Can A 1994 FJ80 use a WDH, weight distribution hitch, or not? (1 Viewer)

[datetree]

If you do some searches online , one comes across forums that say that Toyota " does not recommend" the use of a WDH. it also says this in the LC owner's manual. It also says in the owner's manual, that the Landcruiser is designed primarily as a passenger vehicle. And that towing will place strain on the engine and chassis. it then goes on to give 4 pages of descriptions in yellow ink about how to tow, including GVWR, total towing limits, and axle limits, etc. So my questions are about the use of a sway bar versus a WDH? How to know whether one's class three hitch is a third party, or a Toyota hitch, and how and where it is bolted to the car/frame, and whether it is bolted correctly for a WDH. I have a 1994, FJ80, one owner, me. I don't know how to indicate this in my self description. I am seeking to tow a Forest River Rockwood HW A214, which has a dry weight rating of 1200KG ( 2700lbs approx), although another label on the camper says the trailer weighs 3351 lbs. Also would one recommend a sway bar instead- could someone recommend the correct brand, with a link? Thank you. i do not know how to picture my rig here and how to list my self description, or a nice quote.

 

[Rifleman]

How to know whether one's class three hitch is a third party, or a Toyota hitch,

In the case of my 2 inch receiver hitch for my 94 Land Cruiser it has a Toyota part number stamped into it P/N 00214-60980 right above the receiver,

 

[BILT4ME]

If you do some searches online , one comes across forums that say that Toyota " does not recommend" the use of a WDH. it also says this in the LC owner's manual. It also says in the owner's manual, that the Landcruiser is designed primarily as a passenger vehicle. And that towing will place strain on the engine and chassis. it then goes on to give 4 pages of descriptions in yellow ink about how to tow, including GVWR, total towing limits, and axle limits, etc. So my questions are about the use of a sway bar versus a WDH? How to know whether one's class three hitch is a third party, or a Toyota hitch, and how and where it is bolted to the car/frame, and whether it is bolted correctly for a WDH. I have a 1994, FJ80, one owner, me. I don't know how to indicate this in my self description. I am seeking to tow a Forest River Rockwood HW A214, which has a dry weight rating of 1200KG ( 2700lbs approx), although another label on the camper says the trailer weighs 3351 lbs. Also would one recommend a sway bar instead- could someone recommend the correct brand, with a link? Thank you. i do not know how to picture my rig here and how to list my self description, or a nice quote.

The 1994 FZJ80 trucks had a hitch added at the port in the USA. Those hitches bolted to the frame rails and have a 2" receiver.

They look like the following picture:

 

[TheBussman]

yes you can use a weight distribution hitch, why not? It's just going to put less weight on the truck and more on the trailer. One of your trailer's listed weights is probably the dry empty weight and the other is most likely it's max weight with a full load.

 

[datetree]

yes you can use a weight distribution hitch, why not? It's just going to put less weight on the truck and more on the trailer. One of your trailer's listed weights is probably the dry empty weight and the other is most likely it's max weight with a full load.

Thank you. The owner's manual for the LC says: "Toyota does not recommend the use of a WDH". This has sparked a whole online discussion, which has yet to be resolved:

Weight Distributing Hitch

www.toyotanation.com

Yes, I now understand my Forest River Rockwood HW A 214 has a dry weight of 1200kg, and a GVWR of 3351. Thanks for your help!

 

[datetree]

The 1994 FZJ80 trucks had a hitch added at the port in the USA. Those hitches bolted to the frame rails and have a 2" receiver.

They look like the following picture:
View attachment 3703286

View attachment 3703291

Very helpful! I did notice a part number on my hitch. I'll go com[pare them now!

 

[CharlieS]

Allowed or not, I towed a boat and camper with an 80 I used to have. Don't forget a trailer brake controller. The stock 1FZ-FE can be a dog towing, especially up hills. A supercharger helps a ton, but not sure you can run the TRD supercharger on a '94/OBD1 even if you could find one anymore.

