GQ Patrol gets Fulcrum Suspensions lift kit

The budget GQ Patrol is back, this time for a shiny new lift kit.

My 1988 GQ is a cheap wagon I bought back in late-2020 to get into the world of four wheelin’, found on Facebook marketplace for just $4500 with a roadworthy certificate. Steal!

One thing it has been in need of for quite some time is a fresh lift kit, as the supposed two-inch lift it came with was sagged and worn out. I’d also added a full set of Mickey Thompson 33x12.5 M/T tyres, which run into clearance issues on the rear at full flex with the sagged springs.

24

To remedy this, we got in touch with Fulcrum Suspensions to sort a new two-inch lift for the GQ, querying what was available on a modest budget. They recommended a two-inch/50mm Formula 4x4 Big Bore lift kit. At $1229 it’s about as cheap as you’ll get for a full two-inch lift for a GQ, which includes shocks, springs and the often overlooked castor correction bushes.

The Formula 4x4 Big Bore shocks are about the biggest you can fit in a GQ without any cutting. Fulcrum helps spec the right springs to suit the vehicle’s load-carrying needs, which in our case accounted for a bullbar and winch in the front, and a set of 100-250kg rated springs in the rear to suit all the gear we throw in the back for camping trips.

24

The final part of the kit is the castor correction bushes, which can be overlooked for GQ lift kits. When you bolt taller springs and shocks in your GQ, the front diff/axle will rotate incorrectly, causing castor issues and making the vehicle very difficult to drive on the black stuff.

The cheapest way around that is to fit the offset bushes Fulcrum includes with its kit, which are pressed into the factory radius arms that go under the front diff. The offset bushes rotate the diff back to the correct position, correcting the castor to suit the taller ride height.

In terms of an install, you can either have the kit sent to your house and DIY it like we did, or pay a bit extra and get it done professionally through Fulcrum’s Click & Fit option. Given this is a budget project, I opted to do the install myself, bargaining my way onto a mates hoist with some frosty beverages.

24

We installed the whole lot on a Sunday afternoon, and as soon as we dropped the GQ off the hoist it was clear it had picked up significantly in ride height. Rather than measure the heights right off the bat, I figured I should drive it for a bit to let it settle, which is exactly what we did the following weekend.

I hit up some tracks in my local area to test the Patrol’s capabilities, and I was beyond impressed. The lift well and truly fixed the rear tyre clearance issues, gave it more presence and capability off road and didn’t compromise its on-road capability.

After letting the springs settle, we found the kit had raised the GQs height by 55mm in the front and 50mm in the rear, showing just how sagged the old springs were.

There are still a few more upgrades to fit to compliment the lift kit, like extended brake lines and a steering damper, but we’ll save that for another issue and then give this lift kit a full work out.

Fulcrum Suspension 50mm Formula 4x4 Big Bore lift kit

A budget-price lift kit including springs, shocks and castor correction bushes that does everything it says on the box and gives this GQ a new lease on life.

RRP: $1229

More info