Even home brew SAS, the cheap way, is going to cost 3-5 thousand using as much Suzuki stuff as you can...

~Nate

Even home brew SAS, the cheap way, is going to cost 3-5 thousand using as much Suzuki stuff as you can...

~Nate

I disagree :-/  

But comparing a barely legal trailer Queen Back woods beater to a Cross Country daily driver is apples to oranges.  
 
The SAS kick yall have built looks top notch.  I like it alot but the build is more then I can afford.      

  I think I can do a SAS on a GV XL-7 with Toyota's for less then 1k.   Maybe less then $600 If I can find donor arms.    But maybe I'm just CHEAP...

Scanning the Salvage for an XL-7....

Je4sus, make sure I'm never in front of you, you may need to stop eventually at one time or another...

Brian

Brian

You typed never brakes, not never breaks

You typed never brakes, not never breaks

 

I disagree :-/  

But comparing a barely legal trailer Queen Back woods beater to a Cross Country daily driver is apples to oranges.  
 
The SAS kick yall have built looks top notch.  I like it alot but the build is more then I can afford.      

  I think I can do a SAS on a GV XL-7 with Toyota's for less then 1k.   Maybe less then $600 If I can find donor arms.    But maybe I'm just CHEAP...

Scanning the Salvage for an XL-7....

How? Do you already have the TOY axles sitting there, or a doner truck sitting there to rob the axles from? Daily driver set up, or trailered trail beater? Maybe I just need a lesson in el-cheapo conversions. But I was refering to a kit that someone can use and still daily drive it across the country to events or back and forth to work every day (Like a Lift Kit from a vendor would have to be). But even for a trail beater that will never see asphalt, $600. You could not even get a doner truck around here for that. Tell me how. I've got a 2wd tracker I would like to beat the hell out of

Zig

Since I m going for a SAS too (I got Heather's and Nate's hybrid front axle  ) , I ll tell you my opinion.The sas with coil set up will be more expensive than a SAS with leafs.Of course you all know that.I m almost ready to start the SAS project,just waiting for the last parts to be delivered to me.I believe that if someone wants to make a good truck with SAS ,he should expect to invest ("spend" for some others...) not less than 3000-3500 $,using both new and used parts.Coils or leafs.
Personally , I m going for a SAS (SPOA) using
-Heather's front hybrid axle
-OTT Kicker 3
- YJ leafs new
-Rancho's or Skyjacker's  shocks
-ARB front
-Mounting parts and other parts/kits from
*SpiderTrax ,TT,Calmini,Quadratec
- Custom driveshafts
I m expecting a total cost at aprox.5000-6000$,using  new parts.(including custom import duties to Greece)
And I call it a cheap mod.I would like to get Calmini 's SAS kit ,but I couldn't wait any longer.
If I was going for Dana44's,coilovers,strengthening the frame,plus solution for slip yokes,e.t.c   I would be close to 7500$-8500 or more I believe.
There's no way I believe for someone to0 built a good SAS Sidekick with 2500 or less.

I'm doing an SAS, and will be using mostly junkyard parts I can get for cheap/free, and still figure that the SAS itself will cost around $500 max. Most of that will be spent on new shocks and metal. This doesn't include the engine or trans stuff I want to do, which will probably add another $1000 with junkyard parts. Then if I ever want to make it streetable, I'll probably want some custom driveshafts made, just for peace of mind, which will cost around $400 each. So doing all the work that I want to do should stay right around $2000, and that includes a new engine/trans/tcase/axles/suspension.

Of course I'm ditching a LOT of Suzuki stuff, so this might be useless information compared to this thread :-/

im gona have to agree w whitfield, its not that expensive, i picked a toy front axel friday,$250, a pair is $400, but i had a rear. ring and pinions $119.oo,locker $190. shocks $40 a piece ,coil springs$65 a piece. dom tube $5.00 a foot. its really not that bad ,and what all you guys arnt realising is your rig will be built buy you,shur you will have to do some R&D but thats the fun part, you,not someone else built your rig you will know everything about it,if anything breaks,you can fix it,if you dont like somthing about it ,you can change it,you will know the weak links and the strong ones. and the satisfaction of building somthing unique is ossem ,especally if it works really well! the hard part is stripping the ifs stuff the rest just comes together

When I say SAS I mean with coils.  On a XL-7 or Kick I would do it no other way.  Leafs will kill the Approach angle which on my 4-dr is nearly 90 Deg.

How? Do you already have the TOY axles sitting there, or a doner truck sitting there to rob the axles from?
        Yes & Yes  But I can usually buy the matched set for about $200 - $300.   Every now and then the whole truck for $100.


Daily driver set up, or trailered trail beater?

Beater Ofcourse..   I dd a stocker, Not impressing anyone but myself at 75 MPH on the HWY in a Big truck.  For me DD'ing a stocker makes the most sense since my drive is 98% HWY |removethispart|@ 70+.  


