ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Technical Discussion - Beginner / Repair => Topic started by: zuki1018 on November 07, 2011, 06:19:00 AM
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Just a quick school of hardknock 2 cents....
After swapping to thicker driveline spacers that "come with" lock washers, I found a couple of the nuts working themselves loose. I also upgraded to thicker heavy duty Grade 8 U-bolt hardware some time ago for the axles in all 4 corners. I found a few loose nuts there also.
Just a reminder to pick up a tube of lock-tite! Maybe mine is different but my sami will knock your teeth loose on bumps. I want to air bag my suspension, then air bag the body on the frame, and then air bag my seats as well lol.
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Did you impact the u-bolt nuts or tighten by hand?
About the bumps, I feel yah. I had some calmini springs that were HORRIBLE. They had about 2mm of articulation, seriouslys. I got some old man emu springs and what a difference! Next suspension modification will be a coil spring set up which should make the sammi float on the road like a Cadillac. The softer the suspension the worse the handling.
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I always use something, thread locker or lock washers/nylock insert nuts or safety wire to keep fastners from coming undone. Most of the time I use a ton af anti-sieze and nyloc's or safety wire.
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Did you impact the u-bolt nuts or tighten by hand?
I impacted them down the first 8 feet of threads heh. Then followed it up by hand just to avoid stripping out some new threads.
About the bumps, I feel yah. I had some calmini springs that were HORRIBLE. They had about 2mm of articulation, seriouslys. I got some old man emu springs and what a difference! Next suspension modification will be a coil spring set up which should make the sammi float on the road like a Cadillac. The softer the suspension the worse the handling.
So you highly suggest the old man springs eh? I need to do something... its to the point I dont care to drive it unless we are gonna do serious wheeling. Trouble is I dont want to lose the lift my springs have.
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I always use something, thread locker or lock washers/nylock insert nuts or safety wire to keep fastners from coming undone. Most of the time I use a ton af anti-sieze and nyloc's or safety wire.
Yeah and exactly my point too. The 1.5" driveshaft spacers (or any size i guess) from a well known supplier comes with nylock nuts and washers and they still backed out. I actually dropped my rear driveshaft but fortunately nothing was harmed. I was certainly cursing the 20min drive back to camp driving with only my front axle!
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So you highly suggest the old man springs eh? I need to do something... its to the point I dont care to drive it unless we are gonna do serious wheeling. Trouble is I dont want to lose the lift my springs have.
I think old man comes with a 2.5 inch lift. There are better off road springs than the the OME. They were designed with road driving as a higher priority than off road.
My sammi got to the point were I didn't want to drive it on the streets let a lone off road. Dirt, mud, and fields were tolerable but any rocks, trails, water crossings, ext just broke me. I would tripod off a 4-6 inch rock. Now I can send a tire into the wheel well.
The OME springs are way better off road than the prior spring but they are nothing extreme. At least I'm spring under axle, I could not say for spring over axle. I did read that the OME warranty is void after they have gone SOA.
I have to say I love driving my samurai as a DD now and think with a coil set up, highway driving won't be as "normal". The OME springs are on the doorstep of a passenger car's road comfort while still giving me complete control. I wouldn't hesitate going 90mph threw a turn if a Speed (movie) scenario played out. That is a wide turn, lol. I felt the same way about the prior springs, but had NO comfort.
I'd recommend the OME spring for a 90% dd. If you off road your vehicle more than 10% of your miles, or you're looking to have a macho dd, than I would look else where or read up on what SOA OME is all about.
Good luck to you.
Parker.