Page 1 of 1

Coil conversion

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:01 pm
by pete.sb
How difficult/expensive would it be to convert an '84 lux to coil suspension on the front or front and back??

Is it the kind of thing that would be more expensive than a new truck?

Re: Coil conversion

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:19 pm
by Jock
pete.sb wrote:How difficult/expensive would it be to convert an '84 lux to coil suspension on the front or front and back??

Is it the kind of thing that would be more expensive than a new truck?
This is the most sensible question I have ever read on this forum.

In the long run YES it will be more expensive and you will never get your money back for the money you spend. You will end up with a very capable car but what you gain in off road ability you loose in on road driveabilty ( high speed driving)

So consider this What do you mainly do in your car? is all off your work off road? do you have to drive 500 kms each week for work and once a month you drive 200 kms to go to a place to go four wheel driving and drive 30 kms there and then drive 200 kms home?

It is pros and cons. Depending on your needs I would go the new truck. You will be happier with it and will still keep the driveabilty too. OR better yet get a weekend toy that ytou can tow with you.

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:35 pm
by jonamaphone1
how can you say that coils will make his car bad to drive on the road? the springs will make it better to drive on and offroad. but in saying that i wouldn't spend that sort of money on an 84 lux.

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:52 pm
by pete.sb
Does anyone know roughly what kind of money I'd be looking at? Mainly just the cost of parts. I'd do most of the work myself.

Main reason I want to do it is because the front leafs are really rough on road as well as off road.

The car will be used for long range touring/offroad fun. I have another car that I go to work in :)

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:04 pm
by Weiner
Just grab a GQ diff and cut all the brackets off and transfer them onto yours.

If You were in Melbourne I would have a GW diff with brackets on it you could have cheap.

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:24 pm
by thrashlux
Ì coiled a 1980 lux and it is far better to drive off on road
in fact any time much better,better ride less bouncy flexes up less likely to roll over

I think where a lot of people go wrong is they try and make up custom links and arms

usally this is bad for on road use because they are biased toward off road use in design

also most people get the geometry wrong when making up there own links and mounting points

i found that it is a good thing to do what toyota did when they went coil like look at the 80 series it is not all out off road but a good compromise
that with a bit of minor tweaking can have resonable flex and softness without being too bad on road

thats what i did with my truck used all factory components to make a narow body light weight 80 series

it is a hilux chasis with 80series and 79series links and mounting points

this truck ended up being far more capable than my 80 due to the fact it could tip toe its way accross stuff an 80 would sink into also squeezing between obstackles

I already had an 80 i just wanted a lighter one with more power

mine was in no way a desision about money it was to follow an idea

the hilux is great fun to drive and heaps easier to throw thru the bush than the 80

after driving the "thrashlux"as i call it .it actually scares me driving my 80 series off road all that extra weight trying to pull you where you dont want to go.

not as good for towing as the 80, the 80 wins on that one

so if going on a trip that does not involve towing i always go for the hilux it uses less fuel to

here are some pics it looks stock as till you hit some bog holes or some hills

http://www.4wdaction.com.au/shed/index. ... &im=1&s=on

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:38 pm
by Weiner
thrashlux wrote:Ì coiled a 1980 lux and it is far better to drive off on road
in fact any time much better,better ride less bouncy flexes up less likely to roll over

I think where a lot of people go wrong is they try and make up custom links and arms

usally this is bad for on road use because they are biased toward off road use in design

also most people get the geometry wrong when making up there own links and mounting points

i found that it is a good thing to do what toyota did when they went coil like look at the 80 series it is not all out off road but a good compromise
that with a bit of minor tweaking can have resonable flex and softness without being too bad on road

thats what i did with my truck used all factory components to make a narow body light weight 80 series

it is a hilux chasis with 80series and 79series links and mounting points

this truck ended up being far more capable than my 80 due to the fact it could tip toe its way accross stuff an 80 would sink into also squeezing between obstackles

I already had an 80 i just wanted a lighter one with more power

mine was in no way a desision about money it was to follow an idea

the hilux is great fun to drive and heaps easier to throw thru the bush than the 80

after driving the "thrashlux"as i call it .it actually scares me driving my 80 series off road all that extra weight trying to pull you where you dont want to go.

not as good for towing as the 80, the 80 wins on that one

so if going on a trip that does not involve towing i always go for the hilux it uses less fuel to

here are some pics it looks stock as till you hit some bog holes or some hills

http://www.4wdaction.com.au/shed/index. ... &im=1&s=on
Did you have any more picks of the suspension setup?

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:00 pm
by thrashlux
here is a couple of pics of my old truck

Image

Image

cheers thrashlux

Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:05 am
by Willy Hilux
Why don't you try the surf coil setup in the rear and a bundera front end.
Can't see it being any more than $2000 for parts. Not too bad if you can do all the fab work yourself.