 4×4 have a wide range of smaller Suspension Kit complimentary parts.

Polyurethane and Rubber Bush Kit
Polyurethane and Rubber Bush Kits are designed to withstand the rigours of off-road. They are not a replica of the original rubber bush, they have ‘pockets & slots’ to trap grease – to improve ride and life of the springs and the bush themselves. Available for shock absorbers, leaf springs, sway bars, panhard rods and control arms.

Greaseable Fixed End Pins & Swinging Shackles
Greaseable Fixed End Pins & Swinging Shackles are designed for factory or OME leafs. Used to facilitate satisfactory lubrication of bushes and leafs – to extend life and improve ride. The grease applied during initial fitting will wear away/dry (in time) or be washed away by water and mud – so it makes sense to be able to apply grease right into the centre of the bushes and spring eye at regular service intervals.

U-Bolts
Manufactured from high tensile 10.9 grade steel. To suit Ride Comfort & Constant Load leaf packs.

Extended Brake Hoses
Braided Stainless lines eliminate the ‘spongy’ feel observed in extreme braking conditions – sometimes observed with rubber lines. Stainless exterior also provides resistance to corrosion and abrasion. Swagged directly onto hand drawn tensile stainless steel braided Teflon hose.

Castor Correction
Castor Correction – by Bushes, Plates, Drop Boxes or replacement Drop Arms – for lifts 50mm or more. For lifts below 50mm (2”) it is advisable but not mandatory. Generally 4WD vehicles will have less Castor Angle than the equivalent year 2WD, and most 4WD’s will benefit with extra Castor above standard.

There are various arguments for and against the differing ways of achieving improved Castor Angles. Briefly:

If the radius arm bushes are already worn (commonly the case), then replacing them with 2.5 to 3degree Off-set Bushes, makes perfect sense (assuming you have to do the bushes anyway.

Castor Plates result is approximately 5 degrees more castor. Drop Boxes achieve the goal of greater castor but also have the advantage of putting the radius arms back to a more ‘normal’ geometry – ie horizontally pushing forward, rather than ‘angling down’. This improves stability. When the arms are at a steep angle it can feel a bit like you are driving on ‘stilts’.

For Patrol: the rear T bushes on the arms allow articulation by compression of the bush, if it is already under compression due to the ‘angling down’, there will be reduced movement of the arms, particularly droop.

Drop Boxes hang down below the chassis line and if you are sliding over rock ledges etc then this is a definite ‘hook-up’ point. New longer Radius Arms which result in an equivalent amount of Castor with good geometry.

So it depends on your budget and your use of the vehicle as to the best option to achieve greater Castor Angle.

Note: For Nissan Patrol lifts over 50mm, the steering box will move ‘off-centre’ as the factory Drag Link (which goes from Steering Box on RH chassis to the LH front wheel) is non-adjustable.

So it is advisable to fit an HD Adjustable Drag link, to get the steering box back to centre (especially the case when SRS airbags are fitted and removing the steering wheel is problematic).