ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: AZ-Samurai on September 21, 2012, 09:22:02 PM
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I bought my first samurai back on SuperBowl Sunday 2012, and if someone could give me some insight as to why my suspension is setup the way it is, I'd be very greatful. I'm not a suspension expert at all, I do understand the basics and mechanics of it, but when I saw this I was completely confused. There are coil springs mounted above my leafs. it appears that some leafs were also taken out, I don't think i've ever seen a leaf setup with only 2 leafs in it. :o
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Ha! It's a kustom coil/leaf setup. I would think that your leaf springs (main leaf ) would fatigue and snap after a while. I'm sure that it doesn't ride any better.
You might want to invest in a crossover steering system too.
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It rides like a skateboard on rocks. What I'm considering doing is ripping all the suspension out and just going with new leafs. I still have a lot to do to it. I know the timing needs adjusted because it overheats when I get above 40mph, the steering may as well be the steering out of my daughters power wheels barbie jeep. (Although that's much better) Radiator, water pump, hoses all have been replaced and I added the missing thermostat. Full tune up has been done, and I suspect the timing mostly because it diesels when I shut it off. I'm sure the carb needs a kit too. Lots of black smoke out the tail pipe.
back to the suspension, the leafs in the rear are nearly as straight as a 2x4. Runs nice and cool as long as I don't hit 40mph.
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I don't think that it would overheat that much (nor quickly) if the timing was off (advanced). It sounds like you have a cooling system issue like a plugged up radiator or a water pump with a rusted vane.. Plus the black smoke indicates it is running rich, which also means it is running cooler than say, a lean condition.
I would see if you could score some stock spring and return the rigs to a basic spoa. Ideally, also address the steering and shock mount issues as well.
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I would think that your leaf springs (main leaf ) would fatigue and snap after a while.
Why should it? It's under less stress, just acting as a "locator" - think of it as a radius arm.
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Yeah I can't see the added coil producing more stress unless it is really whimpy.
As far as suggesting springs it depends on what the owner wants out of his Zuk. (Tire size / lift / flex / ride etc. It would be a great time to go YJ / CJ or RUF since it is currently SPOA.
I would condsider some steering upgrades too. Something OTT or at least 1/2 OTT would be a good thing.
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To be perfectly honest, I think it sits way to high right now. Feels like she's gonna roll over on every turn. I wouldn't mind dropping it down some. It rides way too rough, as far as that goes, I'd like it to be at least a little bit comfortable.
We don't do any rock crawling, the purpose of this little rig is strictly for desert exploration in southern Arizona. Free range desert trails, no intentions of anything more than that. Right now I have 15" wheels on it wrapped in 31x10.5x15 MT's. (It came with the wheels, and already had the tires.
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With that in mind if you removed the coils and went back to stock Samm springs you would probably like the ride height. It should preform fine then for what you have described. I would still consider installing OTT steering.
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Would you mind posting some links of some good OTT steering parts? I'm not very familiar with Samurai upgrades yet. I'm going through other forum posts trying to get an idea of some what some good brands are.
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I like the Rocky Road OTT kit.
http://www.rocky-road.com/samurai-high-steer.html (http://www.rocky-road.com/samurai-high-steer.html)
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if someone could give me some insight as to why my suspension is setup the way it is, I'd be very greatful.
I think the main advantage of that set up is that its easy to get coil springs in different lengths and ratings than to mess about with leafs. Retaining the leaf springs to locate the axle is simpler than fabricating suspoension arms and will, more or less, retain the original geometry.
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This will let you read and see a Sky High Steer kit... The link is from here on Zukiworld.... http://www.zukiworld.com/month_020104/feature_skysteer.htm (http://www.zukiworld.com/month_020104/feature_skysteer.htm)
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Here's some "better" pics of the front driver side and the rear driver side. Those U Bolts on the rear were welded together which makes me very uncomfortable, the front U Bolts are not pieced together and look fairly new. I'm wondering if it's ok to leave this setup the way it is, or if I should remove those lifting blocks in the rear and try to cut the front coil springs to level it out when the blocks are removed. My other concern is what impact that would have on the suspension as a whole, or if I should just remove everything and get new front and rear leaf packs and shackles. I really just want this to be safe since I'll be taking my small kids out in the desert with me. I'm one of those paranoid people that when I buy something used like this that has been modified, I very much value the opinion of people that have much more experience than I do and know all of the do's and don'ts. My old rig was a 2003 Nissan Xterra, and a 94 Jeep Cherokee (XJ). The Samurai concept was much more appealing to us so we decided to ditch the other 2. We thought about the whole side by side idea (Rhino / Polaris), but the cost of those things was just insane plus I'd have to it around. I know some of these questions may be remedial to some of you, and I'm reading as much as I can on this forum to try and learn more while getting to know members of the forums here.
Opinons?
Thanks for taking the time to read my concerns and share your thoughts.
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The blocks gotta go...These photos tell a lot more of your story / saga. If it were mine I would remove the blocks and the coil springs. As I said previously you could go back with with a stock spring pack and be at the correct tie height for you tire size.
If you wanted something that give a bit more height, a little better ride you could go to a RUF (rears up front) or a YJ spring set up.
Either one of those would give you a little bit of lift, a nice ride, and some very good flex when you want to go play.
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That's exactly what I wanted to know, and I thought that was my best option also. I just needed to hear it from the experts.
I'm going to start shopping around soon. And for my last newbie question (for now), on the original suspension I am assuming that the axles were mounted on top of the leafs and not under them. Is that a correct assumption?
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OEM Samurai axles are mounted underneath. However since yours have been moved to the top I wouldn't change that. It is probably one of the most popular suspension modifications done. Driveline degree angles for the front drive shaft are 8 degree and 10 degree for the rear drive shaft.
welcome to Zukiworld.... ;)
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The stock springs come mounted under the axles. The previous owner of your rig has moved them on top of the axles. If you get stock springs and mount them under the axles (like it came from the factory) your 31 inch tires won't fit anymore. You can mount stock springs on top of the axles (without that block), or mount aftermarket springs with a couple inches of lift under the axles, and you should be able to keep the 31' tires. You also might want to look at the shackles on the end of the springs to determine if they are factory length or not and if they are safe. Given the suspension you have, I would guess they are likely not original. Post pics if you are not sure and I'm sure we can tell you. Are you in Arizona? If so, where? I am coming down there next month and would be happy to take a look at it or give a hand if you are near where I am headed.
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I've added a pic of the front and rear shackles, used a tape measure to give a little more of an idea how long they actually are.
sorry about the late replay by almost a month, I recently started a new job and it's been crazy in my house with the flu and the kids and all the other stuff that we all deal with day to day.
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Tose are OEM shackles. I would avoid longer one's but the stock stamped steel shackles are pretty weak. I found a set that was only 3/4" longer and seemed to work pretty well.