What is the better suspension

[Banger]

Having recently bought a FJ73, I am now looking to upgrade it to make it even more capable off-road. However, most of the extreme vehicles seem to use a coil sprung based suspension. Mine has good old leaf springs. Will this compromise where I can go with this vehicle from an upgrade point of view.

Thanks

 

[crushers]

hummm, i have watched as the leaf sprung units perform quite well with a 2 1/2" modified leaf system. it will come down to what kind of wheeling yo will be doing... insane rocks, huge deep mud holes, or just back country cruising on the trails...
if you are solely into the mud then do a SOA and some big ass tires, rocks you want lockers and a very supple suspension, and for back country then a reliable suspensing is the s***s since nothing sucks worse than a suspension that is too stiff or is not capable of getting you home...
if you want the coil suspension then sell the leaf sprung unit and buy a LJ...

 

[Island Moose]

Wayne, have you seen the shackles that pivot horizontally about 1/2 way up?...in other words, the lower u can face forward while the upper u rotates left and right...what's up with those?

 

[Tapage]

I'm with Wayne .. a nice spring suspension can perform as well as coil suspension. Actually if you are a rock crawler .. no other option than coil or more ( air shocks, coil overs etc ... )

I can show how you can compare apples with apples ..

vs

Same tires, cruiser, same press tire, grownd and overal condition, but I reach 46" from grownd to hub and Tito reach 42"

 

[UpsideDown]

Too long ago to remember now, I attempted to install a coil set up on my BJ42. It flexed like mad, but was frightening to drive on the road. I almost immediately swapped that for a spring over with BJ60 rear leaves all the way around (quite similar to how my FJ45 was set up, but it had FJ55 rear leaves in the front). The truck did (and still does) perform admirably... and I would add that I think it's a more stable trail truck after the SOA than before due to it's compliance to the terrain.

One catch, however, is that an SOA must be done properly and with attention to detail (though it's much easier than coils to do).

 

[crushers]

the trick to remember is 2" out for every 1" up to keep good stability...
i have seen some good SPA and soem real s***ty endevores...

personally i am not a big fan of them. of all the trucks i have seen on their side on the trail most of them were SOA... this is not to say that a SUA can not go over, it either takes a much more inexperienced (or show off mentality) to accomplish this feat...

 

[roscoFJ73]

Hi Banger ,being a fellow Perth boy I find the leaves work well in our terrain.
We dont have many rocks to climb and most offroading is down the beach .
There is bit more of a case for extra articulation up in the hills but a coil conversion costs heaps unless you can do it yourself.
It just easier and cheaper to go and buy a coil sprung Patrol if you really want a coil sprung 4x4
Ever notice that 7 out of 10 comp vehicles are Patrols?

4WD Monthly,in an issue a few years back,did a 7 page spread all about the 70-79 series.
The author suggested that if you want some serious flex that will greatly improve a 73s capabilties,remove 2 leafs from each pack and have a good springmaker reset them with more arch.
(of course thats applicable to any leaf sprung vehicle)
4WDMonthly also have a good spread on suspension issues and the pros and cons of all the different types of suspension in their Modified 4 Wheeler mag on sale now.


If you need new springs I can put you onto someone around here is doing the high quality Beltons springs at a price much lower than Old man emu which are the same thing repainted.

Anyway about your question and will it compromise where you can go, I would just try it out for a while.Experiment with tyre deflation.
The 73 series will take you a long long long way before you tire of its capabilties.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Wayne, have you seen the shackles that pivot horizontally about 1/2 way up?...in other words, the lower u can face forward while the upper u rotates left and right...what's up with those?

These what you mean Moose? These ones are Revolver Shackles but there a lots of variations
They allow the leaf to rotate more from torsion thus causing less wear on the bushes.
They also open out further and allow the axle to drop lower on one side when the other side is compressed.
Some Ive seen can be locked for on road use.
Mixed opinions on these

 

[Banger]

Thanks everyone for your replies - there is lots I have to learn yet I feel. But it sounds like what I have in the FJ73 is as good a place as any to start.