Ride quality, FJ40's (1 Viewer)

[TCEd]

I've liked this vehicle since the 70's and now considering buying one. Did an intro earlier. Oddly I've never had an opportunity to ride in one so the reason for this post.
How is the ride quality ? In stock form and with modern suspension upgrades ? Is it overly harsh and sorta pitch for and aft or is it somewhat smooth ? I know tires have a lot to do with this but tires are easy to replace for something more compliant. I'm more concerned regarding the springs and shocks etc and what is good or bad.
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[Curt]

For a short wheel base leaf sprung vehicle they ride pretty good, i don't really like speed bumps though. I went with the skyjacker lift springs and made a big difference compared to the clapped out stock springs. I will upgrade the skyjacker shocks to bilstein 5100 some day. Old Man Emu are suppose to be the bees knees if you got the cash.

 

[Tancruiser]

If your looking for ride quality maybe an fj40 is not for you . Its a short wheelbase truck and rides like a truck which is fine on trail rides or weekend jaunts to the beach but as far as going long distance in they are just not that comfortable that being said the cool factor is awesome.Be warned though they are dude magnets not chick magnets .

 

[TCEd]

If your looking for ride quality maybe an fj40 is not for you . Its a short wheelbase truck and rides like a truck which is fine on trail rides or weekend jaunts to the beach but as far as going long distance in they are just not that comfortable that being said the cool factor is awesome.Be warned though they are dude magnets not chick magnets .

It would be more of a fun factor and let's go for a ride type. Not a daily driver or dependent on vehicle. I recently sold an older Dodge 2500 pickup that had a long wheel base but still rode rough.

 

[Living in the Past]

My 68 that I've owned since 74 with original springs is a kidney killer. My 79 (two steps lighter gauge metal) I bought in the late nineties with out a top has a much nicer ride with the stock springs. Neither compare to my 65 FJ45LP-B with stock springs. You want a softer ride short wheel base can not compare to a longer wheel.base. the mid wheel base 43/44/46 are becoming more common in the US. While I've never ridden in one has to have a better ride and still have the 40 look. Troopy can tell at a glance it's a troopy. Mid wheel base have to take a second look to tell.

 

[BRShap]

Ride quality? The ride is not quality.

 

[whisky]

If your looking for ride quality maybe an fj40 is not for you . Its a short wheelbase truck and rides like a truck which is fine on trail rides or weekend jaunts to the beach but as far as going long distance in they are just not that comfortable that being said the cool factor is awesome.Be warned though they are dude magnets not chick magnets .

Probably slightly NSFW:

 

[cjgoode]

The QUALITY of the ride could not be better, nothing like cruising in an fj40 with no top. If you are looking for a smooth ride, a 40+ year old short wheel base 4x4 with solid front axle is far from the best choice. It would be a little smoother then other 4x4's from the same era, because of the extra weight.

 

[thebigredrocker]

My 76 has Old Man Emu 2.5" lift springs. It rides very nice. No pitch for and aft.

What freaked me out the first time I drove one, was the turning radius. They turn on a dime.

Buy one that you can test drive or that is dang close to driveable. My first 40 came to me in cardboard boxes, took me a while to put it together

 

[TCEd]

Probably slightly NSFW:

So I could also use that pussy magnet to test for Bondo ?

 

[TCEd]

Ride quality? The ride is not quality.

Yea, Quality was the wrong word to use. How about " Will it rattle my fillings ?" "Scare my dog?" "Make me pee frequently?" Wait I pee frequently already.

 

[TCEd]

So a EMU shock, spring and hardware kit is around $950 to $1500 plus installation. That doesn't seem out of line to invest onto a vehicle if the ride is improved significantly. Guessing there are other suspension kits available also.
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[thebigredrocker]

My rig already had the OME's installed when I bought it. You'll get all sorts of opinions on which springs to buy. My only advice is buy a rig that's pretty much ready to go.

Here's what I started with:

 

[Jdc1]

So a EMU shock, spring and hardware kit is around $950 to $1500 plus installation. That doesn't seem out of line to invest onto a vehicle if the ride is improved significantly. Guessing there are other suspension kits available also.
ed

If you are set on the Old man emu, dont waste your time buying from anyone but Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters. They stock everything youll need and you wont have to wait 6 weeks. Their customer support is second to none as well.

