ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: Digger on March 27, 2005, 12:15:21 PM
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A friend of mine found some chunks of a white delrin-type material that measures out to a perfect 1.5" thick. This stuff is very durable, too. I figured I could just cut out some of my own coil spacers out of it and save some $$$ on my budget build-up. I pulled a rear rubber coil isolator from the Goblin and am planning to use it as a template to cut out some spacers. Has anyone else out there made their own spacers? If so, do you have any helpful tips or advice about it? If there's interest, I'll take some pics and write up how I did it, just let me know. Thanks.
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I did it, used the isolater as a template also! They came out good, and work fine.
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If I cut out all 4 the same based off of the rear isolator, will they fit the front as well or is the front bump stop a different diameter? Also, I found out that this material mills and drills great, but doesn't cut very well! I have one cut out now and it was a pain using a jigsaw. I'm going to look for an appropriately-sized hole saw for my drill press and see if I can't speed up the process some... if so, I have enough of this material to make 4 whole sets of spacers. I might make some extras...
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If you make them all the same size, the front will sit taller.
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i made a set out of poly ethiline they were just 4" around with a 2 and 1/4" hole in the middle, i never put them in because i had no time and money was tight so i sold them
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If you make them all the same size, the front will sit taller.
What he said. Gotta take about 1/2" off the front ones, and it'll sit level.
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If I cut out all 4 the same based off of the rear isolator, will they fit the front as well or is the front bump stop a different diameter?
I think you missed what his question was...
As far as I know, they're all the same diameter. I bought 2 sets of spacers for a j**p from energy suspension...they're all the same. I'm even keeping the extra in the front, I find most track/kicks could use the extra 1/4" - 1/2" in the front(most I see are slouchy)
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Wow , id be interested in a write up for sure. And i agree with the sluch in the front. The extra 1/2 inch would be great to even it all. What other material would work for this???? Pics would be great too!
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I've heard of people making motor mount inserts out of windshield urethane...after it hardens it's pretty solid. It could probably work if a guy could make a good mold that won't stick to the piece... I wonder.........
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Yeah, actually the front of the Goblin is a bit slouchy, plus I'm going to be adding quite a bit of weight up front soon with a bumper, winch and skidplate, so I'm leaving the front spacers full height. I don't know where I read that the front and rear bumpstops were different diameters, I think it was RRO.
My Isolator measures 4-1/4" outer diameter and 2-1/2" inner diameter and it came out of the rear spring cup...
I have one cut out, but it was a pain and is kinda ugly. It will work, but is not quite show quality ::) LOL!! I'm just using a jigsaw for the outer cut, then boring out the center on my drill press. I'll get some pics along the way...
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Well, I stopped at Lowes tonight and picked up a 4-1/4" hole saw as well as a 2-1/2" hole saw. With these 2 tools, I'm able to greatly speed up the process and end up with a much better looking final product. I might whip out a couple sets for sale to make my $$$ back on the hole saws! LOL!
One question though: these spacers fit over the bump stops perfectly, but now the isolator no longer fits the tapered bump-stop post, it's center hole is too big and the isolator can slide around on the spacer. I would think this would be bad if the top of the spring could move around, right? So how do I take up the slack inside the isolator? wrap the bump-stop post with duct tape?
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One question though: these spacers fit over the bump stops perfectly, but now the isolator no longer fits the tapered bump-stop post, it's center hole is too big and the isolator can slide around on the spacer. I would think this would be bad if the top of the spring could move around, right? So how do I take up the slack inside the isolator? wrap the bump-stop post with duct tape?
Either duct tape the bump-stop or JB weld the isolator to the spacer.
JB weld will work for anything..we used to have the transmission in a van held together with JB weld...worked for a good 8 months, then it finally went. A quick trip to the hardware store for some of the stuff that sets in 5 minutes and we were back in business
:)
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In the past i've spring spacers out of good quality plywood, easy to cut and if u paint it it lasts well. Primitive yep but it works
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In the past i've spring spacers out of good quality plywood, easy to cut and if u paint it it lasts well. Primitive yep but it works
so your telling me you made coil spacers with plywood??
how long did it last? and did you take them off to check the wear out??
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I wouldn't use plywood except maybe for mock up, but not daily driving. The stuff I'm using is a very durable plastic compound...
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I have 1.5" of good quality plywood under the front. Not aproblem at all. it has compressed a small amount but no big deal.
I have steel cherokee spacers in the rear.
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What did you do to hold your isolators in place to keep them from sliding around on the bump stop?
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the plywood spacers i made lasted over a year, i only took them out when i sold the car, they where still great shape, i would do it again
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Does anyone have pics and sizes for all 4 spacers. I think im gonna give a try at the plywood spacers. They kinda fit better n my budget ;D, or even better I got plenty of thick rubber mats they use in barns for cows to walk on......should do the trick.
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I now have 8 spacers made up. They are 4-1/8" outside diameter, 2-1/2" inside diameter and 1-1/2" thick. All I need to do is round the inside upper edge to sit all the way up in the spring cup around the bump stop and they're done. This material is pretty tought stuff, but was pretty much a dump find. I have enough to make several more spacers...
