With 30,000 ks on the kumho's and a planned trip to cape York and birdsville coming up at months end bit the bullet today and ordered hd springs from crdstu for the front to counteract the weight of the ecb bar and a set of 265/65/18 bf Goodrich ta ko light truck tyres.
What a performance locating tyres and huge variations in price. Very few light truck spec tyres available here and where they are they are $500 each. Purchased from Cornell's in Sydney eventually who were about the same price, landed, as tire rack. With freight and fitting paid $400 each.
The new springs will level up the GC nicely, currently 50 mm lower at the front and Stu from Crdstu has recommended his hd springs which will lift the front by 40 mm. With this lift at the front plus the extra 12 mm from the tyres all round and the front mudflaps removed we should have enough clearance for the OTT.
Will give it a good test at the jeep jamboree on the way up the coast where there will be plenty of people to rescue us if needed.
Tyres and springs being fitted by frankston jeep on the 20 th so I will post a photo once done.
Thanks for the info re the tyres - I was looking at the same tyre from Tirerack in the US....
I'll check out Cornells to see what they can do for 4 into the Gold Coast. Best price I can get locally is $525 ea fitted!!!
I've had great results from that tyre on several Patrols - they'll do the Cape and Birdsville no worries.
We're getting organised for a Simpson trip in early June next year.
John
Good to hear of your positive experience with the bfg. Phone number for Cornell's is 02 95024666 and ask for Andrew . Be patient they are pretty busy probably cause they sell tyres at the right price!.
Hi hickers
You will be happy with the tire and springs
Here is a picky of ours the day after I installed the full lift from crd stu it makes the GC look the way it should from factory
Have had the lift in for 6 months and BFG 265/65/18 AT's for 10,000km now, on road handling is the same, off road it's a new beast, the tires are a little bit louder on road but nothing annoying, off road they give you the confidence your not going to kill them on a pebble
I'd recommend the full lift, especially if your going to tow
Yep it is plastidip, 1 can per wheel
It is holding up very well, 6 months + have been through high pressure drive through car wash many times and no problems
The only place it is coming off is where rocks have scratched the rim while 4wding and that is more a problem of wheel off set
If you want to see how your GC will look with black wheels (or any other colour ) it is a good cheap way and will hold up for a surprisingly long time
Yoda
Hi Yoda, Stu couldnt supply rear springs to suit the diesel due to some issues with the self levelling shocks otherwise i would have just lifted it. looking forward to picking it up today with a level profile, the front bar delivered a 50mm difference in height! and my new bfg's. i have been advised to run 43psi in them by BFG and from what i can see in various forums people are suggesting 25/30 on gravel and 12/18 on sand. what has worked for you? Many thanks.
Dobinsons list a different spring for the self levelling rear shock. Not entirely certain but I think it may just be a different spring rate. There might be a different diameter as the self levelling shock is wider than the standard one.
Hi Matty
Got 4 cans including freight to Darwin for $120, off EBay seller I think they were in Melbourne
At least with the plasti dip you can just peal it off if you don't like it, the powder coat is permanent
Yoda
Thanks Yoda, i will give those pressures a go. interesting discovery when changing spare wheel, the self drilling screw used to attach the earth wire when the long range tank was installed was poking 7 mm into the tyre well. anyone who has a tank installed should check that is not the same for them.
Car feels much firmer, both because of the tyres and the new front springs, but i did notice the extra tyre noise, will have to turn up the sound!!
After 4 days of intensive 4wd action at the jeep club jamboree I have arranged to have a 30 mm lift in the rear by dobinsons in Rockhampton . We managed to rip the battery compartment plugs out, pull the fuel line out of its under car mounting brackets and put multiple dents in the long range tank. A little more lift will help and is vital if going offroad in steep and rocky terrain.
Other wise the jeep was awesome and went everywhere it was asked which included plenty of tough track sections. Photos at
Thanks, was two wk2 with quadra lift on the last and most difficult day and they had a much better run in regard to ground clearance though all got to do some "belly rubbing"
I put Crdstu springs in the front, 40 mm, stu had no rear springs to suit, the 40 mm levelled the car up which was lower than normal due to the weight of the roo bar. Stu told me the factory springs were soft and didn't carry weight well. I was concerned that I would end up nose up but stu was spot on.
Now I am adding a 30 mm lift to the rear which will put the car slightly nose down as per standard but with about a 25/28 mm lift in the rear from the springs plus 13 mm from the tyres.
It does need lifting for any serious off road work and I will look to putting a guard on the battery compartment and fuel/brake lines after our experience. Hopefully I can get some photos underneath while dobinsons fit up the rear springs. If so I will post them to the photobucket site.
Sitting in loyalty camp grounds in seisa cape York, now about 5000 k into our trip. Spent today doing northern section of the telegraph track, twice! Though we did thigh high crossings thought waist high water at Nolan's creek was too much of a risk so back we went. Our GC was awesome, has done everything we, and the track, demanded . Off to the very top tomorrow and I will post some of the photos shortly on the photobucket site.
Don't ever think your GC won't do everything the toyosan brigade does, And in in more comfort. Tele track was well chopped up at river crossings with plenty of vertical lips from people spinning up their big muddie tyres and huge boggy ruts in places. Traction control was working overtime!!
Ps very happy I added the 30 mm lift springs in the back we had fitted in Rockhampton at dobinsons. Made a lot of difference off road and surprisingly a more supple ride on road.