Big dog gets a lift

I'm that dude who feels better at the point where the blacktop and gravel meet, you know, getting off paved roads and into the rough stuff; It's those dirt roads and tracks that lead to the best places and away from people so that's where I want to be most of the time. I've always felt better in remote and wilderness areas and much of my life has been spent getting away to the coolest spots and, naturally, I've needed a vehicle to get me there.

I have had four wheel drives for many years and whilst I have also had other vehicles it's my four wheel drives that have been the most valuable to me - Their ability to get me to the places I need to be has made them indispensable. I've had some very capable four wheel drives too but there's always a problem...The manufacturers design them for comfort and to a price-point rather than to handle the rigors of the real off-road world and so that means I have had to modify them to make them more suitable for my specific needs. It's costly but necessary and today I'm going to talk about a modification I made to my current vehicle.

I recently wrote about the spotlights I had fitted in this post called seeing with intensity and today I'm writing about the suspension upgrade, the lift and GVM upgrade.

The lift

In the image above you can see the yellow shock absorber, the strut, to the right of the wheel. That's part of the lift, one on each corner, with the coils as well, of course...It's a suspension lift-kit from Old Man Emu which is owned by legit Australian off-road accessories company ARB. Their products are available around the world and are very-much sought-after. I'm fortunate to have worked there for a little bit so I get some great discounts which almost makes it affordable!

The reason for the lift is primarily ground clearance although the off-road suspension I had fitted is also much more capable of handling the punishment a vehicle's suspension is subjected to when off-roading. Further to better handling and off-road capability is the load-carrying characteristics a suspension upgrade offers; This is important as my off-road vehicles often carry a lot of weight, much more than the average passenger vehicle.

An example is the steel bull-bar you see fitted. This accessory weighs over 85kg and considering it's forward of the front axle it has a cantilever effect as far as the weight goes. On braking weight shifts forward and which dips the front of the vehicle down making it unstable and reducing braking performance...Add in the correct OME suspension and that is negated.

Essentially the suspension carries the additional weight. I do not have my winch fitted yet but I opted for the winch-compatible suspension which will accept and support the additional weight of my Warn winch when fitted, an additional 50-60kg.

This load-carrying capability is also relevant on the rear of the vehicle for when I tow my off-road camper trailer. The suspension needs to take the down-ball-weight of the trailer hitch plus the load inside the rear compartment: My fridge/freezer and its contents plus other equipment. It could amount to a couple of hundred kilograms or more. It's important the vehicle's ride height is not affected as this will scrub tyres, wear suspension components and bushes, effect braking performance, ride and handling. So...Suspension upgrade.

The GVM upgrade

GVM stands for gross vehicle mass which is the total the vehicle can weigh in a fully loaded condition including all fluids, passengers and load. This also includes the down-ball-weight of anything being towed. So, if the down-ball-weight is 200kg then that amount is counted as part of the overall GVM.

This is one area where the Toyota Landcruiser lacks as it has a GVM of 3350kg in factory trim. Minus off the kerb weight of 2740kg and one is left with only 610kg of load-carrying capability. Load it up with accessories and people and it gets to it's GVM very quickly - Exceeding the GVM will void warranty, but more importantly vehicle insurance. Not something most want to risk considering the cost of the vehicle. Enter the suspension and GVM upgrade.

The upgrade requires an engineers report which verifies the parts and installation are correct and then the vehicle is issued a new compliance plate which supersedes the original factory one. This process raises the GVM to 4015kg. Now minus off the kerb weight of 2740kg and one is now left with 1275kg of load-potential. A massive difference and one that means one can accessorise and load the vehicle properly!

It's interesting to note that the GCM, gross combined mass, of 6850kg is unchanged. The GCM is the total the vehicle and it's tow-load can weigh. The 3500kg towing capacity is also not increased. In fact, the towing capacity may need to be reduced from 3500kg to keep the GCM under 6850kg.

The work was done, the engineer inspected it and the new compliance plates were fitted. From there I had to take it to the government vehicle inspection facility to get it checked and signed off officially. This done I was sent a certificate of exemption a copy of which I keep in the vehicle with the engineering report and the government inspection in the advent of the cops choosing to bust my chops at some stage.

The ride

This suspension work has firmed up the ride. If you have ever been in the current model Landcruiser you'll know how amazingly comfortable they are; Mine is firmer on the rear end now though, I feel the bumps a little more. It's not terrible though and when loaded or when I'm towing it'll ride perfectly. It's the pay-off for having the load-carrying capacity and to be honest most would probably not notice it.

This could potentially be an issue when off-roading or on corrugated roads although in those conditions I'd air-down the tyres anyway. As soon as I hit dirt, and if I know I'll be on it for a while, I air-down from 40psi to 27-28psi right away. This means a better ride, less impact on the vehicle and the tracks themselves through a larger footprint and some suspension-affect from the reduced pressure in the tyres. This also makes off-roading easier but that's a whole series of other posts.

The cost of fun

This is the painful bit, but fun isn't cheap right?

The suspension components and fitment was $3257AUD and the engineers report was a further $600. Add to that the wheel alignment and government inspection fee and there was no change out of $4100AUD. This is about $1100AUD less than it would cost anyone else as I was able to get some pretty good discount through knowing people. Like I said, I used to work there and left on good terms so...Yeah, pays to be a good dude huh?

I'm really happy with the result of the modifications. I gained just over two inches of lift and it helped to deal with the front-rake this vehicle have from the factory; It's more level now.

There's always an element of unknown with a lift on this particular vehicle as it has the KDSS suspension system from the factory. This stands for kinetic dynamic suspension system which is designed to maximise chassis performance in on and off-road conditions. Essentially the anti-roll bars are allowed to twist as normal and the system suppresses the suspension-stroke reducing body roll and giving a feeling of stability. It's an ingenious system, but sometimes suspension lifts do not agree with it. I'm pleased that mine worked out fine, gave me a good amount of lift and the vehicle doesn't lean left or right.

So, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. I didn't want to get too technical so kept it really basic. I hope, if anyone actually read this, that I explained it well. The suspension upgrades and other modifications I have done, and will do, will ensure I can get myself to where I need to be safely and with relative comfort...There's more to come.

The big dog, the name I gave my Landcruiser, is a bit of a beast to be honest. It's a big unit, 4.5L twin-turbo diesel V8 and very capable on and off-road...A Volkswagen Caddy it ain't! I love it and the adventures big dog and I have and with this lift I'll be able to throw a little more at it knowing it'll cope with the punishment and take me anywhere and back again.