Wife's pregnant and we have a seriously bad road leading to the house and with the Fortuner's hard suspension that makes for a very bumpy ride. Bumps and baby == not good!

How low can I deflate the tires and still drive safely? I don't care about tire wear - this is only for the next 6 months and I am happy to buy new tires.

Anything else I can do to temporarily soften the ride? Price point?

thanks for any info...

I dont reckon the tyre pressure will make a great deal of difference, you need to soften your suspension

I dont reckon the tyre pressure will make a great deal of difference, you need to soften your suspension

How? Price point? I mean... I figured I would have to get a new - adjustable? - suspension which in my imagination would be a very expensive proposition...

Or can I just adjust the stock suspension? If so that would be great...

Deflate to 28 to 30 PSI will help, but unfortunately not much. That won't hurt your tires.

air shocks would help, you can adjust the pressure to suit your conditions

air shocks would help, you can adjust the pressure to suit your conditions

Bronco - how much would it cost to install air shocks? Thanks, N.

I already deflated to 28 - didn't make very much difference, unfortunately.

not sure of price in LOS, best try a google for the price of shocks, installation would be cheap.

see if fortuner have their own preferred brand try here for a start

I'm afraid that if you spend the money for air shocks, you'll be VERY disappointed. They will do absolutely nothing to soften the TOO stiff suspension. If you pump them up, it will likely make it worse. SORRY!

I'm afraid that if you spend the money for air shocks, you'll be VERY disappointed. They will do absolutely nothing to soften the TOO stiff suspension. If you pump them up, it will likely make it worse. SORRY!

what do you suggest to soften the ride then gary?

Other than trading it for a car, there is very little he can do. If he wants to have four wheel drive, the other option is a Honda CR-V.

Other than trading it for a car, there is very little he can do. If he wants to have four wheel drive, the other option is a Honda CR-V.

I got the impression he has a rough track home, possibly his best solution would be an airship or balloon.

in all seriousness I reckon air shocks are his only option

As an alternative view, the youngster already has a highly effective fluid suspension

Unless our OP is really crazy on his rough track I doubt the nipper will even notice

I think Gary A is pretty spot on about air shocks . The shock absorbers are not the problem it is the springs . Air shocks are largely used for adjusting hight in the rear of the vehicle if carrying heavy loads . If your not worried about wearing out tyres which can happen if underinflated ( Excessive heat causing the tyres to bubble ) You could try carrying some extra weight in the car . Will effect fuel economy , and add a little more wear on the drivetrain , but will stabilize the car a little better . Softer springs are the Ideal answer , but where to find them is the problem . Other than that , just drive slower until the wife has the baby , the cars ride will soften as the springs get older .

Just my opinion .

Cheers ,

Jim .

Another idea is wider tyres and under inflation . I found my old hilux fourby travelled smoother with wider tyres , when fitted they were inflated to about 60psi , but found 30psi front , and 40 psi in the rear to be about the optimum range . Trouble is they make cars far more lighter these days The extra weight of the wheels and tyres could turn out a smoother ride .

why not buy some gravel, cement or sand and fix the worst part of the road.

Ben has part of the answer. Instead of putting the cement of the road, put about 3 50 kilo bags on each side inside the Fortuner. That will soften out things a lot.

why not buy some gravel, cement or sand and fix the worst part of the road.

thinking outside the box here, arent you? this is not a bad idea at all... there are some people coming to fix the road from time to time, i guess the city pays them. i will try to find responsible parties and motivate them with some $$$ to do it again... its a dirt track and it gets messy quickly but it is true that putting some sand/stones on the worst parts fixes it temporarily.

putting some weight in the car is also something i will try, easy enough... the road to chiang mai is in very bad repair too so it might help with that.

for the record i am not going crazy on the track its just that doctor's orders are strict bed rest which... well it's not always possible. i am going in low gear with foot on brake which is ok but it takes ages to leave the house

Edited March 11, 200719 yr by nikster

for the record i am not going crazy on the track its just that doctor's orders are strict bed rest which... well it's not always possible. i am going in low gear with foot on brake which is ok but it takes ages to leave the house

Ah, vital information, hope everything is OK with the nipper

Get the road fixed, in the meantime a couple of 50kg sand bags on the floor either in front of the rear seats or as far forward as you can get them in the boot should make a noticeable difference.

Fortuners come with 40psi in them from the factory, I drop it down to 30, should do the trick.

Fortuner is 4x4 and the shock is stiffer than any sedan cars. Don't waste your time on how to reduce the psi for softer and comfortable ride.

this was a good link to several mods, http://www.fortunerclub.com/modules.php?na...amp;file=modify but the links seem all dead - you could put in Koni fzd's but expensive