Brand new OME lift - Uneven in rear

I just finished installing a 5 inch lift several weeks ago, and I'm having problems with my lift height.
The driver's side rear sits approximately 1 inch lower than everything else (measured from hub center to wheel flare) and is causing the entire vehicle to lean to the drivers side about an inch.
This is adversly affecting my handeling and braking on the road.

While I had the car at the muffler shop I also noticed that the rear axle droops lower on the passenger's side when hanging freely from the suspended vehicle. This was also the case before I installed the new springs and shocks.

I'm hesitant to simply add an inch block to correct the problem. I'm afraid that would be more of a "band-aid" rather than a solution to the problem.

Any ideas as to why the rear would be sitting (or drooping) at uneven heights?

Lift specs:

- OME coils and leafs (3 inch)
- 2 inch RockyRoad coil spacers
- 1.5 inch HD RockyRoad shackles
- .5 inch rear steel blocks
- DT 3000 shocks

Net height = 5 inches


Thanks guys

Send a PM to bgcntry72. I beleive he had a similar problem with his new OME stuff.

Fergie

First, if you were noticing problems before the lift, it may not be the lift. The unibody might be tweaked. Only a GOOD body shop with a frame alignment jig can really assess that with any accuracy.

As to the lift, my first question is if you (or whoever installed it) left all bolts loose until the weight of the vehicle was back on the suspension before tightening to spec. If not, one of the rear springs might be slightly preloaded, and/or the front control arms might be preloaded. Try loosning all control arm, spring and shackle bolts, bounce on the suspension a bunch of times to settle everything in place, then retorque.

Eagle said:

First, if you were noticing problems before the lift, it may not be the lift. The unibody might be tweaked. Only a GOOD body shop with a frame alignment jig can really assess that with any accuracy.

As to the lift, my first question is if you (or whoever installed it) left all bolts loose until the weight of the vehicle was back on the suspension before tightening to spec. If not, one of the rear springs might be slightly preloaded, and/or the front control arms might be preloaded. Try loosning all control arm, spring and shackle bolts, bounce on the suspension a bunch of times to settle everything in place, then retorque.

Click to expand...

The only concern I had with the suspension before I installed the lift was that while hanging, the rear axle did droop lower on passenger's side when the vehicle was suspended at the shop.
Although the vehicle sat evenly before the lift and appeared to be even when under weight aswell.

The front end is measuring evenly on both sides.

Driver's Front: 22 inches
Passenger's Front: 22 inches
Driver's Rear: 21 inches
Passenger's Rear: 22 inches

(measurements taken from center hub to wheel flare)


I will try loosening the leaf/shackle bolts and retorquing though.
Any other suggestions?

First make sure the suspension bolts were tighten with all the weight of the jeep on it.

Second, make sure the springs are on the right side, some ome stuff are side specific.

Third, just read it in another post, but check the length of the shackles for being the same.

Forth, check front coils for side to side, front will affect back and vice versa.


hinkley

The leafs in an OME kit are the same height, at least they seem to be.
As for the coils, there is one taller one and one slightly shorter one.
The shorter one goes on the passenger side to compensate for the constant weight of the driver.
In AUS and on postal Jeeps, the taller one goes on the right, in the USA, the taller one goes on the left.
Look for the coil that says RS, and put it on the left side.
The coils are built in AUS, so do the opposite as the labeling says, unless you have one of the aforementioned postal rigs.
The taller coil will make the opposite(diagonal) leaf sit a little lower.
As for the droop, assuming the lift components are new, then look for bind on the shackle bolts, and torque everything with the weight of the Jeep on it, as mentioned.
If the lift is used, one leaf pack will be shorter due to 'torque twist' causing the passenger rear corner to squat under acceleration.
I swap all my packs side to side about 3 times a year, depending on use.
Like Eagle said, I would make sure you are dealing with a straight unibody first, then work outwards.
HTH.

maybe it is the height you are working with, OME losses its ride quality after 3.5 inches, ome packs were desinged to lift 2 or 3 inches not 5 maybe that is contributing to the problem but it sounds more like your frame is twisted or you could be parked on an unlevel surface when i park mine in certain parts of my driveway the rear driverside measures lower then the rear passanger side but when i move it to someplace else it is even

catyrpelius said:

...but it sounds more like your frame is twisted...

Click to expand...

I sure hope not. It's been in a couple of bumper accidents, but it's never been wheeled before. I don't know what could have caused the unibody to be bent and misaligned like that.

Check what BgCntry said about sides for the springs. Factory coils are also side-specific, for the same reason. What's odd is that only one corner is off. As Hinkley commented, usually if one corner is down the diagonal opposite corner more or less has to be up. If three corners measure correct ... or if both front corners measure the same but ONE side is off in the rear ... something almost certainly has to be tweaked.

you could always give OME a call they probably have customer service someplace in the US, most likely they will know what you should do

Solved!

It turns out bgcntry's advice about the springs was correct. I pulled out both springs and the taller spring (almost one inch taller than the other) was installed in the passengers side instead of the drivers. After I switched them the rear no longer sat unevenly and my braking and handeling on the road is now back to normal.

Thanks for all your advice and input guys.

-Ron

YEAH! problem solved in the forum. I'm glad I read this, as my OMEs are on the way.