dobinsons springs

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Have any of you guys/gals had any experience with Dobinsons springs.My 73 is due for spring replacement and there is some big differences in price .You can get bottom end springs for about $550 but are made in India and SE Asia and apparrently give a shithouse ride. There are others a bit dearer which are a combo of imported and local steel.For a bit more at $790 I can get Dobinsons which are suppposed to be all BHP steel and give a good ride.I cant really afford the really expensive ones at the moment but I have to do something soon. Confused

Something I found out was the 73 series use 75 series on the front and 60 series on the rear Cool

Joined: 04 Nov 2002 Location: sydney

Try giving Sam from OVERKILL a P.M. i know hes fitted dobinsons leave springs to a 70series that has a spring over.I think the springs are also lifted.
I belive they ride quite well for liffted spring and flex well to.

Joined: 22 Oct 2003 Location: Melb, Victoria

I haven't got a Toyota, but I've got a Rangie with 4" lifted dobinson springs, and I'm really happy, on and off road..
they have heaps of travel, but are tighter than the stockies on road..
I also got ne wridepro shocks at the same time though, I'm sure that would have helped.

Joined: 14 Oct 2003

They are excellent springs.
Dobinsons have been making springs for 50 years.
They are not big on advertising but their quality is high and the one year guarantee is sound.

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Too late anyway I bought the last of the bits and pieces today and its all laying on the shed floor till I got enough for 5 33x15x12.5 at $260 ea

Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Townsville.

I have dobinsons in my fj40 the frount are ok but the rear are as stiff as hell and it leans about 2in to the drivers side. took it back to the joint that put them on and they told me that my chassis is bent. but both shackles are on difrent aingles and you can see the difrence from side to side when you look at the gap betwen the diff houseing and the bump stop. I don't know if the fact that my cruiser did not get driven for about 1 year after I put them on had anything to do with it but the end state is I spent a packet on springs that were suposed to be the duck's guts they have done about 200 km and they are stuffed. Dobinsons? yeah their GREAT Mad

Joined: 13 Dec 2003 Location: U.S. of freakin' A.

You guys can get Old Man Emu there can't you? I've been well impressed with them so far...

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 1:27 am

Chef wrote:

You guys can get Old Man Emu there can't you? I've been well impressed with them so far...

yeah allan we can get em here mate (they are Australian made) Very Happy

yeah they are a great leaf spring but are mainly sold and used as a "tourer" suspension kit.... i have them on my bj73 middy and they are pretty old but they flex up great at the moment as they have been on the vehicle for a while now at least 6 years they are starting to sag on the drivers side but i will soon be reseting them... i have seen fieldsy leafs and i must say i wood not be happy with the service he got either Rolling Eyes

epsecially when you spend a bucket load of money for a so called quality name......

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 1:35 am

roscoFJ73 wrote:

Something I found out was the 73 series use 75 series on the front and 60 series on the rear Cool

ive measured up my rears to a pair of 60 series rears and the 60 series rears a at least 2inches longer as for the front they are very close to the 75 series...... but hey...... im just gonna put a full set of custom made 60 series leafs under me middy hehehehe im getting em for 100 bucks armsup

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Jake I got that off TJM, Dobinsons and others.How did you measure them.
If you use 60 series all around ,wont one end be higher than the other?

Mine went on ok and with the new 33x10.5 BFG,I lifted it up 5 inches. 2in lift +got rid of a 2in sag + 1in from going to a 33 from a 31 in tyre.
Suspension centre that done my wheel alignment reckon I will have bump steer at high speed because my front shackles are too vertical and he wanted to flatten them out and drop it an inch .I didnt let him as I havent noticed any bump steer except very minor about 60-80klm.
I m amazed at the improvement in ride with the new suspension and tyres,it just seem to float over anything,on or off road
Anyway with tyres ,all new suspension (except shocks as my old ones were ok) I spent $1966 including labour.Not bad as Pedders quoted me $1800 just for the suspension.

