Hey folks,
I have just replaced my original shocks and springs with Ironman products. I did the installation my self.
I researched all the information and decided that the Ironman products were the ones that would suit my truck best, yes price had an imput in my decision but it wasn't the deciding factor. My truck is not used for competition, its used daily by the bride and loaded up on weekends for camping trips, our 4wding is mostly fire trails and occasionally sand.
I ordered a set of standard height, they have a 45mm rise over original, constant load springs and Nitro gas shocks.
For the front springs I ordered the 50-100kg extra weight set as i have an Ironman Commercial winch bar fitted and an Ironman winch on the wish list and 0-300kg extra weight set for the rear springs, as i have a ply wood set of shelves with all the recovery gear, tools and camping gear that one carries along with a 50l fridge on a slide at upwards of 60 litres of water.
My local supplier, Mascot Motors - Nowra, did a fantastic job and had the items in stock exceptionally quick.
I received TOYO38C front springs with 12661GR shocks and TOYO38B rear springs with 12691GR shocks
(240,000 km's original suspension)
Before I started I measured from the rim to the flare at each corner. FR 730mm, RR 720mm, FL 725mm RL 775mm.
The install took me quite a long time, 5 hours, as the front springs were exceptionally hard to compress, the rear springs and shocks were in in twenty minutes, after reading some of the horror stories about the rear Left shock top nut I couldn't believe how easy it was.... I actually got under the car, supported by axle stands of course, and had no trouble at all, apart from my neanderthal sized hands, removing or tightening the top nut, my son assisted by twisting the shock from the out side while I held the nut secure, EASY.
Once all were installed I was not happy with the ride height as the front had lifted 4inches, wow, did it look like shite and drove unsteadially, even dangerously apart from the fact that the front tyres were now angled completely the wrong way out at the top and in at the bottom...
(Take a look at how high that front end sits)
The new heights were FR 830mm, RR 780mm, FL 820mm, RL 775mm.
I first thought it would settle down with a run but it did not, i then thought it would settle down once the winch was fitted, the winch weighs 40kg, so I weighing 120kg jumped up on the bullbar, but it didnt move, bugger.
So I returned to Mascot motors and informed them of my plight, i was expecting an argument or worse, but once they had a look at the photos i had taken they too agreed that the front springs were unacceptable, further discussions with Ironman on the phone and new front springs ,TOYO38B, were being dispatched, hows that for customer service ?, the new springs arrived the very next day .
I installed the new springs this morning and WOW, what a difference, the Prado sits level and looks FANTASTIC, FR 795mm, RR 780mm, FL 790mm, RL 775mm. The install took 3 hours as i had a bit of a idea of what to expect and with the previous springs my CV angle was too sharp and had caused my CV boots to leak grease everywhere, what a mess, after a test drive it appears that the boots are not leaking now, lucky for me, will double check tomorrow in the day light.
(Perfect)
Am I happy ??? You bet . One extremely happy Ironman Customer.....
Alan
http://www.ironman4x4.com/html/toyota/90_prado.html
I have just replaced my original shocks and springs with Ironman products. I did the installation my self.
I researched all the information and decided that the Ironman products were the ones that would suit my truck best, yes price had an imput in my decision but it wasn't the deciding factor. My truck is not used for competition, its used daily by the bride and loaded up on weekends for camping trips, our 4wding is mostly fire trails and occasionally sand.
I ordered a set of standard height, they have a 45mm rise over original, constant load springs and Nitro gas shocks.
For the front springs I ordered the 50-100kg extra weight set as i have an Ironman Commercial winch bar fitted and an Ironman winch on the wish list and 0-300kg extra weight set for the rear springs, as i have a ply wood set of shelves with all the recovery gear, tools and camping gear that one carries along with a 50l fridge on a slide at upwards of 60 litres of water.
My local supplier, Mascot Motors - Nowra, did a fantastic job and had the items in stock exceptionally quick.
I received TOYO38C front springs with 12661GR shocks and TOYO38B rear springs with 12691GR shocks
(240,000 km's original suspension)
Before I started I measured from the rim to the flare at each corner. FR 730mm, RR 720mm, FL 725mm RL 775mm.
The install took me quite a long time, 5 hours, as the front springs were exceptionally hard to compress, the rear springs and shocks were in in twenty minutes, after reading some of the horror stories about the rear Left shock top nut I couldn't believe how easy it was.... I actually got under the car, supported by axle stands of course, and had no trouble at all, apart from my neanderthal sized hands, removing or tightening the top nut, my son assisted by twisting the shock from the out side while I held the nut secure, EASY.
Once all were installed I was not happy with the ride height as the front had lifted 4inches, wow, did it look like shite and drove unsteadially, even dangerously apart from the fact that the front tyres were now angled completely the wrong way out at the top and in at the bottom...
(Take a look at how high that front end sits)
The new heights were FR 830mm, RR 780mm, FL 820mm, RL 775mm.
I first thought it would settle down with a run but it did not, i then thought it would settle down once the winch was fitted, the winch weighs 40kg, so I weighing 120kg jumped up on the bullbar, but it didnt move, bugger.
So I returned to Mascot motors and informed them of my plight, i was expecting an argument or worse, but once they had a look at the photos i had taken they too agreed that the front springs were unacceptable, further discussions with Ironman on the phone and new front springs ,TOYO38B, were being dispatched, hows that for customer service ?, the new springs arrived the very next day .
I installed the new springs this morning and WOW, what a difference, the Prado sits level and looks FANTASTIC, FR 795mm, RR 780mm, FL 790mm, RL 775mm. The install took 3 hours as i had a bit of a idea of what to expect and with the previous springs my CV angle was too sharp and had caused my CV boots to leak grease everywhere, what a mess, after a test drive it appears that the boots are not leaking now, lucky for me, will double check tomorrow in the day light.
(Perfect)
Am I happy ??? You bet . One extremely happy Ironman Customer.....
Alan
http://www.ironman4x4.com/html/toyota/90_prado.html
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