I have permission (seeing I can sit in the front seats reasonably well - I carry a built-in ladder with me all the time) to get a D-Max for our next vehicle.
The new models apparently have the option of softer springs (3 leaves) on the rear. Are these any good for towing with approx. 180Kg of ball mass on the back?
Or do I go for the standard set, bearing in mind I only tow our van about 10-15,000kms a year over bitumen/dirt roads - the rest of the time is "around town", etc for another 10,000kms. Would the ride be too rough without the van on the back? The tub would not be completely empty with the odd sets of tools, a fridge & birding gear + the aux battery.
I've seen additional "load sharing" systems advertised (something similar to my old MQ Patrol's rear springs) - would that be a useful modification on the 3 leaf system?
Having a look in the archives, Dmaxer's response was & I assume he has the standard set with the South Grafton modification - "I was very fortunate because one of the many knowledgeable forum members contacted me with the solution that he had used. All that was needed was an extra leaf fitted to the rear suspension. I was recommended to a South Grafton business that were primarily blacksmiths and had been for almost 100 years. They make their own leaf springs and do the installation. If that was not enough, they even owned Isuzus and had done it to those vehicles."
Thanks
Dougwe said
05:08 AM Apr 13, 2019
Nothing wrong with the Dmax Warren, nice care. Good choice, well done.
Now, when I got the Collie many moons back now and very happy with I might add, it had the standard rear springs but I was told by a good friend to get an extra leaf fitted both sides on rear springs to add strength as I tow all the time. Well most anyway. I have 250kg on the ball and rear of Collie loaded all the time. Everything is under the max's for weight though.
Pedders did the job for me and even when the aluminium teepee is not on the back It doesn't make for a rough ride. I do adjust tyre pressures though. Not only does it add strength to the rear it allows you extra payload if you go to the trouble of sorting that out. I didn't bother as I was only after the strength.
I am very happy with it all, so because you tow, I would go with the stronger set up.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Tones said
10:04 AM Apr 13, 2019
Hi Warren,
We have a 2017 Dmax and have 267Kg on the ball. Isuzu (like most others) do not "endorse or recommend" weight distribution hitches. We do use a WDH and find that the rig is great with the bars fitted. If you have the option of heavier rated rear leaf springs in the 2018, I would thoroughly (and without any hesitation) recommend that you go that way. The Grafton crowd sound very interesting.
There was a recall on 2018 Dmax about a week ago concerning insufficient integrity in the front eye of the rear leaf springs. Apparently the rear springs are being replaced by Isuzu in the 2018 model.
Our van has an ATM of 2400kg. If we did not use WDH, apart from anything else we would need a periscope to see over the dash. I can only imagine what it would be like if we dropped a "legal" 350Kg on the ball!!!!!!!
We are very happy with our Dmax and would go the same way again. We sold a BT50 which we bought new in 2011 and after major drivetrain failure at 59k kms we got rid of it and purchased the Dmax.
Tones
-- Edited by Tones on Saturday 13th of April 2019 10:09:24 AM
-- Edited by Tones on Saturday 13th of April 2019 10:45:34 AM
DMaxer said
10:17 AM Apr 13, 2019
Hi Warren. After I had the extra leaf added to the rear suspension I found virtually no difference in the ride when not towing. With leaf springs the ride is harder than with coils but is still comfortable.
I think the standard set up with Isuzu is a compromise for towing and not towing. If towing, I think the extra leaf is wise.
travelyounger said
06:30 AM Apr 14, 2019
Hi warren I have an izuzu 2017 spacecab and put a csm canopy on and a fridge and some tools and draws and that weight approx 600 kg flattened the leaf spring and I had not even put the van on.I went to carolls springs in Brisbane and put 2 extra HD sprrings efs shocks and new front coil springs ,they also reset the new springs the ride is great when loaded but when empty can be a bit bouncy on outback highways.As I am on the road for a while I carry to much weight therefore I am increasing my gvm to 3600 kg and gcm to 7000 kg through Lovell's suspension upgrade and will be selling my current shocks springs if any one is interested but I would go to the place you described as they sound like they no what there talking about I have to go to Lovell's more to be legal hope this helps. I my ute has just passed 63000 kms and has not missed a beat cheers
sandgrooper1 said
06:31 PM Apr 14, 2019
Hi,
Back ground, avid Four wheel driver with both Toyotas, Nissans etc in 4wd clubs over many years starting in 1980.