Maybe I just need a lesson in el-cheapo conversions.

Yes,   A friend of mine is Driving a SPOA sammy on 38's with a 16v conversion + full width kick rear (5.13:1's) and less then $500 in the whole set up.  I'm learning by watching him....   He scored a totaled 4dr kick from a guy in the salvage yard parking lot for $100.  Yard would only give him $75...  He did the wiring harness in a week, laid it all out on the pool table...


But even for a trail beater that will never see asphalt, $600. You could not even get a doner truck around here for that. Tell me how. I've got a 2wd tracker I would like to beat the hell out of  

I've got a $200 2wd Kick that needs a Beat'n too.



Mainly it's by searching out and buying stuff like this



Sold the engine and trans for $450... kept the rear, and  front bumper, lockouts and  a few other pieces.

You have to buy stuff when the people who own it no longer want it.  Just get it out of their way.  Being too close to the big city helps ALOT.

Wrecker lots and Abandond vehicle auctions are usually a sure bet, I get most of mine thru the Bargin Trader.


My parts list for the 4-dr of things I bought that I can recall...  

Lower A-arms Used (My busings were frozen) $40.
Heavy wall Headder collectors (strut spacer) <$20
Explorer Springs +2" used $75 shipped
XJ front Coils used  free
Jeep 2" spring spacer  $30 shipped
Drive shaft spacer Rear $30
Rear Shocks free Take offs.
Body lift (Sky Mfg 2") $100 shipped  
Steel was free scrap...
                                       Total:  $295  

I'll probally spend that again just on making the steering where I can be comfortable with it's durability and safety on the road.  

Their could be a few misc things I'm forgetting like tires & wheels, T-case gears, Rocker skids, ect... but they are not part of the lift...  

The Kick frame front section in my pictures was used for indoor suspension design & mock up.  I returned it in less the 30 days for a full refund.  

im gona have to agree w whitfield, its not that expensive, i picked a toy front axel friday,$250, a pair is $400, but i had a rear. ring and pinions $119.oo,locker $190. shocks $40 a piece ,coil springs$65 a piece. dom tube $5.00 a foot. its really not that bad ,and what all you guys arnt realising is your rig will be built buy you,shur you will have to do some R&D but thats the fun part, you,not someone else built your rig you will know everything about it,if anything breaks,you can fix it,if you dont like somthing about it ,you can change it,you will know the weak links and the strong ones. and the satisfaction of building somthing unique is ossem ,especally if it works really well! the hard part is stripping the ifs stuff the rest just comes together

that is an extreamly good point!

stu

The point is that when you are gathering
parts and doing the SAS yourself, you can
look for deals, but when you are putting
together a kit, you need to have some sort
of uniformity to the parts, and that requires
sourcing from a supplier that is going to
cost more than a $200 burnt out truck, an
engineered kit is just going to cost more,
no way around it.

Wild

that 2wd looks to be in decent shape

The point is that when you are gathering
parts and doing the SAS yourself, you can
look for deals, but when you are putting
together a kit, you need to have some sort
of uniformity to the parts, and that requires
sourcing from a supplier that is going to
cost more than a $200 burnt out truck, an
engineered kit is just going to cost more,
no way around it.

Wild

I agree totally, An engineered Kit should be $800 -$2k.  

But I have considered directing others to the source for the pieces needed and making a small 30-50  piece run on the necessary bracketry to make it work.   Liability make it to risky.  Turning stuff out in your garage is one thing, but selling it is a whole nother Cooler O worms..  

I feel that a SPOA Style (Simple & Cheap) kit for the Kick is what is needed to incresase the popularity and demand for more after market support.

If the Sammy required a 2K kit it would not be nearly as popular today...

All of you that live in the US are very lucky cause you can find cheap parts,mainly used ones.For example ,here its impossible to find used YJ leafsor coils ,or other useful SAS  parts believe it or not.Here the 60% of the 4x4 's  are  IFS pick up trucks (Nissan-Toyotas-Mitsubishi) ,the next 30% are Suzuki's (Sammys and Sidekicks)and  the rest 10% are Jeep,Kia,Mazda, Toyotas,e.t.c  The Jeeps here are considered to be luxury trucks(and they are expensive to buy) somewhow,95% of them never touth mud or rocks .Sad heh......They dont have damages ,so no used parts......
Anyway ,it makes me wonder the prices that some of you mention,very cheap indeed.But on the other hand,my truck is a daily driver,I want to put the best parts in it.I cant do it that cheap.And she will have to pass the MOT also.
Yes I could get a Sammy and with half the money I invested on the Sidekick,I could make it a monster.But its too small for me and I like the Sidekick more. .Also ,about the prices I mentioned above,have in mind that the customs duties for importing parts from US are almost 50% added on their cost,not to mention shipping  
But ,I m staying with the Kick.expensive or not.I just love it very much I guess