Rob S

Hi all! Just a quick note before I jump on a plane. Was great to see so many of the team that I learned off-roading with, and some of the older carnity crew who I learnt from and planted the seed of off roading. Every venture into the desert is a learning one, but this one definitely lots of learning! Thanks to @Gaurav and @Frederic for the course. Thanks to @ASAD. and @Waqas Parvez for the food and the rest of the crew for the questions, comments and discussions. Look forward to being out in the desert again soon. Sorry @Davie Chase I don't remember any football on Saturday

I believe we were both skilled at getting crested in out early driving careers, we did dig you out on a few occasions. As you will be absent, ill happily take your place if a subject is required to be “crested” 🤣🤣🤣 attached was my last experience with mr @GauravSoni we managed to dig 2 of them out!

I'll be repping the white Toyota's 🥳

I will aim to arrive around sunset and pitch up camp by start point

☹️☹️☹️☹️

Most welcome, look forward to making your drive a little more entertaining

Cracking drive yesterday! Everyone drove well, no pop-outs, no overheating cars, just two crestings (mentioning no names :p) that were resolved with a rope. First time my shovel has stayed in the car for a while!! Thanks @Islam Soliman for great drive, well done to @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler at SL and @Zixuan Huang - Charlie in the middle. great to catch up with some old friends and meet some new faces @Beide Worku and @Gok Krish see you all again soon

Sitting at the airport thought i would finally type quick article on my experience on prado suspension. I drove stock up till drive 6 or 7 of fewbie plus level, but started to feel the rear end was very “bouncy” when driving over multiple bumps. So, my aim of suspension focused on better “dampening” than going for “lift”. However, afterwards, i did notice benefit of the lift with ridge riding being much more fun without ploughing through the crest but riding above/on it! Because i was after better dampening mainly, and watching used prices of remote reservoir kits holding their value whilst traditional “twin tube” plummeting in value i decided to “invest once” and went for remote reservoir models. The added benefit here was that i could adjust to harder setting for desert, and softer for the road! WIN WIN! TYPES: ”spring lift kit/spacer” - cheapest option but doesnt help with dampening, so i cant recommend this option. Also, dont know a prado owner that has gone this route. ”twin tube” - a few options, the dobinsons ones are bright yellow so you cant miss them. Stronger that factory, usually matched with a stiffer spring with around 2inch lift. Around 3-5k dhs. “remote reservoir adjustable” - kings, radflo, rogue, dobinsons, pro fender all have options and range from about 6k-20k. My budget narrowed me into dobinsons or rogue, both around 9/10k. Low speed, high speed and rebound adjustable which i feel very important if car is also your daily driver! “Long travel” twin shocks - didnt even check the price or consider, but sometimes seen on prados but more often FJs. For these you need also lower arm kits as you have 2 dampers per side on the front setup. No real comments here as no experience. They do look cool though! THE EXTRAS: the main reason for actually writing this article, choosing the suspension was the easy part! Ill focus on dobinsons here as this is what i fitted but i believe its similar amongst others. Upper arms - lots of confusing info, do you need? General guidance was required if 2.5inch lift or above. Beneficial if over 1.5inch lift. As i went for 2inch lift i was caught in the middle. Benefits are: better clearance of springs for more “drop” and correction of caster angle. I felt having correct vehicle dynamics was important to me, so i went for a set! Diff drop - again, lots of confusing info, required for 2.5inch lift of above was the advice, though some garages say not required for 2.5inch. I went without and no issues or concerns as yet! tie bar spacers - very little about these “added extras”. 250-300dhs i think. Recommended to avoid tie bars clashing with other parts after the lift. I opted for a set of these too. After fitting garage told me they are very important. after 4-6months i can say i am really happy with the offroad and onroad performance and no regrets, Hope the above helps! tagging @Waqas Parvez and @ASAD. for their input having going through similar exercises!

Thanks for the tag! Just updated the post on prado section with some additional comments

A fair few months on i wanted to update this post. Im still of the opinion that 265/70 is better for the desert than a 265/65. However, when i got to fewbie plus level and criss crossing i sometimes found rubbing issue on the left hand wheel, when steering left, it would rub slightly on the back of the wheel arch. Ive since found that my shock bushes and lower arm bushes were worn and could have resulted in extra movements. If you want to play it safe and ensure zero rubbing, id suggest 265/65. would welcome other comments. Now with new bushes, lift kit etc etc i rarely get any rubbing.

Congrats Mr @M.Seidam! Hope to join u on a drive again soon!

Well done buddy! Welcome to the support team @Vaibhav! Class of winter 2021/22 🥳

BOOM! Congrats @Simon Dawood, not seen you for a while but look forward to driving again with you soon! Keep up the reputation of the Class of winter 2021/22 🤣