I'm interested in an Old Man Emu lift in the future. I've done some searching on the forum looking to find out if anyone with an OME lift has had the drive shaft problems I've heard about people having when they lift their jeeps.
Is the OME lift low enough to avoid these kinds of problems?
-Nathan

 

Depends on your shocks really. If you purchase the OME lift with the OME "yellow" shocks, you will be fine. The OME yellow shocks are built with an internal travel limiter of sorts, and they are relatively short in overall travel, or droop (approx 2.5" over stock). They really don't have enough downward travel to allow for DS damage.

Now, the OME "black" shocks are a long travel design that will definitely allow for DS damage. They allow roughly 4" of additional downward travel over the OME yellow shocks.

My .02 is go for the OME black shocks and a replacement front DS. You won't be disappointed.

 

any lift that has longer shocks will give you a front drive shaft problem. well unless you never wheel disconnected or wheel at all. with a auto transmission you will tear your front driveshaft boot by hitting the trany pan. many will say the skid plate dose it but it is the pan that causes the problem.
i know first hand. that lift will very in size as well (different spring rates offered) mine was about 3.25 inches and i went hd 618, 619 springs .

i will get a new drive shaft within a year

 

It is not really the shocks that will play the roll in the amount of lift it's the coil springs. if they are LD, MD or HD coils springs. I have ordered the HD coil springs for my JKU and from other members and Northridge I should see +3". I got the HD coils to compensate for LoD front and rear bumpers and a Warn Winch up front. Also, I want to fit 35's down the road and the HD coils will give me about 3" of lift to allow for 35's.

However, I will or have added extended bumpstops, long travel shocks, and will be adding JKS front and rear trac bars, longer rear swaybar links and Currie adj Lower CA's to help with centering the axles and help with the caster. Having a 6speed I should have no issues with tearing the drive shaft boot.

 

Thanks for the info and advice. This may end up being a seporate post, but haven't people had exploded transfer cases from replacement drive shafts? My goal is a small lift allowing 33" tires giving my Rubicon a little breathing room over stock form. I know I'm still going to end up using the skids, but I'd like it a bit higher when I tackle the Rubicon trail in a year. I want to keep my lifetime warranty without having to convince my dealer that the lift didn't cause the failture every time there's a problem with the driveline.

 

Leveling kit...

 

Running OME HD with "stanrdard" travel shocks. No hard wheeling yet, but no issues as a DD. Need longer brakes lines to be safe.

 

2 door or 4 door? 2 door with the shorter wheelbase is more prone to have problems than the 4 door.

 

I have an unlimited/auto/rubi and wheel it disconnected.

I started with standard travel (N196 & N198) OME shocks. No noticeable damage/issues with the front driveshaft/boot.

Converted to the long travel kit and swapped in the long travel (N196L & N198L) OME shocks (& spacers on top of coils) and the metal clamp on the boot came off the front driveshaft. Its zip-tied now.

BTW check out this thread if you're thinking about hacking your stock skid or upgrading to aftermarket skids to save your boot/shaft. (I've been running a RH skid & still had boot clamp contact)

On my end, the OME +40 coils are going on in February along with a new shaft so I'm pumped.

 

I put a limitimg strap on my front driver side to limit the shock to extension to 26 inches. No issues yet.

Lower shock mounts must be moved outward with long travels.