How to gain more suspension travel on a Daihatsu Rocky?

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Hey guys,
hope it's not a silly question but anyone have any idea what really determine in getting extreme suspension travel like on those rock crawler rigs? Always wondered.

Back to the main question just wanna know from other owners what do u think of our suspension travel on our Rockys? Coz i tried ramping my Rocky the other day and i was surprised that it roughly have around 2ft and a little bit of travel b4 the rear inside wheel lift. Is that considered pretty little? Is there anything else can be done on our Rockys to gain more articulation while retaining a leaf spring setup?
Or the only way to get better travel is to go coil?
Current suspension setup:
Ultimate Suspension Springs
Gabriel Ryder Shocks
Disconnected sway bars
Shackle lift and spring eye lift.
Damper mounting lowered .

Will try to get pics in soon.
ARGH my Rocky Sucks.

[Croz]

Ramp it up and get under there and check whats picking up the wheel... is the shock travelling far enough? is it the brake lines? or is it the spring?

Then have a look at the length of the driveshaft. you dont want this falling out so there might need to be a spacer put in there.

you can get special shackles tha open up and allow wheel travel, but i havent had anything to do with these.

Hope some of this helps!

[*BESTY*]

Longer / Softer Springs should also do the trick !

As for which ones..........NFI.......but post up when you find out.

Measure your current spring length and then go around all the wreckers and find out which ones are the same width, just longer.....and then get some custom shackles to also help lift it

[Croz]

Als, I remember Mike H reccomending removing the overload leaf to allow negative travel, then watch out for axel wrap.

[murcod]

IIRC Andy's got the shackles that open up on the rear of his Feroza- he could probably give you some good tips.

[rOd]

COIL IT!

[BundyRumandCoke]

Longer leaves for a F series Rocky are Nissan C20 van springs. Same width, but about an inch and a half longer. With the longer springs, you can get them reset with a much higher lift.

[rOd]

One of the Rocky owners from here (lay80n) has experimented a bit on his front end by removing the panhard and sway bar.
From what I saw, it appeared to flex slightly better than a normal Rocky.

Rod

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Panhard rod? Is it the rod on the front axle that's connected to the chassis? I believe the rear dont have them.
As for the sway bars, they are disconnected.
Running extended shackels.
Due to the that, the shock mounts are lowered to accomodate the lift so that the absorbers are not at its max stroke. (But i do suspect that this might be the case). Any recommendation?
I think there's a spacer too on the driveshaft.

Anyway running to get the stupid pics developed. Argh i hate conventional cameras.

Oh another thing i hope guys with pics of your rigs with your suspension fully articulated can post it. Thanks man.

[Spartacus]

how much for a coil conversion for a rocky?
woud u have to adjust the front as well ???

superior/ climax shackels that rotate would be good
but the arguement for & against is pretty even.

[lay80n]

Some flex pics , had much more but front OME nitros that were in there were way to short and tyres hit body in rear arches. Any info just ask I think that Rod took some and posted em in the watagans thread.

Layto.....

[BundyRumandCoke]

Thats not flex, this is flex

http://groups.msn.com/AussieDaihatsuRoc ... PhotoID=48

Ditch the front swaybar, and the panhard rod, if yours is all leaf sprung. Lift it, lock it, then lift it again with longer springs, then lock it again. That is an old pic, it now sits even higher, with more spring lift, and even higher if I run my taller tyres.

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Sorry dude but i dont get it what do u mean by lift, lock, lift, lock?

That aside i'm gonna shoot the photo shop. It's taking 4eva.

I hope ferozious is reading this. Coz a while back i saw some pics of his rig ramping it rearwards. Ever since i cant find that pics and the links to it.

[*BESTY*]

I hope ferozious is reading this. Coz a while back i saw some pics of his rig ramping it rearwards. Ever since i cant find that pics and the links to it.

