Are these OEM leaf spring specs?
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I'm still waiting for them to come in. Hopefully only another week or so. I knew when I ordered them that it would be a while. To answer your other question, I'm using SORs stock height shackle kit which came with poly bushings. Those have been on the truck for a few months now.
Btw thanks for the reminder, I need to start pb blasting those u bolts.
Btw thanks for the reminder, I need to start pb blasting those u bolts.
FirstFJ60
SGT. Lincoln Osiris
thanks for the update. Apologize in advance with all of my questions. Are your springs currently flat? Imm curious about how they feel and how much height you will gain. Will you install OEM shocks on them? Did they ship them to your residence due to weight.
No sweat. There's not a lot of info on restoring to stock height out there so it's good discussion.
My project is a little non-standard since I'm lowering, not lifting. My truck was essentially a mudding rig that I'm trying to bring back to something I can comfortably daily drive. I've swapped tires, replaced the monster truck shackles and it's still just doesn't look or ride right to me. The PO painted all of the suspension components black so it hasn't been easy IDing things but I thiiiiink my current springs are Dobinson HJ60 springs which I'm guessing is about a 3-4in lift over stock. I don't know what shocks are on the truck but I'm planning on keeping them unless the springs don't fix the ride. When I get it the new springs on, I'll post up the pictures of my slow progression toward normal.
I ordered from a local store so I'll pick them up when they come in. Lots of places sell Dayton springs and it wasn't hard to find a distributor on their slightly antiquated website. https://daytonparts.com/DPweb/App_11/Info_site/info_enter_iframe.asp
My project is a little non-standard since I'm lowering, not lifting. My truck was essentially a mudding rig that I'm trying to bring back to something I can comfortably daily drive. I've swapped tires, replaced the monster truck shackles and it's still just doesn't look or ride right to me. The PO painted all of the suspension components black so it hasn't been easy IDing things but I thiiiiink my current springs are Dobinson HJ60 springs which I'm guessing is about a 3-4in lift over stock. I don't know what shocks are on the truck but I'm planning on keeping them unless the springs don't fix the ride. When I get it the new springs on, I'll post up the pictures of my slow progression toward normal.
I ordered from a local store so I'll pick them up when they come in. Lots of places sell Dayton springs and it wasn't hard to find a distributor on their slightly antiquated website. https://daytonparts.com/DPweb/App_11/Info_site/info_enter_iframe.asp
I'll also add if anyone is interested, I called Dayton and the springs come from a company called Linale in Omaha. A cursory googling makes it look like the springs are manufactured at their factory there and not imported.
FirstFJ60
SGT. Lincoln Osiris
oh ok...thanks. I thought were getting the OEM springs from SDTRUCKSPRINGS. My 84 Fj60 is stock and was thinking about dobinson 2" but I feel like Im climbing in the truck with my new 265/75 16 that added about .5" for my short butt comfortably. I was thinking since my leaf springs are already flat adding a Dobinson suspension will add more height and I dont feel like climbing into my truck...getting older man...lol. I wish they made those telescopic stepsides for our cruisers....still looking at the White Knuckle sliders. Im not doing anything insane with my cruiser.
Gotcha. Sounds like we don't have the exact same thing in mind, but I'll at least be able to get you some pictures soon.
These are the same springs that SD Truck Springs sells. They're just one of the hundreds of distributors of Dayton parts so if you did want them, you should be able to find them locally. There were 5+ places around me that could order them so I just went with the best price. I really hope these work out since they're pretty widely available and are a reasonable-ish price.
These are the same springs that SD Truck Springs sells. They're just one of the hundreds of distributors of Dayton parts so if you did want them, you should be able to find them locally. There were 5+ places around me that could order them so I just went with the best price. I really hope these work out since they're pretty widely available and are a reasonable-ish price.
Dekeman
SILVER Star
How did you make out with these? Considering a set of the Dayton springs as well.
I did get the springs on however I'm waiting on OEM shocks since the ones from the previous lift are way too big. I'll take pics and give a final verdict when they show up. Initially though the ride is so much better (other than the rear bottoming out because of the shocks). I'm a little disappointed in the ride height in the rear since it looks a little lower in the back than the front. I'm hoping the new rubber spring pads that are coming with the shocks help with that, otherwise I'm going to have to find a way to get an inch or so more out of the rear.
Any updates on this. My springs are flat. I don't think I want to do even the mildest OME lift.
Thanks
Thanks
Sorry, my update is long overdue, thanks for reminding me.
