Hello Guest
« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

sammy with 30s or 31s

  • 13 Replies
  • 10606 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

*

Offline traderguy

  • 27
  • 0
sammy with 30s or 31s
« on: November 14, 2012, 10:15:31 AM »
So I have decided to go with a spoa on my samurai but I havent decided what tires to go with..It is my daily driver on road most of the time. I know 30s would probably be better for daily use but I also want it to look right. Does anyone have pictures of there rig with a spoa and 30s or 31 on it. Also it is a 94 with fi and the 5th gear a little lower. would 4.1 transfer case be good for the road. Thanks Dan
Logged
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2012, 11:24:49 AM »
IMHO, 31"-32" on a 15x8 rim look best with a SPOA.  30" tires look a little small.  I have run all three sizes on stock-spring SPOA rigs.  I would look at 31" ATs in your case.

A 4:1 case will put you back at stock gearing in high range with a 30" tires.  I would look at something a little lower if you are running the 1300-even with the later fifth gear.
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline MY-UKI-RIDER

  • 49
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
  • DRIVE SAFE.....BUT RIDE'UM HARD!!!!!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2012, 10:32:58 PM »
Aloha, here's mine with swampers 31x11.5R15 gear with 4:1-1 tcase
Logged
*

turbopower231

Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2012, 06:33:18 AM »
i just bought a 93 with spoa and 30" and it drives and looks good,but highway driving sucks,needs geared. i believe it is all stock.  which is best to solve,gear the tc or axles. sorry didnt mean to jack your thread
Logged
*

Offline Reddog1

  • 106
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
  • 1991 EFI
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2012, 01:19:29 PM »
It is all a compromise. We usually get hung up more on bling-bling than practical application. I think this is especially true with a DD and tires for a DD. The fact is, every pound the tire and wheels weigh, the more HP it takes to turn it, especially up a hill. You can change gears, but it still requires HP to turn the bigger tire. Offroad, it is not as obvious as it is with a DD.

Although you may thing a given size tire looks better (bling-bling), how will it effect the HP on the highway, especially going up a hill? I ran 31's (used) for several years, and bought new 30's. I could tell the difference leaving the tire store. I could accelerate faster, get to 70 MPH faster, go further up a hill on the highway much further before shifting. Some hills I no longer had to down shift.

I initially was going to replace my worn 31's with new ones. The more I researched, the more I realized the 30's would be a better choice for a DD. It was the correct choice. I lost 1/2" ground clearance, but gained a lot of drivability with the 30's.

You may find this Thread of interest on tires for a DD. Note posts 22 & 23.

http://www.zukikrawlers.com/showthread.php?t=45112

I have a friend that has 34's, and a 5:1 t-case and a 90 EFI 1.3. He says the best he can do on the highway is 50 MPH. He may have a lower R&P.

I have photos with 30's and 31's, but my internet is to slow to upload them now. I will try again later.

Wayne
Logged
'91 EFI, DD, Hardtop, A/C, Warn 8000 winch, 100 AMP Alt, Toy Celica P/S, TT YJ SPOA M/L, DT 8000 shocks, TT Knuckle Over Steering, Mighty Kong, 4:1 TC, Evil Twins, TT Full Skid, Diff Guards, Fuel Tank Skid, Sliders, Anti-Wrap Bar w/Axle Truss, Panhard Bar, Cooper SST - 30x9.5x15 , 8"x 2-1/2" BS wheels Maxima rear Disc w/ebrake, rear locker
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2012, 06:57:27 PM »
IMHO, if you want to run 30" tires or smaller, keep the rig SPUA. OME springs and 30" tires is a good combo that I have run for many years.
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline Reddog1

  • 106
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
  • 1991 EFI
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2012, 07:26:54 PM »
I think it is a matter of choice to go SPOA or SPUA, with 30-inch diameter tires. My preference is/was SPOA. Using quality parts, my Zuk has excellent road manors. If I sell my Zuk, or decide to accept the negatives of larger tires, I can install larger tires. I do appreciate the ground clearance the TT SPOA provides.   I recently went through the Rubicon (Loon to Spider), and needed no winch, strap, or High-Lift jack. I question a SPUA could have done that. I have no restrictions as a DD, with the SPOA.

Below are two photos, one with 30's and the other 31's. I find it difficult to tell the difference.



