Suspension Upgrade

I've got a Landcruiser 200 series with a 2" lift and old man emu suspension from ARB. When the current suspension was installed there was never any intention of towing - anything. Times change and with about 3 tonne of boat fully loaded with fuel and gear I really need something a little more adequate to handle the load. Its OK for around town but not stiff enough for travelling long distances up North. Can anybody offer suggestion as to a company I could contact and do business with. I would like somebody that really knows there stuff as opposed to the catalogue flicking salesman.


bradz's picture

Posts: 693

Date Joined: 29/10/07

Air Bags

Thu, 2015-01-22 15:43

Hi Peko

Probably the simplest, cheapest and most effective approach would be to fit an air bag assist suspension from Firestone or similar. They are only a couple of hundred bucks, are easy to fit and you can inflate them to a pressure that allows the rear of the vehicle to support the trailer weight. The beauty is you can also deflate them when not required. They simply fit inside the rear springs.

Hop of the lcool forum at www.lcool.org/ (Land Cruisers Online). There is excellent information there.

Cheers

Brad

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I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.

Posts: 6265

Date Joined: 26/04/14

 Old man emu do a stiffer

Thu, 2015-01-22 16:16

 Old man emu do a stiffer rear kit I've got it in my Colorado might be called constant 300kg package

Posts: 790

Date Joined: 25/05/12

as above medium duty or heavy

Thu, 2015-01-22 16:42

as above medium duty or heavy duty springs with airbags.

Ive had dobsins spings and bilstein shocks with firestone bags in my car for a while now no sag performs well.

malaga suspension are good to deal with, don't go to a 4x4 shop. most of them don't know what they are doing.

reece's picture

Posts: 522

Date Joined: 10/07/08

 Iv got a 2" TJM lift with

Thu, 2015-01-22 17:39

 Iv got a 2" TJM lift with Heavey duty rear springs an airman airbags in my dual cab 79 series. Works a treat!!! My boat loaded is around the 3t mark. An the trays normally chockers to

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Posts: 11

Date Joined: 26/10/14

+1 for the bags. If you

Thu, 2015-01-22 18:41

+1 for the bags. If you already have the lift chances are you already have stiffer springs. Really simple to fit, I wouldn't bother going to a shop, spend the money on the trip instead!

jng's picture

Posts: 488

Date Joined: 03/08/07

Try these guys, i got them to

Fri, 2015-01-23 05:56

Try these guys, i got them to do my suspension in my colorado- i tow a 3tonne boat and it handles it very well 

from memory they were very competive with pricing, and they know their product. 

http://www.westcoastsuspension.com.au/thanks-you/

 

jng's picture

Posts: 488

Date Joined: 03/08/07

Try these guys, i got them to

Fri, 2015-01-23 05:56

Try these guys, i got them to do my suspension in my colorado- i tow a 3tonne boat and it handles it very well 

from memory they were very competive with pricing, and they know their product. 

http://www.westcoastsuspension.com.au/thanks-you/

 

Posts: 360

Date Joined: 06/02/14

 try wa suspension or west

Fri, 2015-01-23 07:12

 try wa suspension or west coast suspension been to both can recommend them highly prices r cheap 

pelagicyachts's picture

Posts: 1322

Date Joined: 23/02/11

x2 for WA suspension - had my

Fri, 2015-01-23 07:55

x2 for WA suspension - had my 200 done by them and they are good value (cheap is a dirty word!) and quite old school (which i like)

Posts: 57

Date Joined: 17/11/13

Air bags

Fri, 2015-01-23 07:57

I have a 200 Criuser with a 2' lift, i have air bags in the back to support the load on the long trips. My boat pushes it to 3.5 ton and i dont have any sag while using the air bags.

I got them installed by OL in Bunbury

Posts: 185

Date Joined: 01/10/14

Suspension

Fri, 2015-01-23 12:36

Thanks kindly for the advice. Ill go the airbag route as that seems the cheapest most effective resolve.

Posts: 408

Date Joined: 12/03/10

I've got the 200 series with bags

Fri, 2015-01-23 16:24

 Tows the boat nicely give malaga suspensions a call

Posts: 185

Date Joined: 01/10/14

Quote on Airbags

Sat, 2015-01-24 09:50

I got a quote for airbags fitted $700 and change. Ill avoid mentioning the outfit to protect the innocent or guilty as it may prove.

81macca's picture

Posts: 270

Date Joined: 02/07/09

The contents of the catalogue

Sat, 2015-01-24 17:15

The contents of the catalogue provides the part numbers needed for the suspension you asked for. Air bags are expensive your cheapest bet would be to put a heavier Old Man Emu spring in the rear. If this is not enough then put the air bags in. You will be surprised at the difference between a std rate spring compared to a heavier spring. The guys down in Mandurah are pretty switched on with their suspension setups.

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DAgua's picture

Posts: 7

Date Joined: 22/06/13

Airbag pressure

Mon, 2015-01-26 07:10

i also have had a set of airbag in the back of the pathy for the last 8 years. No problem forget they are there and stops the standard suspension dragging its arse when towing a couple tonnes.

I am am interested to know what pressure people run, I remember there was something about a max pressure.

DM

jarrid's picture

Posts: 363

Date Joined: 20/08/10

 Going rate seemed to be $280

Mon, 2015-01-26 07:45

 Going rate seemed to be $280 - $295 for kit for the Firestone ones. Install on my jeep apparently is a bit more complex and would take 4 hours, for which I was quoted $500. Haven't got them yet...if I did I would probably have a crack at installing myself

chookc's picture

Posts: 442

Date Joined: 07/01/10

There are different grade of

Mon, 2015-01-26 09:01

There are different grade of air bags as well.. some only inflate to 40-50 psi and others are of truck quality with 100+ psi ratings..   My navara 550 has bags in the back and i run about 65 psi when towing the boat but depends on the weight .  normally inflate till it sits level...   for around town with work tools...  (still around a ton int the back i leave the bags at about 40psi...  Makes for a little harsher ride over the bumps.  my bags were about 800 fitted a few years ago now..  half the cost is labour to fit...

Posts: 4576

Date Joined: 01/02/10

 Seen plenty of pics online

Mon, 2015-01-26 09:58

 Seen plenty of pics online with Utes with bent chassis reportedly caused by airbags. Seems care needed to be taken and plenty of research if that is the path you want to take.

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Date Joined: 12/03/10

Air pressure

Mon, 2015-01-26 11:33

 The airbags fitted inside of your coils springs take a different pressure than a leafs sprung bags the maximum pressure in coil spring bags is 35 psi 

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Date Joined: 25/05/12

firestones are max 50psi I

Mon, 2015-01-26 11:50

firestones are max 50psi I think

I load my up to about 40 psi when I have a full load on sometimes more on the road. but if your going 4x4ing let the air out to absolute minimum you require otherwise you can bend/crack chassis rails due to all the bumping up and down id rather bottom out than do a chassis rail.

for around town unloaded I leave about 10 psi in them