I have everything installed and I'm a little disappointed overall. The ride is a significant improvement over the old springs, but the rear rides a little bit low and it does have the shellbug look. Installed and with no weight in the back, the springs are pretty much flat (as pictured). I think my next step is to try an add a leaf kit and see if I can get the rear height up an inch or two without compromising the ride too much. I'll get it where I want eventually but it's a frustrating to spend $800+ (I'm sure they're more now with the Covid surcharge) on "factory spec" springs and have to keep tinkering to get it right. If anyone has any suggestions though, I'm all ears.
Bottom line: I can't recommend the Dayton springs as a factory replacement with the caveat that there also aren't any other options besides the $2500 SOR grocery getter kit, which I haven't been able to find a review of anyway.
Good luck and let us know if you find another solution that works.
I have everything installed and I'm a little disappointed overall. The ride is a significant improvement over the old springs, but the rear rides a little bit low and it does have the shellbug look. Installed and with no weight in the back, the springs are pretty much flat (as pictured). I think my next step is to try an add a leaf kit and see if I can get the rear height up an inch or two without compromising the ride too much. I'll get it where I want eventually but it's a frustrating to spend $800+ (I'm sure they're more now with the Covid surcharge) on "factory spec" springs and have to keep tinkering to get it right. If anyone has any suggestions though, I'm all ears.
Bottom line: I can't recommend the Dayton springs as a factory replacement with the caveat that there also aren't any other options besides the $2500 SOR grocery getter kit, which I haven't been able to find a review of anyway.
Good luck and let us know if you find another solution that works.
Thanks for the update, and the pictures.
That picture of the rear springs looks just as flat as my 1985 springs look...
The price did go up on the springs, probably going to be $1000 just for the springs now.
By the way, how/where did you source the rest of the materials required to finish the install? I have been looking for a list of everything that has to be replaced, with part numbers, since I am not buying a kit.
Yea I wish I had better news. I kind of feel like I bought a set of brand new worn out leafs...
The shackles, pins and related bushings are all from SOR, I'm happy with them. The rest I got from Toyotapartsdeal.com. It wasn't the best experience and they seem a little flaky, but they also have good prices and had everything I needed was in stock. I used one of the other parts sites that had good diagrams to find what I needed. Authentic 1983 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER Parts | Suspension and Steering | Toyota Parts Overstock - https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/s/TOYOTA_1983_LAND-CRUISER-STATION-WAGON-4200CC--MANUAL---4-SPEED/Suspension-and-Steering.html
Front Shocks: 48511-69067 (Comes with most of the bushings you need except, I think, the top bushing)
Shock bushing top(once per side): 90385-19057
Rear Shocks: 48531-69067 (These came with all of the bushings)
Rear Spring pads (4 total): 48372-23030
Everything else I reused including U bolts as mine were in decent shape.
The shackles, pins and related bushings are all from SOR, I'm happy with them. The rest I got from Toyotapartsdeal.com. It wasn't the best experience and they seem a little flaky, but they also have good prices and had everything I needed was in stock. I used one of the other parts sites that had good diagrams to find what I needed. Authentic 1983 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER Parts | Suspension and Steering | Toyota Parts Overstock - https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/s/TOYOTA_1983_LAND-CRUISER-STATION-WAGON-4200CC--MANUAL---4-SPEED/Suspension-and-Steering.html
Front Shocks: 48511-69067 (Comes with most of the bushings you need except, I think, the top bushing)
Shock bushing top(once per side): 90385-19057
Rear Shocks: 48531-69067 (These came with all of the bushings)
Rear Spring pads (4 total): 48372-23030
Everything else I reused including U bolts as mine were in decent shape.
Those rear springs don't look like 6 leaves. Hard to tell from the picture.
garfieldthecat
SILVER Star
Any further updates on how these springs have performed (or failed to)? Have you considered any other options since installation and disappointment with these? Thanks for enlightening us all with your experience. Doesn't seem there are too many options off-the-shelf for stock height springs.
Gotta remember that “stock spring height” was never an absolute repeatable number.
Brand new FJ60s and 62s on the dealership lots were one height, four months later after driving, they were another, (lower) and year old springs on vehicles that carried stuff were lower still.
Some of these vehicles when they were only a couple years old could be seen back then with definite saggy butts.
The Toyota stock height springs only looked that way when brand new. As they got used — they sagged
Brand new FJ60s and 62s on the dealership lots were one height, four months later after driving, they were another, (lower) and year old springs on vehicles that carried stuff were lower still.
Some of these vehicles when they were only a couple years old could be seen back then with definite saggy butts.
