l/cruiser ute

Hi Rabbitoh
We bought our ute new in 2007 after selling a dx 80 series.
The back seat was always out of the 80 series so the upgrade to the ute with aluminium back on with all the extra space with security is great.
The comfort factor ---- first trip across to WA via the Nullabor to explor Cape Arid and the southern coastline beaches of WA etc was great but the ride was a tad rough when compared with the 80.
While in kalgoorlie I spoke with two locals with a similar setup to ours asked what they had done to thier landcruisers to improve the comfort.
Returning home I replaced the OE shocks with Konis and fitted the air springs I had bought in Kalgoorlie.
I run the bags at 30 psi about town and 40 psi when loaded and towing and the comfort is fine. I adjust the psi with a bicycle pump which is quick and easy.

I've done about 90K in mine, much of it offroad (Kimberly, Red Centre, Vic High Country, Pilbara, Cape York, etc). From day one it's had OME suspension and airbags in the rear to adjust for load, as well as 33" muddies - Comfort wise it's fine. Often do 10+ hrs behind the wheel with no issues.

But ...... I'm a tallish guy (6'3") and the factory seats were not comfortable at all. The best improvement for comfort I did was to ditch the horrible drivers seat and put a Recaro in.

Just something to consider ................

John

We put 50mm foam under the seat covers and a lumber support pillow on the back and the seats are fine ,air bags on the back and decent tyres made a big difference .

I have a 2009 GXL old dash (no airbags) version. As supplied it was the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever travelled in. The standard seat was terrible. Could not travel in it for more than a half hour without back pain. I am about six feet tall.

All fixed with a Stratos suspension seat. I considered Recaros (I have two old ones) but I thought the suspension seat was the better choice and after 48,000k including 3 Simpson Desert crossings plus the CSR I reckon I made the right choice.

I have fitted Koni 82 series shocks. Their effect on comfort is marginal. They were useful on the Canning though. The ride improves with a bit of a load. Mostly I drive mine either with no load at all, not even a spare tyre, or fully loaded. Ride is OK

I do find the ute a bit short on seat adjustment. I would like to be able to move the seat one notch further back.

All in all I find the comfort level quite satisfactory and prefer to drive it rather than the work sedans and wagons.

Flynnie

I find that's spot on, the ride is pretty rough with no load (we had a '05 79 series amongst a few older models in the past).

For those of you with air bags (we had some when we had an 80 series) you could check out your nearest local bicycle store, they have "shock pumps" designed for mountain bike suspension. Very good if you want to put an accurate amount in and not lose any air when you're taking the pump off! Some of the air chambers on the front forks of a mountain bike are very small so that kind of precision is required, I used to be a pretty avid mountain bike rider and Hubby always used the shock pump for the air bags and thought it worked great.

I’ve got he VDJ79R – Jan 2010 (airbag). One of the best things for ironing out the rough ride is slipping 500mm extra length into the chassis. Vehicle handled so much better after I had the cut and shut done. I’ve reworked the suspension, and had an engineered GVM upgrade but I still find it’s rougher than the GU Nissan. Still manageable though. If anything, the hardest thing to get used to is the cramped cabin size compared to the GU Pootrol (or 80 or 100 series). Bloody great vehicle though. Just luv that V8 grunt!

Creating the dream off-roader.

Cheers Mick

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I have a 2004 79 series and initially had replacement front coils, shocks all round, and the rear leaves reset to give a 2" lift. The ride was better than before but still firm. On the advice of a good friend who previously had the same model and now the later V8 model, I had an extra leaf fitted in the rear leaves. I cannot believe the improvement in ride. Done by a spring specialist (read blacksmith) at modest cost, it has improved the ride to quite comfortable standard. I can recommend this mod as a worthwhile one for long trip comfort.

Cheers

Let me get this right.
You have a brand new vehicle for which you paid around $60-70K.
In order to make it driveable, you have to remove all the suspension and shock absorbers and replace them all with aftermarket stuff.
Then you rip out the original seats and replace them with something else so it is comfortable to drive for long periods.

Why not buy something more comfortable in the first place??

Disco

Hi, we have a current model (airbag update) 79 series gxl cab chassis with an alloy tray with an Outback Tray Topper camper on it.
Standard suspension and tyres although we added a set of air bags to bring the rear up level when loaded.
We have just got back from 3 months touring the kimberley mast of the north and found the ride loaded up like this to be excellent.
Unloaded the ride is very firm but that is what you get with a vehicle designed to carry 1 tonne.
The standard seats were comfortable and stood up to the dirt and dust with a set of genuine canvass seat covers. The only problem with the c/c is a lack of storage space in the cab.
We also added an aftermarket cruise control so you can give your foot a rest on the long driving days.
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We travelled with another couple in a Hilux dual cab with the dual cab version of the Outback Tray Topper.
Both are excellent for a touring holiday.