As far as I am concerned and as I have done with my current Dmax which is now 7 years old the only way with suspension upgrades is to get a reputable after market kit which in my case was Tough Dog.
Very happy with my car and this set up. As far as I am concerned adding leaves etc is just a bandaid solution which sooner or later will sag back to original. Have been down this road adding leaves etc to a number of leaf sprung vehicles in the past,never been happy at the end of the day.
Good luck with your choice. Dmax is a good reliable vehicle in all other respects. Had two now over a ten year period. Nil problems other than hating the original suspension setup.
All my opinions only.
Cheers AL.
travelyounger said
08:30 PM Apr 14, 2019
Hi tough dog and dobinsons are setting up there legal upgrades in NSW and Vic the only companies that can give a legal gvm are Lovell's ,pedders and ironman as far as I know cheers
landy said
09:45 PM Apr 14, 2019
travelyounger wrote:
Hi warren I have an izuzu 2017 spacecab and put a csm canopy on and a fridge and some tools and draws and that weight approx 600 kg flattened the leaf spring and I had not even put the van on.I went to carolls springs in Brisbane and put 2 extra HD sprrings efs shocks and new front coil springs ,they also reset the new springs the ride is great when loaded but when empty can be a bit bouncy on outback highways.As I am on the road for a while I carry to much weight therefore I am increasing my gvm to 3600 kg and gcm to 7000 kg through Lovell's suspension upgrade and will be selling my current shocks springs if any one is interested but I would go to the place you described as they sound like they no what there talking about I have to go to Lovell's more to be legal hope this helps. I my ute has just passed 63000 kms and has not missed a beat cheers
Hi Travelyounger I have no personal experiences and I am only going by other posts I have read on this forum but I was under the impression that you could only upgrade your GVM but your GCM remains the same could you please expand on this please. Landy
travelyounger said
04:47 AM Apr 15, 2019
Hi Landy
If you have NSW rego you can have a gcm upgrade on ranger,Hilux,dmax,prado 200 cruiser through Lovells springs best to ring there head office and they can email you all the info or contact myself bettercut@live.com cheers
Phillipn said
09:36 AM Apr 15, 2019
Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
G'day everyone,
I have permission (seeing I can sit in the front seats reasonably well - I carry a built-in ladder with me all the time) to get a D-Max for our next vehicle.
The new models apparently have the option of softer springs (3 leaves) on the rear. Are these any good for towing with approx. 180Kg of ball mass on the back?
Or do I go for the standard set, bearing in mind I only tow our van about 10-15,000kms a year over bitumen/dirt roads - the rest of the time is "around town", etc for another 10,000kms. Would the ride be too rough without the van on the back? The tub would not be completely empty with the odd sets of tools, a fridge & birding gear + the aux battery.
I've seen additional "load sharing" systems advertised (something similar to my old MQ Patrol's rear springs) - would that be a useful modification on the 3 leaf system?
Having a look in the archives, Dmaxer's response was & I assume he has the standard set with the South Grafton modification - "I was very fortunate because one of the many knowledgeable forum members contacted me with the solution that he had used. All that was needed was an extra leaf fitted to the rear suspension. I was recommended to a South Grafton business that were primarily blacksmiths and had been for almost 100 years. They make their own leaf springs and do the installation. If that was not enough, they even owned Isuzus and had done it to those vehicles."
