Softer ride

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Joined
Jul 15, 2006
Threads
6
Messages
27
Location
Cascade, ID
I am replacing aftermarket springs on mt 79 Fj40. The aftermarket are way to stiff/rough. Does anyone know the curb weight for the front & rear axels on a stock Fj40?
 
Nevermind me... Apparently when I first read, thought you wanted the "axle weight", i.e. unsprung weight for some reason....

Pretty close to 100 pounds or so.
With springs on, my son (12 years old) and I where challenged to flip one over, end of the springs on the floor, to get the nuts off the U bolts.
The springs themselves, stock spring from an FJ55, must be almost 30 pounds each.
With third member, axle shafts, drum brakes, we were able to pick up, carry out of the shed and put it in the back of the truck. And I could've maybe picked it up myself if I tried really hard, dead lift style, waist high... So, guessing about 100 pounds (ya, I'm old and weak). The gears (in the center, "third member?") must be about 40 pounds I'd guess, and the axle shafts are pretty heavy also. The case, empty, seemed pretty light relative the to the rest of the parts.
This was all on the rear, front would be heavier, knuckles add a few pounds, tie rods probably add a couple dozen.
 
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I am interested in this as well, i picked up my first 40 last year. Prior to selling the PO installed a 4” rough country lift which really lives up to its name. He told me when I picked it up that the springs and shocks were new but “bad”. I lived with it until Xmas when i had 3 people ride in the back for the first time and it felt like i was driving a Cadillac compared to the bone shaker i had been driving that almost required a mouth guard on some roads. For now i am driving with 350lbs of sand in the back until i figure out a suspension solution. I am curious where this goes. Normally it is just my wife and i in the truck and not doing anything too crazy in it. I am not loaded up on the regular and would like to find a happy medium.
 
I have 4” Rough Country springs too. I took the 2nd lowest leafs out, moved the frame side rear shackle mounts 1” further and made these ”comfort shackles”. Feels quite soft now (not driven yet).
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Can you tell me more about those shackles?

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So, I modified these because I wanted to get as little as possible lift which is caused by shackles. 4” springs needed longer shackles. Now I got both those features + more downtravel. The lower joint is built with ball bearings now.
 
So, I modified these because I wanted to get as little as possible lift which is caused by shackles. 4” springs needed longer shackles. Now I got both those features + more downtravel. The lower joint is built with ball bearings now.
Did you consider sliders?

They look pretty cool, but I'm just not sure that personally, I would want to do that much fabrication on my suspension to get them to work (I don't trust my welding that much). You would probably loose the downward travel, but have really no lift due to shackles.
 
Did you consider sliders?
Yes, but I was not interested. These work better and the height is perfect now.

Much easier to draw and get them cutted from new plate. Too much grinding this way, but it’s done now (except painting).
 
No idea on curb weight, skyjacker soft-ride springs! come in 2.5" and 4"
 
I am a little late on this but I just installed the Dobinsons leaf springson my 79 fj40. I wanted a softer ride as well and I liked the fact that these only advertised a slight lift.

They are almost identical to the stock springs in appearance. And once I installed them the lift was less than an inch (which is less than advertised) Also they used the stock shackles and bushings which saves some $$s as well.

The ride is pretty smooth and soft to me but I had some 40 year old oems that had an inside down u shape to them on before so everything would probably feel softer.

These are on eBay for a pretty reasonable price and delivery was free.


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Congrats for your new leafs mate, nice to hear that they offer a softer ride than stock!

I may also consider Dobinsons with less than an inch lift for my 40-Series. However, I've been unable to find something concerning the lift in your ebay Ad as well as in the Dobinsons catalogue:

Moreover, in the Dobbinsons PDF brochure they do offer complete suspension kits for the 40-Series with lift only:
eg. at S217 (something like page), for the FJ/BJ 40 kit ( TOY50 ) the lift is 45 mm or 1.77 inch.

Hope I'm not missing something.
 
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Congrats for your new leafs mate, nice to hear that they offer a softer ride than stock!

I may also consider Dobinsons with less than an inch lift for my 40-Series. However, I've been unable to find something concerning the lift in your ebay Ad as well as in the Dobinsons catalogue:

Moreover, in the Dobbinsons PDF brochure they do offer complete suspension kits for the 40-Series with lift only:
eg. at S217 (something like page), for the FJ/BJ 40 kit ( TOY50 ) the lift is 45 mm or 1.77 inch.

Hope I'm not missing something.

Below are the ones I have.

And you are right, they are advertised as a 45 or 50mm lift. However, I measured before and after and it was more like an inch. So little that no one noticed afterward.

There are also heavy duty ones and 2 different eye sizes for the 8/80 and newer 40s. Those habe different part numbers.

HJ40-7L-F for the fronts
TOY-034-R for the rears.

Hope this helps.
 
Ok, it's clear, there is some slight (1-1.7 inch) lift offered.
Furthermore, the important thing is that "the ride is pretty smooth and soft" in comparison to the stock (and old) suspension...
Waiting for more impressions on your Dobbinsons, as you will use them.

Thank you mate and happy cruising! :cheers:
 
I had 3 bags of 80# concrete in the back of mine for a while. I put them at first to settle my new springs but it rides much nicer with the weight. I took them out when I put the top back on and I may put them back in next time too.
 
I had 3 bags of 80# concrete in the back of mine for a while. I put them at first to settle my new springs but it rides much nicer with the weight. I took them out when I put the top back on and I may put them back in next time too.
I recently did the same after having 3 people riding in the back for the first time. It rode like a Cadillac after warning the people that they might need a mouth guard. I got sand bags for the back after.
 
@JVZii - did you just use regular OEM spring bushings with your new Dobinson springs on your FJ40, or did you have to seek out bushings with different OD?

They look like a great upgrade from my sagged out OEM springs. I don't want a lot of lift, either.

Thanks - Steve
 
@JVZii - did you just use regular OEM spring bushings with your new Dobinson springs on your FJ40, or did you have to seek out bushings with different OD?

They look like a great upgrade from my sagged out OEM springs. I don't want a lot of lift, either.

Thanks - Steve
I had bought the ones below for my oem springs a year or so before. I reused them in the new Dobinsons.

Toyota oem bushings should work fine as well just make sure to get the right sized eye on the spring.

Energy Suspension 8.2105G O.E.M. Spring Bushing for Toyota 4X FJ40 Amazon product ASIN B000CNB3FQ
 
@JVZii - Perfect - those are the bushings I have used in countless '40 jobs. I was hoping that you didn't have to go to the SOR website and order some custom bushings.
 

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