Formula 4x4 suspension upgrade

My faithful Toyota Prado 120 Series is getting on a bit and the time has come to update a few tired but critical components. I recently installed a Bendix Ultimate 4WD Brake Upgrade Kit and, while that gear was being fitted at Fulcrum Suspension in Pakenham, Victoria, the Fulcrum team suggested I try out its Formula 4x4 50mm lift kit too, along with some SuperPro upper control arms.

Now I’m not one to take changing my suspension lightly. While 75 per cent of my usage is city driving, the rest comprises family adventures where I need my suspension to really perform: Cape York, the Simpson Desert, plus myriad other Outback trips and High Country escapes.

However, by my best estimate the Old Man Emu gear on the Prado is nearly 10 years and over 150,000km old. High time for a new set-up, for sure. And the more I investigated the Formula 4x4 gear, the more it made sense, and the more it seemed a neat fit for my ‘keep it simple’ philosophy. Because, despite all the mega-buck off-road rigs you see these days, I firmly believe you can still have a functional, reliable and capable 4WD without spending a fortune.

Updating your 4x4’s suspension can be hideously expensive but it doesn’t have to be, with brands like Formula 4x4 a good case in point.

Now owned by multi-national aftermarket suspension specialist, Zeder Corporation, Fulcrum Suspension was founded in Brisbane back in 1976, and these days has a huge network of dealers plus several company-owned outlets. The brand has deep expertise in all things suspension, also owning the SuperPro, Nolathane, and Whiteline brands, as well as offering RAW Nitro and Bilstein set-ups.

A relative newcomer, Fulcrum’s Formula brand has been around since 2017 but has focused exclusively on off-road suspension, with Formula 4x4, since 2020. It’s available in two lines – the standard Formula 4x4 range and the premium Formula 4x4 F4R range – but it’s the former we’re looking at here.

I’ve gone for a 50mm lift kit, comprising Formula 4x4 rear shocks and front ‘ReadyStruts’, King coils (another Aussie brand), and SuperPro bushes (ditto), along with a set of SuperPro upper control arms. But the brand offers a massive range of suspension gear to suit most 4x4s and utes. From leaf springs to airbags to GVM upgrades, there’s likely something to suit your vehicle, your needs, and your budget.

It’s all designed, developed and tested right here in Australia, while the Formula 4x4 shocks are made at Zeder’s production facility in Vietnam. And for extra peace of mind, it’s all backed by Fulcrum Suspension and a long warranty – up to five years/unlimited kilometres, if you register your details on the Formula 4x4 website.

The Formula 4x4 shocks use low-pressure nitrogen and have valving appropriate to the chosen spring rate. These shocks also have a twin-tube design and the company says they adopt a big-piston format for better heat dissipation, delivering consistent performance.

Fulcrum reckons this Formula 4x4 gear is some of the most comfortable yet still heavy-duty off-road suspension on the market. That’s largely down to the progressive-rate springs, which allow a softer ride around town in the early part of the suspension’s stroke, while firming up to handle big hits or heavy loads.

The springs are from King Springs. Established in 1956, King manufactures its springs at its Gold Coast production facility and has a long-standing relationship with Fulcrum.

The front shocks come in a ‘ReadyStrut’ format, as in it’s a fully assembled shock, spring and top cap that’s ready to be fitted straight from the box. This is because the springs are quite tall and require plenty of force to assemble into a finished strut – the ReadyStrut format makes installation that much easier.

The shocks adopt SuperPro bushes, which are a high-quality and durable polyurethane product (not rubber) made right here in Australia, while the SuperPro upper control arms are designed to make the most of the 50mm lift.

If you’re looking for full adjustability, remote reservoirs and the like, you’ll need to look at Formula 4x4’s premium F4R suspension, as the standard Formula 4x4 gear is all about delivering robust, dependable performance at an attractive price point.

The Formula 4x4 50mm lift kit I had fitted has an RRP of $1339 if you buy the kit and fit it yourself, or $2058 to have it fitted at an authorised Fulcrum outlet. I have plenty of lived experience to back the old adage, ‘You can pay the man now, or you can pay the man later’, so was thankful to hand the Prado over to the experts.

Doing so also highlighted how easy Fulcrum has made the purchasing and fitting process. Simply select the right kit for your vehicle via the website and then work your way through the options – spring rates, airbag upgrades, control arms, trailing arms etc – before choosing a fitting location. There are also some handy video clips on the website explaining many of the components and their benefits.

The SuperPro upper control arms are highly recommended when also getting a 50mm lift, as the standard items don’t account for the altered camber and castor issues a lift kit leads to, potentially resulting in tyre wear problems.

I had the non-adjustable SuperPro arms fitted, which account for the lift and are also said to provide better wheel articulation, helping you make the most of the extra travel the lift kit affords. They cost $730 ($1135 fitted), while adjustable versions, which allow finer camber and castor adjustment, cost $910 ($1390 fitted). The benefits of adding aftermarket upper control arms into the mix are considerable, and they look pretty neat too.

Once you’ve paid online to place the order, the fitting location then contacts you for a pre-fitting inspection, where your vehicle is weighed and measured to reveal any front/rear weight bias, the weight of its accessories and usual load, and to determine the vehicle’s current ride height. Any lift kit can sag over time, especially with heavy loads and hard usage, so your original 50mm lift could be appreciably lower now.

The pre-fitting appointment also gives the Fulcrum team a chance to discern what sort of usage your 4x4 gets, whether you tow or not, your preferred rear spring load rating, and more generally what you’re looking to achieve. The technicians also carry out a thorough inspection of your suspension, brakes and driveline. I was really quite surprised by just how detailed this aspect of the process was.

Next, once all the gear has been shipped to your fitting location, it’s time for the installation proper. It’s usually a bit over half a day to get a job like this done, give or take an hour, but of course it all depends on what you want done.

The guys at Fulcrum Suspensions Pakenham got stuck in and before too long the Prado was wearing some nice, shiny new suspenders. The light blue shockers, yellow springs and blue upper control arms look great, not that they’ll stay clean and pristine for long.

After fitting, the vehicle is then given a laser-guided wheel alignment where the camber, castor and toe-in are adjusted to ensure the car is tracking straight and true, and then the vehicle is measured to reveal the new ride height. In my Prado’s case, the ride height increased by 30mm at the front and 50mm at the rear – result!

A test drive is then made to check all is well and to fine-tune the steering adjustment, and then you’re presented with full documentation detailing the fitting process and the before and after ride height measurements. Then simply head online to register for the five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and it’s job done!

Even rolling out of the industrial estate where the fitting took place, the difference was immediate – the Prado’s ride feels supple but nicely controlled. It absolutely is more comfortable around town – far smoother and more composed over speed humps in particular – while the body roll is nicely controlled through corners and roundabouts. So it’s a very positive first impression, but of course city driving is only one part of the equation here.

The real test will be when I next take the rig bush and hitch up my camper trailer. Only then will I see if this suspension really can offer the best of both worlds, and I’ll report back in a couple of months on exactly that.