Logged
'91 EFI, DD, Hardtop, A/C, Warn 8000 winch, 100 AMP Alt, Toy Celica P/S, TT YJ SPOA M/L, DT 8000 shocks, TT Knuckle Over Steering, Mighty Kong, 4:1 TC, Evil Twins, TT Full Skid, Diff Guards, Fuel Tank Skid, Sliders, Anti-Wrap Bar w/Axle Truss, Panhard Bar, Cooper SST - 30x9.5x15 , 8"x 2-1/2" BS wheels Maxima rear Disc w/ebrake, rear locker
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2012, 08:08:51 AM »
The center of gravity (cog) is quite a bit higher with the spoa lift. Also, why lift it so much if you aren't going to run a tire proportional to the amount of lift?  IMHO, on a Samurai the lift should just clear the tire. Any excess lift, due to the higher cog, will negatively impact offroad & on road performance.

FWIW, I have *several* spoa lifted Samurais and *several* Samurais with lifted OME/Deaver SPUA springs. The SPUA rigs are better on the road by a good margin.  They are also much more fun to drive daily for that reason.  Yes, the spoa lift yields more belly clearance, but for a DD having a lower center of gravity and better road manners is more important.
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline Reddog1

  • 106
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
  • 1991 EFI
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2012, 08:56:52 AM »
I am of the belief, to modify/build any vehicle, iis all about compromises. Each of us hopefully will go with what we need/want/prefer. There is lots of value in the opinions of others, but we each have our own, and are entitled to it. Our experiences can also be very different, with so many things that influence our experiences.

I posted photos of my Sammi, one with 30's and the other with 31's. For me, I really cannot see any noticeable difference between the two. Thier measurements are very close, but a lot of difference in how they perform. As for which is better, SPOA or SPUA, it is a matter of opinion, which can be argued forever.

Wayne 
Logged
'91 EFI, DD, Hardtop, A/C, Warn 8000 winch, 100 AMP Alt, Toy Celica P/S, TT YJ SPOA M/L, DT 8000 shocks, TT Knuckle Over Steering, Mighty Kong, 4:1 TC, Evil Twins, TT Full Skid, Diff Guards, Fuel Tank Skid, Sliders, Anti-Wrap Bar w/Axle Truss, Panhard Bar, Cooper SST - 30x9.5x15 , 8"x 2-1/2" BS wheels Maxima rear Disc w/ebrake, rear locker
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2012, 10:04:15 AM »
Well Samurais aren't exactly full size trucks where you can lift it 3 feet, but only run a 33" tire.  :laugh:

IMHO, your rig is sitting way too high for that size of tire. You also do not have the stock springs.  CJs? YJs?  It is more lift than a stock spring spoa.   A lower lifted SPUA rig would be a lot more nimble on the trail and less tipsy too. A spua rig will also have less u-joint wear issues due to less axle wrap and better driveshaft angles.  U-joint issues are a very common problem with spoa lifts.

I also drive my rigs on the hwy a lot as my daily commute is around 60 miles. 40 of those miles are interstate, 15 heavy urban traffic, and 5 rural. So that is my point of reference as a DD.  

Again, I have *several* Samurais with SPUA and SPOA lifts.  I can drive them back to back, which makes the driving characteristics of both types readily apparent.  That being said, there is a reason why the Suzuki engineers went with a SPUA configuration vs SPOA.  I have attached a picture of one of my dd Samurais with ome springs and 30" tires.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2012, 11:01:15 AM by Jonny Rash »
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2012, 10:06:17 AM »
OME springs, 30" tire

I took this Samurai on the Colorado run this past August. I had the lowest lifted Samurai out there, but I didn't have any issues with the trails. I'm glad that I took a SPUA rig out there as some of the trails were narrow and nimbleness of a stockish Samurai made it a lot more fun overall.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2012, 11:04:31 AM by Jonny Rash »
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2012, 10:14:34 AM »
Stock spoa, 31" tsl super swampers. The tires cost more than the Samurai.
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2012, 10:23:09 AM »
Stock springs spoa, 32" pro comp MTs, 15x8 rim with 2.5" bs. This setup works really offroad, but isn't exactly good as a dd.
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
*

Offline Jonny Rash

  • 1094
  • 21
  • Gender: Male
  • Too many Samurais, too many little boys!
Re: sammy with 30s or 31s
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2012, 10:32:21 AM »
Rollover, rebuild, part out project I bought from a friend. SPOA on 33" tires. He tried to keep it low, but still managed to roll it over at Disney, OK.

Lots of goodies though. 16-valve engine, GRS 2, Spidertrax sidewinders f/r.  Most of which will be transferred to a lwb Samurai project I'm working on.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2012, 11:06:13 AM by Jonny Rash »
Logged
35 years of Samurai ownership, and I still have my very first one. :)
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »