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EFS springs - but what constant weight?

SteveS

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Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
630
I'd like to gauge thoughts on choice of HD spring for my overland build LC100 (see Hedgehog in the overland build section). EFS springs on the rear and they can be sourced by how much constant weight on the axle. They are rated as constant +300kg, constant +200-250, constant +200, constant +150-200.

So:
1 - is the rating per spring or per axle?
2 - I have the following major weight changes but essentially this is for a permanently rigged overlander which will be close to GVW max

3rd row seats out -25kg
2nd row seats out -40kg
Full 120 litre second tank +160kg
Full 55 litre water tank +55kg
Full length Hannibal roof rack +26kg
Roof Top Tent +45kg
Black widow drawer system +75kg
ARB bumper/wheel carrier +75kg

totalling 371kg plus all the other weight for overlanding.....equals total weight excluding passengers of 800kg. Not all of this is over the rear axle - but approx. 75% as an estimate?

This points to 600kg over the rear wheels and therefore +300kg springs?? However, about 100kg is not constant so potentially could be the 200-250kg spec ones. Given a preference I'd prefer to have the truck sitting up a bit at the back rather than level.....so again suggests the 300kg spec.

Currently fitted with OME +2" which sit level but not yet fully loaded truck. Truck has OME +2" torsion on the front

Welcome your thoughts on the above
 
Forgot to reply to this thread when I first saw it, and have just stumbled across it again. Apologies.

We had EFS suspension fitted to our FZJ105 in Brisbane after we'd finished off the Pedders kit that was on the truck when we bought it. We'd been doing prolonged corrugations in 45C heat through Outback NSW, so it had had a hard time! We took the truck to Direct Suspensions on the outskirts of Brisbane and they assessed what would be the best setup.

As ours has the lighter petrol engine up front they recommended the +90kg front springs (we have a full front bumper and winch fitted), at the rear they recommended the strongest springs that they do for the 105, as we have drawers, 60L fridge freezer, 40L water tank, a rear bar with twin swingouts, two spare wheels, a highlift jack, sand ladders, and a 150L auxiliary fuel tank all at the rear (plus spares, tools and up to 60L of drinking water amidships). I seem to remember that the rear springs were something like +500kg, but the paperwork is with the car so I can't check. EFS XTR shocks (which have a pretty big bore) were fitted all round.

The truck was tall with the Pedders suspension fitted, but when we collected it after the EFS was installed, WOW! I think the springs were billed as 50mm lift, but it was more like 75mm at a minimum. It looked great and rode and handled very well. The rear airbags weren't really needed anymore. During the rest of the trip we did 4000+ miles on this set up and never wanted for more, it handled the weight of the fully loaded rig very well.

Obviously there are suspension differences between the 100 and 105, but the rear set up shouldn't be too far off, although I think the 105 has a narrower rear axle? I think it still has the 80 axles, where as the 100 looks to have a wider rear axle the wheels not having the wheel offset that the 105 has. So I'm not sure if the springs would be the same, but the rating shouldn't be far off.

Steve, I have before and after shots on the phone, it's not convenient to post them on here at the moment, but if you'd like to see them, drop me an email via a PM and I'll fire them across.

Cheers.
 
I have the EFS set up too and I am very pleased with it. I have absolute confidence that when the rest of the weight goes on, the truck will hardly feel it. Can't recall what I ordered actually but it was in the region of +550 on the rear. My set up reads very similarly to yours in terms of equipment. I'll have to check the invoice to see what the springs were.
 
Thanks for the feedback on the springs. I am being recommended 116HDE model +2" and 250kg constant load. But the 113HHDE model is same but with 350kg constant. I put the truck on a weighbridge at the weekend, and armed with my weight sheet I know that with the drawers, roof rack, single wheel carrier, long range tank with full 122litres of diesel and 96 in the main, RTT currently on the truck the axle is at 1740kg. So halved that 870kg per spring. The incremental load that that represents seems more applicable to the 113HHDE model.

Chris/Scott - I'd be interested in what you actually have fitted to your trucks. Perhaps you could let me know. Scott - I'll PM my details across

Currently running OME863s which are +200kg but only 10mm lift....and it is starting to look 'flat' on the road....so I'm worried about that getting worse when the rest of the overland kit goes in. I was recommended OME864s with +400kg. The OMEs only have 10mm lift at spec weight so not so good. I'll be around axle max weight of 1950kg when fully loaded
 
Steve, your in luck, I was just sorting through some paperwork and found the EFS suspension receipt! Fitted to our FZJ105 are:
TLC-102HDE Coil spring TOY 80/105 FRT
37-6000 EFS XTR Shock absorber

TLC-113HHDE Coil spring TOY 80/100 XUD Rear
37-6001 EFS XTR Shock absorber

Hope that helps.
 
Pedders: (the Land Cruiser was bought with this suspension fitted, it was sitting well at the start of the trip, but couldn't cope with the use, environmental conditions, and load. This isn't a jibe at Pedders, as the suspension was spec'd (by the previous owner) for the LC when it had less kit on it).
Pedders.JPG

EFS:
EFS.JPG
 
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Steve, your in luck, I was just sorting through some paperwork and found the EFS suspension receipt! Fitted to our FZJ105 are:
TLC-102HDE Coil spring TOY 80/105 FRT
37-6000 EFS XTR Shock absorber

TLC-113HHDE Coil spring TOY 80/100 XUD Rear
37-6001 EFS XTR Shock absorber

Hope that helps.

Thanks Scott - that confirms what I thought the 113HHDEs are the right ones for what I need. On my Hedgehog build thread today I posted the overland weights/heights and the rear is definitely sagging on the OME 863s.....
 
So after a bit more homework the table below is a summary of the different specs of the springs [Disclaimer - do your own homework do not trust my figures] for the 100 Series. Note that for the same EFS spring the constant ratings for an 80 are higher....I think possibly because it is naturally lighter at the back and you'd have to load it more to get to the same point....guess.

So when we loaded up the truck with a nearly full overland weight we got the measurements above. This was on the OME 2863 spring. Given the performance of that, and that it is a +10mm spring, and that I am keen not to have a ride that is tooooooo stiff, but is a bit perkier at the back I think my best compromise is to go for the EFS 113HDE. This has +40mm of lift over the OME, 20% increase in the spring rate (305 vs 250) and +100kg on the constant load. Although not tested on particularly rough ground the existing OMEs did well and provided a smooth and controlled ride with the full weight in......so I think to try to retain a bit of that smoothness and not to go to mad when I switch to EFS. These will also provide a less jiggly ride when not a full load (e.g. empty tanks, not in full overland mode etc). It will be a suck n see and will hopefully be better than the current set-up. I'll test them around Iceland and across Europe this summer and report back. The worse that can happen is I need to buy beefier springs....so keep an eye out on the second hand market :)

The constant weight on my truck is approx. 300-330kg
Rear Spring Comparison Table
BrandModelRate lbsConstant kglift in mm
OME286325020010Current
OME286432040010
EFS116HDE30525050
EFS113HDE30530050Selected
EFS113HHDE36035050
Notes:
Constant weight is the weight per axle (so half on each wheel)
Figures for constant are for 100 series - may differ for other series
 
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