What suspension would you recommend?

[Talktheroo]

Heasman Steering Sydney - Bilstein Shocks

TRD Bilstein Shocks with bags in the back so you have a comfortable ride when your empty.

The valveing used in the TRD Bilsteins are amazing as a lot of R&D was put into these to get the perfect combination of off road and on.

Ye, I like the Bilsteins, as well.
The Roo.

[nic_lawz]

Hi, I have a 2008 single cab hilux. The rear sits quite high and I want to lift the front up to level it out while also getting better clearance. What would be the best/cheapest option to go with? Any feedback on strut spacers?

[Gracey]

Any feedback on strut spacers?

Good thread here on strut spacers mate

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=5959

[jaybags]

Gracey beat me to the strut spacers.

As for suspension, you'll find so many different opinions.
Have a look here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4473

Tough Dog have pretty good feedback and seem to be good Value for money, i'm looking at a few myself, currently starting to lead to Ultimate suspension now I think, no one has really faulted those guys and apparently have great after service.

[runningman]

For what its worth, just got rid of my toyo standard shocks on rear (200,000kms...yes they were totally fu&$ed!) and replaced with EFS Elite gas shocks for $150ea supply only. Totally different ride, all the squeeks and rattles gone, rear rides nice. Have had TDs adjustables on my previous hilux and had no dramas with those. Went EFS due to price and recommendations on this thread and others. Couldnt believe how mych the STd toyos shocks were clapped out!! Front next year with EFS shocks and springs

[Stu.wrf450]

Ultimate suspension will be the best/cheapest in the long run!
They look after there customers!
You look at there price and say tough dog,iron Man there pretty close to the same price..
They have a good reputation what they do and you can always go back to them n they ll help you out!
The way I see it is they supplied and installed my 2 inch lift and they are my suspension specialist.

[rysermon]

i have billies struts king springs on front and efs leaves on back nothing bad to report at all mate has efs all around and another has td all round but both wish they'd got my kit mine sits a little higher and little stiffer with a hell of a lot more articulation, efs are far behind mine but my mate wight he tough dogs has no complains other than he thinks theyre pretty ordinary he has foam cell unadjustable.

[mark409]

Have a chat to ape springs ...I,m happy with what I got there..
Tell him what u want ,he,ll do it ,,He,s going for King springs at the front at the moment.
reast depends on what weights your carrying but mines all EFS except fromt coils..I got my rear setup for constant 350 kg ,little bit lumpy round the city ,no load but doesn't tip into the corners like B4...but also hasn,t done any work...I,m setting it up to tow a offroad camper.
I,m happy ..at least the rear springs aren,t flat anymore..
..Mark409

[Thunderbolt]

DMS from Monster Rides…there's nothing else in Aus that comes close

[blkrota]

DMS or Monster rides = Win. Great after sales support. Matty knows more about Hilux's than toyota.

I have the Ultimate suspension leaf setup with their shackles and bushes in the rear. Again, great after sales service, These guys help out even without buying their gear.

[Benji Edge]

As the title says:

I've got a 2008 dual cab that is driven everyday (only car) and is mostly used besides that to go camping once a month. So I'm chasing a decent setup for daily drive/touring but want to be able to tackle tougher stuff (Powerlines type for the Perth people). Not planning to do the Tele Track anytime soon but something that could potentially do that would be cool.

I'm aware its a horses for courses deal so mostly focussed on touring/daily duties. Not chasing anymore than a 2" lift (legal reasons) and am open for the budget as I'm starting the big $ save for it now. Thusfar my knowledge is this:

Bilsteins - good according to people here, tested as quite rough on the 4wd Action test. Any decent for me? work well on my mk2 escort
Tough Dog - most people here and people I know rate them high, came out good in the test but then theres people complaining about leakage?
Dobinson - Rated well on here by the few that use it. Don't know anything about how they deal with daily stuff. Good price though.

Not looking for specific setup for my vehicle with my accesoires. More for what people here use for daily driver/tourer setups.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[nicebike]

Benji, I'd add Konis to your list of options for a setup chasing the goals you describe.

The hardest thing with a modest setup such as you are after seems to be finding springs that aren't unnecessarily stiff.

[Rocket55]

Give Ultimate Suspension a call, a quality product and they'll corner weigh your ute and provide the right height and spring rates to suit your needs. Heaps of forum members run their gear and never a bad word about them.

[nicebike]

Give Ultimate Suspension a call, a quality product and they'll corner weigh your ute and provide the right height and spring rates to suit your needs. Heaps of forum members run their gear and never a bad word about them.

One stop shopping with someone who knows what they are doing and is reliable is a great way to solve a problem !!!

I believe Ultimate is not a geographic option for me

[jaybags]

Nicebike, they do deliver the kit to you (if your in Aus of course). They'll have you fill out a spec-sheet for your car, that include measurements from the hub to the top of the wheel arch, laden and un-laden, what kind of driving you do, what weight accessories you have etc, and build it custom to suit your needs.
Then fit it yourself, or take the kit somewhere local to have it fitted

[nicebike]

Thanks Jaybags. Too late she cried

[packeteer]

dunno if I've put my vote in yet, but I swear by Ultimate Suspension. After my big trip, I took the truck in for a checkup. They checked it over, replaced a shackle that was binding and rebuilt a shock that was leaking (prob my fault) and didn't charge me, because it was under warranty service!!

they may not be the fanciest, or the cheapest, but the gear works and their service is second to none!

[Benji Edge]

What sort of price do they charge for a custom adapted kit?
Also, think they're in the East Coast, so service could be an issue for me..

Also I do know Koni from the guys back in Holland running it in their tuner cars. It is a Dutch brand so as a dutchy I should go with them

I most def don't want to it to be so stiff that it's uncomfortable to drive around the city..

[nicebike]

Price is your last consideration if you want a good result. Not saying to throw your money away, but if something is cheap, it's cheap for a reason or reasons.

If you can't afford what is best for you, wait until you can. This will be cheaper than doing it twice. The Ultimate prices that I have seen on this forum appeared pretty reasonable to me for what was provided, and for the service provided.

In the short time I have been on this forum, I have trawled through an eye watering number of posts, and just as Rod said, I have not found a bad word about Ultimate.

I don't see Koni mentioned here often, although I have found them (Australian market spec) excellent for my use in several vehicles. Big lifts aren't Koni land, dimension wise.

There are plenty of alternatives in brand, but not all of them are good quality. Whatever Ultimate use, it's worth remembering the lack of complaints on here.

I can't stress enough the value of one stop shopping with someone who knows what they are doing. My worst effort was two setups on one vehicle after factory before it was right. The first failure was one stop shopping with a supplier who promotes balanced packages. They didn't listen to what I wanted, particularly what I carried, and I didn't get what I wanted. Second attempt was put together with someone elses advice, considering my ideas and needs, and I got the result I wanted, after more time and more money.

If you give Ultimate a call, I'd suggest including Koni in your list of questions. They sound like the sort of blokes who will give you straight answers and good advice.

[packeteer]

ring Brendan @ Ultimate, he'll help you out. They will prob have a preferred installer in WA, or you can do it yourself