Thread: edumacate me on the ute thing guys

Originally Posted by No.3

Ute suspension is something that the manufacturer's can't get right it seems. I reckon they should produce three or four different sets so you can bung in what you need for the time - standard urban poncing ute, empty lift 4x4, medium load and then heavy load for the utes that get set up as service vehicles or are always loaded. My Ranger was bloody dangerous off the showroom floor, and it wasn't carting a huge amount of weight. It was the first of the PX2 generation, and I don't think they got it right as they came out with quite a bit harder as standard from the PX3 onwards. Mine currently wears Iron Man foam cell struts with factory springs on a 10mm fixed spacer at the front (for 20mm unloaded lift) and a high-load leaf pack at the back from the springmaker in Cambridge with foam cell shocks. It's not going for the lift, but it needed a huge increase in spring rate to stop it crashing the bump stops at both ends and reset the steering angles at the front (couldn't align it, ran out of adjustment). The front end would just wash out to either side on gravel, just totally dangerous.

@No.3 heard years ago that Toyota didn't put good wheels and suspension on Hiluxes as they knew a lot of the aftermarket buyers would replace both. Keep the price of the vehicle up and the actual cost down.Normal springs no good unless you have a bit of weight in the back. My work hilux circa 2010 in Aussie had ratshit tyres that would break traction if you spit on the road. Absolutely lethal
Actually managed to get it past H+S to get the tyres replaced with better ones.