OME CS045R rear springs

[bfgjohno]

Hi folks and a happy Christmas to all!
I've a 2010 3.0 Hilux doublecab and have a pair of OME CS045R rear springs which I bought a couple of years ago anticipating carrying some heavy loads ( they're described as being for a constant load of +400kg). This never happened and it's either a case of flog them or fit them. I don't want to harden up the rear end too much so one thought was to remove the third leaf from the top to reduce the spring rate. Has anyone done this? What kind of ride do you end up with?
I have an ARB canopy fitted with rhino roof bars and internal tubular frame to support the rack - so about 70kg extra.
All the best
John

[Mud Dog]

Hi John. How many blades are in each pack at the moment? It's common practise to add / remove blades to stiffen / soften the ride but I'm not sure which one it is that you should remove (I'm open to correction, but I think it's the second one from the bottom).

We have a couple of suspension specialists here on the forum who could hopefully give you a more definitive answer if they are still on-line over the holiday season, otherwise you might just have to be a little patient.

[bfgjohno]

Hi Andy,
The stack is currently 7 leaves. My googling has revealed a single sentence in the OME catalogue that talks about removing the 3rd from top. No further info given on outcome of removal so input from a suspension fundi would be most gratefully received.
All the best
John

[Mud Dog]

Hi Andy,
The stack is currently 7 leaves. My googling has revealed a single sentence in the OME catalogue that talks about removing the 3rd from top. No further info given on outcome of removal so input from a suspension fundi would be most gratefully received.
All the best
John

Hmmm .... IIRC the OME rear pack had 6 blades on my old van. Now have Dobinson's (Would swap for OME in a heartbeat) that also has 7 blades on the rear. A bit too hard, but I can live with it for now ..... think it's because the vehicle was set up to accommodate extra weight for over-landing. When I look at the pack lengths, thickness and construction, I would have to remove 3rd from the bottom to soften it a bit.

The front has only five blades but that's because ride comfort is 90% determined by the front suspension ..... it could actually even manage with six in my case because of the extra weight (winch / integrated bumper).

[Haboob]

I have read that to streangthen, add 2nd from top which I did on my previous vehicle with great sucess and no problems. To remove you would probably have to see the current make up of the springs as said by Andy...

[LouisZ]

That will be the 3rd one from the Top

That will soften the ride. :razz:

[bfgjohno]

Thanks for all the help. Kurt Brunner at 4x4 Megaworld has also confirmed that they often remove this leaf which in effect creates the CS044R
Cheers

John