Joined: 24 Aug 2003 Location: Launceston

Quote:

Anyway with tyres ,all new suspension (except shocks as my old ones were ok) I spent $1966 including labour.Not bad as Pedders quoted me $1800 just for the suspension.

hey Rosco, what was the breakdown on that price? dobinsons?? ive fitted my 33" to my middy, need lift (going for 2", that seems the consenus) get rub when brake and turn. Twisted Evil

standard springs, looks cool though Very Happy

5" seems like a lot, can you post any pics so i can compare???

Cheers
Lance

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Here goes bluey -springs Dobinsons from TJM $526,u/bolts/sway bar mount d bush kit/sway bar vert link bush/frt rear $159 greasable shackles 4x$15greasable pins 4x$14 labour $380 inc cost of broken drag links and some other stuff
Total for suspension $1221.
Tyres 2x BFG 33X10.5X15 $506 3XBFG 33x10.5x15 with 90% tread $250.
Total for tyres $756 + wheel alignment $44 = $800
Total $2021.
I didnt have the receipts in front of me before and did not include the wheel alignment which is why it is $60 higher,buts thats it give or take a few bucks.
I got the springs at a discount as they originally forgot the GST in the quote and decided not to charge me.They were still cheaper by a few hundred than the official dobinsons agent inWA ($790)
The rear springs were light duty 60 series as I didnt want a too firm ride and Im convinced it was a good decision.
The greasable shackles were at virtually cost as I ordered them at 4wd gymkana from The 4WD Shop.The shackles are malaysian and appear to be quality.I also got the bushes from them for the swaybar
The shackle bushes I got from my local spare parts Odin Autos
The 2 new tyres come from Ardross Tyres and were $70-$100 cheaper(for 2)than the competiton .The others I got from a trader paper
I accumalated the stuff over a few months buying only when I got a bargain.The labour cost was originally $220 but the swaybar bushes ,broken draglinks and other stuff pushed it up a bit.

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Bluey the 5 inches come about as I included the sag that was removed .The new springs got rid of the 2in sag and are 2in higher than original springs which equals 4in pus another 1in for the 2in increase in tyre diameter.

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Bluey sorry no pics Im not that advanced and I dont have a digital camera but will try in the future.It is really noticeable getting in and out .Before I didnt need the steps and was considering removing them but not now. Sitting in the traffic I look down into most other 4x4 including 100 series ect.

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Bluey if you want something to go by Ive got 1010mm to the centre of the headlights and 1090 to the top of the brake light lens.
Pedders told me the correct ride height is 770mm but I dont know where they measure that.

Joined: 24 Aug 2003 Location: Launceston

thanks for that Rosco. so, can i ask:

roscoFJ73 wrote:

Here goes bluey -springs Dobinsons from TJM $526,u/bolts/sway bar mount d bush kit/sway bar vert link bush/frt rear $159 greasable shackles 4x$15greasable pins 4x$14 labour $380 inc cost of broken drag links and some other stuff
Total for suspension $1221.

actual springs cost only $526, is that right !!? even

Quote:

at official dobinsons agent inWA ($790)

is pretty good. ARB want something like $1200 for springs only

Quote:

The rear springs were light duty 60 series as I didnt want a too firm ride and Im convinced it was a good decision.

so these are bolt in?? and have better ride?? sounds good to me, most time have bugger all load, occasionly will be towing trailer. other than that, only other heavy bits will be high mount and bar at front.

the big question, what do they ride like?

Joined: 06 Jul 2003 Location: perth west australia

Yep Bluey $526 is correct .As I metioned before they left the 10% GST off as they had already quoted me that amount. The BIG differences in prices reflect the BIG rip off on suspension items.Pedders quoted me $1300 for 4 springs. I read recently that no leaf packs cost more than $400 to buy from the manufacturers.Even heavy duty only costs a few dollars more to make. I actually rang Dobinsons head office and some big wig there told me distributors could buy them and add whatever they wanted hinting to put big mark ups on as he thought I was a suspension outlet looking for springs!
The 60 series springs are standard and I was told this by at least 3 separate suspension suppliers and I saw it in the catalogue.The rears have 60 series written on the packaging as well.
The ride is mmm perfect and sits flat on level ground.It floats over the biggest car park kerbs in the quest for the best parking spots.Handles superbly on/off road.Much much better than expected and super quiet!!!! Very Happy