150 Suspension measurements.

[tdprado]

2013 Toyota Prado 150 GXL D4D Auto

Brand new - 50% fuel
FL - 760
FR - 765
RL - 785
RR - 790

Fitted ARB steel bullbar, D34 optima battery, still standard suspension after 24,000 km and a 2 week 5000km trip to Birdsville - 50% fuel
FL - 740
FR - 745
RL - 782
RR - 780

Just fitted Bilstein BE5-A712 struts/ BE5-A713 shocks, Dobinson C59-352 front coils, C59-327 rear coils - 100% fuel - travelled 30km
FL - 815
FR - 815
RL - 845
RR - 840

Circlip on the Bilstein struts is on the lowest setting.

All the directly above readings were 5mm higher when suspension was initially fitted on the weekend.

Droop on the front, both sides, is 65mm. Haven't measured the back as yet.

Am going to fit a winch this weekend, one of the new Ironman 9500lb Monster Winches with synthetic rope (28kg), which I believe will drop the front a further 5mm. Tested this by adding 30kg to the bullbar where the winch will be.

Going to rack up 200km, and fit the winch this weekend, before getting a wheel alignment on Monday.

I'm just hoping that the alignment can be done as I like my vehicle to drive straight, with minimal invasive tyre wear. The Cooper AT3's are too good to ruin.

Only problem I can initially tell is the back end kicks when going over speed bumps, even slowly. Not enough rebound in the Billies.

When my Simpson Desert trip is over later this year, may get a set of 325's for the rear for daily driving and swap back to the 327's for big laden trips.

If the wheel alignment isn't possible with the current setup, will go to 350 springs in the front, which should drop the front about 10mm.

[SuperDavid]

Hey mate, who did you deal with there? Steve, Patrick, or someone else?

Patrick on the first visit and then Steve for all the other phone calls and visits.

[kyleh]

Have finally measured my heights and as I suspected the front is lower than I would like and the rear a little high.

Bilsteins shocks F&R (without grooves)
F: Kings KTFR-101H
R: Kings KTRR-102

F: 775mm
R: 830mm

Its a GX so doesnt have rear seats, thats with a full tank of fuel. Front has TJM bar only, no winch or 2nd battery.

Ride is good, a little soft if anything, I do have a problem with the rear 'bucking' and bouncing a bit over speed humps and particular unloading and bucking over water run offs off road.

This is the softest raised spring Kings offers for the rear, the front I can put an HD spring in which is shorter but higher rate. I can also have a groove machined in the front to give me a little more height.

I am not sure what to do about the bucking, I'm considering getting all the shocks revalved to firm it up a little and more rebound to fix the bucking. Perhaps change in springs will help also.

Anyone have any thoughts? Can anyone with Bilsteins comment on the bucking?

[greennick]

I'm booked in for monday! As soon as they heard I had 95mm droop instead of 75mm. They were happy to put in the extra 10mm spacer.
The boss wasn't sure why his fitter gave the wrong figures, he thinks maybe his fitter had jacked it up to disassemble the strut, then put it back on the ground and started measuring the height and then the droop without moving the car and letting the wheels get back to their normal position.
I dont know if thats possible and I dont really care at this stage.. I'm just happy they are going to put in another 10mm spacer on monday!

Thanks everyone for your advice!!! I may not have got this done without it!

Hey mate, who did you deal with there? Steve, Patrick, or someone else?

[mjrandom]

Good result. Will work well I think. Pity you had to go back 53 times though.

[SuperDavid]

So I have a total of 30mm spacers in now.
I'm sitting at 790mm in the front on both sides. On the left side I have 75mm droop and on the right I have 80mm.
Probably not worth worrying about the difference, maybe my driveway is uneven or something.
Decent end result I think

[SuperDavid]

I agree with Andrew, you need more droop (not often that is said!) the front is way too high. That isn't a 40mm lift but more like 60 or more. They need to take out one 20 and fit one 10. Make sure the wheel alignment is redone too.

its back to the same proportion that it was originally, thats a 40mm lift from standard, which was 770mm...but its a 2013 with 10,000km, so I guess it didn't get a chance to sag yet.

Yes I'm thinking I'll get them to put in the 10mm spacer in place of one of those 20mm.
Its a shame they just didn't do what I asked the first time. Now I need to waste another afternoon killing time waiting.

[mjrandom]

I agree with Andrew, you need more droop (not often that is said!) the front is way too high. That isn't a 40mm lift but more like 60 or more. They need to take out one 20 and fit one 10. Make sure the wheel alignment is redone too.

[SuperDavid]

Yeah 60mm doesn't seem enough. I can't seem to win with these guys.



Called them up, the boss said he told the guys this morning to fit a 10mm spacer. He said a suspension engineer told him that 60mm droop is the minimum and I am covered by warranty because I'm still within the accepted requirements. I said I dont know if 60mm is enough and I dont want to be topping out all the time. He said its fine if I want to bring it back in to swap for a 10mm spacer.
I'm sick of going back to that shop! its a 40 minute drive each way and I either have hours to kill while waiting and walking around or I have to put out my mum or girlfriend to pick me up and drop me off every time I go in there.
Really nice people and happy to help......but they dont seem to get things right.

60mm droop is not enough. Although it may settle to 800mm but your shock might be topping out a bit too frequently while waiting for it to settle. Back to the shop I think.

[Hutch]

David, let it settle for momth and it will probably come down 5-10mm and then it should be alright but seriously how stupid r these guys, u do all the leg work give them all the info and they still get it wrong.

[SuperDavid]

They put another spacer in today. But it looks like they've put a 20mm spacer instead of the 10mm I mentioned to them on the phone.
So now I'm sitting at 810mm in the front but only have 60mm droop!!!
I'm worried that 60mm droop isn't enough. What do you guys think?

I really like the height! I feel like the whole car has leveled out and it looks good too, this is more like what an actual 40mm lift looks like.

[Hutch]

Good outcome David.

[SuperDavid]

Good stuff. I agree with you, now you have evidence to back you up when you call to discuss. They need to put 1 more spacer in.

I'm booked in for monday! As soon as they heard I had 95mm droop instead of 75mm. They were happy to put in the extra 10mm spacer.
The boss wasn't sure why his fitter gave the wrong figures, he thinks maybe his fitter had jacked it up to disassemble the strut, then put it back on the ground and started measuring the height and then the droop without moving the car and letting the wheels get back to their normal position.
I dont know if thats possible and I dont really care at this stage.. I'm just happy they are going to put in another 10mm spacer on monday!

Thanks everyone for your advice!!! I may not have got this done without it!

Good stuff. I agree with you, now you have evidence to back you up when you call to discuss. They need to put 1 more spacer in.