I took her to the scale today....

[wsudu]

I have AHC on my 2006 LX and I added spacers, and then King springs, now both. The front T-bars have been re-indexed and cranked 100 times and I still can not get either of my pressures low enough. It started with tires and sliders, then the ARB front bumper with a winch, then the 4x4 Labs rear, roof rack and RTT, drawers, jerry cans, and 5 total people plus gear, I had to know. Today after our trip I pulled in and got gas then went around the back to the CAT scale and weighed her. Yikes 7860 lbs! Pretty crazy considering the curb weight from the factory is around 5600 lbs. I guess I do airbags next? Or should I do non AHC Springs?

 

[suprarx7nut]

I have AHC on my 2006 LX and I added spacers, and then King springs, now both. The front T-bars have been re-indexed and cranked 100 times and I still can not get either of my pressures low enough. It started with tires and sliders, then the ARB front bumper with a winch, then the 4x4 Labs rear, roof rack and RTT, drawers, jerry cans, and 5 total people plus gear, I had to know. Today after our trip I pulled in and got gas then went around the back to the CAT scale and weighed her. Yikes 7860lbs! Pretty crazy considering the curb weight from the factory is around 5600 pounds. I guess I do airbags next? Or should I do non AHC Springs?

View attachment 2341551

1. Awesome pic.
2. Kudos for sticking with AHC on an armored rig. It can be done, just takes some diligence!
3. Somebody posted a summary a while back and I think again just recently. They had the various springs listed and I think even spring rates. At your weight I'm thinking non-AHC OEM springs are probably the right next approach. There are a wide variety available between the US and foreign markets.
4. If you have a highly varied load, then go for air bags regardless. AHC can handle some variation (I think 600 lbs?), but beyond that you really just need air bags so you can adjust more.
5. Have you considered a trailer? You've got a VERY full load-out and it seems like a simple off road trailer would allow you to offload a solid 500+ lbs of weight off the car and make your trail driving more enjoyable after dropping the trailer off at your HQ site of choice.
6. This is probably a significant pain in the ass at this point, but.... aluminum armor? Swapping the rear and front bumpers to aluminum will probably save hundreds of pounds and sacrifice only a fraction of the protection.

I'm anxious to hear how you proceed!

 

[Kabanstva]

That’s very heavy. I’m surprised to be honest. What’s the 0-60 on it?

 

[wsudu]

1. Awesome pic.
2. Kudos for sticking with AHC on an armored rig. It can be done, just takes some diligence!
3. Somebody posted a summary a while back and I think again just recently. They had the various springs listed and I think even spring rates. At your weight I'm thinking non-AHC OEM springs are probably the right next approach. There are a wide variety available between the US and foreign markets.
4. If you have a highly varied load, then go for air bags regardless. AHC can handle some variation (I think 600 lbs?), but beyond that you really just need air bags so you can adjust more.
5. Have you considered a trailer? You've got a VERY full load-out and it seems like a simple off road trailer would allow you to offload a solid 500+ lbs of weight off the car and make your trail driving more enjoyable after dropping the trailer off at your HQ site of choice.
6. This is probably a significant pain in the ass at this point, but.... aluminum armor? Swapping the rear and front bumpers to aluminum will probably save hundreds of pounds and sacrifice only a fraction of the protection.

I'm anxious to hear how you proceed!

All good information, I appreciate your contribution to this forum by the way. Yes, I love AHC and want to keep it. I am looking at airbags because I think I just have to buy them at this point and yes, I am also close to starting a trailer build. Your information is confirming what I was suspecting. And I have considered going to aluminum but by this point it's just not gonna happen lol.

 

[wsudu]

That’s very heavy. I’m surprised to be honest. What’s the 0-60 on it?

What's a 0-60? I don't know honestly, I should test it. On a flat road with minimal wind, I go 75-80 mph fine and get around 10.5 mpg. It's not really slow surprisingly but she does want to downshift to 4th a when climbing even a little at that speed.

 

[troypassesgas]

Ha, I’d be more concerned about 60-0 at that weight!

Troy

 

[suprarx7nut]

All good information, I appreciate your contribution to this forum by the way. Yes, I love AHC and want to keep it. I am looking at airbags because I think I just have to buy them at this point and yes, I am also close to starting a trailer build. Your information is confirming what I was suspecting. And I have considered going to aluminum but by this point it's just not gonna happen lol.

Happy to provide (hopefully) good info!

The aluminum vs steel is less important if you can offload some weight onto a trailer, I think. It's one thing to pony up a little extra cash to do aluminum from the start, but to retrofit aluminum bumpers on an already armored rig is understandably hard to stomach.

I think the airbags will help you out significantly in the rear. For the front I wonder if non-AHC torsion bars make sense yet. They might with a big steel bumper and a winch.

What pressures do you have now? Curious how far off you are.

