ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki Sidekick, Vitara, Geo Tracker (Gen. 1 Platform) 1989-1998 => Topic started by: MUD_TRACKER on February 28, 2011, 04:25:08 AM
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Ok I'm new to this kinda stuff but I've worked on thangs for quite a bit.
I off-road every now and then. I have pretty much a stock tracker.
I got a 2" coil spacers for starters and some 31's to.
I plain on doing a body lift probably a 2" because I've heard lots of people say it's a hassel with the 3".
Ima keep it as my dd/weekend fun. But ima build it as I go. I was thanking about adding some GV springs.
Witch GV springs would I need for my 90 tracker? Plus I wanna keep the coil spacers and body lift.
I want the max flex but I don't wanna bind up and break stuff.
What all do I need to achive my goals?
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If you go with the GV coils as well as the spacer lift you are going to need to drop your differential. Otherwise you will just start breaking your front CV's. It is usually a one or the other sort of thing.
Do you already have the 31" tires mounted?
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Yea I ha e the 31's and spacers on it now looks good. I new to lifting trackers or anything. What do I need drop the diffs
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Yea I ha e the 31's and spacers on it now looks good. I new to lifting trackers or anything. What do I need drop the diffs
You need to replace the stock diff hanging brackets with longer ones. Calmini is the only one I know that commercially makes longer mounts, and that comes in their complete kit (which they DO NOT SELL PIECES OF). You will have to make your own longer mounts. The drivers side is not hard to figure out, just make a longer one. The passenger side hangs at about 30 degrees and you want it to drop down, so you don't just make it longer (that would shove it back and down), you have to rotate the mounting holes so it goes down only,
Seems the simple thing is just to lengthen stock mounts, rotating the passenger side a little and welding them back together, but they are cast and not welder friendly. They will break at the weld when you need them the most, or at least one will. 1/4" X 2-3" flat stock with a small stiffener would work fine.
As with all modifications, one change needs another change. With longer mounts it is easier for the diff to twist (or not twist as the frame twists) as you are utilizing all the flex you have created, and the diff is made out of aluminum (which doesn't flex much) so then the back mount breaks off the case. Now you get to make a mounting bracket to hold it in place , and there are kits out there to fix broke back mounts. It is better to make it before it breaks.
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Oh sounds more complicated than I want. Might just do a 2" body lift and leave it alone. Were I.off road is mostly trail riding and mild rock crawling.
Ok now then. What would be better. Rear locker or a mini spool?
Im doing a budget build so nothing to drastic.
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For a vehicle that sees a lot of time on pavement I would avoid the mini-spool.
The problem with a spool is that both tires have to move at the same rate. So when going around a corner something has to give, either the axle twisting slightly to absorb the difference or the inside tire breaking traction and chirping when you go around the corner. While on dirt this isn't an issue on pavement you are constantly putting a strain on your axles, each time you go around a corner they bind up and adds to the fatigue. And sooner or later they will simply break. Plus your only saving about $90 going to a mini-spool over a locker.
But for dirt/rock only a mini-spool is great, you just loose a bit of your turning radius in the wet.
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Ok thanks. Ima save up and do the rear first. And then the front. Is it a hard job to instill the lockers
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http://www.acksfaq.com/pdfs/Backlash.pdf (http://www.acksfaq.com/pdfs/Backlash.pdf)
i put a locker in the rear, and assume it would be similar for the front.
i mostly followed the process described by ack in the link above.
it gave me confidence i could pull it off.
the part that made me struggle was lying on my back trying to put the assemby back in.
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Great Info. Thanks. I definitely well invest in a locker
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Well got some more work done to the tracker. Through together a snorkel mad from some old intercooler cool pipe had laying around.
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heres a pic
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and one more
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oh man, you got a nice garage! i'm in envy....... i have a driveway for a shop.
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Hana na its not a garage its a local car wash. Put my snorkel on in there cus it was raining
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Yeah unfortunately Calmini won't sell individual parts BUT altered ego motorsports/zuki nation does sell individual parts AND they sell drop brackets. In case you can't make your own
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I'd like to jump in here and pose another question for Trackick build information.
I have a '96 2 door conv. that is stock right now. Eventually will have all the toys but doing the one piece at a time build. Few years ago I cut up an old 2" hitch and welded the receiver on the factory metal crash bar outside of the bumper cover. Used it so I could put a haul platform on for deer hunting. Well the bar finally gave out. I cannot find anyone that has a 2" hitch and was thinking of going to a plate bumper w/ one in it but no luck there. Any ideas?
I do like the swing-away one that Calimini has and thought I might be able to use it w/o the tire rack portion until I put the body lift on but it doesn't have the hitch. Figured it would b/c that would be good for removable winch mount, etc.
Thanks
Brad
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My brother cut down a hitch from a full size truck and replaced the stock bar that protects the gas tank. You can also find the 1 1/4" receivers out there. If not that I would go with a new rear bumper so you can be assured that the mounts can handle the weight. Trail Tough has a bumper with a built in 2" receiver and most custom shops can build you one.
