Parabolic vs. Multi-Leaf Packs?

[cult45]

Been doing some Googling and Mudding [?] and the jury is still out on parabolics vs. trad. multi-leaves.

This thread seemed all for it, but I'm not so sure.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/15726-parabolic-springs.html

Thoughts? Looking at upgrading shortly.

 

[cult45]

HST Parabolic Suspension Systems

 

[roscoFJ73]

One of those great ideas that has never really taken off. The owner of the red HZJ73 is RonR who visits here occasionally,maybe shoot him a PM and see how his parabolics are going.
Ron drives his 73 series from the Netherlands to Siberia and back,that should give them a good work out.

 

[cult45]

PM sent! I noticed your addition to this thread back in '04. I thought 'Jesus, how long's Rosco been around this joint??' Haha

 

[roscoFJ73]

PM sent! I noticed your addition to this thread back in '04. I thought 'Jesus, how long's Rosco been around this joint??' Haha

Since 03 I think but there are others who were around a year or 2 before that. Back in the old days we had no forum,and then along came the "International forum" where anything that wasnt a USA spec vehicle was dumped and then later a 70 series and diesel forum.
Lots of people had never heard of a 7* series or diesel landcruisers Lol
We used to have 3-4 new threads a week,but it took off quick

 

[Hulsty]

I"ve got no experience with parabolics, only multi lead packs of various brands. Ironman -s***, have to find the brand that came with my middy, they were fitted in 87 and were in it in 2010 when I got the car, still rode high and well! Have used ARB, they were ok, just didnt flex that great due to being short springs. At the moment I have OLD dobisons (I think) in the front, they are good, decent height and good length for flex, as I said they are OLD and have been worked hard and are slowly sagging but still ok. In the back I have the heaviest EFS leaves, add a thick over load leaf and a intermediate leaf, they flex good but are also starting to sag a little.

 

[Aussie FJ40]

i dont think you can get parabolic springs reset in oz,

 

[cult45]

Lots of people had never heard of a 7* series or diesel landcruisers Lol

Jesus! That's all I grew up with. 40's were rarer than 70's from when I really started paying attention to cars ['90-ish, when I was 10]. In Cairns they were everywhere. I remember starting to pick the 1HZ grilles against the 2H grilles cause I knew they were newer. 'Oh, there's a 4.2, she's got the grey grille!'

I fxxxin loved it.

 

[cult45]

I"ve got no experience with parabolics, only multi lead packs of various brands. Ironman -s***, have to find the brand that came with my middy, they were fitted in 87 and were in it in 2010 when I got the car, still rode high and well! Have used ARB, they were ok, just didnt flex that great due to being short springs. At the moment I have OLD dobisons (I think) in the front, they are good, decent height and good length for flex, as I said they are OLD and have been worked hard and are slowly sagging but still ok. In the back I have the heaviest EFS leaves, add a thick over load leaf and a intermediate leaf, they flex good but are also starting to sag a little.

Hulsty that's some good info, I may PM you for specific details if I can't get good parabolics in Oz. I'm pretty sure I'm going to give them a run. I kinda like the idea of doing something different that - by all accounts - is probably better, just largely untried.

If not I'll comin a'knockin.

 

[Ron R]

Responding here, after I received a PM from Cult 45.
At the moment I'm on a holidaytrip and not visiting the forum on a daily basis.
I'm a happy user of parabolic springs. Have them now for about seven years.
Bought set from HST Parabolic Suspension Systems here in the Netherlands.
As far as I am concerned, they are great. The right mixture of flex and stiffnes.

But.... they are no longer available from them.
Found this out the hard way....Overshot a dune in the Erg Chebbi, part of the Sahara about four years ago. Landed very hard and damaged the rear leaves. Nothing broken, but the RH set sagged about 2-3 inches, 5-7 cm.
Was able to return home. There I found out HST had no springs available anymore.
HST developed the springs but got them manufactured by a well known company, specialized in all kind of springs. Shortly before my mishap HST received a new delivery from his manufacturer but returned it because they were not up to the standards HST needed. This because HST also delivered to German customers, requiring a so called TÜV-certification and therefore the springs have to comply to very tight tolerances.
This matter escalated, HST saying the batch was of poor quality, his manufacturer stating that everything was up to spec. Don't know exactly how this was settled, but as a result HST no longer carries springs for Landcruisers.

I have been searching for replacements for my rear springs for several years.
This because I wanted to have parabolics again. The ride is good and although they are much softer than originals but can carry even slightly more weight, the rig dus not feel wobbly at all. I have to add that I have Koni Heavy Track shocks. They are adjustable and I have them at about 2/3 of max stiffnes.
Recently, about three months ago, more or less by coincidence, I found replacements.
They are sold by another Dutch company and look very similar to the springs HST carried.
I'm still happy with them, but have to add that so far I've only driven about 2300 km's after installation. Of this 2300 km I've been towing a campertrailer (1600 kg AUW) for about 900 km's and so far they are behaving well.
This trailer is one of the reasons I want parabolics because the softer ride is less harsh to the towhook and trailer.

Ride is still as high as immediately after installation (and about 2 inches higher than originals) and they now seem a touch softer but that can be imagination as well.
So in a nut-shell:
Settling in was no issue, the ride is not too soft but especially in poor (off-) road conditions much nicer than the originals.
In total I've driven parabolics for about 70.000 kms on trips to Russia, Kazakhstan and the Sahara and would not trade them for original springs.

Edit: If you look at the website of HST you get the impression they still carry parabolics for Landcruisers, but send them an email enquiring for the springs and (IF you get an answer) they will tell you they don't have them anymore.

 

[cult45]

Ok update time. Rang Westralia and yes, they do parabolics. Yes for 75 and 60 series [and if you know your MWB trucks] the fronts are 75s and the rears are 60s. Yes, I learnt that today too. Things were looking good, however a totally unexpected curveball..

