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.

Read more >>

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.

Read more >>

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.

Read more >>

Auto Dealer Survey Says Toyota Reigns Over All

A survey was recently conducted and studied by the National Automotive Dealers Association, which is more known as NADA. And the results stated that the top three spots were reigned over by Toyota Motor Corporation brands. Topping the list was the Lexus luxury brand. It was followed then by the other Toyota handled brand, Scion, and is followed then by the Toyota brand. This study was done so as to see which brands in the United States gave its customers the best in dealer satisfaction. And Lexus took home a 96 point average score which is quite high.

The mentioned survey done by NADA was conducted earlier this year, during the months of January and February. The survey contained questions that asked the respondents and auto dealers to give their ratings when it came to satisfaction from the auto makers which they represented. It included questions about the satisfaction about the products that they marketed from cars and vehicles to auto parts Toyota and everything else in between. The ratings ranged from zero up to a complete 100 points.

Read more >>

Small-Town vs Big-Town Toyota Dealers

The process of purchasing a car is one of the most exciting experiences you'll ever have. But unless you're well prepared, it can also give you more headaches then you ever imagined. When car-shopping, most people know exactly what kind of car they want to buy, with every detail of color and accessories in mind. However, what most people have no clue about is where they should shop for their car.

Rumors about small-town vs. big-town dealerships have been around forever. Some people believe small-town dealers are the best choice because of their quality customer service. They think small dealers treat their customers better because it is important to them to uphold their reputation in the community. On the other hand, some believe that big-town dealers, like Toyota dealerships, have better trained mechanics and a more competent service staff. The truth is you can never really be sure where to get the very best deal on any car. For this reason it is important to compare cars amongst several different dealerships, and this can be done in a variety of ways.

Read more >>