Anyway, I took a scrap piece of this stuff and pounded on it with a hammer. It didn't even get marked. Then to test it even further, I took the same scrap, froze it then tried to crush it in a vise. Not even a mark. Then I smacked it with a hammer while it was still under pressure and frozen in the vise and still nothing happened. Determined to make a mark, it finally took nailing it hard with the rounded end of a large ball-peen hammer against a cement floor to leave a slight rounded impression in the scrap. Tough stuff!
I think I might try to use a piece of radiator hose slipped over the bump stop, between it and the isolator to keep the isolator and the top of the coil from sliding around. I will keep you all posted on what I finally do when I mount them up.
Is anyone interested in buying a set of these(to help me recover some of the cost of the tools to make them)? PM me if so.
Anyone that used Jeep TJ spacers or has access to them, what are the inner and outer dimensions of them before you bored them out to fit the Track/Kick? I have a Jeep ZJ and TJ spacers fit it as well. I figured I could make a set for it, too, while I'm cutting them out...
Pics:
(http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL72/842221/6980761/91278951.jpg)
(http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL72/842221/6980761/91278900.jpg)
There's one of the pieces of the material under the spacers. Also pictured are the hole-saws I used and the rear spring isolator from the Tracker.
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I'm determined to find the material to make my own... so far I have not been able to find any material 2 inches thick(I'd like 2" spacers)...Ive thought about JB welding 2 1 inch pieces together and cutthing them out that way..who knows.
those look great! I'm sure you'll have no troubles selling a few sets!
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Digger, where you from?
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So how exactly will you place the spacers?? between the coil and rubber or between the rubber and the mount? and will you need to flip the mounts? longer bolts?? Wow this is alot of questions..... :-/
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i use a plastic called uhmw 4.5in round and cut to thickness desired drill out center and shape top to fit in upper spring cup i also have these for sale plus have strut spacers avalable if interested contact me
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I'm in southwestern PA near seven springs ski resort.
These spacers go on top of the coil isolator, between the rubber isolator and the upper spring cup. The front strut mount should at least be flipped or a spacer added to make up for the added height and I'm planning on using longer rear shocks. No longer bolts needed unless you're adding an upper front strut mount spacer...
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Well, the radiator hose idea worked perfectly to hold the isolator in place and keep the top of the coil from sliding around. I just got a chunk of 2-1/2" outside diameter coolant hose and cut it into 1" long rings which I slid over the bumpstop after the spacer was in place. Then I just slid the isolator over the hose section and re-installed the spring. I also found out tonight that '91 Crown Victoria shocks are almost exactly 1-1/2" longer than stock Tracker shocks, mount up exactly the same way and are cheaper than Tracker shocks. They would appear to be the perfect replacement when adding 1-1/2" coil spacers...
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I have 1.5" of good quality plywood under the front. Not aproblem at all. it has compressed a small amount but no big deal.
I have steel cherokee spacers in the rear.
This is funny Chet...I was walking around the shop this morning trying to find something to make some spacers out of.
I looked all over for something that would be low hassle, and I was thinking to myself, "I wonder if we have any hard wood around here".
Then I did a search for spacer demensions (again), and your post pops up. lol
You are soooooo getting hassled, just wait until I tell the gang!  :P
Anyway, I ended up settling on the mystery material. Not sure what this stuff is, but it appears to have decent properties. These spacers are going on someone else's truck, and they only use it for going skiing and lakes off of mainlines.
(http://island4x4.com/temppic/mysteryspacer.jpg)
UHMW is a pretty good choice for material. It is tuff, lasts in the elements, and is realitively cheap.
PVC machines well, and is pretty tuff, but more brittle and breaks down pretty quick under UV rays.
Delrin is a dream to machine, but its pricey.
I made a set out of PVC sheet. Rough cut the circles and then trued and bored them in the lathe. Those ones will be going on my Tracker as a temporary measure until I do SAS and all that jazz.
The ones above machined nice. Cut them in a cut-off bandsaw, faced, bored, and then I chamfered one side because I wasn't sure what the top of the bumpstop looks like, but I figured there would be a bevel of some sort there...probably a weld bead.
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I just cut out another batch tonight. The spring cup is a stamped piece with the bump stop perch stamped out of the spring cup, so there is a slight radius at the base of the bump stop perch. This requires a little bit of a chamfer to the upper inside edge of the spacer to allow the spacer to seat all the way up into the spring cup. The ones you cut in look more than adequate. :) Don't forget to make up something for the rear isolators to keep them from sliding around on the tapered bump stops. Look above for the rad-hose collars I made to fill in the space...
Everyone: I have these for sale in the garage sale forum, mainly just to recoup some of the money I had to spend on the tools to make them. If you are thinking about adding spacers to your Track/Kick, shoot me a PM and we'll work something out, ok? I need help keeping my budget build in the budget! LOL!!! ;)