A question to all MODIFIED hilux owners on YOUR setup

[Toyo Truck]

Hey guys,

I am in need of a suspension overhall and I need the help advice of
fellow MODDED hilux owners who have tried and proven their leaf setup
and can stand by it. After searching over the last few weeks it seems
EVERYONE has an opinion on leaf springs, but I want to know what you
have actually tried on your truck. I built mine by hand and I want to
save time and money re-doing this truck the way I want it.

Some of you NSW'ers may have seen my lux gettin around
on some trails in the last 7-8 years or so, she's still going strong!

Here pictured at one of sydneys best tracks IMHO but now gone

Needless to say all these countless trips and hardcore wheeling has
shagged out the springs something fierce.

Even though it flexs really well, the ride is nice and soft and it still
tows and carrys loads like a champ...they need a freshen up.
So my problem...I love the flex and the ride quality I have now
but I NEED to replace these leafies soon!

Help me out guys. Post up your big flex pics and tell me what you
used in your setup. Only post up if you have personally modified a
truck for flex/hardcore trail action

Cheers,
Bart

[sloshy]

Front- Brand new OME 2'' lifted rears up front added 3 springs drivers side and 1 spring passenger side, 2'' dropped front cross member and 2'' shackles, shock hoops and procomp shocks, with high steer and hydro assist.

Rear- Custom main and rap leafs (250mm longer) with a couple of early falcon leafs thrown in, spring hangers moved forward, superior drop shackles, ladder bar and procomp shocks.

Pretty common mods but I would not recommend it for a daily driver.

Don't have any poser shots but this pic will give you an idea what sort of truck it is-

[Toyo Truck]

Hey mate,

nice truck. Comp truck right? or just serious fun machine?
Did you put more leaves in the drivers side to compensate for the
fact that all modded lux's lean that way? (mine is CHRONIC at times)
How do you rate the OME's mate? good flex? good ride?

I have very similar mods (within reason - mine is daily driven)
I also want some lift back, my springs are almost flat front and back
(IE no curve whatsoever...in fact drivers side is inverted)

FRONT SETUP:-
2" Dropped front hangers
1235mm long (eye 2 eye) Rear Leaves Up Front
-modified pack using bottom half basically of front pack on longer main
leaves from rear pack
160mm Chaos4x4 Shackles (Standard Bolts and shagged bushes)
Shagged/Dented RS9012's (Can max out the shocks no worries)

REAR SETUP:-
Standard Hangers
1240mm (eye 2 eye) long leaves
-"custom" leaf pack made by lovells?? (Professor AKA Chad will know)
I bought them off him when he first was building up his lux
THATS how old they are lol
230mm shackles
wrap bar (thanks Richo!)
U-bolt flip
IFS Rear Housing

Cheers,
Bart

[nathanshnoz]

sell your soul to the devil and go coils

all i can say is FLEX and SMOOTH

[Toyo Truck]

I would do this, and have always wanted to, but I love the reliablility of
the leafies. Plus I have nowhere to do such a huge undertaking.
My leaf sprung truck has never been able to not get where a car with coils
has, but I know a few coil trucks that can't go where my leafies do
(slight problem with lifted coils with them leaning over hardcore on angles)
and leafies are so much stronger than panhard rods and control arms.

Sure coils flex harder and look the absolute bomb, but the jury is still
out for me here. I've seen modded coil trucks vs modded leaf trucks and
its horses for courses really. A well setup leaf truck will drive anywhere
a similarly modded coil truck will go from what I have personally seen.

Cheers,
Bart

[professor]

Wow I cant understand why they have only just clapped out
They have served well!

Give me a call

Chad
0418441064

[ZOOK60]

From last time I saw your truck you had you has big arched leaf springs and the shackles were nearly vertical. I would be going for a flatter spring and a better shackle angle more on a 45 or more angle.
Ps I saw you on the f3 coming up the coast the other week.

[sloshy]

Hey mate,

nice truck. Comp truck right? or just serious fun machine?
Did you put more leaves in the drivers side to compensate for the
fact that all modded lux's lean that way? (mine is CHRONIC at times)
How do you rate the OME's mate? good flex? good ride?
Bart

Comp truck its got a rear disco and cutting brakes etc, I was using old rears up front but they kept sagging in no time so I bought the new OME ones, they have been in there for a few years now and haven't had any problems. You need the extra leafs drivers side to stop the sagging. I kept the little load spring in their as well, the one that is about 400mm long, it stops the spring sagging and looking like a W. I think the trick for good flex is to never replace the suspension bushes, the more flogged out the better

Its has wicked flex but rarely see's the road.

[Barno111]

Mate if you like your old setup why not just re amp it up? Reset springs back to what they were add a leaf or two depending on how quickly the sagged before. And replace shocks with the same length same brand. If the shocks are buggered? I dont own a hilux. But im putting in 20 something year old springs into my cruiser on the weekend, Just been reset!

[optima]

barnos111's right y change a good thing if your happy with it. just give it a overhall

[Toyo Truck]

Will do Chad! they have been absolute champs of springs man I
have driven them to hell and back so many times I've lost count!
right now they are holding about 700KGs of sandstone parked
downstairs...gotta drive it all the way to Pitt Town lol ..they'll do it
chat soon mate.

Zook60 how are you mate...just sent you a PM on ozwheelers lol
call me...my springs are now far from arched lol

Sloshy...flex pics...NOW!
How do the superior drop shackles go? are they the ones that twist and drop??
Do you get good flex outta the OME 2" lifted rears up front?
How long are they?

