Doing it again?

Post by **DeWsE** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 2:41 pm

Well I think this might be a Tonka but i'm keen to see how ppl are thinking now.

Over the last few months I have learnt alot about my trusty little zook. Some of the things I learn was: What is worth the cash and what wasn't.

So the question is if you had your original budget again would you do things the same or take a different approach.

I would like this thread to be focused at the lower end of the market as I don't think any of use are "cashed up".... That would be a better thread for the wrangler drivers. With a bit of luck i'm hopping this thread will help newbies decide from others mistakes and/or advise on what works and what doesn't.

Also this thread is not to be used as a spoa vs spua fight. As we all know both setup's work differently but effectivly.

First is me I suppose.

If I was going to do things again I would have started with a cheaper base, most probably a soft top NT.
I think I would have used cheap second hand IFS hilux springs and made up my own packs, all round with 3/4 rear.
I'm happy with the N76 shocks but I would now spend the extra for some adjustables like rancho or procomp.
Tires i am happy with and going second hand was a great from the financial side of things.
Their is no doubt in my mind that the S3 was worth every cent I payed for it. I would do this again for sure.

So what are your thoughts

Post by **grimbo** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 2:49 pm

I'm actually pretty happy in the way mine progressed. there was never any real wasted steps other than i would recommend S3 over S1 Rockhopper (but it wasn't available at the time). I enjoyed the progression of mods and my experience level from stock to what it is now. Maybe speed that process up a little from 5 years to say 2years. My Zuk has been at this stage for about 2 years now with 1 of them in a shed.

It is all well and good building a full on modded truck but if you can't drive all those mods can put you into more trouble than you can handle.

Post by **DeWsE** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 2:54 pm

Yeah I know what your say grimbo....did you notice who rolled their rig first day on the track :oops:

Post by **grimbo** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:07 pm

Yeah seen it a couple of times before best example was a guy at Moab in his brand new $70k upgraded Jeep. he rolled in 5 minutes after taking it off the trailer on potato salad Hill.

You really need to know what your car is capable of and how it feels when it gets into situations. probably not as important on tube buggies because if you do go over or break something it is not as big an impact as if you did it to your daily driver or weekend toy.

Post by **mud4b** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:55 pm

speaking from my first upgrade for the spook....

i think (being a coily)fitting the gear driven t-case was one of the best things id done.........i would think twice about using 2"lifted king springs
as they were too stiff and sagged too quick......the vit engine was worth it untill i fitted a wolf 3d v3......never again will i go down that route.........

cant wait till i get it on the road a second time around.....but cant comment on it yet....

ill be another one who rolls it first time out testing its capabilities...

Post by **nicbeer** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:33 pm

i would have done it differently and am now thinking differently.

I would think I would look at a S3 first up and then build it around to suit, conditions and whatnot.

cheers

I am currently thinking of 3/4 rear but there are lots of $$$ restaints at the moment.

Post by **DeWsE** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:04 pm

nicbeer wrote:i would have done it differently and am now thinking differently.

I would think I would look at a S3 first up and then build it around to suit, conditions and whatnot.

cheers

I am currently thinking of 3/4 rear but there are lots of $$$ restaints at the moment.

Hold that thought Nick! 3/4 could be cheap if you design it right and you have the springs to do it already.
First thing though would be to get some aggressive rubber under your bum

Post by **built4thrashing** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:33 pm

hey guys. just a tip for those future novice biulders like myself. RESEARCH. before doing a thing to ya new toy drive it in stock form or in its condition when ya bought it. then do one mod at a time and then test it in real conditions. sometimes the testing can change the order future mods get done.
ie; i had 2inch lifted springs and with 31 muddies. on the first test the tyres got chewed up inside the guards so this made my next mod to drop the bumpstops rather than do a rear cig locker. next this made front travel shitty so i opened up the spring packs and fitted rancho's. next i did extended shackles whick made the rear shocks too short. so then i relocated the rear upper mounts inward and installed triton rear shocks and opened the spring packs up.
now that this has been done im back to the rear locker.
also while not being allowed out bush (thanx to the thumbprint ) a rollbar and bull bar have been added.

decide what ya wanna do and how long ya intend to keep it. all my mods are bolt on stuff and can be converted back to stock to sell it.

good luck

Post by **nicbeer** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:33 pm

getting rims this wkend and them sourcing some rubber, prefer 2nd hand but seeing what i can find, maybe 31" mongrels but dunno as I do a lot of beach work.

cheers

Post by **DeWsE** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:52 pm

nicbeer wrote:getting rims this wkend and them sourcing some rubber, prefer 2nd hand but seeing what i can find, maybe 31" mongrels but dunno as I do a lot of beach work.

cheers

ant recommended them in the dirt

Post by **xtreem** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 7:15 pm

Well I havn't done alot yet, mainly because of this very thread (not wanting to do things 2 or 3 times) rather just save the money and do it properly first time.
The good things i have done are buy a good base, fit a series 3 with upgraded arms, 2 inch body lift, front airlocker (still not fitted)

The bad things are get to small a wheel/tyre package 31's 7 inch rim.

I am Not touching the suspension until I can afford to do it right (either coils or yj jeep)

I have learnt from playing with fast cars that doing things half heartedly, just costs way to much in the long run, because your only happy for a week then the spending starts again.

Post by **zookjedi** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 7:41 pm

id buy a w/t, s3, cj rims, spoa, birfeild rings, 33" mongrels, inject the engine, weld both front and rear diffs , roll cage, and histeer with power steering .

and it would be a soft top

Post by **Badooky** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:05 pm

i wouldnt have bought that big money pit known as a landrover discovery as my first 4wd, would have saved myself at least $10,000 to get to where im at now with the longy. As for the zook, im pretty happy with everything ive done so far, i dont think ive made any big mistakes yet, just taking it slowly and tring to get it right.

