Front Coil Spring Spacers

[Harin]

I have just fitted a front winch bumper onto my HZJ 79. Total extra weight is approx 70kg(with winch). Should i put a spring spacer in front? already running ARB coil springs(medium).

 

[gilghana]

Depends if it sags or not, as well as what you want. When I fitted a TJM bar and winch to a 105 on OEM springs it sagged (unsurprisingly) - I just made up some spacers from old heavy conveyor belting and a sharp chisel. Dobinsons (medium) with a very heavy bar and no winch on my '78 did not sag.

I work with a few guys from Sri Lanka - they were telling me that you have to get Govt permission to fit a bullbar and that TLCs cost an absolute fortune there... True?

 

[Harin]

Technically you can't have anything in front of the main head lights unless it has been imported(factory fitted) with a bar. Time to time they do stop you and ask you to remove it. But this law is not administered consistently. I run a full face ARB bar on a Hilux 166 for the last 04 years and had no problem so far. The popular alternative is manufacture a front bar without the front railings. Seen on my 79 on the ''show your front bars'' thread.

LC's do cost a packet and if you were to import a 70 series into the country it would be currently approx US$ 150,000/- (shorty) Exception is the 79 as it is braught under a commercial catogory. Although still costing US$ 50,000/-

 

[Harin]

Oh the 200 series is at a whopping US$ 240,000/- and this is not even brand new. Used in Japan!!!

 

[gilghana]

Woah!!! $150,000... how much does a normal small Jap/Korean/Indian small 4 door sedan cost?

I saw your rather nice blue 79 series. Very cool. Would love to visit my colleagues sometime as Sri Lanka looks absolutely beautiful. Good mate of mine has a small tea estate and is back working here after a long time back home growing tea. Sounded idylic were it not for collapsing tea prices.

Do people actually pay this money for these vehicles?

 

[Harin]

Well take a comparison from a Totota Corrola. Toyota Corrola 121 2002 YOM with 100k on the clock is approx US$ 22,000/-. Brand New Corrola 2009 model US$ 75,000/-.

And yes people still do pay these prices for LC's. The 79's were going for about US$ 65,000 about 03 years ago until when they classified it as a commercial heavy duty vehicle and took off the import duty on all single 02 door pickups with have payload over 1000kg. The 79 came down to US$ 37,000 and 24 vehicles were brought in. All 24 were taken within a couple of weeks. Mostly LC enthusiasts. Subsiquently the prices have gone up again.