ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: andyt87 on August 27, 2005, 05:45:35 AM
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ive been reading up on the shackle reverse made by Calmini. it seems to be the perfect probuct for me and my sj, it offers a 2 inch lift and a smoother ride with better road handling..... i was just wondering if anyone on the forum has used the shackle reverse and if they have any comments about it.
or if anyone knows of a similar product i would be greatful to here from you
thanks again
Andy
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I have been looking into this myself. I have a lot of time talking to Hawk. I would love to have some other input as well.
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I installed one on a Sami that I used to own. It was THE BEST thing I did to it as far as ride and tracking down the road.
If you are looking for a small amount of lift and a much better ride, go for it!
Cwkick
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Dito ...shackle reverse GOOD :)
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The only positive thing you will gain with a shackle reversal is a much nicer, softer ride. Everything else is bad news, I destroyed my last sami because of running a shackle reversal. The big problem is your tires want to pull away from the hill you are climbing causing you to pull the front tires off the ground. This is what happened to me and I flipped over backwards then rolled several times. Would never ever run a shackle reversal again !
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I was just wondering, does if effect your approach angle?
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I was just wondering, does if effect your approach angle?
No, it looks like it does though. The Calmini shackle reversal requires longer shocks as well
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so the shackle reverse doesn't improve entry angle? and will make you tip on steep slopes, that doesn't sound too good :( if it requires new shocks aswell, does that mean i would have to buy 2" lifted shocks, or could i get some longer ones, as i was going to raise her a bit more at a later date (funds permitting :) ) and it would cost a bomb to buy another set of new shocks?!?!?
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I have the Calmini Shackle Reversal for sale....asking $100 plus shipping...I live in Dover,Pa...does not include shocks. Let me know if anyone is interested. Chad
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i would be interested chad, however, i live in the channel islands, so the cost of postage would make it cheaper to buy from the UK mainland. Cheers anyway dude!
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>>>The big problem is your tires want to pull away from the hill you are climbing causing you to pull the front tires off the ground. <<<
Every mod has its good and bad. You have to understand the changes and modify your driving methods to compensate. Your theory that shackle reverse pushes you away from the hill is similar to what gas shocks do....I'm not gonna rip my gas shocks off my Sam simply because of their equalizing push away from the hill. I look at my angle meter and strap up when I'm in the red zone. Everything we do in our sport is a compromise.
Not trying to argue :)...just my 2 cents...Gary
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I spray glue on my tires befor I go up a hill ;D There are a million diffrent combinations for syspensions,I would like to go coil but the funds are not there,and they are more scary because the are more capable,so the more you do the more trouble you could get into(or out of)with the diffrent mods. no two zuks are alike unless there stock.
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HA, HA. Ohh brother an angle meter. Man do you guys play it safe.
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wow, theres quite a few different oppinions on the old shckle reverse aint there...... im not to sure what is meant buy "The big problem is your tires want to pull away from the hill you are climbing " is this just cos u can climb steeper stuff?? you really lost me
is there another shackle reverse kit availiable? or is it just the calmini?
cheers again
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WP Warrior offers a shackle reversal for the sammy. It can be bought at RRO or Roadles gear. It is a weld on setup and I think it possibly gives you better approach angle than the Calmini setup.
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What shackle reverse really does best is just what Calmini says it does. The stationary front spring mount makes your front tires roll over obstacles with out moving backward. The stock front mount allows the axle to move backward as the tires roll over objects. Does the reverse setup really push you away from the hill ? Seems to me that the stock setup would do this more than the reverse, since the backward moving tire and axle would load the spring and rebound to center. Thats the way these old eyes see it.
