ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: longarm85 on March 10, 2012, 05:46:10 PM
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ANYBODY RUNNING THE 3" calmini lift? was thinking of getting this kit....
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What size tire are you wanting to run?
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29 to 31 whatever will fit with this kit.....
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I think they are ok for what they are. I've never owned them myself, but two different friends have. They both had problems with the front main leafs quickly bending or sagging-even with the bump stop extensions. Perhaps they have improved since then?
I would pass on their rebranded shocks though and get some cheap Gabriel Red Ryder's.
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would the shackle reverse kit be better.....says it will give 2 " of lift...will be deiven on the street mostly with some light off road?
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If it were me, I would go with the Old Man Emu (OME) springs. Not too much lift and they ride nice. Generally, the more lift (arch) a spring has, the harsher the ride. The OME springs do not have a lot of arch.
At one time I had the SR lift and it seemed to ride nice, however it has several drawbacks:
-decreased approach angle from the front spring hangers
-I had front driveshaft angle noise/vibrations and could not use 4WD at normal driving speeds-30mph or so. (Yes, it was indexed correctly.) Not good for a daily driver that will need 4WD for snow use.
-The front sits about an inch higher than the rear since the rear is only lifted by a longer shackle.
-Tire size limitations. You really cannot fit a tire much larger than stock with the SR. I think I was running a 215/75 tire and it rubbed a little. With the OMEs you can run a 30" tire and it will only rub a little at full flex.
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A shackle reverse system is one of the best upgrades one can install on any solid axle vehicle.....
The calminni system is a bit awkward, I recommend the warrior system. Lowrainge carries it.
The warrior system does not decrees your approach angle .
As to his drive line issues: any lift over 2 or 3 " can cause drive line angle issues. Johns geometry was wrong.....No offence John , Just a fact....
This system is not a lift kit .
Unless you plan on re gearing, you don't want to run 31" tires. 29s will be a better choice...REMEMBER : as you increase your tire size , you must increase your offset , or you will have a Clarence issue....
My recommendation parallels Johns. The OME's are a good product. You can expect 1.5" of lift with them, a nice ride , and if combined with the Warrior sr kit , Will vastly upgrade the drivability of your Zuke. Boath on and offroad...
Most of the added control will be due to the SR kit........
A shackle reverse kit is also a great foundation for future upgrades......
As to the shock statements : You get what you pay for...... If you opt for a cheap shock of any brand , that's exactly what you get.
We build all our rigs around FOX shocks..... Expensive , yes , but well worth the money......Boxcar...
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will the SR let me run 235-15 tires ? thanks boxcar.....tried lowrange on the OME springs they were out of the front or rear dont remember said they were hung up in customs.......James
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A shackle reverse system is one of the best upgrades one can install on any solid axle vehicle.....
The calminni system is a bit awkward, I recommend the warrior system. Lowrainge carries it.
The warrior system does not decrees your approach angle .
As to his drive line issues: any lift over 2 or 3 " can cause drive line angle issues. Johns geometry was wrong.....No offence John , Just a fact....
My recommendation parallels Johns. The OME's are a good product. You can expect 1.5" of lift with them, a nice ride , and if combined with the Warrior sr kit , Will vastly upgrade the drivability of your Zuke. Boath on and offroad...
As to the shock statements : You get what you pay for...... If you opt for a cheap shock of any brand , that's exactly what you get.
We build all our rigs around FOX shocks..... Expensive , yes , but well worth the money......Boxcar...
Boxcar, I disagree with you on my geometry being wrong with the SR. The only suspension mod was the Calmini SR and there was no adjustment for the caster angle with this bolt on kit. I even had a machinist look at my driveshaft to look see if it was the problem. Nope, it was the driveshaft angles. It's been 15 years, but I'm pretty sure that the u-joints were operating at 2 different angles.
Furthermore, I have not experienced the front driveshaft vibration problem with either the OME springs SPUA or the 3" RRO Deaver springs SPUA. I can drive either rig on a snowy road at 40mph in 4WD without any major front driveshaft vibrations.
Also, I've run the OMEs/Red Ryders/30' ATs for 10+ years with no problems-all across the US and even drove this setup on the German autobahn.
The Red Ryders are lightly valved, which make them perfect for the Samurai vs the fullsize truck shocks that most vendors try to sell with their SPUA kits. I've only had a problem with a couple of the Red Ryders, but they have a lifetime warranty. Most of mine are 10+ years old and still work fine.
I agree with you on the gearing though. A 4:1 case would be the minimum I would go with for larger tires.
