2023 Ford Everest build: Tough Dog Suspension GVM upgrade

One of the last big items to be fitted to our Ford Everest Ambiente build was its suspension kit and again we’ve teamed up with the great blokes at Tough Dog to supply the hardware.

Knowing the limited carrying capacity of Ford’s T6 platform that underpins the Everest, and with front and rear steel bars going on this vehicle as well as a rear drawer system, we thought it prudent to lock in a GVM upgrade with the new suspension package.

In stock trim our Everest Ambiente 4x4 tips the scales at 2369kg, it has a GVM of 3000kg and a payload of 731kg. The axles are rated to carry 1470kg at the front and 1770kg maximum under the rear end.

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With its Yakima roof rack and awning, Maxxis RAZR A/T tyres on Fuel wheels, AFN front bar and underbody protection, and Kaymar rear bar fitted, the Everest crossed the scales at 2760kg, with 1340kg of that on the front axle and 1420kg on the rear.

That left us with only 240kg grace on our GVM for gear and passengers; 130kg on the front axle and 350kg on the back, so any plans for loading it up with more gear and a cabin full of luggage and passengers would be at risk. Even if we fitted a winch to the AFN bull bar, and lights, scrub rails and side steps to the vehicle, it would be getting close to maximum when you add passengers and load.

Tough Dog’s GVM upgrade suspension kit for the Everest raises the GVM to 3750kg and includes replacement coil springs, shock absorbers, and air assist rear air bags plus all the details you need for GVM upgrade certification including the CAT-6 indicators that must be fitted to the front guards, and appropriate upgraded specification labels.

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The Tough Dog GVM upgrade kit is available with three choices of coils depending on the weight on the front end and in our case we chose the coils to carry a steel bull bar. The other options are for no front-end accessories, or with a steel bar and winch fitted.

Tough Dog’s adjustable shocks are the next key part of the kit and the shocks offer nine-stages of adjustment depending on what you need for the terrain, load and your driving preferences. Adjustment is via an easy to reach dial on the bottom of the shock and the internals include a 40mm bore with an 18mm rod and a 60mm outside diameter.

An inclusion on the Everest GVM kit is a pair of helper air bags that sit in the rear coils when fitted. Tough Dog has found that on the Everest, and some other vehicles with rear coil springs including the LandCruiser 300 and Ram 1500 kits, the airbag can be lightly inflated to help the coils manage the weight without sacrificing the ride quality as would be the case if they fitted stiffer coils. An added bonus is that the airbags act as bump stops, adding an extra layer of damping when bumps compress the coils to near maximum.

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Tough Dog’s replacement upper control arms can also be optioned into the kit but we’ve chosen not to include them this time around. Most importantly for us, the Tough Dog kit brings our GVM up to 3750kg giving us more room to play with when loading the vehicle.

The suspension was capably installed by the team at Statewide 4x4 in Melbourne where the Everest has previously spent time having the AFN bullbar fitted and getting the MSA fridge barrier and false floor sorted out in the back. It was a relatively straightforward install of the shocks and coils with the helper air bags sitting inside the rear coils. The airlines for the bags were carefully routed under the vehicle and to a bracket at the back to where the fittings are, and we can adjust the pressure in the bags to what’s needed to support any load onboard or when towing.

Other details of the install included fitting the CAT-6 indicators using the template supplied by Tough Dog in the kit and then once the vehicle was on the ground, giving it a fresh wheel alignment to bring everything back into spec. Finally, photos were taken for the engineering approval and height measurements to make sure it was all level.

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Straight out of the workshop the Tough Dog suspension has given the Everest a lift in ride height but we expect that to settle a bit once we put some kilometres on it. As it was, the Everest had to go straight to the showgrounds for the National 4x4 Show and after that we’ll need to get it inspected and signed off by the engineer for state approval and have the details updated with VicRoads, and we’ll get it out on the tracks to let you know how it all performs.

Of course, the Tough Dog GVM upgrade kit is nationally pre-approved and can be fitted either pre or post vehicle registration. Having it fitted pre-registration avoids state level certification, but we couldn’t avoid this as our Everest was already registered.

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This last point is why it pays to plan your build as soon as you order your new vehicle, and find out what weight you will be adding with your accessories and cargo, and knowing if you will need a GVM upgrade. Getting that done pre-rego saves some hassle and gives you that national approval, no matter what state you are travelling in.

As we’ve been fitting more gear to the Everest over the past few months, the standard suspension has started straining under the load, but even after a short on-road drive with the Tough Dog kit fitted we can already tell it carries its weight much better, with improved body control and stability.

We’ll know more when we get it approved and up to speed on the tracks, and when we can play with the damper settings and air bag pressures. Stay tuned for more on this soon!