[jonparke]

Hi,

I'm in Bogota, Coloimbia and recently bought an '87 FJ70 (made in Venezuela).

The ride is very very stiff and I am not carring a lot of weight.

I'm desperate for any suggestions as to how I can modify or change the suspension to get a more comfortable ride.

I realize this a short wheel based jeep type vehicle but was hoping for some improvement.

One mechanic suggested removing the 3rd (from the top) rear leaf saying that it was a reinforcement leaf really only meant for heaving loads.

Before I going off do something stupid I thought I would ask the collective wisdom of this forum for advice as to what I can change or modiy.

As for shocks any advice of what makes the softest ride?

I am primarily driving on South American roads (various grades of dirt and rough pavement) and I'm not heading "off road" and going cross country.

Thanks,

Jonathan

 

[mpd8488]

Don't a lot of lifts actually end up softening the ride? I'm also pretty sure that lowering it, which is probably what removing that leaf would do, would actualy harden the ride. I wouldn't know, I have to wheel stock, not enough money to lift

BTW, those roads are more off-road than what 97% of SUVs in America will ever see, LOL.

 

[Topless4runner]

Johnathan, we are all jealous of you for being able to buy a 70 series 'cruiser. you might be better off checking in at some other forums dedicated more to landcruisers and modifying off-road toyotas as this forum is mostly about the new FJ Cruiser coming to the US market. try doing a search for "toyota landcruiser forums" on google or something and you should come up with some good sites. Not that im trying to drive you off, but i kinda doubt you will find what you are looking for here.

 

[Dirk]

Hi,

I'm in Bogota, Coloimbia and recently bought an '87 FJ70 (made in Venezuela).

The ride is very very stiff and I am not carring a lot of weight.

I'm desperate for any suggestions as to how I can modify or change the suspension to get a more comfortable ride.

I realize this a short wheel based jeep type vehicle but was hoping for some improvement.

One mechanic suggested removing the 3rd (from the top) rear leaf saying that it was a reinforcement leaf really only meant for heaving loads.

Before I going off do something stupid I thought I would ask the collective wisdom of this forum for advice as to what I can change or modiy.

As for shocks any advice of what makes the softest ride?

I am primarily driving on South American roads (various grades of dirt and rough pavement) and I'm not heading "off road" and going cross country.

Thanks,

Jonathan

Jon,
The best suspension you can get for a 70 series is made by a company called Old Man Emu. It is owned by ARB, the Australian company that makes bumpers and lockers. They make a replacement suspension for a 70 series, as does Specter Off Road.

More arched leaf springs usually amounts to a rougher ride, but not always. The number of leafs and the thickness of each individual leaf plays a big role. For example, Deaver springs makes replacement leaf springs for the Toyota Tacoma. The Deaver springs lift the rear of the truck about 2" but provide a much better ride in any situation because it is a 10 leaf pack, instead of the stock 4 leaf pack.

Unfortunately, other companies also make replacement 4 leaf packs for the Tacoma that provide 2" of lift, but the ride is terrible.

Moral of the story, you get what you pay for. If you want a cheap lift, you will get poor ride quality. If you are willing to spend a little extra money, your spine will thank you for it.

For more info go to ih8mud. It deals with all Cruisers. This is just for the FJ Cruiser.

 

[jonparke]

Thanks to all of you for the replies, insights and re-direct.

I'm off in search of EMU products and which is best for my application. Perhaps the hardest part is figuring out how to get them in or into Colombia. In the USA all this stuff is simply a few phone calls away, but here it is often a very different story.

I really do appreciate your responses and hopefully my back will too.

Jonathan