OME Suspension Upgrade FINISHED

[Fofiddy]

man at 50psi the thing is on rails and the steering is crisp... I love the added ride height now and it softens larger road debris and speed bumps. But unfortunately it will rattle the windows over washboard surfaces and I could see that driving me insane towing a trailer 750miles.
I'll air down a few pounds and take it through the course again.

[blink32]

I have converted everything to 16ths just to make it easier for me to compare. This is one place the metric system would be nicer to have, thats for sure. It looks like everything has settled a bit. But it looks like everything has stayed relatively the same regarding the difference in height from start to finish. The rears were 1/16" off to begin with and after the lift the differences stayed. The fronts were 5/16th's and that's were they are at now.

Orig

Drv Front : 35 7/16"
Pax Front : 35 2/16"
Drv Rear : 35"
Pax Rear : 35 1/16"

Within 5 miles of installation

Drv Front 37 4/16"
Pax Front 36 15/16"
Drv Rear 37 7/16"
Pax Rear 37 8/16"

Current after approx 50 miles

Drv Front 37 3/16" 1.75" gain (44.5mm)
Pax Front 36 14/16" 1.75" gain (44.5mm)
Drv Rear 37 5/16" 2.3125" gain (2 5/16", 58.7mm)
Pax Rear 37 6/16" 2.3125" gain (2 5/16", 58.7mm)

[NVSteve]

Thanks for the measurements. That really helps with the big picture. Now we just need to hear how well it handles in the dirt! No pressure. If it happens, it happens.

[Simon B]

I've just had the OME suspension upgrade done. I went for exactly the same set up as blink (OME 607 & 609 Springs + N183S & N184 Struts) but i'm currently still running the stock tires.

First impressions are great, the ride is definitely firmer but not as much as I imagined and its a lot more controlled over bumps and potholes. I'm taking it off-road this weekend so i'll report back on how I get on.

As far as lift goes, i've put the measurements below (in mm) but they roughly equate to about 2 inches front and 2.6inches rear which is more that ARB claim. The measurements on the rear of my Pathfinder are slightly higher than those Blink got but that's probably because I don't have a roof rack fitted. The measurement is from the ground to the highest point on the wheelarch. If I can figure out how, i'll post some pictures next week some time.

BEFORE
Front Right - 864mm
Front Left - 855mm
Rear Right - 865mm
Rear Left - 862mm

AFTER
Front Right - 908mm
Front Left - 905mm
Rear Right - 935mm
Rear Left - 930mm

LIFT
Front Right - 44mm
Front Left - 50mm
Rear Right - 70mm
Rear Left - 68mm

[rragpaoa]

Hey All,

I just got my OME set yesterday (after a 1.5 week delay because my local shop ordered the 2004 set instead).

I went with the MEDIUMS Front and Back (OME 608 & 609). I opted for the medium up front becuase I am fitting a Shrockworks front bumper next month. OME claims that the spring rate is the same as the soft springs, but 15mm more lift. Even if I didn't get a bumper, the extra lift is always a plus.

I'll let y'all know how it goes this weekend + pics and measurements.

[blink32]

Good to hear others are getting this lift. Can't wait to see the pics.

[NVSteve]

I went with the MEDIUMS Front and Back (OME 608 & 609). I opted for the medium up front becuase I am fitting a Shrockworks front bumper next month. OME claims that the spring rate is the same as the soft springs, but 15mm more lift. Even if I didn't get a bumper, the extra lift is always a plus.

I'll let y'all know how it goes this weekend + pics and measurements.

Very interested to hear the results. I wonder if the different springs up front will level the ride a bit more. I'd also like to hear your driving impressions with the different spring. Of course, pictures would be highly welcome!

[NVSteve]

I'm taking it off-road this weekend so i'll report back on how I get on.

I'm very much looking forward to that.

[rragpaoa]

Ok, I finished the install of my OME suspension this weekend.

First a recap: I have the 608 and 609 springs which are the mediums up front and mediums in the rear.
Install went fairly well. I decided to rent those cheapo spring compressors and sure enough, like blink said, it was impossible to get the OME springs on the OME shocks. So ... of to the local shop and for 50 bucks to have them installed. They would have charged the same amount had I left the old springs and shocks intact. Would have saved me the effort from removing the old springs. Follow blinks advice! I did it with all hand tools. The only thing I wish I had was a torque wrench since some of the bolts were pretty tight. I needed a bit more leverage.
Overall I gained about 3" up front and 2 1/2 in the rear. Since I have the mediums up front, I figured it would raise it a bit higher. The truck has no rake now. Looks good. I am not at home so I can't post the pics yet, as well as the measurements.

The good:
Ride is firm but well controlled. A lot more controlled than stock. Turns are a lot more fun.. Cornering has improved. The stock setup was sloppy when turning and going over bumps. The rears always 'skidded' turning over small bumps. Now, a lot more controlled. For some odd reason, highway speeds are actually smoother, and definitely more confident. The old boaty feel is gone (maybe I get seasick).
I will take it offroad this coming weekend to try it on the dirt.