As for fliping over backwards and rolling several times...I havent done that yet and hope not to. Do you get an achievement patch for that event. ??? Guess I've been playing it way to safe, which reminds me of the story about an old bull and a young bull standing on a hill overlooking several girl cows down below. The young bull says " Hey Pops, lets RUN down there and do one of those cows " ....The old bull replied " Hold on there youngster, lets walk down there and Do Them All ;D
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 Guess I've been playing it way to safe, which reminds me of the story about an old bull and a young bull standing on a hill overlooking several girl cows down below. The young bull says " Hey Pops, lets RUN down there and do one of those cows " ....The old bull replied " Hold on there youngster, lets walk down there and Do Them All ;D
LOL ;D ;D
Been a long time since I've heard that one. ;D
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I've got the 3" version of Calmini's SR and love it, no problems rolling over backwards going uphill for me ( yet ? )
(http://www.nitromax.nl/SamNBCallowfrontth.jpg)
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ha ha, nice one gary!!  u answered the question thats bin puzzeling (thats spealt wrong i know)an i can kind of see what is meant by pulling u away from the hill, but what you said makes more sense! cheers!
dont suppose anyone has a link for the "wp warrior" kit?? or knows how much it costs?
also.....1 last question.... could any one tell me if the shackle reverse kit is easy to fit? the calmini one that is
cheers again, Andy
btw nitromax, that Sammy looks sweet..... any more pics availiable??
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btw nitromax, that Sammy looks sweet..... any more pics availiable??
Thanks !
Pics of the SR install ( very, very easy, just get some-one to help you ):
http://www.nitromax.nl/SAMURAIRISE.HTM
There's a navigationbar on the left of that page to the rest of the mods ( and poserpics ;) )
BTW painted the Zuk Hamerite Black with Hamerite White doors today, finishing that tomorrow ( have to do the inside of the frontwindow and rollbar before it can go back together ). Pics of that will follow on my site of course ;)
Decals of "Official H2 Recovery Vehicle" are being made right now, 2 sets, one for the original doors, one for the Fibreglass half doors.
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The Calmini SR was a straight forward bolt on. My only problem was caused by an incompatable double tube bumper, fabed some new brackets and modified the SR brackets a little. But if you are stock ...bolts right up.
The ease of bolting on after market stuff often depends on whether or not you already have something else using the bolt hole you need.
I'm boring the OGs on the board so I'll shut up now... ::)
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cool
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OK having had the calmini 5 1/2 inch shackle reversal combo lift (under 900 bux) on a zook for like 2 years here is my honest opinion, this is about the 5 1/2 combo WITH the shackle reversal mind you so keep that in mind.
i caught over 3 feet of air at least 100 times and haul ass in the riverbed going 30-40 mph over 1 foot whoopdedoos 2 feet apart 50 yards long all the time with the system and absolutly love how it preformes, it is the only calmini product i endorse and by far their best kit. it turns any stock samurai into a moonshine runnin cadillac any duke would enjoy. i never bent an axle or messed anything up on the samurai while i had this system on my zook. ever since i changed my suspension i have had more flex, higher ride height etc etc but i lost the cadillac feel.
tip of the week: if you do what i did (remove the shackle reversal and run the same front springs the normal way it pushes your front axle foreward about 2 1/2 to 3 inches and with 33 inch boggers they are about even with my front bumper for a 90 degree approach so you can climb house walls if you want.
you can comfortably run 31 inch tires with this kit and it replaces the complete suspension, break lines and bushings for a brand spankin new feel. i miss it every day but i needed to accomodate my new shoes (33x14x15 tsl boggers) so i upgraded.
just my .02 ;)
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ps if i ever wanted a street worthy zuk it is the perfect system, lets say the girlfriend gets a stocker i would then buy her the 5 1/2 combo lift for christmas and put it on in a day and cruise new years in style!
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pps if combined with 4.5 to 1 gears and 31 inch tires and a locker or two you would be unstoppable! :o
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So you like the shackle reverse then? ;D it does sound like it does all the right stuuf then... would it be possible to run the 5 1/2 inch kit with standard wheels and tyres? cos if i forked out the extra cash an replaced everyhin in one go, i could not afford bigger wheels for a few months... what do u reckon?
i know she would look kind of silly... but it would be worth it in the long run im sure.... ;)
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i think it would be just fine, you wont regret it. its the best kit there is imho if you buy it you are 80 percent done and for under 900 bux it is so worth it, i am still running my springs from that kit and i still love them. good luck, take your time installing the kit and you will be rewarded, shouldnt take more than a weekend even if you go slow.
