I have just bought a new Cruiser ( Sahara ) and find it very bouncy towing the van, I have put Air Bags in it and when the van is on they are at 30 PSI, 5 PSI with no van. The van is a 22 ' Traveller and I feel it is well balanced when being towed, the local ARB store has recommended OLD MAN EMU suspension , I dont want a lift kit in the car but they recommend 25 mm lift at the front and standard height at the rear but stiffer springs allround. They are saying it will handle Off road and On Road much better, Off road doesnt concern me as I only do beach stuff and gravel roads, Im not into Rock Hopping or Hill Climbing. 99% of the time its on the black stuff and usually towing.
Has anyone had experience in OLD MAN EMU on new cruisers.
Hi Perry we have a 2016 Sahara with a GVM upgrade. Very happy with the result. Had this done pre registration so canāt tell you what it was like but certainly very happy with it towing a heavy Kedron caravan. I know you said you are not interested in a lift kit but not sure if they can beef the suspension without a lift of some sort . Ours lifted.60mm rear and 25mm on the the front which makes it sit fairly level. With the Sahara loaded and the van ball weight 290kg it hardly sags .
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Hi
The front will come up 25 mm and the rear stay at the same height by using heavier springs apparently, I dont want to put a couple of grand into suspension with no noticable result. The ARB store says it will handle much better On Road and Towing, but he is trying to sell accessories after all. I may try the Weight Distribution bars. Thanks for the help.
Cheers
Perry
Hi Perry I currently tow our van with a 200 LC , our ball weight is 280kg , I use the HR WDH as it sags a bit without it , it tows fine with the hitch , however I am going to fit the GVM upgrade as I want to add further weight to the car , I'm hoping after that I don't need the hitch . I did the same with a ranger and fitted OME suspension and it towed great without the hitch . Hey Dhutime what weight springs were fitted with ur upgrade 350 ,400 /500kg , do you still use a hitch ?
The luxury vehicles tend to have softer settings in shock absorbers. I would say upgrading them would solve most issues . New Cruisers are built more for tarmac and a little off road . But still have limousine ride .
If you told OME the same as you said I first post Iām sure theyāll supply a good package . Havnāt heard any bad comments of their product . Only owners selecting suspension not appropriate to their needs.
The way I see it is this, if you have spent enough money to buy a 200 series Landcruiser Sahara, which are not cheap, why quibble over a couple of grand if it makes the vehicle more fit for purpose and therefore safer to boot?
Standard suspension on the majority of vehicles produced is a happy medium between all uses which means that your own personal use for the vehicle may require remedial attention, as I found with mine as well.
OME have been around a long time and have a good name, personally I went with Tough Dog equipment and after nearly 6 years on the car have no complaints.
Good luck with your choice.
AL
-- Edited by sandgrooper1 on Tuesday 26th of June 2018 11:40:32 AM
Perry - do yourself a favour and check out the competition before making a decision. Not saying ARB stuff isn't good - just that there are plenty of alternatives and you really should get a few more opinions before buying.
Hi Mezza59 WA Suspension did our upgrade and going by memory we went for the medium so 400 .I still use the Reese hitch plus the Easy Hitch. Tried with and with out the WDB and rides better and smoother with . But every rig is set up different so itās a matter or trial and error.
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Keep your eyes open so you can see where you are heading
Have a 2017 VX 200, standard suspension, 240kg ball weight, using Hayman Reese 600lb WDH - result is amazingly stable and the car is dead level when towing, I would explore a bit before "upgrading", personally I think it is a bit of a fad with questionable need in a lot of cases.
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"life is too short to spend it with people who suck the happiness out of you"
Perry, all my towing guides indicate "Load level hitch req.) Are you doing what Toyota recommend and are using a WDH? Try that before wasting money on upgrading your suspension.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
Thanks for all the Comments and opinions, I spoke to Coastal 4X4 in Jandakot Perth today and they recommend Bilstien shocks on any branded spring, raise the front by 50 mm and the rear at standard height, just to level the vehicle out a little.
Hi don't know how many times I have done this but here goes yes I do have a lc200 air bags do nothing but lift the rear end
. First if you have any extras fitted that is extra weight, so load the vehicle with what you would want to travel with ,mum ,kids ,dog whatever and go to weigh bridge ,compare that weight to gvm on makers plate.
Then say your tow ball weight is 250 kg add that to the weigh bridge readout. If under plated gvm your ok then use wdh to transfer weight to front wheels.
Like a lot of others I was caught out by the ball weigth. And i all ready had a 2inch old man emu kit fitted.
Arb have a standard upgrade kit designed and approved that increases the gvm by 280 kg all with old man emu and a lot cheaper than others .hope this helps.
Thanks for all the Comments and opinions, I spoke to Coastal 4X4 in Jandakot Perth today and they recommend Bilstien shocks on any branded spring, raise the front by 50 mm and the rear at standard height, just to level the vehicle out a little.
Cheers Perry
Hi Perry...it all is very nice to have the vehicle level,but,believe me,your biggest concern should be having too much weight on your cars rear axle,which is rated at only 1950kg. Remember,280kg towball weight adds roughly 400kg to your rear axle.I havent been following the thread,but the ease with which the rear axle is overloaded is one of the 200s biggest problems.Good luck with your research,but I suspect that youll need a GVM upgrade to 3850kg....Safe and happy travels to all.Cheers.
