Modified my Toyota Hilux pickup: A suspension lift kit, canopy & more

Feedback from the family was extremely positive especially that the front is so much more comfortable, the rear is way better though still nothing can be done about the 90 degree backrest.

BHPian logout recently shared his with other enthusiasts.

So, it has been more than a month since The Red came home. A canopy was very much needed for my kind of work where I travel a lot with expensive, sensitive HiFi gear.

I started looking at the options in India and was also open to importing. But after a lot of research I came to the conclusion that importing was risky as well as time consuming and so I focussed on the local availability and after talking to many 4*4 owners and dealers I finally narrowed it to Azad4*4.

I was apprehensive since I had read a negative thread about them here in the forum though it was finally resolved to the customer's satisfaction. But since my research showed them to be the better option in terms of experience and workmanship and since I couldn't use the vehicle for its intended purpose without a canopy, I decided to go ahead with them.

I set off to Uttar Pradesh in The Red.

Started on a Friday morning and reached Ghaziabad on Sunday evening. The trip made me aware of each & every minute - bone, joint and muscle in my body. I was already dreading my return journey.

Next day got the canopy fixed. It is the SMM brand from Thailand.

While the mechanics were fixing the canopy, I saw a Hilux there all decked and kitted up and was told that it had a lift kit installed and it would improve ride quality along with the lift needed for 4*4 adventures.

I was tempted especially about the ride quality and went for a test drive. It was a totally different ride and I immediately decided to go for it. They had a few options like Oldman Emu, Profender, Dobinsons etc.

The test drive I took had Profender kit and so I went for the 2" lift kit.

I had my heart in my mouth while watching the process but I must mention that the boys who fixed it were very professional.

Finally The Red looked like this:

So now the vehicle is standing tall with the wheels & tyres looking puny, I decided to go for upsizing of the tyres. Went for 285/60 R18 Michelin LTX Rally.

On a side note: Tyres are so damn cheap in Delhi. We are being squeezed dry by the Chennai shops.

So here it is:

The return journey was quicker & smoother with a vantage driving position, almost car like comfort, better handling and the added bonus was that the vehicle was a head turner wherever we went.

Feedback from the family was extremely positive especially that the front is so much more comfortable, the rear is way better though still nothing can be done about the 90 degree backrest. There is stiff competition as to who gets to sit in the front passenger seat and I am relieved that my seat is safe.

Endy & The Red on a recent trip:

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