Leaf springs HZJ79

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K

Koens90

10 Year
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Threads
10
Messages
29
The leafs of my '79 are quite worn out, and a few are bended. I want to order a new package, but I don't know what capacity to choose.
Most of the times my hardtop/toolbox is in the back, with a weight of 400-500 kgs approximately. During holidays I place the sixpac camperunit on it, and during winterperiods I sometimes place a salt spreader in the tray (900 kgs total). When I drive with an empty tray, I often place a 10 mm steel sheet in it as counterweight for towing trailers. That thing weights something like 200 kg.
The landcruiser specialist over here has leaf springs with 150 kg more capacity than original, and 650 kg more than original. What do you think that's better for these circumstances? And what is the 'original' load of my package? Now there are 6 leafs and a straight leaf on the bottom on my cruiser, see picture below.

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Greets from Holland!
 
They look stuffed new stock 79 springs will be better then those. Where are you located mate as this makes a big difference to whats available.
 
I'm from Holland, so it's not that easy to order stuff for a 79, my truck is one of the latest imported 79's.
In Saudi I drove a GRX 79 with 11 leafs, but that was terrible to drive... Should 8 or 9 be enough?
 
Yes 8-9 will be enough. You could always take one out if its too hard. But its not just the number of leaves, it also the thickness, the arch and the quality of spring steel.
So better to get them too hard and take one out if necessary.

On my 75 series tray back , I use to change the tyre pressures to suit the load, made life easier with HD leafs.
The factory rear leafs are rubbish anyway, the mining companies have them removed before they will take charge of the vehicle. The suspension shop near me use to fill a bin up and sell them for scrap. I got a funny feeling they send them back to Toyota by the container load now.
 
Now I made an appointment with the cruiser specialist to place a 10 leaf package and we will remove the 10th. So I can try with 9 leafs, and if thats still to heavy I can remove the 9 afterwards. Than its the same as the +150 kg set. Price difference btween 10 and 8 leafs was only 30 euros per side!
 
The ride quality and what rate springs to get all comes down to personal preference and expectations, if you get heavier rated springs its easier to start removing leaves to achieve what you want than getting lighter springs that you cant increase the loading
 
ozcrusier said:
www.heystee-automotive.com
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I'm afraid Heystee no longer carries springs for Landcruisers. He used to and I was a very happy customer. Bought a set of parabolics several years ago.
Then, during a trip in the Sahara, I damaged the rear springs. Returning home I wanted to buy a new set just to find out he no longer sold them.
At the moment I use parabolic springs bought from a company in the North of the Netherlands, but the quality is less than the springs sold by Heystee.
I have them on my rig for about 4 years but they allready are sagging a bit.
I tried to order parabolics at Westralia Springs about a year ago but they don't carry springs for the HZJ73.
 
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When I replace the springs in my old girl she will be getting parabolic springs. After 40 years driving heavy vehicles I know they work clocking up over 300 000 a year in a cab over 108 KW
 
Ron R said:
I
I tried to order parabolics at Westralia Springs about a year ago but they don't carry springs for the HZJ73.
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Did they know what model you were talking about? After all , the fronts are the same as a 75 series and the rears are the same as a 60 series , both are extremely common here.
A HZJ73 would not be on their books because ,to my knowledge, was not sold here. (possibly in extremely small numbers)
 
Rosco,
Yes, I indicated it was for my HZJ73 but the answer (by Danielle Lane) was that they only provided springs for the models mentioned on their website.
Then I asked or they were willing/able to provide a custom made set but the answer then was that they had their springs manufactured abroad and could not order one set. IIRC they had to order at least 50 sets at a time.
BTW are you sure the rear of a 60 is exactly the same as the 73? Didn't know that. In that case...... :bounce:
 
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Ron I sent them an email and this was the reply

Hi Ross,


Thanks for your enquiry.


We do carry in stock the parabolic springs for the L/C 75 series front ($550 pair inc GST) and L/C 60 series rear ($704 pair inc GST)

The parabolic springs for the L/C 60 & 75 series are designed to be uprated & raised height for those models.


We have however found that as the above springs are designed for the heavier LWB 60 & 75 series that in the MWB 73 series they are not a perfect fit.