Good Luck with your search.

 

[TCEd]

My rig already had the OME's installed when I bought it. You'll get all sorts of opinions on which springs to buy. My only advice is buy a rig that's pretty much ready to go.

Here's what I started with:
View attachment 1484883[

I don't think my clock has enough time left on it to start with something that raw. Good luck and good progress.

 

[Kleatus]

If your looking for ride quality maybe an fj40 is not for you . Its a short wheelbase truck and rides like a truck which is fine on trail rides or weekend jaunts to the beach but as far as going long distance in they are just not that comfortable that being said the cool factor is awesome.Be warned though they are dude magnets not chick magnets .

I'm going to have to disagree on the magnet thing. Just trailering my clapped out 40 to WA state I had a lady actually turn around and flag me down to get a look at it, she had had one back the the early 80's, loved it and hadn't seen one in ages. Had several others strike up conversations at gas stations, etc. Then there was the redhead at the rest stop in Idaho who wanted to talk and check it out, telling me how awesome it was. Her two male companions seemed a bit peeved about this, and showed zero interest in the cruiser. When their F150 passed me a while later, guess what I saw in their passenger side window..?

Maybe only rusty green cruisers are chick magnets..? Or maybe you're just a dude magnet?

 

[brian]

ome, is not what it used to be. ever since their switch to an off shore supplier(they were an oz domestic product and went taiwan or something like that) the quality has not been the same. i'm not saying they are bad, just that they are not as good as they once were.
skyjacker on the other hand, still as good as they were 20+ years ago.
when i made this video, the truck had a shackle reversal with 2" front springs and 4" rears and 20 year old skyjacker springs. since making it, i have removed the SR and replaced all four springs with new skyjacker 4" springs. the ride firmed up a little that's about it.
in the video, i have the phone sorta jammed in a windshield vent and against the windshield..was a pretty rigid mount. at stops you can pick up the slight vibrations of the truck. all in all you can see it's a rather smooth ride.

 

[FARMAN33]

If you are set on the Old man emu, dont waste your time buying from anyone but Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters. They stock everything youll need and you wont have to wait 6 weeks. Their customer support is second to none as well.

Good Luck with your search.

^^^So much THIS^^^ Kurt (cruiseroutfitters.com) and ARB (distributors of OME products) are TOP TIER in customer service and support. After I installed my lift I noticed a bit of lean (very common). After a month or so, contacted ARB and the sent me another spring free and said keep the old one.

Add the 5100 Bilsteins and the ride isn't bad at all. No Cadillac but nice considering wheel base and weight.

 

[Captn Conch]

So many, many variables. Newly refurbished 40 should ride good and relatively quiet. Worn out springs and shocks that's a different conversation. Big knobby wide tires and tall lifts... whole nuther animal, abused or worn out transfer/ transmission along with worn out weather stripping can be quite a loud symphony of sounds. I don't seem to fit as good as I used to in my drivers cockpit as my legs apparently aren't as flexible as they used to be...I've been 6' tall for decades. I jump over into the passenger seat and wow! I don't remember the legroom as so limited.

But even with my nice, cushy '07 Xterra SE I've owned since new in the driveway, well, I always prefer to drive the 40 and I think it rides just fine.

 

[ducktapeguy]

You don't buy an FJ40 for the ride quality, you buy one in spite of it.

It's possible to improve the ride with coil springs, better shocks, suspension seats, street tires, etc., the only limit is how much money you're willing to dump into a short wheelbase 40 year old vehicle. At best I think you can get it to a point where the ride is tolerable, but I doubt it'll ever be comfortable to modern vehicle standards. Ride quality is only one factor in the overall driving experience. There's still braking, handling, noise, and power which will all contribute to how comfortable it is to drive. Age is also a factor (the driver, not the vehicle). 10 years ago I could easily take my 40 on long trips and tolerate all the shortcomings and still consider it a fun drive. Recently, I took it on a 600 miles trip and after coming home I started rethinking my whole plan for it, the 40 had me beat after a whole day of driving. In spite of all the problems, I still love it, but you have to realize there are a lot of potential negatives.