2009 Hilux suspension question

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garrettpsu

garrettpsu

10 Year 15 Year
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Oct 13, 2009
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Location
Middleburg, VA
We recently purchased and imported six 2009 Hiluxes for our training school and had a question to those that have experience with the stock suspensions. (No you can't have them and yes they are 100% legal)

We plan on putting on the standard upgrades we do to all of our training trucks in our fleet that range from 70 series HJs, BJs, FZJ80s, Tacomas, etc - bumpers, winches, tires, sliders, suspensions, etc.

Do the stock suspensions on these trucks handle an ARB front bumper and winch good enough to where we won't need an OME suspension? We'll likely just go with a 32" tire instead of the 33" KM2 we have on most.

This generation Hilux is new to our fleet, but we've worked with them with various military groups. Most are using Fox reservoir systems, but then again they are carrying loads well beyond what we will see.

Any input from the Aussies or others with experience fitting bumpers and winches to late model Hiluxes would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Garrett Porterfield
Overland Experts LLC
www.overlandexperts.com
 
No idea about the specific questions asked, because I have no experience working on Hiluxes. However, I want to know how you got these into the US. I assume some sort of Military guise through the state department?
 
My guess is you would be need to change the coil springs to heavier duty ones. I had stock on an older Hilux with just a bull bar bumper, no winch, and noticed much more bottoming out on rough ground around the farm. It wasn't hard bottoming out, just that I went full travel much more often in places I didn't before. I'd just get OME medium or heavy duty suspension packages for them depending on the weight you will be carrying. Set them up like the trucks they will be using in the field will be setup.

They would have to come in as training vehicles. At the end of use they would have to be shipped out of the country or destroyed. Yeah, the rules suck.
 
We have a waiver from the EPA to import them for the military training we provide.

We have a previous gen Hilux (1996) that has an OME suspension, bumper, winch, etc., but the new trucks with IFS and torsion bars are quite different of course. I was thinking these new trucks might have enough adjustment in the torsion bars to make it work.

The groups we train (SEAL teams, Army SF, etc) typically have them set up with Fox reservoir shocks, BFG ATs, custom bumpers (or ARB/TJM), winches, crew serve mounts, some with bead locks, etc, etc. Some groups just train with them, others will ship and deploy with them. About three different companies in the US armor them as well - ceramic, IR and other goodies.

We won't be carrying anything in these vehicles other than recovery gear and the items I've mentioned as upgrades.
 
Another question specific to tire sizes - what are people running specifically with this set up? We're going to be buying mostly BFG ATKOs.
 
If they have torsion bars up front, you might get away with adjusting them the NA market lost torsion bars for coilovers in late 96, but I know they carried them over in the rest of the world for several more years. I believe the suspension in your 09's will mimic the 86-95 front ends more closely. The torsion bars are pretty stiff anyway and don't sag like coils will over time.

I know it probably won't matter, but if you adjust the bars, the overall ride will suffer as you will be losing a lot of the travel in the bars. I would agree that the HD units will probably be a better long term solution. Aside from that there are a couple other options on the market, but given the reliability needed here I would stick with OME.

As far as tires, if the BFG AT is what you know, then I would run it. I know they are likely going to be available most anywhere unlike some other brands that are more US specific. 265/75R16 is about a 32 and is probably one of the most popular sizes across the board. I believe a 285/75 is about a 33, actually closer to a big 32 in most cases but in the range you have specified those would probably be good size options
 
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You sure about the torsion bars? I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't have the same coilover setup as the Tacomas.

Assuming the Hilux front suspension mimics the Tacoma (double wishbone with coilover shock), you'll get major front end sag with the stock coils coupled with an ARB/winch. But OME makes several spring rates, so if you wanted to keep the lift to a minimum you could get a softer spring rate that gives you 1-2" of lift.

You said 32" tires - the 265/75/16 is the most common, or you could look at a 235/85/16 if you wanted skinny. BFG KO comes in both sizes.
 
