Question about front suspension

Hi,

I'm waiting on delivery of my Super Custom but I'm trying to find out details about the front suspension - it's a 2WD 2001 petrol (RZH101G).

Am I right in thinking it's a wishbone with a torsion bar shock and not a spring and shock? I've looked through the EPC https://toyota.epc-data.com/regius_ace/rzh101g/142904/chassis/4803/?color=2GW&trim=OL46

and even though the section says "front spring and shock absorber", a spring isn't included and there are 'torsion' items.

Thanks

You are correct Sir, it’s a torsion bar setup. What else would you like to know?

-Bryan

Cool - thanks - just putting details together for an engineer to try to obtain towing limits for the registration documents - otherwise it's illegal to tow in the UK.

Thanks

blgravely wrote:

Hello. A couple of questions, please?

1 - Is that the ride adjustor atop the front shock? TEMS?
2 - Whats the hose / wiring along the top wishbone, please?

g00se wrote:

Cool - thanks - just putting details together for an engineer to try to obtain towing limits for the registration documents - otherwise it's illegal to tow in the UK.

Thanks

Hello g00se.

On the EPC, I think the authors had just had thier artistic licenses renewed when they were deciding on the category names. Maybe these are general to a much wider range of vehicles? I think you need to delve into the particulars rather than trust the specifics / names of the categories, plus there are options that do not apply. The thumbnail pictures are also a bit generic. HTH

LH119V wrote:

g00se wrote:

Cool - thanks - just putting details together for an engineer to try to obtain towing limits for the registration documents - otherwise it's illegal to tow in the UK.

Thanks

Hello g00se.

On the EPC, I think the authors had just had thier artistic licenses renewed when they were deciding on the category names. Maybe these are general to a much wider range of vehicles? I think you need to delve into the particulars rather than trust the specifics / names of the categories, plus there are options that do not apply. The thumbnail pictures are also a bit generic. HTH

Yes - i assume the names are generic for all cars. Sometimes I click on a section and get the 'not relevant for this model' messages too.

g00se, on your EPC link 48161/2 are the torsion bars, which are the 'springs' in this application. In reality they are much longer than shown on the EPC.

It's quite common for FWD cars here to have coil springs on the front (typically Macpherson struts, often with an anti-roll bar) and a torsion bar set up (typically trailing arm with or without an anti-roll bar). Probably to allow for the various drive options Toyota chose to use a torsion-bar setup on the front, which was probably better than a leaf sprung alternative. Early Hiaces have leaf springs at the rear and later ones have coil springs with control arms.

Slightly older 4WD Toyotas do have a solid front axle and leaf springs so the torsion-bar setup and front drive shafts was a distinct improvement.

Good Morning LH119V

The shock thing is for the TEMS yes, and the wire on the A-Arm goes to the wheel speed sensor/ring for the ABS.

Have an awesome day
-Bryan

Towing capacity of the RZH101 is 600/1400kg unbraked/braked. Pretty much all the Hiace vans of this design and era are the same. There may be a variation with the leaf-spring versions but even then I think it’s 1.5T braked.  
Having said that I regularly towed 1.6T and a few times done 2.3T.

The only actual legal maximums here in NZ for car trailers is a limit of 2T unbraked. But there is also a vehicle weight limit based on driving license. The standard NZ driver’s license allows a maximum combined CVM (combined vehicle and any attached load) of 6,000kg. (!) So legally i could tow 3.7T with the Hiace.
Anything else they publish or advise is just “guidelines” or “suggested”.

It’s the wild west.

In the UK, the towing weights need to be on the vehicle registration and also on the VIN plate fixed to the vehicle. Japanese imports don't have these so most imports are 'illegal' to tow with. The chances of being pulled over by the police to check are very low, but if you're involved in a accident while towing, then the insurance company wouldn't pay out.

To get towing weights retrospectively added, then you need to work with specific authorised companies - either by those who can obtain the details from the manufacturer or those that can 'calculate' them.

Yeah that’s probably a better system road-safety-wise. When you have a bar installed here by a commercial manufacturer or fabricator or when installed as an option new, they always have the weight limits on a sticker on the tongue. Pretty sure that here you’d possibly run into problems with insurance but only if it could be proven the overload caused an accident.

In Japan, domestic trailers on passenger vehicles is not really a thing. It’s relatively uncommon. A mate who lives in Tokyo had me buy a towbar from one of the manufacturers here in New Zealand for his Subaru Forester STi as he said anything he got over there would likely look like crap and be lightweight. He picked it up when he visited and took it back as luggage!
The local NZ company “Lock-On Towbars” makes bolt-on towbars for pretty much every vehicle we have on the roads here including all the JDM cars & vans incl hybrids and EVs. Their website lists the known manufacturer weight limits but I’ve noticed some of their weights can be just a limit of their towbar design.

It’s also funny how many New Zealand trailers I’ve seen over in Japan. Actual trailers made by local manufacturers like Brent Smith Trailers and Trayla Trailers. I’ve also seen European and English brands like Bateson, Ifor Williams and Humbaur. The New Zealand ones seem to get on-sold and passed around in the mountain and semi-rural areas as ex-pats leave for work, relationship splits or visa limits.