Most disappointing lift kits are not the wrong brand. They are the wrong spring rate. A 4WD fitted with heavy duty coils for a bar it never got rides hard and sits nose-high; the same vehicle on comfort coils with a fridge and drawers sags within a year and the shocks do all the work. Spring rate is the one decision in a suspension upgrade that depends entirely on you, and it is the one most people guess at. This guide explains what the ratings mean, how to add up your load properly, and how to choose front and rear rates that suit the way your vehicle actually travels.
A coil spring's rate is how much force it takes to compress it a set distance, usually expressed in kilograms per millimetre or newtons per millimetre. A higher rate means a stiffer spring. The spring's free length and rate together set the ride height for a given load: a longer or stiffer spring holds the vehicle higher under the same weight.
That last point is why load matters so much. A "2 inch lift" spring only lifts 2 inches at the weight it was designed for. Put 200 kg more on it and the lift shrinks; take 200 kg off and it grows. Manufacturers therefore make the same lift spring in several rates, each designed to give the advertised height under a different constant load.
The single most useful idea in choosing springs is the difference between weight that is always on the vehicle and weight that comes and goes.
Constant load is everything bolted on or living in the vehicle every day: bullbar, winch, dual battery, drawers, fridge slide, rear bar, second spare, roof rack, long-range tank, canopy. The springs must be chosen for this.
Occasional load is the camping gear, water, passengers and towball weight that arrive for a trip and leave afterwards. Springs should tolerate it, not be chosen for it. If occasional load is large or varies a lot - a caravan one weekend, an empty ute the next - that is what airbag helper springs are for. Our guide on whether airbags increase GVM explains the limits.
Do the front and rear separately, because they get different springs. Weigh what you can, and use these typical figures for the rest:
| Accessory | Typical weight | Mostly loads |
|---|---|---|
| Steel bullbar | 60-90 kg | Front |
| Alloy bullbar | 35-50 kg | Front |
| Winch with synthetic rope | 25-35 kg | Front |
| Second battery and tray | 25-35 kg | Front |
| Drawer system | 50-80 kg | Rear |
| Fridge, slide and contents | 40-60 kg | Rear |
| Rear bar with wheel carrier and spare | 70-110 kg | Rear |
| Alloy canopy (ute) | 80-150 kg | Rear |
| Roof rack and awning | 30-60 kg | Split, more rear |
| Long-range tank, full | 1 kg per litre added | Rear |
| Towball download (towing) | 150-350 kg | Rear (occasional) |
A typical touring wagon lands around 100 to 130 kg of constant front load and 200 to 300 kg of constant rear load. A dual-cab ute with a canopy and drawers is often 350 kg or more on the rear before any gear goes in.
Brands use different words for the same idea, and our product pages list the option that applies to each spring. As a guide:
Springs such as the Dobinsons Prado 150 rear coils, Dobinsons Hilux N80 front coils and Dobinsons MU-X rear coils are sold with lift and load options on the one page, so you choose the rate that matches your numbers.
Going too heavy "to be safe". A spring rated for 400 kg on a vehicle carrying 150 kg sits well above the intended height, unloads the shock, and transmits every corrugation into the cabin. It also lifts the rear more than the front, so the vehicle sits nose-down and the headlights point at the road a few metres ahead. If you are between two ratings and the vehicle spends most of its time at the lighter end, choose the lighter spring and add airbags for the heavy trips.
Choosing for the trip instead of the year. The vehicle that tows a 3-tonne van for four weeks a year and drives to work for the other 48 needs springs for the work commute and airbags or a weight-distribution hitch for the van. Our guides on suspension for towing ute setups and suspension for towing a caravan cover that balance.
A common request is "just fix the rear sag". That works if the front is genuinely fine, but on most touring builds the front has a bar and the rear has drawers, and both have dropped. Lifting one end only changes the rake, and on independent-front vehicles a rear-only lift makes the front look and feel lower than it was. Check both ends with a tape measure from the hub centre to the guard, compare with the factory figure, and lift the ends together. Our coil springs vs leaf springs guide explains why leaf-sprung utes follow the same rule with different parts.
New springs on worn shocks give you height with no control - the vehicle bounces after every bump and rolls in corners. If your shocks are original and past about 80,000 km, replace them with the springs; signs your shocks are worn lists what to check. And once the vehicle is lifted, the geometry changes: caster drops on independent front ends, and axles shift sideways on coil-sprung solid axles. Upper control arms and panhard rods are the fixes, and what else you need with a 2 inch lift lists the smaller parts.
Heavier springs do not increase your legal Gross Vehicle Mass. They only hold the vehicle at the right height under the load it already carries. If your constant load plus passengers and gear takes you over GVM, the answer is a certified GVM upgrade, not a stiffer spring. Do you need a GVM upgrade? walks through the arithmetic.
Tell us the vehicle, what is bolted to it, what lives in it and whether you tow, and we will recommend front and rear rates from the coil springs range or a complete kit from 4WD lift kits. If you are still deciding on the wider setup, how to choose 4WD suspension properly and best suspension for touring 4WDs cover the bigger picture.
You can, but it will sit high and ride hard, and the shocks will run near full extension. Match the springs to the constant load and use airbags for occasional weight.
Under the same load, yes, because they compress less. That is why a heavy duty spring on a light vehicle sits above the advertised lift height.
Measure from the centre of the hub to the wheel arch on each corner and compare with the factory figure or with a standard example of the same vehicle. A drop of 20 mm or more on the rear is common on touring builds.
Only if you tow most of the time. For occasional towing, choose springs for the daily load and add airbag helpers or a weight-distribution hitch for the van.
Related guide: Toyota Prado 150 lift kit buying guide
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