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Setting Up A Tourer

2.7K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  Jacket_1985  
#1 ·
Gday forum members


Grizzly is coming along very nicely at the moment but lift is next on her list : )

So Im really keen to hear YOUR ideas and how youve set your lift up on your tourer : )

Im thinking 4inch EFS Lift , Would this be too much of a lift for travelling around this grand country of ours?


Thanks Guys : )
 
#2 ·
really speaking 2-3 inchs will be more than enough for just about any touring destination you will come across. and alot cheaper and easier to setup than a 4" kit.
but i will say this and im spekaing from pure experience. dont cheap out on standard lower control arms. upgrade them to a good heavy duty set. as i bent mine the other week and after replacing both rear shocks the arms themselves and rebuiling the diff. im still waiting to find a good pinion flange. and i havent even started fixing the body yet. and with me doing all the work myself including the diff rebuild owes me about 1600 bucks so spend a little to save alot.
 
#3 ·
A 2 " lift is all you really require for a tourer, Ive done the canning and a lot of the other major tracks and have never come close to not having enough lift. The more lift you have the higher your centre of gravity will be, keeping the heavy gear as low as possible. My wifes uncle spent 12 years travelling aus in a toyota tercel, and we know what sort of lift they have.
 
#5 ·
Not to mention wind resistance affecting your fuel use & on a long trip that equals MONEY. Just get a decent 2", stick to EFS if you want, I had them & found it to be a very comfortable lift set-up & some good rubber. You'll get just about anywhere you want to go in Australia with that i.e. the Cape, any desert crossing, the Vic Alps etc, etc. :D

p.s. maybe with the savings get a long distance fuel tank?
 
#4 ·
2 inchs would be heaps for a tourer in my opinion. If you go more than that, various constabularies will have something to say about it and your handling will suffer and trust me you will spend more time driving at high speeds, around corners, on corrugated roads with weight in the car than you will be trying to climb over the odd rock, fallen tree, rut, etc
 
#6 ·
I agree totally with what the others have said. I have 4" under my dual cab and it is too high; especially since I sold my 315/75s and went back to standard 265/75s.

I will be removing the 4" from the front as soon as I can find the time and replacing them with 2". In the rear end I actually have 6" plus 30mm spaces, just to try and keep it level. I think I'll leave the rear springs as is and just remove the spacers to start with, cos the back sags down under load with the camper on the back.

On my previous GU (which I did the Simpson and Cape York x 2), I only had a 2" lift and NEVER had any issues with ground clearance.

2" will be fine.

Roachie
 
#7 ·
Your only running 33's why would you want more than 2inches..

Remember, suspension is the very last mod you do..
 
#9 ·
Jacket_1985 said:
What?? i dont get this comment. . . are you serious?:confused:
It is common sense, thus why you wouldnt understand. :p :lol: :lol: :lol: :p. Mainly for people who arent intersted in show.

Why fit a suspension kit to your car, then add another X00kgs of accessories, then find out your suspension cant handle it? You then have to go out and buy new suspension again... I thought it was common knowledge as well as sense.
But your only trying to trick me, cause you would have read that 1000 times before when I've posted it.


YMMV.
 
#10 ·
Definately 2 inch. No need to do other mods like extended brake lines etc. Plenty of clearance, wheels still look in proportion, Mrs. & kids can climb in (they may still complain though) looks good & is noticable that she has been lifted. Spend the money you have saved on other fun things!
 
#12 ·
Gotta agree with Jacket (never thought Id say this.....) but for me it was quite a few years between getting the suspension and everything else.

I just added up the weights of the stuff i wanted and went to ARB-OME and got what they suggested for those weights. Rode a little rough (and front end jumpy) due to the combo when it had nothing except an ally bar but now in its constant heavy state it is very nice. Batteries, drawers, sliders, sidebars, bullbars, winches, fuel tanks, fridges, luggage and people dont change weights over the years.

And yes I needed new suspension when I got the OME kit.
 
#13 ·
Truckster is spot on here!

I have just watched my house mate fit a few heavier things to his 105 series (roof top tent, drawers etc) and it's now sagging like the preverbial. He purchased the 3" OME kit 18 months ago at the start of the 'build' and was told it'd be fine with what he had planned to have eventually done to the car. So now instead of going in with new suspension and saying you sold me the wrong stuff he has to buy new springs for the back. And the poly airs he has bought do nothing, they are holding the entire car up now as he has to have 30psi (quite alot) in them.
 
#15 ·
it really depends if you do alot of 4wding in it, my GQ is set up as a tourer but we would normally only use it like that for a few weeks every year and i also do alot of 4wding on weekends so i have decided to do a 4" lift on mine as it will benefit me more and its a compromise you need to make when touring with the extra fuel costs etc not that there the most economical cars around anyway.
so it all depends on what you want out of you car.
 
#17 ·
Gday guys

All awesome comments on here and i thank you so very much for this : )

I forgot to mention the car is already got everything , bull bar , roof rack , fridge , draws and driver :p

She has 2inch at the rear at with 33's its 32s its plenty high enough but i also want to take her for a weekend play every now and then.

2inch is fine , 4inch i think maybe alittle to high after reading this , i love 4x4 but i will never ever find out my Patrols limits coz it will keep going where my stomtch would of stopped lol

So thank you all much , i saw that EFS does a 3inch for the GU , which is basically spot on if that makes sense and my local 4x4 suspension shop can do it for 1350 or 2450 for 4inch ... im thinking 3inch and spend thousand on something eles : )
 
#18 ·
Get that long range fuel tank LOL & EFS are a very "comfortable" set-up :D
 
#20 ·
so how does yours go with 33's? Fuel economy ok or woeful? sluggish(more than normal)

mines a gq with 31's but not sure to keep them or go 32's or 33's....

regards
sneezy
 
#21 ·
so how does yours go with 33's? Fuel economy ok or woeful? sluggish(more than normal)

mines a gq with 31's but not sure to keep them or go 32's or 33's....

regards
sneezy

Gday mate

fuel wise , i can get just over 800km out of both tanks , around town , havent driven highway long enough to test that out lol

i dont understand when people say Sluggish , my 2.8 is one of the quickest 4x4s in my town she kicks 4.2's , 3.0 Hiluxs , Bravos , BT50 ect ect ect thats on 33 Muddies ... But you can feel alittle difference with the bigger tyres but i put bigger exhaust , and she hauls now .. cant wait for her chip : )

They are underdogs mate , i love them for that reason :)