I am not 100% sure on when they got the torsion bars outside NA, but I am 99% sure that the current Tacoma's and Tundras are specific to the NA, more specifically the US market. They are all made in the US for our market and I am pretty sure the Hiluxes are still 100% made in Japan for the rest of the world. There is a high possibility that it may have torsion bars. The US market is way more posh, the rest of the world needs a much beefier rig. That's why we lost the SA in the 80's while the rest of the world kept them into the 90"s, then they went to the torsion bars we had in the 90's.

They may have gone to CO's by 09, and if so I agree that the added weight will definitely sag the front end.

Edit: Correction, they are not made in Japan, and after some research they did go to CO's in 05, but the chassis are different than the NA Tacomas.
 
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jynx said:
I am not 100% sure on when they got the torsion bars outside NA, but I am 99% sure that the current Tacoma's and Tundras are specific to the NA, more specifically the US market. They are all made in the US for our market and I am pretty sure the Hiluxes are still 100% made in Japan for the rest of the world. There is a high possibility that it may have torsion bars. The US market is way more posh, the rest of the world needs a much beefier rig. That's why we lost the SA in the 80's while the rest of the world kept them into the 90"s, then they went to the torsion bars we had in the 90's.

They may have gone to CO's by 09, and if so I agree that the added weight will definitely sag the front end.

Edit: Correction, they are not made in Japan, and after some research they did go to CO's in 05, but the chassis are different than the NA Tacomas.
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Our trucks were all made in South Africa. Asian Hilux trucks would be Vigos.

Our 09/10 Hiluxes are coil over. Similar to Taco, but look a little beefier. I assumed they were torsion, but not that case.

I think a 32" tire is going to be fine. Just don't want them to look too small. Was just hoping some of the Aussie folks could post some pics of this set up.

We run about 20 trucks with KM2s, but we're trying to set the Hiluxes up more like the military. We'll even have a set on a truck complete with TireBalls and custom alloys - exact setup military is using.

Amazing to think the payload of a Hilux is double what the Taco is.
 
Yeah, that is pretty impressive. In my reading last night, because I am a dork like that:p, I saw that none of the current Hilux models are made in Japan, South Africa or South America look to be the point of origin on most of them.

I also read that with the redesign in 05 (current model) they got a little bigger and are now considered a mid-sized pickup. That would probably call for heavier suspension components, but I am not sure. Also, the Hilux retained a variant of the old ladder style chassis which between that and being classified as a larger truck likely attribute to the higher load capacity.

Can you post any pictures of these bad boys that we can all drool over or are you not allowed for security reasons? From your first post it sounds like you guys get to play with all the fun toys the rest of us dream about.
 
Aussie hiluxes are made in Thailand. My 2004 hilux had the same creaky torsion bar setup as my old '89 hilux did in US.

Many of the mines in Australia stick with Land Cruiser because the hilux front end is prone to failure on rough roads after many, many miles.
 
jynx said:
Yeah, that is pretty impressive. In my reading last night, because I am a dork like that:p, I saw that none of the current Hilux models are made in Japan, South Africa or South America look to be the point of origin on most of them.

I also read that with the redesign in 05 (current model) they got a little bigger and are now considered a mid-sized pickup. That would probably call for heavier suspension components, but I am not sure. Also, the Hilux retained a variant of the old ladder style chassis which between that and being classified as a larger truck likely attribute to the higher load capacity.

Can you post any pictures of these bad boys that we can all drool over or are you not allowed for security reasons? From your first post it sounds like you guys get to play with all the fun toys the rest of us dream about.
Click to expand...

They are just stock Hiluxes at this point and will get the typical upgrades as we do on most of our trucks - OME suspension, ARB bumper, Superwinch winches, etc, etc. You can see a pic on the home page of OEX here: www.overlandexperts.com

We will be updating the pages over the next 8 weeks as all the items for them trickle in. We've got 60% of the stuff now.

I am a fan of our 70 series Land Cruiser pickups. http://www.overlandexperts.com/img/slideshows/hj75.jpg
 
kinda late but OME / TJM have HD suspension for your hi lux .. basically HD coils for front it's all you should need .. and with the very HD ones you can barely squeeze a 285 or 33 as best ..

BTW they share the same suspension as Taco
 
Toyota likes to reuse parts.
 
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