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smoother ride on spoa samurai

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Offline trialspro

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smoother ride on spoa samurai
« on: March 24, 2004, 01:25:01 PM »
i know samurais are known for riding rough, but can new shocks or springs help much?
i dont wanna swap to coils or anything! but i was considering getting new shocks and MAYBE an add-a-leaf in the rear if they make them cause the spare weighs it down a lot
anyone have OME on a sami and notice much of a difference?
i was offroading with an 88 4runner and a 95 sonoma (both IFS) yesterday and they were almost twice as smooth to ride in... mine probably cant get that good, but an improvement would be very nice

any help would be great, thanks
Andrew
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lucszuk

Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2004, 01:27:59 PM »
emu's make whole nother world of difference and they give you a 3 inch lift i have been runnign them for a year and havent had any troubles yet
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Offline MB

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2004, 01:32:16 PM »
well I can only tell ya about my sami's ride.

new springs and shocks STILL rides like a lumber wagon ;D But we kinda like it that way.
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Offline idaholwb

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2004, 04:51:34 PM »
 Funny, a buddy of mine has YJs under his with Rancho shocks. His rides mushy, but it won't kill your butt to ride in. I've got full size Jeep Grand Wagoneer springs under my lwb sammy, rides, flexes, and carries a load like you wouldn't beleive! Problem with using these springs on a swb sammy is, you have to stretch the frame a lot! My rear shackle hangers are at the very end of my frame, which is 9" longer than the swb sammy from the axle back. My fronts are on a 6" frame extension. The front springs are 10 1/2" longer than the stock fronts and 1 1/2" longer than YJs. My rears are 17" longer than the stock sammy rears, 11" longer than YJs!
On a stock swb sammy, I'd recommend running with YJs all around, you'll be very impressed with everything!
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Offline hargraves

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2004, 09:51:01 PM »
i went from rancho 1 1/2 lift springs to stock yj springs and rides a whole lot better.

no more of your leg or head hitting the door.

i can drive twice as fast down the same trail and it still rides better than the ranchos.

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lucszuk

Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2004, 11:47:47 PM »
you can aslo take a couple leaf's out of put stock packs and use a body lift shackle lift or something to reagian the clerance it worked for my dad it gave  a better ride and more flex
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Offline trialspro

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2004, 05:05:16 PM »
are there any springs for sale that provide a much better ride, but dont lift it too much?
i saw some lift springs and they say not to use them in spoa samis
also, would an "anti-wrap" bar or whatever theyre called help at all? im doubting that, just a thought
Andrew
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zookpuke

Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2004, 07:14:58 PM »
 Go with the yj 5 pack from hard top 6 cylinder good ride and limits axle wrap.plus once you find a place with old yj springs makes for cheap replacement . see trail tough web site .just my 2 cents.
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jdraper

Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2004, 12:27:24 PM »
I have an SOA on my Sammy, and I find that it does ride a Lot better than it did stock.  I also have the Doestch tech shocks, an OME stabilizer, and a set of 32' bfg M/t's on.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2004, 10:44:31 PM by jdraper »
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Offline trialspro

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2004, 05:37:23 PM »
any yj spring swap kits out there?
if not, what would you think a shop would charge to do it if i supplied springs.
oh, and even if i left it riding like "a lumber wagon" isnt that pretty hard on the frame etc?
i dunno, i hate selling cars so often, im 18 and on my 5th, (sonoma, s10, sprint, sidekick, samurai) but i really like this one and would definetly keep it if it would just perform better at decent speeds on trails like other peoples
thanks :-/
Andrew
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Offline trialspro

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2004, 07:14:38 PM »
OH MY!!!
http://www.rocky-road.com/yjkit.html
anyone have these?!? WOW! if so, are they hard to install?
i can get my hands on the springs easily, this is VERY interesting
Andrew!!
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jdraper

Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2004, 10:43:56 PM »
I don't have em....yet.  I'm leaning on going that way, but from what I understand you do sacrifice some handling capabilities on road when they are installed.  That kit is specifically designed to give you more flex off road.  It is also fairly easy to install since it's all bolt on if you already have your perches welded to the other side of the axle.

As far as you wanting better on and off road performance, my Sammy handles decently (for a Samurai) on road because I put a trac bar in the front.  This locks the front axle in place under the vehicle and stops the side-to-side wandering of the vehicle.  Good shocks can make a world of difference too.  I'd recommend the Doetsch Tech shocks.  I have them installed, along with and OME stabilizer, and it's very driveable on the roads, even on the 32's.

It's gonna ride rough to some extent no matter what you do with it.  It's so lightweight that it doesn't have the mass to absorb bumps like a larger truck does.
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lucszuk

Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2004, 04:36:25 AM »
the jeep eater kit is cool a couiple kids around my area run it. it really is a flexy kit my buddy put his sammi with this kit and 3 inch body and 37 inch tires up on the roof of a yj once it was funny as hell but the guy was really pissed
« Last Edit: March 28, 2004, 04:36:51 AM by lucszuk »
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Offline hargraves

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #13 on: March 28, 2004, 11:47:52 AM »
i dont know about the rocky road kit, but i run the trail tough kit with front and rear missing links and it was not that hard to install the hardest part was drilling holes in frame. in is a bolt on kit. also depending on your lower front shock mounts you may have to move them to keep shock from hitting spring at full droop. i also run a breeze knuckle over steering becouse my eight inch drop drag link hit the spring at full droop. with out a panhard bar the front end does fill a little loose becouse it moves side to side but i stiil drive mine on the road and it isn't that bad it just likes to wonder around a little.
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Offline trialspro

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Re: smoother ride on spoa samurai
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2004, 11:38:52 AM »
been looking around for good prices for this the last couple days.
rocky road seems cheapest (400 for front and rear)
i was hoping for cheaper though:P
trailtough has just the rears for 209 which sounds good, do u think the fronts make a large difference? personally i think they would.
these are all american prices which really sucks too since i live in canada  >:(
any input?
Andrew
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