 

[1sar39]

That's pretty heavy! I run a similar setup with my LX and still have AHC (for now), and typically tow my squaredrop when we hit the road. I recently swapped out my King springs and 30mm spacers for non AHC springs. Got the pressure down to 6. Feels more planted and wallows less in the rear. Im running non AHC LC torsion bars up front. Still cycles L-N-H just fine. I'd be looking for some used non AHC springs and torsion bars. They work pretty good on a heavy setup.

 

[wsudu]

That's pretty heavy! I run a similar setup with my LX and still have AHC (for now), and typically tow my squaredrop when we hit the road. I recently swapped out my King springs and 30mm spacers for non AHC springs. Got the pressure down to 6. Feels more planted and wallows less in the rear. Im running non AHC LC torsion bars up front. Still cycles L-N-H just fine. I'd be looking for some used non AHC springs and torsion bars. They work pretty good on a heavy setup.

Hummm, I am literally on the button to order some Airlift 1000 bags. Maybe I need to think about it. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Skidoo]

Almost 8000, sounds like OEM t-bar, springs and air bags. You are probably not under 7000 when you are running light so air bag will allow adjust-ability and also for trailer, no-trailer loading.

 

[hoser]

It started with tires and sliders, then the ARB front bumper with a winch, then the 4x4 Labs rear, roof rack and RTT, drawers, jerry cans, and 5 total people plus gear, I had to know. Today after our trip I pulled in and got gas then went around the back to the CAT scale and weighed her. Yikes 7860 lbs!

About how much do your 5 people and gear weigh?

 

[BullElk]

She’s a bit portly.

 

[turbotoyz]

About how much do your 5 people and gear weigh?

My rig is very simular. I weighted mine 06 LX with AHC. Came in at 6600#, Iron man front bumper with winch, 4x4 labs rear dual swingout with ladder and jerry can holder, kiss drawers, tailgate storage, dissent roof rack, metal tech sliders.

haven't reindex torsion bars yet and am on King springs and 30mm spacers. Front 6.7 front and 5.2 rear.

 

[87warrior]

If you want to experiment with rear springs, I have a set of well worn LC rear coils with 300k miles on them that you can have.

 

[s2kutah]

Following the conversation:
- King Springs
- RTT
- Drawers
- Fridge
- Dual Battery
- Awning
- 2 adults (290lbs combined)
- 2 little kids.... for now
Next up... Front bumper and winch. Planning to keep that AHC

 

[wsudu]

If you want to experiment with rear springs, I have a set of well worn LC rear coils with 300k miles on them that you can have.

I appreciate it. I am still planning on what to do, I will let you know.

 

[wsudu]

Ha, I’d be more concerned about 60-0 at that weight!

Troy

I hear that, actually she stops really well. I am a little OCD about brakes so I did those as soon as I started adding weight.

 

[mdcoa]

x2 on the trailer or de-armoring suggestions.

Looks like your GVWR is 6860, so you're precisely a half ton over that. Your suspension not being able to hold all that in the air does not strike me as the chief concern--I'd focus on cutting some serious weight. In Australia driving heavier than GVWR is illegal and apparently strictly enforced. Here, I think it's technically illegal or out of regulation, but there doesn't seem to be an enforcement program for passenger vehicle weight like there is for commercial trucks. But if you got in an accident and had a clever agent assigned to your case, your insurance could refuse to pay, and I think you could be cited as well, but probably not very likely.

This is why I have nearly no armor on my truck at all--and when we're loaded out for glamping with 5 people, I'm probably still edging toward GVWR. Probably going to add aluminum skids and LCPhil's rock rails (25 lbs ea or pair--I cannot recall) and call it good.

 

[wsudu]

About how much do your 5 people and gear weigh?

Maybe 5-600lbs.

Looks like your GVWR is 6860, so you're precisely a half ton over that.

Yeah good thoughts, if I take out the rooftop tent, move the water and drawers plus I'll put most of our stuff in the trailer, I think I'll be fine.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Maybe 5-600lbs.

Yeah good thoughts, if I take out the rooftop tent, move the water and drawers plus I'll put most of our stuff in the trailer, I think I'll be fine.

If you still want some storage efficiency in the rear after removing drawers, consider the SS1 from Air Down Gear Up (full disclosure, I'm a co-owner). Using the base SS1 system with plastic bins/totes gives you drawer-like storage at a mere 35 lbs. The KISS and other similar systems (including the ADGU system with the optional drawers) add a lot of weight just in the structure of the storage. KISS and ADGU with drawers are 60-100 lbs empty. I use one drawer in my SS1 system now (and leave the other wide empty for camp chairs, strollers, etc..., but used just bins for years. Bins under a platform are 75%+ the functionality of drawers with a fraction of the weight. Something to consider when you need to put the rig on a diet.