Pictured below is the 3" Deaver Springs, 30" ATs, 4:1 case, 0.865 fifth and Red Ryder shocks. It does many of the trails around Oklahoma, cruises comfortably at 65mph, and handle winter snow duties with ease. Still has the stock 1300 engine and I will probably go back down to 235/75 tires when it comes time to replace them.
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johnny is the sammy in picture with calmini SR and 3" springs? or just 3" springs........james
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3" Deaver Springs which sit about an inch taller than the OME. Keep in mind, I have about 150lbs of winch and bumper on the front end. Here is a side profile from the same 600-mile trip. It's a little DD beater that I assembled from a bunch of used & old parts I had stashed.
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where do you get deaver springs? can i get them in a kit? i'll need everything.....james
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These are from Rocky Road Outfitters.
http://www.rocky-road.com/deaver.html (http://www.rocky-road.com/deaver.html)
They carry the OME springs too.
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I have the Calmini SR and OME springs with 235's(29") You will ahve to address the steering,shocks and tire clearance issues. And even with just 235's, I will say you need bigger gears. I have 4:16 and love them.
(http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm217/lv2fsh/STA73132JPGa.jpg)
(http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm217/lv2fsh/P3120016.jpg)
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You can fit most 235/75 R15 tires on a stock Samurai suspension, but you will need to trim the bumpers a bit. Some tires require some of the inner fender well to be smoothed out with a hammer. The 4.16 t-case that lv2fsh mentioned is perfect for the 235/75 tires, but if you can find an SJ-410 t-case it has the same high range reduction and can be bolted straight in. It only has a 10% reduction in low range over the stock Samurai t-case though and may be a little high for trail crawling.
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Calmini has the 4:1 kit on sale for $419 shipped too. 8)
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Disagree???
John . If your drive line angle is off, you eather live with it , or correct it.
With wedges or axle mods.....It's geometry....
Yours was off . Not your fault. But a fact....
As I stated earlyer: the Calminni kit is awkward at best. I don't recommend it.....
Yours was just one of the issues with it.....There are others.
(http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h423/Boxcar2/017.jpg)
(http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h423/Boxcar2/022.jpg)
(http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h423/Boxcar2/020.jpg)
There is no such thing as a COMPLEATE bolt on kit for your Zuke James.
There will always be some fine tuning or major expenditures required to make them work as advertised.....
.....Boxcar...
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i would like to thank you guy's for responding, i though am still lost!!!!!!!!! have the credit card in one hand phone in the other and just don't know what to order??????????
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going with this kit....AXL-0112 Old Man Emu Dakar Springs Kit (Spings, Shocks, Bushings, Heavy Duty Shackles)
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Yeah, I think you'll be happy with that kit and it is pretty easy to install. Don't forget to get some transfer-case gear reduction though. It will help on both the street and trail.
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That should be a good start to a great wheeler.
Who'd you order them from, James???
John: Mine is SPOA, SA, Long travel, geared, and several $$$$$$$ later , still a DD.
But the closest freeway is 65 miles away...
...Boxcar...
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Yeah, everybody's definition of DD is different dependent on their situation. :)
My DD definition is freeway capable and being able to handle big city traffic: engine power/acceleration, stability, braking power.
My daily commute is around 60 miles, which consists of 50 miles of rural/urban interstate with 10 miles of large city, off-highway traffic. I can drive my SPOA, 32", locked and geared rig on my commute, but it is not very desirable. Especially the stop and go traffic 0-50-0 cycle and panic stops on the interstate. Not fun.
If I lived back in my hometown where the speed limit is 45 and no freeways around, I could drive it everyday without any complaints. In fact, I've comment on how many extremely lifted rigs you see in my hometown that you do not see around Tulsa. They could never negotiate the traffic.
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Didnt get to order from anybody......nobody has OME springs all out and their orders all seem to be hung up in customs? ....so the wait goes on.....still have alot to do to it, starting on the inside next week.....THANKS AGAIN GUYS WITH ALL YOUR ADVICE.............JAMES
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In the meantime, something else you might want to look at is a front end rebuild. Most Samurai front ends have never been serviced since they left the factory and are in dire need of attention. The larger tires will accent problems caused by worn out front end components. Most notably, death wobble.
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You could go for an RUF/CJ Spring conversion instead. Bit more work but it does give you a bit of lift and a softer ride due to the longer springs front and rear.
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Good point. The RUF w/o a missing link setup (RRO) might be ok, but I think that the CJ rears take some ground clearance away due to the hangers. I'm also not found of missing links in the rear and especially not on a DD. I think a YJ kit would be a better choice for the rear and it would ride smooooooooooth. So it would be RUF (non missing link)/YJ rear for me. ;D