• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Those with OME 2.5" Lift

S

scott00tj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Medina, OH
I have a question for anyone who has installed and run the 2.5" Old Man Emu lift kit. Are you happy with the amount of lift or did you find yourself wishing you had gone with something a little higher, 3"-3.5".

My XJ is my DD and I want 31"s but also want the best possible ride. Reading reviews and forum posts it seems OME is top notch in that area.
 
I don't have OME on my XJ, but I've had it on several other rigs. Very nice ride.

2.5" and some bushwacker cutout flares, or bushwacker straight flares, or maybe even those "heavy duty" flares a naxja member makes, along with some moderate fender seam flattening behind the flares would likely make 31's a very easy fit.

That way, you're getting the max clearance under your axles and belly, without getting the added "tippiness" of a higher lift. (Most 3.5in lifts end up being 4.5-5" lifts for a while till they break in)

Usually OME kits strive to stay within OE specs for suspension components too, so you're less likely to have to change anything on your driveline, though if you have a 1997 and up rig, you'll probably have to do at least an SYE.
 
I've got 100K on my OME setup. I run 255/70/16, which is nearly the same specs as a 31". I love it, but I have mine set up more for a daily driver, expedition vehicle. For heavy offroad use, I'd relocate the factory flares or get one of the cutout versions it you're going to be flexing it out and want no rubbing.

I'm a big fan of OME and have run them on my last 3 Jeeps (YJ, TJ, XJ). I think the ride is really more about the shocks. Blisteins and OMEs seem to get the best reviews.
 
I ran 31's for 5 years with no lift, I cut my fenders. I now have a OME 2.5 springs in the rear, along with iron man 1" boomerang shackles, and rustys hd 3.5" springs in the front. I love it I have room for 33's with the cut fenders but I think I am going to stay with the 31s. The ride is amazing, I couldnt be more impressed. Flex is really good as well. Not sure I would run just the springs though, but that really depends on your individual style of wheeling and what you use your vehicle for. I daily drive mine but wheel it really hard when I go out. If you just use it for camping and light wheeling just the leafs will probably be fine.
 
I've had the medium-duty OME kit (2", I think) on my '92 for between 6 and 7 years, and the ride is still excellent. I initially ran 225s, but have been running 30s (or equivalent) for over 5 of those years.

For most of that time, I was very happy with the height - plenty of added clearance without seeming very high or being top-heavy (even without the rear swaybar). the 2" OME kit with 30s looks just about as perfect as you can get for an otherwise stock truck - matches the wheelwells just right, and unless you're packed next to a bone-stock XJ, compleletly undetectable as lifted to the layman.

It wasn't until last fall when I finally let the urge to enlarge get to me - I'd been quite happy with it till then, since I was able to keep up with trucks a fair bit bigger than I was through good driving technique and superior spotters (got some real Jedi Master spotters in NAC).

What finally got to me was that the regular banging into the crossmember and frame rails all the time on the trail. This was, of course, because I was running on trails where most folks would want minimum 3.5" and 31s, if not bigger. I did a shackle/spacer add-on about 4 months ago to get about another inch and replaced the shocks with longer ones, and the truck's not ridden this nicely in a long time - my original shackles' bolts were siezed into the bushing sleeves, so I suspect they were binding up pretty badly and forcing the leaves to do most of the work. Considering I've got no rear bumpstops or swaybar, and I am not shy about flexing out the truck when I have to, it's probably something of a miracle that my leaves are still arched in the correct direction, but they are.

A full OME kit (shocks and springs) will be extremely hard to beat in ride quality.
 
Rob Mayercik said:
I've had the medium-duty OME kit (2", I think) on my '92 for between 6 and 7 years, and the ride is still excellent. I initially ran 225s, but have been running 30s (or equivalent) for over 5 of those years.

For most of that time, I was very happy with the height - plenty of added clearance without seeming very high or being top-heavy (even without the rear swaybar). the 2" OME kit with 30s looks just about as perfect as you can get for an otherwise stock truck - matches the wheelwells just right, and unless you're packed next to a bone-stock XJ, compleletly undetectable as lifted to the layman.

It wasn't until last fall when I finally let the urge to enlarge get to me - I'd been quite happy with it till then, since I was able to keep up with trucks a fair bit bigger than I was through good driving technique and superior spotters (got some real Jedi Master spotters in NAC).

What finally got to me was that the regular banging into the crossmember and frame rails all the time on the trail. This was, of course, because I was running on trails where most folks would want minimum 3.5" and 31s, if not bigger. I did a shackle/spacer add-on about 4 months ago to get about another inch and replaced the shocks with longer ones, and the truck's not ridden this nicely in a long time - my original shackles' bolts were siezed into the bushing sleeves, so I suspect they were binding up pretty badly and forcing the leaves to do most of the work. Considering I've got no rear bumpstops or swaybar, and I am not shy about flexing out the truck when I have to, it's probably something of a miracle that my leaves are still arched in the correct direction, but they are.