The bad,
For some reason, my VDC got all confused. Travelling around 45-55 MPH, with a slight turn, the SLIP indicator lights up I can feel the ABLS kick in. I am on a paved, dry road with good traction. It's scary since the VDC makes a bit of noise and I can feel the car pull to one side due to ABLS. After the install, it happened almost all the time turning left at the above speeds. After the wheel alignment, it happens now when turning right at speeds, but not as often. Doesn't happen at all when turning a low speeds, or from a stop.
So, I have been trying to dissect the problem. If the SLIP indicator lights, than that means that one wheel is turning faster than the other in a slippery situation. Of course, during turns, the outside wheel travels faster, but why would a small lift cause this to happen? A lift should not cause a wheel to travel unusually faster on turns.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Anyway, pics and measurements coming when I get home.

[RacerZX]

Disconnect the battery for yay long (10 minutes?). When you refire the car, the VDC light will stay on, and will recalibrate as you drive the first yay far distance. Worth a shot.

[Simon B]

Took the Pathfinder away this weekend to test the OME suspension and went to a place called the Liwa Oasis. This is an area near the border between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and consists of huge sand dunes and areas of sabkha which is a sort of very rutted salt flat.

The OME suspension was absolutely brilliant. The ride is firmer and far better damped. When you're on the road if you hit a speed bump or pot hole the car settles really quickly, none of the bobbing you get with the stock set up and i've found it also corners better with much less roll.

Off Road the difference is even greater. Travelling across rutted ground it feels really controlled and you dont get bounced off line like you would normally. The other great benefit is the additional lift and improved approach angle. Last time I took the Pathfinder off road the front bumper was catching on everything and I ripped off the small plastic air dam. This time it didn't catch at all and I was hitting sand dunes that are at 45degrees.

Problems? Well I had a wheel alignment done but its definitely pulling very slightly to the right. The garage reckons it just needs readjusting so i'll get that done this week. Also, because of the amount of lift on the rear, the wheels camber in a bit so I might get some uneven tire wear, its one to watch and maybe you can swap the front and rear wheels over before it gets too bad. The only other negative is that there's now so much space in the wheel arches it needs some bigger tires to fill them out and that'll cost me more money!!!

Sorry I can't post any photos but I haven't managed to sort out a site to host them yet. When I do that i'll put some up.

[RacerZX]

I notice that everybody who's installed this suspension so far has said it's stiffer and more controlled even for pavement driving, yet also all of you have LE Pathfinders. You guys have any feel about how it compares to the SE suspension? I actually got an SE specifically because it was so much more controlled than the wallowing over-luxurious LE, so I'm curious how the OME compares to the SE.

[NVSteve]

Overall I gained about 3" up front and 2 1/2 in the rear. Since I have the mediums up front, I figured it would raise it a bit higher. The truck has no rake now. Looks good. I am not at home so I can't post the pics yet, as well as the measurements.

That sounds great. Looking forward to those pics!

The good:
Ride is firm but well controlled. A lot more controlled than stock. Turns are a lot more fun.. Cornering has improved. The stock setup was sloppy when turning and going over bumps. The rears always 'skidded' turning over small bumps. Now, a lot more controlled. For some odd reason, highway speeds are actually smoother, and definitely more confident. The old boaty feel is gone (maybe I get seasick).
I will take it offroad this coming weekend to try it on the dirt.

I've noticed the rear hop a few times now. On the way into my office, I take a small street that goes over train tracks, while the road curves. It really likes to hop & slide in the rear. Thanks for the rest of the ride description-I'm sold on getting them now.

The bad,
For some reason, my VDC got all confused.

I'm still not sure I like the VDC, at least in town. Mine has kicked in twice now, both times while breaking & turning hard to one side(pulling into a parking lot). Kind of annoying.

[rragpaoa]

Disconnect the battery for yay long (10 minutes?). When you refire the car, the VDC light will stay on, and will recalibrate as you drive the first yay far distance. Worth a shot.

Yup, done that. VDC light and Slip light stayed on for a while, then went away after 10 minutes of driving. Did not have the SLIP problem during that time of re-calibration. After the lights went out, sure enough, the problem re-occured at around 45-50MPH turning right merging from one freeway to the next.
Did a wheel alignment. Since the increase in height was substantial, the alignment tech said that he could not get the rears exactly to specs. He said to get a different camber bolts (from another local shop he recommended) to put it to factory specs, but he said it wasn't completely necessary since it wasn't too much off. He recommended to rotate the tires more frequently.

Others with the OME set are not having this problem. The only thing I can think of is that I have the medium springs up front which gave me an additional 1/2" lift from the soft springs, possibly screwing up the pitch and yaw sensors (I'm pulling this out of my arse)? Maybe once I get the bumper/winch which will add 125-150 lbs, this should go away. Dunno. I don't want to take it to Nissan yet because I know they are going to say, "well, take off the lifts and you should be okay".

[rragpaoa]

I notice that everybody who's installed this suspension so far has said it's stiffer and more controlled even for pavement driving, yet also all of you have LE Pathfinders. You guys have any feel about how it compares to the SE suspension? I actually got an SE specifically because it was so much more controlled than the wallowing over-luxurious LE, so I'm curious how the OME compares to the SE.

I believe the SE may have the same problem 'rear skipping over bumps' problems as the LE. According to NVSteve's post, he has the same problem, and he has the SE-OR. In my opinion, the LE was far from luxurious. Wallowing, felt every bump, and it resonated through the car to your body. With the OME, no wallowing, and bumps tend to not resonate, almost being deadened by the suspension. You still feel them, but more subdued. If you are a cyclist, it analogous to an aluminum frame vs a carbon fiber frame over bumps. Just feel a lot more confident.