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For a couple of months while waiting for funds to build up I ran SR on spoa lift, with 29x10.50x15s. Had a ton of wheel space and looked funny as hell but no problems. Go for it, you'll like it. ... Gary
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Gary Hill, your old eyes really do need ajustment! Your theory is totally backwards, just ask any engineer. No, no achievement patch, just destroyed a 30k truck. I was just offering my own opinion, again a shackle reversal is bad news! Maybe even worse than a body lift. I'm sure my idea of mello is most likely your idea of extreem ! I only run the most hardcore trails in the USA. You might even ask someone that knows something before you slam someone! Hell, give Brent a call at trailtough and ask him what he thinks of a shackle reversal. How many trucks have you ever seen in rock crawl comp. running a shackle reversal ? - - None ! If you did it was there first and last event.
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Mr Summers, no slight was intended to you. I guess you didn't care for my attempt at humor. The bull story was not aimed at you ( read more carefully ). I still stand by my " opinion " that the Calmini SR works for me as it also appears to work for many others per their posts. I don't claim to be an expert and I am not personally connected to anyone that has the " final " say concerning extreme 4x4 engineering. "Most" of us out here running weekend trails and mud holes are novice at best. Thats the croud I like best...
I am not sure why my differing opinion was a slam to you...seems you slam easy...in any case please accept my apology. I hope this won't affect you throwing me a strap if we should ever meet on the trail...and I'm about to tip over backwards ;D that would be :-[ing...Gary
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Shackles at the rear works for Toyota
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hey save the drama for your mama i wonder what the miracle equipment you are describing cost i bet it is 3 or 4 times the amount of the 5 1/2 lift with sr.
arguing on the internet is like the special olympics, even if you win your still retarded... :o
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Shackles at the rear works for Toyota
Same thing I was thinking while reading through this thread. You don't see ANY Toy guys going to front shackles.
Shackles in the rear is a better suspension design because of how it lets the axle move over the terrain.
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wow... ive started off a big argument.... sh :ot...
Well, ive looked on www.puresuzuki.com and for the standard shackle reverse and a 3 inch body lift, it would cost £188 GBP, thats not inclding postage :( which i think could be quite alot, maybe another hundred, i will have to email them an ask...
Do u think it is worth while adding the body lift aswell? or should i spend the extra cash on the 3.5" sr?
Also with the standard sr, would i need to buy longer shocks? or will the standard ones hack it?
Andy
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Try Rob Butler at Rubbers Suzuki (£145) and Rhino Ray (£180?) too.
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body lifts are for trackers with independant front suspension, if its a solid front axle suspension lift is where its at imho
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body lifts are for trackers with independant front suspension, if its a solid front axle suspension lift is where its at imho
Or both 8)
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only if you like laying it on its side alot :P
what is the advantage of a body lift if you have a solid axle? if you want to run 44 inch tires then get the height from leafsprings so you have more flex. i drive past soooooooo many people that get 44 inch tires then get 12 inch blocks and use them without a panhard bar, plain stupidity imho. nope, no reason for a body lift i can think of with a solid axle.
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I have the calmini lift on my truck and love it. The ride is a lot smoother and the approach angles have not changed.
P.S. if you bother to put the lift on, do lock the diffs to complete the truck. I recommend both.
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only if you like laying it on its side alot :P
what is the advantage of a body lift if you have a solid axle? if you want to run 44 inch tires then get the height from leafsprings so you have more flex. i drive past soooooooo many people that get 44 inch tires then get 12 inch blocks and use them without a panhard bar, plain stupidity imho. nope, no reason for a body lift i can think of with a solid axle.
I must admit I mainly did the bodylift to be able to close the hood with the Camden/Weber/RamFlo set-up, but I also like the height of the truck as it is now ( and I dó have higher leafsprings as well ! ) . Since we don't have rocks here to climb ( like you lucky b*st*rds have ;) ) tipping over is not too big a danger in the sand and mud.
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Okay, I'm convinced I'm doing the calmini 2" shackel reverse http://www.puresuzuki.com/shackle_reverse.htm. I eventually want to get 4-5" of lift though... should I follow up with Calmini's 3" system http://www.puresuzuki.com/3_samurai.htm later down the road, or go with the Old Man EMU's http://www.roadlessgear.com/page/RGL/PROD/SU/ARB120 I hear so much about? I can't really tell what the pricing of the Old Man's are (as the web site doesn't specify if the price is per leaf, or for the pair).
Looks like if I did the Old Man EMU's it would be more $$$, as I would have to locate my own shocks and such :(
~J~