A full OME kit (shocks and springs) will be extremely hard to beat in ride quality.
Click to expand...


Did you have to add an SYE on your rig?

I have a 1992 as well, and thought that I might go with the OME kit from dpg in a month or two.
 
Mine is on an 87xj and I like it. The front sits at the exact same height as my o1xj with factory up country and the rear sits one and a half inch higher than the rear of my 01xj with up country. To get the drive shaft angles to work, I used a 2 degree shim at each spring perch to rotate the pinion up and lowered the transfer case about 3/4 inch. This is with and xj d44. Pinion shaft and t/c output shaft are almost parallel and u-joint angles around 5 to 5 1/2 degrees.
 
SanDiegoOverland said:
Did you have to add an SYE on your rig?

I have a 1992 as well, and thought that I might go with the OME kit from dpg in a month or two.
Click to expand...

No SYE, went with a 1 inch tcase drop (which is why in the last couple years I've been banging my crossmember like a screen door). Suppose I could have gone SYE, but the drop kit cured the vibes so I stuck with it.

Normally the 84-96 aren't as sensitive to lift-related vibes as the 97-01, but each truck's a little different.
 
Not trying to hijack, but i just bought the OME 3.5 super ulitimate from DPG, and have been looking into driveline options for myself,

i have yet to modd a cherokee so im guessing at what works at the moment. but would it not be better to raise the motor 1"than to drop the T case 1"?

that is if raising it at the block would not cause the tranny and such to bang into sheet metal..

reason i ask is because i am looking at a brown dog motor mount kit, and my buddys YJ just ditched his t case drop for a 1" motor lift and it gave better clearance and ended up with the same result regarding drive line angle(this is what i was told anyhow)

they sell a kit stock height or 1" raise.
i suppose the best would be to leave everthing where it should be and go SYE and drive shaft, but thought i would ask what you all thought.
thanks
Cale
 
I don't think that there's enough clearance in an XJ to lift the engine an inch and still get the hood closed. At the front of the block, the valve cover isn't that far below the hood. I'd bet money that Brown Dog doesn't actually list the 1" lift mounts as available for the XJ.

There's a lot more vertical clearance in the CJ/YJ/TJ, due to hood and body design, hence they can get away with it.
 
http://browndogindustries.com/CU2572-1K-XJ-Motor-Mount-Lifts.aspx

"Prior to ordering, be sure to check distance between your transmission bell housing and the floorboard for a possible conflict. Some XJ will not require any modification here. Other customers report a slight nudge with a 3 lb. sledgehammer does the trick. Still others build in clearance using a torch or cutting wheel and setting the floorboard up slightly. Measure carefully and plan accordingly"

i guess that sums it up

but does it end up with the same result as a T case drop? i supppose the output on the T case would still sit higher than a T case drop
 
Boost_Retard said:
http://browndogindustries.com/CU2572-1K-XJ-Motor-Mount-Lifts.aspx

"Prior to ordering, be sure to check distance between your transmission bell housing and the floorboard for a possible conflict. Some XJ will not require any modification here. Other customers report a slight nudge with a 3 lb. sledgehammer does the trick. Still others build in clearance using a torch or cutting wheel and setting the floorboard up slightly. Measure carefully and plan accordingly"

i guess that sums it up

but does it end up with the same result as a T case drop? i supppose the output on the T case would still sit higher than a T case drop
Click to expand...
Similar result, but you keep your ground clearance. The output would have a better angle which is same as a case drop.
 
I'm using H.D. Shackle relocation w/2.5" OME leafs. I think having both actually gives me 3.5" lift while also having a very smooth ride. Don't forget shackle angle really helps in ride quality as well.
I have a 01 XJ and a tcase drop and 1/4" Motor mounts,and 4* shims wasn't totally eliminating vibrations for me so I went SYE. My experience but if I go bigger I'm sticking with OME. Just my opinion.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
Bought Son 2000 XJ, Need Help with RC Lift
2 3
Replies
45
Views
6K
Tim_MN
Tim_MN
L
3.5" OME lift with 32s?
Replies
0
Views
309
lil_red_xj
L
L
What to do: OME too tall, Upcountry too short, Rancho NLA
2
Replies
23
Views
4K
Evan03
E
R
Improving ride on a DPG OME lift
2 3
Replies
49
Views
4K
bentroia
B
N
JKS quicker disconnect install
Replies
9
Views
3K
jeep ride
J
Back
Top