I have a 2014 Isuzu D max that I have had since new. I have about 70,000 on the clock and recently have noticed that the rear springs have flattened out. It does not ride any differently but still gave me a bit of a surprise given that it has a tow limit of 3500 and a ball weight capacity of 350kg. I have a Windsor van that weighs about 2200 gross.
I contacted Isuzu for their advice and just got the usual spiel about not being able to recommend anything so tried the dealer. They gave me the same spiel so I have given up there. What I have done is contact Pedders, Dobinson and one other who all have upgrades for about $2k plus. these upgrades give a lift of about 40mm. Now I have been told that if you lift the ute by that much it puts added strain on the CV.
Has anyone had an upgrade done to their tug, whether it be an Isuzu or another make. I was told that if I added an extra spring that I would need to do something with the front end as well. I think I will go down the upgrade way but do I need to have the car lifted as well? I think the new leaf springs are set at a weight of about 280kgs. Does this mean that my fillings will fall out if I hit a bump when empty or not towing?
Any advice with personal views or experience would be most welcome.
I had an extra leaf put both sides of rear springs from new and my just under 2.7t aluminium teepee when hooked up to my 2014 Colorado tows nice and level and feels very comfy with or without the teepee on the back. It raised the Collie 50mm at rear but all seems good so far and it's been nearly 4 years. Mmmm, where did that 4 years go
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Edit....Ooops, forgot to say, Pedders did the job for me.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Tuesday 8th of May 2018 05:34:05 PM
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DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
I have Pedders springs and shocks on the rear of our BT50, no further work required, sits nice and level with a ball weight of about 270kg. No WDH, all good. Can post more details if required.
I currently have a 2012 DMAX as per avatar photo and had the same suspension issues as yourself some years ago. Having been down the path of adding leaves etc and finding the results not at all to my liking in the past with other 4x4's I replaced my entire suspension with Tough Dog items from Opposite Lock. To be fair my ute is quite heavy having , canopy, long range tank and roller drawers with assicoiate bits n pieces and then putting the caravan on was a bit much for the standard suspension. I would also add that I am not pro airbags on leaf spring suspended vehicles as a fix either. Well worth the expense as the car was transformed both empty and loaded.....even my non car type wife commented how much better it rode. From a safety perspective I was glad I made the change.
Cheers AL
-- Edited by sandgrooper1 on Thursday 10th of May 2018 01:02:28 PM
Hey sandgrooper1, I think in the long run what you did is best. I'm going to do the same on mine. Hey DMaxer I think the stock suspension is ok for the short term, odd trip away. My space cab has the extra spring from factory compared to the duel cabs and it tows nice for now. I'm looking to keep Maxine for quite awhile so I'm investing in the gear to do the job long term including the GVM upgrade. In regards to the front CV's there is a bit of angle on the cv's that can be made worse the higher you lift it. From my reading on the D-max forum more than a 2inch lift starts to cause concern. A diff drop kit helps reduce this angle. You can upgrade the front without lifting it much. Hope this helps.
Hi, try joining a Dmax owners group, i am sure there would be one on FB. lots of people have a wealth of knowledge and experience. you might get your answer there,
Be very wary of adding airbags to a leaf sprung ute.
The chassis is designed for the load to be distributed over the spring pickup points and there have been a lot of utes breaking the chassis above the axles where air bags have been fitted on the axle. Look it up on the web.
I upgraded my 2011 DMax in 2014 (50K) and tow a van 27500kg, since the upgrade in which I replaced the leaf springs and installed "Air Bags' I have traveled a further (50k) without any problems. I have read the posts about Air bags but I only inflate mine too 20lb max and only when towing without any problems. My van sits better, travels better and have virtually know sway at all when "B" doubles pass. It did raise the back a little but again had know issues with the front end. My upgrade was done by my mechanic at the time, his only comment was that if you upgrade ensure you use Aussie steel springs they are the best you can get. I'm sure that if you do the full upgrade you will be very happy with the result!
Thanks for the replies. I have spoken with a fellow from Pedders who informed me I can have an upgrade to the suspension to improve the towing which will not result in any lift to the height of the ute.
I got back in touch with Isuzu and informed them I did not want any recommendation or warranty work, just their advice as to what I should do to remedy the situation. Should I get an upgrade, if so, what type of upgrade. No brands or recommended dealers, just what type of upgrade. Their answer? You guessed it. "We can not comment as we have not tested any products"
If you're going to do long outback dirt roads you need shocks designed for it. Basic Pedders, Dobinsons etc will fail in short order. Big tube or remote reservoir units are the go.