Barno, whats the go with the reset mate? they reco your existing leaves?
how's that work? reheat em or something? sorry man but I know nothing
about this...sounds like the trick tho.
Can they lift the springs up? my truck is a bit low these days...
and this was taken a few years back so they are more thrashed now...

[optima]

4wd action no 138 page 196 will give you an idea of how the back works. awsome that is im jelous not many leafs in the back though nice work sloshy

[MR 1JZ]

jeesus bart...you drive everything you have into the ground!

(thats not a bad thing btw)

haha

[Toyo Truck]

LOL

You know how WE do it! ROFL

Go hard or go home

[Toyo Truck]

Yeah i might look into the whole reset springs idea...get em set a bit higher too..

Let you know how they go this weekend after being heavily overloaded
for the last 3 days
all I can say is..
lucky I got that track bar!

Cheers,
Bart

[berad]

Why not just buy new the 2 mains and leave the helpers/loads the way you have it.

Sloshy, did it stop alot of flex with the new mains?, and inverted springs earn tough points . I have 2inch rear "rockhopper" haha whatever they are, leaves up front and they are flat if not a little inverted, and it's running a near perfect shackle angle. Standard front hanger though. And virtually no lift, the way i like it.

My castor is the killer of the truck sitting lop sided at times, looks retarted if i have to turn into a park, it would be 2 inch's lower on whichever side it decides haha.

[yamaha__308]

Reset springs will sag again.

If you want to get new ones and want extra lift, why dont you buy a lifted set of rears and lifted IFS rears and make up some packs?

If you want them to last, you really do need bumpstops to stop the packs reversing.

I found using stock RUF, 1" dropped crossmember and extended shackles, that I got roughly 3" of lift.

[Toyo Truck]

Allrighty fellas.
I knew this was coming...
Today is the day I need new front leaf springs.
hit the brakes today at a set of lights and dropped the bottom leaf outta
the drivers side onto the road!!
these leaves are completely rooted.
6 years odd of flex and wheeling will do that.

So I was thinking I'll bite the bullet and get newies
question is which ones?

Was thinking of getting some standard rear hilux "Rockcrawler" springs
and putting them in the front, with a 2" lift in them?
what are peoples thoughts on these?
if they are good I'll buy them soon and fit them up.

Cheers,
Bart

[big_fyt]

i have been doing some research on rockcrawler gear and it turns out they are pretty solid. check out www.4wd1.com.au there website is set out really well and gives heaps of info and options

my springs are ready to go aswell as soon as i get some cash my way.

bigfyt

[Zeyphly]

http://locktup4x4.com.au/hilux-solid-fr ... r-282.html

[1MadEngineer]

sell your soul to the devil and go coils

all i can say is FLEX and SMOOTH

and how is it better than a good leaf setup?

[Toyo Truck]

Those loktup4x4b ones look good but they are $549.
They come with no warranty either??? free shipping tho

Rockcrawler springs are $330 with free shipping,
come with a 3 year warranty (regardless of kms????!!!)

Looking into OME and EFS today as a comparison.
anyone else got any alternatives???

Cheers,
Bart

[locktup4x4]

We do offer a 2 year warranty on our springs providing bump stops are setup correctly. Our springs are 499.00 a pair.

Jason

[Toyo Truck]

Hey guys,
In a 1989 model lux
are the front leaves exactly the same length as the rears?
I thought the rears were longer? or is this only in an IFS truck??

Thanks Jason.
Please explain "bump stops setup correctly"??? just to give us guidelines?
If I have REALLY long shackles (I have 230mm shackles) could I fit the
flex rears (132cm long) in without moving the rear spring hanger??
This extra length would really help my shackle angle too.
Where are you guys based at??
will certainly consider them mate...want to look at all options b4 buy tho.
Any other reason why I should get these over the rockcrawlers??

Rockcrawler springs are 109cm long so slightly longer, but they were
unable to supply a spring rate for me? These springs offer a 2" lift where
as the locktup ones are 3" lift which is good.
the other thing is the rockcrawlers come with that awesome 3yr warranty
which is great.

Cheers,
BArt

[locktup4x4]

We are not requiring bump stops for the rear. The front bump stops need to be setup so the leaf spring doesn't go into a negative arch "past flat".

Jason

[FRLS4B]

i fitted my 3" EFS spring lift ( $1500) a month ago and love the flex, the 34" jungle trekkers only have minor rub issues which can be fixed with some crafty panel beating

[booflux]

The trail gear kits are a great piece of gear, I am yet to see any off the shelf spring match their flex the below pics of mine are its first trip out and they still had more in them. They got better the more they got used, and before long the 12" shocks werent long enough in the front and I should have gone 14s.

[Toyo Truck]

oi mate thats pretty impressive for off the shelf 1st run out.
did you modify the leaf pack at all?

Where are the trailgear leaves sold?
and...how much you pay?

Mine maxes out 14" shockies too now

Cheers,
Bart

[booflux]

oi mate thats pretty impressive for off the shelf 1st run out.
did you modify the leaf pack at all?

Where are the trailgear leaves sold?
and...how much you pay?

Mine maxes out 14" shockies too now

Cheers,
Bart

Hey mate they are the one Locktup sell
I never touched the leaf packs never had a need to down the track I also removed the bodylift and ran 36" Iroks without any scrubbing

[Toyo Truck]

cool...which ones did you get exactly?

Did you just get their catalogue listed front and rear springs?
3" lifted or what?
Or did you get the rears and put them up front.

And
did you have to move the hangers at all to fit the longer "flex" rears??

Cheers,
Bart