I think I posted those pics on Doug Freeze's page, Uwe's page(German) and it's also on the offroader.au.com website

[-Mick-]

Longer leaves for a F series Rocky are Nissan C20 van springs. Same width, but about an inch and a half longer. With the longer springs, you can get them reset with a much higher lift.

Why go to the trouble of longer springs just to get them reset with a big lift so they won't flex

Lifted leaf springs won't flex nearly as well as flatter softer ones because to hold the lift they must be fairly rigid

[-Mick-]

I hope ferozious is reading this. Coz a while back i saw some pics of his rig ramping it rearwards. Ever since i cant find that pics and the links to it.

His is a bit different to a std daihatsu though

With leaf sprung vehicles bulk extra travel is possible in a few ways.

longer leaves will allow more travel. 2 - 3" longer is good. Also allows the chance to extend your wheelbase a bit Beware though wayyyyy longer ones will be more trouble than they're worth because they'll start to twist and bend

Drop/ hinge shackles are another. Proper ones can be pinned for road use which is good. The issue many have is that they 'flop' open under gravity rather than provide downforce like a spring does, allowing the tyres to break traction and hop pretty easily.

My vehicle came with drop shackles on the rear and I don't like them at all I find them unpredictable and hate the 'flop' as opposed to down travel I'll be getting rid of mine This is just my opinion some like them. I've seen some vehicles with complete drop shackle 'packages' with limiting straps, ladder bars etc go quite well but these packages cost upward of $2000 and IMO there are much better ways of gaining travel, especially with that sort of money to invest

You can also do things like a buggy leaf setup on the rear. Search the suzuki section for info on that kind of setup

Short of that coil it A little r&d and some fabrication skills (you or friends, beer talks ) and coil setups can be done at a very reasonable cost. There's plenty of advice available on this forum too There are kits available for lots of vehicles but not a rocky that I know of

My advice to you though is to worry about flex and suspension work AFTER you have at least a rear locker That'll get you further than big flex and open diffs

Mick

[*BESTY*]

After reading some of the replies on here, I'm still amazed by peoples perception of wheel travel


Coils - Are limited by how far they will compress, droop is usually not an issue.

Leaves - Can give you the best, most stable wheel articulation properly done !!

As for all those people saying coils......it's an excellent idea if you want comfortable driving over bumps.....it gives a much smoother ride, especially in a SWB vehicle, but can restrict awesome articulation.

Everything to do with a 4WD is about compromise.....lift, ride quality, offroad ability.....the list goes on !!

BabyGodzillaGTI..........do what you think is going to be best for you !!

[BundyRumandCoke]

The reason for using longer length leaves is the shackle angle at rest. Getting standard length leaves reset with more lift is fine, except your shackles will be more upright at rest, and you run the risk of inverting them with suspension droop. Longer leaves allow greater lift, whilst still retaining something like standard shackle angle. You also gain potentially more travel both up and down, as the shackle wont bind on the chassis.

Next problem is the lockers, they are rarer than hens teeth for the Rockys, and impossible to get for Ferozas. LSD's are available for Ferozas, if you can find one, and are willing to cough up the dough.

And I think I could say mine is "not standard". Godzilla, the Lift, lock, lift, lock refers to my body lift, rear locker, suspension lift, and front locker. Having aquired these parts for the Rocky, I am extremely happy with its performance off road, making many many people stand up and take notice of what a "lowly" Daihatsu can do. And now the factory winch pretty well tops it off. Cruiser Canyon at LCMP, and the Gorge at Manar, both unassisted. Makes me pretty happy, and in a daily driven family car too.

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Argh i'm gonna load buckshots, no better still a slug in a 12 guage shot gun and blow the photo shop. They still havent developed pics of my crapy rig articulating.

My advice to you though is to worry about flex and suspension work AFTER you have at least a rear locker That'll get you further than big flex and open diffs

Next problem is the lockers, they are rarer than hens teeth for the Rockys, and impossible to get for Ferozas. LSD's are available for Ferozas, if you can find one, and are willing to cough up the dough.