The chick on the phone spent most of her time talking me OUT of buying them. She really tried hard and she was successful. She said that the fronts aren't a problem but the rears, as they are made for a heavier vehicle [and only come in HD], are potentially too stiff. That's the feedback they've had from MWB owners. I suggested removing one of the leaves from the rear pack. Her reply was that as parabolics are SO flexible you run the risk of inverting the springs. Not the shackles, the springs. 'They can curve back the other way'. WTF??? Then she started going on about freight from WA, blah blah blah.

Then I called All Terrain Warriors up here in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. They do mostly Land Rovers, but just before I called today they had a meeting looking into servicing LandCruisers. Quite fortuitous, so I'll talk to them tomorrow when they call back. They seemed very well organised.

Then I got fxxxed off at the whole process and started researching standard multi-leaves - the one's Hulsty suggested above. I have a pricing matrix if anyone's interested.

Anyone know anyone who actually WANTS to sell parabolics?

 

[roscoFJ73]

Westralia Springs LOL I remember going their with my dad in the mid 60s when they were in West Perth and he used to deliver gas bottles for CIG.
They started off making springs for horse drawn carts
I spoke to that women once and she turned me off buying their leaf springs after she told me one leaf in each spring pack was some low grade crap from India LOL .
I wonder how much she has cost them over the years.
Still ,I know people who had a good run from their spring packs

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Jesus! That's all I grew up with. 40's were rarer than 70's from when I really started paying attention to cars ['90-ish, when I was 10]. In Cairns they were everywhere. I remember starting to pick the 1HZ grilles against the 2H grilles cause I knew they were newer. 'Oh, there's a 4.2, she's got the grey grille!'

I fxxxin loved it.

Try driving a 70 Series here in the U.S. They draw a crowd everywhere you go. It is amusing how many people will ask if the Cruiser is a new model.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Try driving a 70 Series here in the U.S. They draw a crowd everywhere you go. It is amusing how many people will ask if the Cruiser is a new model.

Do they know they are the same cruiser that helped overthrow Qaddafi LOL?

I give a couple of young lost Irish guys a lift one night in my 75. They had just got off the plane,caught the wrong bus and ended up miles away from their destination.
They couldnt believe I just used it for camping and driving around for fun.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Do they know they are the same cruiser that helped overthrow Qaddafi LOL?

I give a couple of young lost Irish guys a lift one night in my 75. They had just got off the plane,caught the wrong bus and ended up miles away from their destination.
They couldnt believe I just used it for camping and driving around for fun.

"Do they know they are the same cruiser that helped overthrow Qaddafi?" .......
.....Now that is truly funny. The average American can not even name all 50 States and are clueless as to where Libya is located.

 

[cult45]

The plot thickens..

After a suggestion in the 60 section I found a mob in Redcliffe [about 30 mins away] that did some parabolics on a bloke's HZJ79 a few years back. Gave them a call and spoke to guy in there, Paul. Nicest bloke ever, knew his s*** too.

They used to do parabolics, supplied by Carroll's from O/S, but a few years ago Carroll's stopped importing them. I guessed it was because there was better margin in trad multi-leaves. Paul suggested it's because there was no repeat business from parabolic customers. He reckoned in his time at Redcliffe Springs he's probably seen about 800 sets installed onto older model HiLux's [I assume the pre-IFS models]. He said he never saw any of them come back for new springs but his multi-leaf customers always came back after a few years for re-setting/replacement.

Kinda makes sense that the chick from Westralia didn't want me to have them. Or another reason I haven't thought of.

He also quoted me $1700 for a full kit [springs, shocks, greasable shackles, bushes if req'd and probably u-bolts if req'd] for 6mm EFS stuff, fitted. I was doing some reading and thinner, longer leaves are great for softening the ride and ditching the kidney belt..

The sleuthing continues.

 

[Clint79]

Go for a test ride in a cruiser with them in it, the worst comfort 75 series I ever wheeled had those parboloc leafs. Kind of felt like riding in a gocart over corrigations

 

[cult45]

Thx Clint, I really would if I could find someone in Bris/GC/SC that had them.

 

[cult45]

Called Westralia Springs back, got the same chick and asked to speak to someone else. She got her back up but put me onto one of the workshop guys. Danny. I asked him a bunch of questions and felt like I got to the bottom of it: parabolics made by them are not good for MWB trucks. As I was leaving I offered some feedback about the girl I spoke to in that I felt like she treated me like I was an idiot. He got his back up and started to defend her and carry on like a knob. So I just walked away, left him and thanked him for his help. He muttered something smart as I hung up.

That's two people in the one business that I didn't get on with. I was extra humble too.

Needless to say I'm not impressed and probably wouldn't go there. EFS it is.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Called Westralia Springs back, got the same chick and asked to speak to someone else. She got her back up but put me onto one of the workshop guys. Danny. I asked him a bunch of questions and felt like I got to the bottom of it: parabolics made by them are not good for MWB trucks. As I was leaving I offered some feedback about the girl I spoke to in that I felt like she treated me like I was an idiot. He got his back up and started to defend her and carry on like a knob. So I just walked away, left him and thanked him for his help. He muttered something smart as I hung up.

That's two people in the one business that I didn't get on with. I was extra humble too.

Needless to say I'm not impressed and probably wouldn't go there. EFS it is.

I think its a family business.It might have been his sister/wife/mother.
I know what its like dealing with women with 4wd items,its hard to tell if they really know their stuff or if they are just repeating it verbatim.
I had some guy's wife tell me that there was no such thing as an FJ73 and therefore there were no suspension options.
It was getting heated until her hubby grabbed the phone and talked like a normal person