Thread: Lift recommendations for 2007 hilux

Originally Posted by pennyless

Another one for the AC Fab plates.
Not bad price , easy enough to fit and I've seen them in action previously. Took the knocks.

They don't cover transfer case on hilux though & muffler gets pretty second hand.
I did shorten the bolt directly under the front drive shaft , just looked a bit close.

With N70 hilux too much lift stuffs up the front axle angles unless you get into diff drops & other spendy stuff.
Pennyless

I had dealer fit 7 leaf + overload spring packs to my Ranger to try and top it smashing towball extensions when backing into driveways and be able to actually connect trailers to the thing - the factory springs are 3-leaf + overload. Each leaf is good for say 75Kg as a rule of thumb, all things and spring curvature being equal. The aftermarket has slightly more curve on each leaf (more of a parabolic than the factory) so there's quite a bit more height in it. For my standard load (canopy, towbar, tray liner, and ute drawer for about 225Kg) it was enough to fully engage the bump stops on the ute on factory springs with nothing else on board, which makes sense as 3x75kg leaf springs = 225Kg capacity. Designed to run around central Auckland empty only loaded with 'street cred' and 'climate change nightmares'. The back end lift fully unloaded on the 7-leaf pack would be 70+mm I expect, but it comes out at standard load under 50mm and it's dealer fitted so not aftermarket.

Where that falls over, is the dealer did nothing with the factory shocks in back or struts/springs at the front end - which turned the ute into a widow maker. F**ken lethal, the front end alignment was so far out from the nose droop that the front end would just let go and try and spit you off the road with the only way to recover it a quick switch to 4x4 and plant boot. Foam cell shocks at the back fixed the pogo sticking, and the front end got aftermarket springs and foam cell struts which fixed the alignment but turned the front end into a forklift. No suspension to speak of as insufficient weight to preload the heavy coils (no winch or steel bar - I still have those springs if anyone is needing a set of PX Ranger winch bar coils). Ended up putting the factory coil springs back in on the foam cell struts with a 10mm spacer under the lower spring seat, not adjustable so no requirement for cert and the 10mm extra preload at the spring equals a 20mm adjustment at the hub (2:1 ratio on the wishbone movement) which is enough to bring the wishbones back into the factory alignment adjustment range.

Originally Posted by 308

God I love mechanic sarcasm

I don't know about mechanic sarcasm, more resigned disappointment...

More than 50mm lift will require a cert at an awful lot of WOF places. If you think that's not correct, enjoy the debate, and the waste of time arguing it. Best of luck.

We use ARB Old Man Emu in Hilux's & Cruisers, it's an off the shelf solution that complies, and makes a huge improvement to ride & handling. New trucks get driven to the local ARB agent, the Old Man Emu suspension fitted and the brand-new Toyota stuff goes in the recycling bin. Job Done.
Highly recommended. There will be better technical solutions I'm sure, but for us running half a dozen trucks it's a cost effective but very noticeable improvement. For a winch challenge truck, not good enough, but for a work truck that tows boats, goes hunting, and has to serve as an all-rounder, it's mint!

Same with the Jimny even!

Originally Posted by Mistral

More than 50mm lift will require a cert at an awful lot of WOF places. If you think that's not correct, enjoy the debate, and the waste of time arguing it. Best of luck.

We use ARB Old Man Emu in Hilux's & Cruisers, it's an off the shelf solution that complies, and makes a huge improvement to ride & handling. New trucks get driven to the local ARB agent, the Old Man Emu suspension fitted and the brand-new Toyota stuff goes in the recycling bin. Job Done.
Highly recommended. There will be better technical solutions I'm sure, but for us running half a dozen trucks it's a cost effective but very noticeable improvement. For a winch challenge truck, not good enough, but for a work truck that tows boats, goes hunting, and has to serve as an all-rounder, it's mint!

Same with the Jimny even!
Attachment 245288

If it works and it's cost effective its technically a bloody good solution. Agree the factory fitted crap is just a place holder between the chassis and the axles.