Thanks
I recommend Greens in South Grafton if you have an issue with your suspension. They put an extra leaf in my BT50 which I am very happy with, it made the suspension firmer but not rough. Greens told me to stay away from after market suspension as they are of very poor quality. After market springs are from China and the Australian companies put their brand on them.
landy said
09:29 PM Apr 15, 2019
travelyounger wrote:
Hi Landy If you have NSW rego you can have a gcm upgrade on ranger,Hilux,dmax,prado 200 cruiser through Lovells springs best to ring there head office and they can email you all the info or contact myself bettercut@live.com cheers
Thanks Travelounger. unfortunately we are based in Vic but that's just another case of Australia needing national road laws.
landy said
10:29 PM Apr 16, 2019
landy wrote:
travelyounger wrote:
Hi Landy If you have NSW rego you can have a gcm upgrade on ranger,Hilux,dmax,prado 200 cruiser through Lovells springs best to ring there head office and they can email you all the info or contact myself bettercut@live.com cheers
Thanks Travelounger. unfortunately we are based in Vic but that's just another case of Australia needing national road laws.
Alright so just a hypothetical. If you were to buy a registered Dmax in NSW and take it strait to Lovells And get the upgrade done, before bringing it to vic and re-registering it would it lose its upgraded GCM and GVM on re-registering? Landy.
travelyounger said
12:24 PM Apr 18, 2019
You would have get an engineer cert in Vic and the gvm would be legal I am not sure about the gcm Lovells in Victoria would be the ones to ask cheers
Wasley said
07:42 PM Apr 27, 2019
Hi Warren 2 things to be careful on 2017 + D Max the new 6 speed auto converter lock is not speed controlled and generally when towing in drive will stay in 4th gear and if you select manual you have to be over 100 kph in 5th to keep converter locked once under 100 kph converter lock can drop out and they will very quickly overheat trans and lights come on hence IUA promoting not using manual mode this unfortunately gives around 18/20 lph when towing the other issue is front wheel allignment if you load the rear + a caravan the toe in toe out will vary up to 8mm causing low tyre life IUA's answer is to rotate tyres regularly What I have done is wheel align with and without caravan and have 2 marks on front track rods and set accordingly the tyres are original and now approaching 50 k and still reasonable I noticed tyre wear at 20k so I am happy with tyres also I don't use load levellers and usually around 5000 kg total
G'day everyone,
I have permission (seeing I can sit in the front seats reasonably well - I carry a built-in ladder with me all the time) to get a D-Max for our next vehicle.
The new models apparently have the option of softer springs (3 leaves) on the rear. Are these any good for towing with approx. 180Kg of ball mass on the back?
Or do I go for the standard set, bearing in mind I only tow our van about 10-15,000kms a year over bitumen/dirt roads - the rest of the time is "around town", etc for another 10,000kms. Would the ride be too rough without the van on the back? The tub would not be completely empty with the odd sets of tools, a fridge & birding gear + the aux battery.
I've seen additional "load sharing" systems advertised (something similar to my old MQ Patrol's rear springs) - would that be a useful modification on the 3 leaf system?
Having a look in the archives, Dmaxer's response was & I assume he has the standard set with the South Grafton modification - "I was very fortunate because one of the many knowledgeable forum members contacted me with the solution that he had used. All that was needed was an extra leaf fitted to the rear suspension. I was recommended to a South Grafton business that were primarily blacksmiths and had been for almost 100 years. They make their own leaf springs and do the installation. If that was not enough, they even owned Isuzus and had done it to those vehicles."
Thanks
Now, when I got the Collie many moons back now and very happy with I might add, it had the standard rear springs but I was told by a good friend to get an extra leaf fitted both sides on rear springs to add strength as I tow all the time. Well most anyway. I have 250kg on the ball and rear of Collie loaded all the time. Everything is under the max's for weight though.
Pedders did the job for me and even when the aluminium teepee is not on the back It doesn't make for a rough ride. I do adjust tyre pressures though. Not only does it add strength to the rear it allows you extra payload if you go to the trouble of sorting that out. I didn't bother as I was only after the strength.
I am very happy with it all, so because you tow, I would go with the stronger set up.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Hi Warren,
We have a 2017 Dmax and have 267Kg on the ball. Isuzu (like most others) do not "endorse or recommend" weight distribution hitches. We do use a WDH and find that the rig is great with the bars fitted. If you have the option of heavier rated rear leaf springs in the 2018, I would thoroughly (and without any hesitation) recommend that you go that way. The Grafton crowd sound very interesting.
There was a recall on 2018 Dmax about a week ago concerning insufficient integrity in the front eye of the rear leaf springs. Apparently the rear springs are being replaced by Isuzu in the 2018 model.