There have been some customers who have purchased and fitted them up however sometimes they can be too heavy for the lighter 73 series and can also sometimes require some height adjustments to have vehicle level.


Regards,

Danielle
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I dont know how it is with the parabolics , but the aftermarket leaf springs are the same for the 60 and 7* series swb and mwb. My FJ73 leaf springs clearly had 60 series painted on the rears when i got them.
Judging by what you said , Danielle has obviously learnt a few things since you contacted her.
If you are using yours for long trips fully loaded ,they may work.
 
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Rosco,
Thanks for the info.
Will have to dig into the matter.
One of the reasons I want parabolics is that I often tow our caravan. The softer parabolics then are an advantage because the loads on the beams of the caravan are less when driving on bad roads.
It's well known over here that caravans being towed with rigs like a 70 series landcruiser or by fi a Landrover defender, over time can develop cracks in the beams.
Our caravan (more than 75000 km driven with it) just got inspected and had no problems in that regard. According the inspector, this was because I have parabolics.

Problem ordering from Westralia Springs is that the springs have to be send to the Netherlands.
And if -for whatever reason - I then discover I cannot use them (too high? too stiff for my rig ?) I then have a problem and spend a lot of money without benefit.
On the other hand, the springs I have now are sagging allready and the Heystee parabolics no longer are available...:(
 
What do you mean by the 'beams"? Is that the A shaped bit that connects to the towhitch? A lot of caravan owners here use ride levellers, they are like 2 torsion bars that connect the drawbar(maybe your beam) to the towbar on the vehicle.
It sort of takes the shock out ofbad roads and keeps the caravan level with the towing vehicle.
I havent heard of leaf sprung vehicles causing that here but they do some fairly awful damage to caravan chassis' on bad roads here if you are not careful
 
They mentioned softening them up, how would they do that ? Heat?
 
roscoFJ73 said:
What do you mean by the 'beams"? Is that the A shaped bit that connects to the towhitch? A lot of caravan owners here use ride levellers, they are like 2 torsion bars that connect the drawbar(maybe your beam) to the towbar on the vehicle.
It sort of takes the shock out ofbad roads and keeps the caravan level with the towing vehicle.
I havent heard of leaf sprung vehicles causing that here but they do some fairly awful damage to caravan chassis' on bad roads here if you are not careful
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Yep, I'm refering to the A-shaped part that connects to the towhitch. The inspector said they tend to develop cracks at the lower side of the beam near the centre (right in between the axle and the towhitch) when towed by certain (leafsprung) vehicles like the landcruiser because they have a stiffer ride.
Don't know about ride levellers. Never seen them. I do know there are towhitches availble for certain vehicles - sadly not for the landcruiser - that have a system that allows the towhook to move up and down a bit thus dampening the forces on the hook and the A-frame.
That kind of towhooks consists of a kind of vertical rail in wich the towhook itself can move up and down. Springs and (AFAIK) a kind of shockabsorber then take care of keeping the hook centered and damping the shocks.
 
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Why not contact them and see how they soften the parabolics for a lighter vehicle. I have spoken to them on the phone on other peoples behalf on a few occasions and they are fairly helpful.
Otherwise you might as well go back to leaf springs on the rear.
 
roscoFJ73 said:
Why not contact them and see how they soften the parabolics for a lighter vehicle. I have spoken to them on the phone on other peoples behalf on a few occasions and they are fairly helpful.
Otherwise you might as well go back to leaf springs on the rear.
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My last contact was about a year and a half ago.
At that time they had no alternatives for me. Maybe that has changed.
I will get in contact with them again soon.
Thanks for all the info.
 
When you deal with the office lady , she will be looking things up in a factory catalog rather than using her knowledge of landcruiser models which she probably doesn't have.
I had one virtually yelling at me over the phone saying that there is no such thing as an FJ73:rolleyes: until her husband heard her and yanked the phone out of her hand and took over.
I had another telling me that the 3F engine was a highly complex engine that would have to be freighted to the eastern states 4000klms away where they had the specialised machining equipment to hone the bores, just wacko crap.:princess:
 
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