The Toyota stock height springs only looked that way when brand new. As they got used — they sagged
garfieldthecat
SILVER Star
Very good point @OSS. I could live with something that isn't a 2+inch lift kit. An inch or inch and a half even might be fine. Dobinsons can apparently make them special ordered but they're not normally stocked by their distributor in the U.S., I have been told.
I also have been trying to research the type of spring steel OME/ARB uses, trying to find out if it's SAE 5160 or better steel, but I can't find anything on their spring steel. For coil springs, it looks like the cutting edge material is Stelco Hamilton Works' StelR MM microalloyed spring steel, which is lighter and tougher to fracture than SAE 5160, SAE 9259, and StelR (which, apparently, is not the same as StelR MM) spring steels. I think ARB might use a version of microalloyed spring steel on their coil springs, but I haven't looked into it much as I am looking for leaf springs. Can anyone shed any light on what spring steel OME leaf springs might be?
Also, I see that most of the Australian springs are for use with polyurethane bushings. However, rubber bushings seem to provide a softer ride. For a mostly street driven FJ60, I wonder if the OME and Dobinsons springs can be used with rubber bushings?
I've never replaced a leaf spring in my life, so I'm trying to find out what is possible to improve the ride while not veering too far from a normal-ish truck height for purposes of a fixed garage height and an increasing driver age (truck height seems the more controllable variable here since I can't make my garage taller or myself younger).
I purchased my ‘86 FJ60 in 1988 and it was essentially a new cruiser. It was completely stock. Had the tiny 225/75R15 tires on it too.
I drove it like that for about 6 months until I started changing it.
The first thing I changed was the tires. - up to 31”. The next thing I changed was the suspension to what SOR sold back then as a 2” lift.
The new 2” taller springs totally transformed the handling in a good way. The suspension used to bottom out on any minor bump with a harsh jarring with the old stock springs and would glide over the same spot in the road with the new springs. Huge improvement.
After installing those taller springs, there’s no way I’d willfully go back to using stock springs again. Especially when driving on dirt trails.
The height of the stock springs was a compromise Toyota made for on road handling and maybe safety reasons, but the end result was a suspension that most people wanted to replace.
I drove it like that for about 6 months until I started changing it.
The first thing I changed was the tires. - up to 31”. The next thing I changed was the suspension to what SOR sold back then as a 2” lift.
The new 2” taller springs totally transformed the handling in a good way. The suspension used to bottom out on any minor bump with a harsh jarring with the old stock springs and would glide over the same spot in the road with the new springs. Huge improvement.
After installing those taller springs, there’s no way I’d willfully go back to using stock springs again. Especially when driving on dirt trails.
The height of the stock springs was a compromise Toyota made for on road handling and maybe safety reasons, but the end result was a suspension that most people wanted to replace.
garfieldthecat
SILVER Star
I see. So the 2" lift is an improvement. Have the SOR springs been pretty good at keeping their shape? Do you have any experience with the Dobinsons or OME springs? This will probably be the next system on the truck I address to get the drivetrain in shape. Thanks for sharing your experience with the SOR springs. Are they still sold by SOR and would you buy them again or try a different product? Thank you.
1988 was a looong time ago and the springs I got from SOR back then weren’t perfect. As I added more weight and pounded the hell out of them fully loaded off road in Mexico, the abuse took its toll on them.
Obviously they don’t sell that same exact spring anymore.
Nine years ago, I replaced the rear springs because a leaf broke on the old spring in the rear and I replaced both of them with what SOR was selling as heavy duty rears and used their heavy duty greasable shackles.
Those rear springs worked great for a loaded cruiser especially on rough dirt roads but are a bit too firm for an empty vehicle.
I bought them from SOR because I was in California (so are they) and needed the springs shipped to me right away as I was repairing my suspension (in a campground) during a long trip.
I’d just as soon (and likely would have preferred) getting OME springs but I didn’t choose them probably because of price or shipping issues.
Obviously they don’t sell that same exact spring anymore.
Nine years ago, I replaced the rear springs because a leaf broke on the old spring in the rear and I replaced both of them with what SOR was selling as heavy duty rears and used their heavy duty greasable shackles.
Those rear springs worked great for a loaded cruiser especially on rough dirt roads but are a bit too firm for an empty vehicle.
I bought them from SOR because I was in California (so are they) and needed the springs shipped to me right away as I was repairing my suspension (in a campground) during a long trip.
I’d just as soon (and likely would have preferred) getting OME springs but I didn’t choose them probably because of price or shipping issues.