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I did the 2" on mine the same way that you mentioned your brothers doing. Only problem I have run into since is when I had bike rack w/ 4 bikes on it for the family to go trail riding we hit a dip and the weight transfer twisted the tube due to the weight being so far out there. I would like either a hitch as I want to wait to get the new rear bumper after I do other mods first but guess that may be the only way to go for now.
So far I have found 3 different ones that have 2" hitch built in. They all have pros and cons but none give the same design feel of the front winch bumpers that I eventually want.
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I did the 2" on mine the same way that you mentioned your brothers doing. Only problem I have run into since is when I had bike rack w/ 4 bikes on it for the family to go trail riding we hit a dip and the weight transfer twisted the tube due to the weight being so far out there. I would like either a hitch as I want to wait to get the new rear bumper after I do other mods first but guess that may be the only way to go for now.
So far I have found 3 different ones that have 2" hitch built in. They all have pros and cons but none give the same design feel of the front winch bumpers that I eventually want.
Drone637 said his brother REPLACED the tube. That tube is not strong enough to support any heavy usage, and is usually one of the first frame members to rust out. A good hitch, or bumper/hitch will be BOTH through bolted and supported by the frame (or welded in a similar manner). A lost load (trailer or 4 bikes) is dangerous to others, and the Gestapo will charge you much more than doing it right, even if no one is hurt.
Just remember the factory weight limit isn't because it does not have the power to pull any more than that (and most stock ones don't), it doesn't have the ability to safely control more than that in adverse conditions.
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WOW. Guessed I stepped on some toes here. :police: Looks like the fuzz is coming down on me. Just for the record the load in question(75lbs. of bicycles) didn't come loose or depart from the vehicle. I hit a dip and the weight of the bike rack allowed the support tube to twist. This resulted in the rack to start pointing down to the ground. I have never towed a trailer on the street with this rig as no wiring set up for lights and want to be legal if doing so. But around the family farm have moved several 4-5k lb trailer loads of rocks b/c the full size p/u truck couldn't make the corners back to the creek as it was too long. I will see if I can get some pics uploaded to illustrate the rack as well as the home made hitch with twist damage later.
As far as ideas to look for a better replacement or use option guess I will continue on my quest elsewhere. I am just supprised that there are so few options avail out there for hitches for these vehicles. I would have thought that if a *eep could have multitudes of different front and rear bumpers w/ a 2" receiver to allow them to put a removable winch in so they can swap it from front to rear bumpers as needed the Trackicks would be the same way due to the popularity of these vehicles.
When speaking of power of these vehicles mine must be better than most. Never had a lack of power to haul a field dressed 150 lb. deer on hitch platform out from the woods to the processor or a full weekend worth of camping gear for 2 or use pull chains on to drag a *eep out from a snow bank b/c they thought they were indestructible and flew by me about a mile or two previously or run down the interstate around 75mph and climb up the hills at the same rate in 5th.
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Not trying to be hard on you, but did want to impress that loading up a week link could result in more than your personal losses. Don't just go else where because I told you to be be careful and be safe, Everyone here watches out for others.
There are some bumpers on here with the modifications you are looking for, most are home made, and a few are selling them with options.
You can do a lot with 80-95 hp, but when loaded down they tend to run out of energy fast. Step up in tire size, and shift down in gears, pulling a trailer is much the same.
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I know it's already been mentioned that Trail Tough sells a rear bumper with a hitch. But I have one and want to offer my opinion.
For the person such as myself with no fabrication skills looking for a strong bumper with a receiver hitch that looks great, it's a great deal for $300. It also looks great and it's built great. Did I mention that it looks great?
Another option is the dominator series rear bumper from Zuks Offroad. Looks awesome too and has a hitch but I don't personally have one.
I believe MUD CHILD made some bumpers recently that look very close to Trail Tough's models. He was advertising in the classifieds. Try him too.
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Thanks BrdHntr.
Wasn't quite sure the intentions originally. Since I made my last post I have spent some pretty serious time researching on here and elsewhere. I will definitely say that your work is absolute top notch in what you have shown. There are many things you have done that I will most likely never do to my current rig. I don't have the time or the room.
djlantis57
Appreciate the intel. I think that I am going to go with the ZOR bumper. It gives me what I am looking for more than anyone else. I have spoken w/ Myron and liked the input he provided. I especially like the adjustable side plates for when I do get the body/suspension lift.
Working on the big time budget here with the ultimate goal to be able to have a rig. that is far superior than the $20-25k ATV (Rhino, Polaris, etc.) and still be able to DD it. It all means "one step at a time."
Oh yeah one thing that ANY ATV can't do right now that the Zuks can, DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE LEGALLY. :laugh:
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Looks like you are catching on. :D
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BRD HNTR was up hunting this last winter with my SJ and a friend who had Quads. At one point a ranger came up to the camp and let them know that they are not allowed to drive the Quads on the road. My SJ was cool though, since it had a license. That extra functionality is a nice touch. :D