Our van has an ATM of 2400kg. If we did not use WDH, apart from anything else we would need a periscope to see over the dash. I can only imagine what it would be like if we dropped a "legal" 350Kg on the ball!!!!!!!
We are very happy with our Dmax and would go the same way again. We sold a BT50 which we bought new in 2011 and after major drivetrain failure at 59k kms we got rid of it and purchased the Dmax.
Tones
-- Edited by Tones on Saturday 13th of April 2019 10:09:24 AM
-- Edited by Tones on Saturday 13th of April 2019 10:45:34 AM
Hi Warren. After I had the extra leaf added to the rear suspension I found virtually no difference in the ride when not towing. With leaf springs the ride is harder than with coils but is still comfortable.
I think the standard set up with Isuzu is a compromise for towing and not towing. If towing, I think the extra leaf is wise.
Hi warren I have an izuzu 2017 spacecab and put a csm canopy on and a fridge and some tools and draws and that weight approx 600 kg flattened the leaf spring and I had not even put the van on.I went to carolls springs in Brisbane and put 2 extra HD sprrings efs shocks and new front coil springs ,they also reset the new springs the ride is great when loaded but when empty can be a bit bouncy on outback highways.As I am on the road for a while I carry to much weight therefore I am increasing my gvm to 3600 kg and gcm to 7000 kg through Lovell's suspension upgrade and will be selling my current shocks springs if any one is interested but I would go to the place you described as they sound like they no what there talking about I have to go to Lovell's more to be legal hope this helps. I my ute has just passed 63000 kms and has not missed a beat cheers
Hi,
Back ground, avid Four wheel driver with both Toyotas, Nissans etc in 4wd clubs over many years starting in 1980.
As far as I am concerned and as I have done with my current Dmax which is now 7 years old the only way with suspension upgrades is to get a reputable after market kit which in my case was Tough Dog.
Very happy with my car and this set up. As far as I am concerned adding leaves etc is just a bandaid solution which sooner or later will sag back to original. Have been down this road adding leaves etc to a number of leaf sprung vehicles in the past,never been happy at the end of the day.
Good luck with your choice. Dmax is a good reliable vehicle in all other respects. Had two now over a ten year period. Nil problems other than hating the original suspension setup.
All my opinions only.
Cheers AL.
Hi tough dog and dobinsons are setting up there legal upgrades in NSW and Vic the only companies that can give a legal gvm are Lovell's ,pedders and ironman as far as I know cheers
Hi Travelyounger I have no personal experiences and I am only going by other posts I have read on this forum but I was under the impression that you could only upgrade your GVM but your GCM remains the same could you please expand on this please. Landy
I recommend Greens in South Grafton if you have an issue with your suspension. They put an extra leaf in my BT50 which I am very happy with, it made the suspension firmer but not rough. Greens told me to stay away from after market suspension as they are of very poor quality. After market springs are from China and the Australian companies put their brand on them.
Thanks Travelounger. unfortunately we are based in Vic but that's just another case of Australia needing national road laws.
Alright so just a hypothetical. If you were to buy a registered Dmax in NSW and take it strait to Lovells
And get the upgrade done, before bringing it to vic and re-registering it would it lose its upgraded GCM and GVM on re-registering? Landy.
Hi Warren 2 things to be careful on 2017 + D Max the new 6 speed auto converter lock is not speed controlled and generally when towing in drive will stay in 4th gear and if you select manual you have to be over 100 kph in 5th to keep converter locked once under 100 kph converter lock can drop out and they will very quickly overheat trans and lights come on hence IUA promoting not using manual mode this unfortunately gives around 18/20 lph when towing the other issue is front wheel allignment if you load the rear + a caravan the toe in toe out will vary up to 8mm causing low tyre life IUA's answer is to rotate tyres regularly What I have done is wheel align with and without caravan and have 2 marks on front track rods and set accordingly the tyres are original and now approaching 50 k and still reasonable I noticed tyre wear at 20k so I am happy with tyres also I don't use load levellers and usually around 5000 kg total
Bill Morley