 

[datetree]

Allowed or not, I towed a boat and camper with an 80 I used to have. Don't forget a trailer brake controller. The stock 1FZ-FE can be a dog towing, especially up hills. A supercharger helps a ton, but not sure you can run the TRD supercharger on a '94/OBD1 even if you could find one anymore.

Thanks, Yes, I just got a Takonsha voyager brake controller. I have not yet tried to use it, or really learned much about it. Yes, the car is underpowered. It does have this ECT switch that makes for more power when needed. Also, this would be used near where i live- Taos, NM, so we stat at 7ooo feet and go up from there. So I am expecting it to be very slow up hills. All in all, not the ideal towing setup. But yes, I think the 94 LC can take a WDH as it is not a unibody construction as the Highlander is. My mechanic mentioned a re-gearring option for $3K. I wonder whether a super charger would blow the already fragile eals and gaskets? Thank you for your help.

 

[ChaseTruck]

Are you talking about a Landcruiser - as in body-on-frame - or a unibody Highlander car here? Is the Highlander info in that discussion linked earlier projected onto the 80 by way of ”… they’re all Toyotas… “, so, guilt-by-association? AKA typical Toyota OCD/holier-than-thou stuff that doesn’t take very long to come to the surface?

At above 7,000 ft elevation, even the S/C will be a hope and a prayer. It won’t be as slow as a N/A 80, but nowhere near e.g. a GX470, or anything with a modern V8. No, the GX isn’t really modern, and yes, I write this from experience, having 2 of each (S/C’d 80/LX450 as well as GX470) in the fleet. Don’t kid yourself. Nobody likes their 80 for for their engine performance… it excels at many other things. Being fleet afoot is not one of those things.

 

[datetree]

Are you talking about a Landcruiser - as in body-on-frame - or a unibody Highlander car here? Is the Highlander info in that discussion linked earlier projected onto the 80 by way of ”… they’re all Toyotas… “, so, guilt-by-association? AKA typical Toyota OCD/holier-than-thou stuff that doesn’t take very long to come to the surface?

At above 7,000 ft elevation, even the S/C will be a hope and a prayer. It won’t be as slow as a N/A 80, but nowhere near e.g. a GX470, or anything with a modern V8. No, the GX isn’t really modern, and yes, I write this from experience, having 2 of each (S/C’d 80/LX450 as well as GX470) in the fleet. Don’t kid yourself. Nobody likes their 80 for for their engine performance… it excels at many other things. Being fleet afoot is not one of those things.

Thank you. As a single owner of my 1994 LandCruiser, not a Highlander, as i state in the beginning of this thread, for 30 years, I don't think I can be accused of LandCruiser snobbery, because I have watched my car get old. My mechanic says, "t's beat up, but in good mechanical shape". I'd love to have a Lexus. I don't have one. I live in the mountains, so we will have to deal with those as they come. I've had to research to find out the difference between the frame constructions of a Highlander and a LC. Again, nobody really knows why Toyota writes what they write in the owner's manual- see previous link on Toyota Nation where someone tried to find out why they do not approve of a WDH. I'm trying to find out why. But as you see above, plenty of people do put a WDH on their LC. I guess. I don't know, I'm asking.

 

[Marvelicious]

Trying to read that thread on TN nearly gave me a stroke (so TN hasn't changed since the last time I visited). Anyway, I can see why some might be concerned with a unibody vehicle and the twisting action transferred from a WDH could? maybe? potentially? possibly? cause an issue, but I sincerely doubt it. Regardless, your 80 series has a real frame. Assuming you have a decent quality hitch receiver mounted properly (OEM or otherwise), I don't see any reason not to run a WDH. It's hardly an ideal tow rig, and you aren't going to win any races, no matter how you tow. Personally, I'd try a regular hitch and a quick test run to see how it feels before I dropped more money on a WDH. Is this a "once a year" towing operation where you can just resign yourself to putting along slowly at half the speed limit with your hazards on, or is this going to be a regular deal? If you plan on using it often, you'd be far better off with something more "towing oriented". I love my 80 and it's great for a lot of things, but it's not exactly my first choice to tow.