Please Help with 2700i Suspension and Lift Advice

[Jackal]

Hi Guys,

I'm very new to 4x4 and took my 2002, 2700i, D/C 4x4 for my first drive offroad in the dunes in Atlantis Cape Town. The previous owner said that when he took ownership of the bakkie it had a full OME suspension set up on it but when it was time to replace the shocks he fitted Monro and returned the suspension to a more standard set up because he wasn't doing any serious off-roading.

The bakkie also has an ARB front bumber, after market rock sliders and rear bumper, Firestone air shock at the back and almost brand new Continental AT tyres which are apparently the same model tyres the bakkie came off the factory with.

Also keep in mind that this was my first time ever driving a 4x4 so my driving ability and skills need serious improvement and my approach to the big dunes wasn't very scientific. Tyres at 0.8, H4 engaged, 1st gear, hit the dunes as fast as I could, steering wheel straight, followed the previous tracks and kept my foot flat until I ran out of revs.

If I look under the front of the bakkie it seems like the profile is very flat and the ground clearance not very high which I think may have been part of the problem on the bigger dunes. See attached picture.



Problem 1

I found that when I got to the top of the bigger, steeper dunes my bakkie would beach itself and bog down in the sand at the crest of the dune in the deep sand. The revs would rapidly drop right from the top down to stalling point and when I reversed back down the dune I could see the big flat patch of sand where the under-carriage of my bakkie had been resting.

Problem 2

When approaching some of the steeper dunes the run up was quite bumpy and it felt as if my front suspension was too soft because the bakkie was bouncing all over the place meaning that I couldn't get enough speed in the run up.

Questions?

I want to use the bakkie for overlanding in Africa as well as playing on the dunes and doing local 4x4 trails but its also my only vehicle so don't want to make it totally undrivable on tar.

1. What can I do to raise the front clearance? shocks? bigger tyres? spacers?
2. How much higher should I go?
3. What suspension/shocks are recommended?
4. Do I need to do the front and back? (or can I get away with just doing the front?)
5. Where in Cape Town should I go to get the work done?
6. Is there a way to improve my clearance without replacing suspension parts? i.e. just by making adjustments?
7. How much will it cost?

Any other tips and advice welcome! I can see that I have just started a long and expensive relationship with 4x4 driving!
Thanks!

[OOOOMS]

The only way to improve your clearance is to fit bigger tyres, not wider, bigger profile

So lets say you have 245/65/15's on your vehicle, therfore diameter is 159.25cm

But fitting a 245/85/15 your diameter will be 208.25 = 24.5cm lift from the floor

[OOOOMS]

The only way to lift your diff is by fitting larger profile tyres:

HiluxFront.jpg (22.98 KiB) Viewed 2273 times

[OOOOMS]

Have a read here:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19012&hilit=nuwe+voete" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jackal]

Thanks for the reply OOOOMS. Is there not a way to change the profile using a different suspension set up?

The current profile looks very flat,



so wouldn't there be a way to either push the wheels down or pull the body up something like this?

[Royco]

With the IFS you can gain a little with a suspension lift.
I did it with mine, just make sure it's not too much as you start creating more problems for yourself.
But my gain was around 10cm (still need to take it back for the final adjustment, then I'll take some more pics!)
I fitted Camil shocks to mine, and was amazed at the amount the front diff was lifted.

I can see that I have just started a long and expensive relationship with 4x4 driving!

Too true!!!

[OOOOMS]

You can do a 30 / 40mm 'body' lift ... only looks cool, for what its worth.

[Jackal]

@Royco: 10cm is a lot. What specifically did you do to the suspension to get such a lift?
@OOOOMS: I'm not so concerned about raising the body, I'm more interested in raising the diff.

[OOOOMS]

@Royco: 10cm is a lot. What specifically did you do to the suspension to get such a lift?
@OOOOMS: I'm not so concerned about raising the body, I'm more interested in raising the diff.

Tyres is the only way

[Royco]

Have a look here:
viewtopic.php?f=136&t=19017&start=27" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
... and further down in the post you'll see the front is lifted slightly.
When my tyres need replacing, I will increase with a 5% profile, which will also help the rear diff.

