1997 Toyota Hilux With Leaf Springs

My Hilux is a 1997 Toyota with leaf springs all round. The Toyota Hilux was originally built way back in the 1980s with leaf spring suspension, and then when the SR5's came out independent front suspension was brought in. After 1997 the other normal hiluxes became independent front end too, which frankly for serious four wheel driving can cause issues.

Independent suspension is generally better for on road use, but off-road it isn't as strong or reliable and doesn't offer the same amount of flex. In saying this, they are still good cars. My Hilux has the leaf springs all round, and as a result is incredibly robust. I have put a set of 33 inch Maxxis bighorns on it, and it will keep up with all of the land cruisers and patrols out there. It doesn't have any difflocks, but the LSD at the back seems to help every so often.

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Toyota Hilux, A Brief History

The very first Toyota Hilux began production in march of 1968. This model was known as the RN10 and came in a short wheelbase model with a 1.5L engine, this w2as later replaced with a 1.6L engine in 1971. Early 1969 saw the addition of a long wheelbase version to the lineup.

The second generation of the Hilux was released in 1972 as the RN20 model. This model was more comfortable than previous versions and included many exterior visual updates. In 1975 the Hilux went through a major revamp in styling. It was made to be both larger and much more luxurious than previous models.

In 1978 Toyota introduced the third generation of the Hilux, with a four wheel drive option introduced in early 1979. The four wheel drive versions included a solid front axle and leaf suspension setup.

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Toyota Hilux Surf - A Brief History, Ideal Engines

The Hilux Surf line of vehicles made by Toyota is predominantly classed as off road transportation. First introduced in 1984 into Toyota's line up, they decided to not build the vehicle from the ground up as an entirely new model but rather took an existing model, the Hilux, and made modifications to it.

First generation of the model produced from 1984-1989

This first incarnation of the model was mechanically identical to the Toyota Hilux pickup. Toyota simply added a removable fibreglass top to it to change it into a Hilux Surf. All models had two doors and were identical from the dashboard forward to the Hilux. Almost all of the changes to make it a Hilux Surf were done to the rear half of the vehicle. Rear springs were downgraded from the Hilux pickup model and contained one less leaf. This resulted in problems later as with the addition of rear seats and the fibreglass top the rear leafs tended to sag over time.

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Toyota Hilux Engine - A Brief History

The Toyota Hilux engine has changed many times since 1968 when the Toyota Hilux first debuted. Back then, it was powered by a small, 1.5 litre 4-cylinder. It has since evolved many times over with some models maintaining a 4-cylinder engine although now they're bigger, more powerful and even turbo or diesel powered (or both) while some models made a jump to larger displacement V6 engines. This article will provide a brief timeline into the history of the Toyota Hilux engine.

Toyota R Engine

The R engine was the first family of engines to grace the Toyota Hilux. The R engine was a 4-cylinder petrol (gasoline) that was used in various forms from 1968 to 1995. The 2R, 3R, 8R, 8R-C, 8R-E, 12R, 18R, 18R-C, 18R-E, 20R, 22R, 22R-E, and 22R-TE were all the variations of the R family of engines to be used in the Hilux. In the beginning, the 2R was a 1.5 litre that grew and had various factory modifications through the 2.4 litre 22R-E used in 1995. The 22R has a reputation as one of the best Toyota Hilux engine ever used for longevity and reliability of easily being able to clock 500,000 kilometers (300,000 miles).

Toyota VZ Engine

The VZ was the first family of V6 engines ever used in the Toyota Hilux. The VZ engine ran on petrol (gasoline) and all versions featured electronic fuel injection. The Hilux made use of the 3VZ from 1988 to 1995 at which point it used the 5VZ. Displacement increased from 3.0 to 3.4 litres and power jumped from 112 kW (150 hp) to 142 (190 hp). The 5VZ (or the 5VZ-FE to be exact) has been touted as the best V6 Toyota Hilux engine ever used for its reliability, light weight, and excellent fuel economy. Hilux owners with the 3VZ engine often seek out a 5VZ to install rather than rebuilding or replacing a 3VZ with problems or high kilometers.

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