Post by **bigsteve** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:26 am

I'm pretty happy with my current zook, I guess I made all my mistakes with my first one.

If I was to build another I would buy:
Springs
Shocks
6:1
F&R lockers
Rims
Tyres

Then go looking for a rig that fitted the budget I had left.

Too many people blow their cash finding the right rig then don't have the moula to mod it, i'm the other way round. The only pre-req when I was shopping for my second zook was that it was a soft top.

Post by **OVERKILL ENG** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 12:57 pm

After building a few and experimenting with heaps of stuff and different designs. For a budget truck I would go SPOA procomp shocks series three
Mongrel tyres 32's (mtr's if budjet permitted) high steer and lockers. That would give you a very capable truck that was still drivable.
SAM

ps another option for you all is the Haultec traction controll which is available front and rear for $2500 fitted.
SAM

Post by **antt** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 3:19 pm

OVERKILL ENGINEERING wrote:
ps another option for you all is the Haultec traction controll which is available front and rear for $2500 fitted.
SAM

is this available to the general public now sam?

Post by **OVERKILL ENG** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 4:32 pm

antt wrote:
OVERKILL ENGINEERING wrote:
ps another option for you all is the Haultec traction controll which is available front and rear for $2500 fitted.
SAM

is this available to the general public now sam?

very soon

Post by **sierrajim** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 6:45 pm

I built a Vitara, now building a sierra. Enough said.

Post by **Beastmavster** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:07 pm

Viagra now gone this afternoon so I can see how I go with "doing it again".

Post by **sierrajim** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:54 pm

Suzuki Viagra,

Are you "upgrading" to a sierra?

Post by **Beastmavster** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:51 pm

Nope wouldnt be an upgrade if it was a sierra...
Dunno yet.

Post by **Wesley** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 2:20 pm

The biggest mistake i made was buyin a calmini 5" sr lift kit its SHIT. Ive opend up the spring clamps etc still hard as shit and got no travel, now ive had it for over a year not happy with it and no one wants to buy it. Now ive decided to redo the whole 4x4 (Makin everythin myself so i know it works should have done that in the 1st place) and i have a kit that cost $1700 doin nothing. Tryin to get my brother to buy a cheep zook and give it to him.

Though the kit does handle real good on the road so if your making a show pony id recomend it.

Post by **SAWZALL** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 4:33 pm

I'd buy the shitteist zuk I could find and accept the fact that it's condition very long. NOTHING worse than driving a nice looking Zuk on the trail...

Rollbar/cage first
S3 and mounts next
tyres and welded/lockers next
panel damage and "clearanced" guards

Post by **muppet_man67** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 4:43 pm

OVERKILL ENGINEERING wrote:After building a few and experimenting with heaps of stuff and different designs. For a budget truck I would go SPOA procomp shocks series three
Mongrel tyres 32's (mtr's if budjet permitted) high steer and lockers. That would give you a very capable truck that was still drivable.
SAM

ps another option for you all is the Haultec traction controll which is available front and rear for $2500 fitted.
SAM

How much for just the front? or does it only come on all fours?

Post by **-Mick-** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 6:53 pm

muppet_man67 wrote:
OVERKILL ENGINEERING wrote:After building a few and experimenting with heaps of stuff and different designs. For a budget truck I would go SPOA procomp shocks series three
Mongrel tyres 32's (mtr's if budjet permitted) high steer and lockers. That would give you a very capable truck that was still drivable.
SAM

ps another option for you all is the Haultec traction controll which is available front and rear for $2500 fitted.
SAM

How much for just the front? or does it only come on all fours?

Doesn't it only work with discs though :?:

Post by **OVERKILL ENG** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:22 pm

-Mick- wrote:
muppet_man67 wrote:
OVERKILL ENGINEERING wrote:After building a few and experimenting with heaps of stuff and different designs. For a budget truck I would go SPOA procomp shocks series three
Mongrel tyres 32's (mtr's if budjet permitted) high steer and lockers. That would give you a very capable truck that was still drivable.
SAM

ps another option for you all is the Haultec traction controll which is available front and rear for $2500 fitted.
SAM

How much for just the front? or does it only come on all fours?

Doesn't it only work with discs though

It does work with drums and yes you can get it in front only I'll get back to you with a price.
SAM

Post by **stumped** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:00 am

haven't really done that much to my zook, so there's not too much to regret yet, lol. bodylift, springs, extended shackles, wheels, rubber, some kind of gearing.

the 2" OME springs are pretty flexy, the 31s suit my needs for now, the -28 offset rims gives good width.

tried for 2nd hand 4.16, but turned out to be something else. will have to get rockhoppers at some stage, but this gearing (no idea what it is) is better than stock while running 31s.

soon to go ez-locker, so maybe i'll have something to do different next time soon

and i'm sure that sometime in the near future i'll wish i'd got a soft top

Post by **suzukisam** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:47 pm

things i'm very happy with in my current coily and would do again (this is my second built zook):

-series 1 rockhopper (19% hi and 197% lo in the coily)
-vitara swb coils for the rear

things i would definately do differently next time:

-would never buy poly bushes again (especially castor correction)
-ranchos are cheap but aren't really suitable, i really want some fully adjustable shocks with maximum travel
-would have stayed on 30" if i had known what extra grief 31" was going to cause

Post by **OVERKILL ENG** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:58 pm

The only thing a regret is going from a series 3 to 1

Post by **germo** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:22 pm

so are you saying that you would still like SIII for your truck even though you are looking at more winch challenge style comps? or is this just in relation to the driving you have been doing lately?

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