I was told that you can't go too high with a suspension lift as the tie-rods (?) can't go more than 15%, then you start to break stuff. As you can read, I'm not very clued up with the terms!

[Jackal]

@Royco: Thanks for the info, I can see a huge different in the clearance of your bash plate and the angle of your control arms which is exactly what I need.
@OOOOMS: Why couldn't I do something similar to what Royco has done? (I think I'll get some new tyres as well!)

[OOOOMS]

@Royco: Thanks for the info, I can see a huge different in the clearance of your bash plate and the angle of your control arms which is exactly what I need.
@OOOOMS: Why couldn't I do something similar to what Royco has done? (I think I'll get some new tyres as well!)

Also done

[Jackal]

What size tyres can I put on? (without having to modify anything)

[OOOOMS]

What size tyres can I put on? (without having to modify anything)

What do you have on currently?

[Jackal]

I'll have to double check because I'm not near my bakkie now but I think 245/75 r15.

[OOOOMS]

I'll have to double check because I'm not near my bakkie now but I think 245/75 r15.

Just double check, but the only way you are going to raise the diff....is tyre's

[george]

Carl I got the 31" x 15" tyres , they are a perfect fit.You can also adjust your torsion bars a little bit to compensate for the bull bar.A pair of decent shocks and you are a for away.

[OOOOMS]

Carl I got the 31" x 15" tyres , they are a perfect fit.You can also adjust your torsion bars a little bit to compensate for the bull bar.A pair of decent shocks and you are a for away.

But tortion bars will not lift the IFS diff

[Hilux 1]

so if i have it right, camil shocks will give lift with new tyres for more lift? or does one need to put the shocks with suspension and spacers??

[Royco]

Sorry to everyone... but I may have my facts wrong.
For my VIGO, the Camils worked fantastically. But I'm not sure about the prior models.
Hope I have not confused too many, as I am confused myself!

[OOOOMS]

so if i have it right, camil shocks will give lift with new tyres for more lift? or does one need to put the shocks with suspension and spacers??

The only way to lift the diff is to fit larger profile tyres. Shocks will lift the body and the belly of the vehicle

[george]

Carl I got the 31" x 15" tyres , they are a perfect fit.You can also adjust your torsion bars a little bit to compensate for the bull bar.A pair of decent shocks and you are a for away.

But tortion bars will not lift the IFS diff

You right Mark

[Hilux 1]

[Shocks will lift the body and the belly of the vehicle [/quote]




and you need that to fit the bigger tyre?

[george]

Carl I got the 31" x 15" tyres , they are a perfect fit.You can also adjust your torsion bars a little bit to compensate for the bull bar.A pair of decent shocks and you are a for away.

But tortion bars will not lift the IFS diff

You right Mark.Only tyres can lift the Diff.All the other stuff basically improves your approach angle.
I was refering to

Problem 2

When approaching some of the steeper dunes the run up was quite bumpy and it felt as if my front suspension was too soft because the bakkie was bouncing all over the place meaning that I couldn't get enough speed in the run up.

[Gunta]

Carl if you have got some cash look into the procomp lift and fit 33" tyres. You will get around a 6" lift without it affecting your wheel articulation. Remember by turning up the torsion bars it looks good but resticts you offroad as you dont have much down travel.

[Jackal]

Thanks for all the information guys.

1) Just to clarify I am running 245/75/15 at the moment so if I went to a 31' tyre am I right in saying that it would only give me around a 1' lift? (because 31' = 78cm) - Or am I being a muppet? If so, my tyres are still so new I think I'll just stick with them until they're worn out and then change to 31's.

2) It may still be worth it getting some decent shocks to lift the body up a bit as well as being able to hit the bumps a little faster, especially with my heavy ARB bumper. Surely if the body is lifted a bit at least the friction from all the other bits and pieces dragging in the sand would be reduced if they're sitting higher, even though the diff would still be at the same height. Thoughts? If I was to upgrade the suspension and get the body lifted how high should I go?

[george]

Hi Carl
Read Pieters thread http://hilux4x4.co.za/views/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=21149. Measure your vehicle and see what the figures say.

What Mark is saying about the torsion bars is 100% correct,but if you have a replacement bumper it does help to adjust the torsion bars just a notch to compensate for the extra weight.