Yeah i definitely agree with u on this. Once u're on lockers there aint no going back.
Bugger BundyRumandCoke. Now i get the lift, lock, lift, lock. Bummer i'm 1/2 lift, lock. Running 3 inch suspension lift and a rear detroit locker. Just incase if u're not familiar with my specs check out the the Daihatsu owner's section page 2, right at the bottom.

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... 4&start=30

But i'm envious of a few Rocky owners from where i am. They run on Volvo C303 portal axles. That mean more ground clearance, more gear reduction and twin lockers. ARGH....

Well i guess the suspension setup i'm running is a very reasonable compromise as i've no problem crusing at 140kph at 4000rpm and reasonably comfortable off roading (coz i can take on SWB LC (i think u call them Bunderas and Defender 90)
My concern now is to get the drivetrain department a revamp in the near future. Coz currently i've a 3.5 Rover V8, RR gearbox, and Disco axles in my store. That will be another story.

Cheers.

[BundyRumandCoke]

Godzilla, I am familure with ur specs, specifically the rear Detriot. I have a mental note of how many Detriots in Rockys there are owned by people in the forums I frequent. Yours is the 4th of 4 I have found, yours, a guy in Brisbane with one in the front, and my two.

[built4thrashing]

im suprised none of youz mentioned anything about opening up the spring clamps and welding a retaining bolt across the top. This will allow the springs to open up a bit.

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Front lsd on da way hehe.....
So i'm gonna be 3/4 of a lift, lock, lift, lock...
Oh btw do u find your rear axle suffering from a lot of back lash?

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Pics as promised.
Not sure if there is more travel than that. I just ramped it on 2wd until it felt like the inside wheel lifting and the locker engaging in.


From a side view. I estimate the mole hill to be around 2feet and a bit. I'm running 31 inch tyres btw.


Nothing to do with articulations but still Daihatsu. My bunch of offroading friends. Pardon the quality. From left to right:
1. Rocky, Dobinson Springs, Rancho shocks, 32inch Silverstone MT 117.
2. Feroza, 32 inch Extreme Trekkers, 3 inch body lift, shackle lift.
3. Rocky, my junk.
4. Rocky, 35 inch Extreme Trekkers, PTO winch, SPOA, Hilux springs.
5. Rocky, 35 inch Extreme Trekkers, PTO winch, SPOA, Land Cruiser 60 Series axles with twin lockers, 3Y EFi.


But my opinion of SPOA if not done properly can be very detrimental rather than beneficial. Rocky no5 had gear box problems, Rocky no4......
bugger i had to recover him after his car landed on the side. Looks utterly clumsy and with standard ratios.....

[BundyRumandCoke]

Yes, backlash is a problem with a Detriot fitted. But, its in the locker itself, not the diff. It even warns of it in the manual. You have to modify your driving style to suit.

[Spartacus]

Nothing to do with articulations but still Daihatsu. My bunch of offroading friends. Pardon the quality. From left to right:
1. Rocky, Dobinson Springs, Rancho shocks, 32inch Silverstone MT 117.
2. Feroza, 32 inch Extreme Trekkers, 3 inch body lift, shackle lift.
3. Rocky, my junk.
4. Rocky, 35 inch Extreme Trekkers, PTO winch, SPOA, Hilux springs.
5. Rocky, 35 inch Extreme Trekkers, PTO winch, SPOA, Land Cruiser 60 Series axles with twin lockers, 3Y EFi.

mate have u still got a couple of photos of the rocky with 60s, SPOA 35s.
id like to compare to my junk with mqs and 33s

[BabyGodzillaGTi-R]

Cant promise but i'll try to get the pics.
Any pics of your Nissan Patrol axle rocky?

[Patchy]

ok boys and girls was looking through prevoiuse posts for leaf spings and achiving more articulation in the hope that there may be a post about Buggy leaf arangements. But i didnt come up with much so im stealing this post. Has anyone done a buggy leaf set up on their rocky or does anyone have any info that will help. They look fairly easy to do, also what are some pros and cons that may be to this mod. thanxs guys

[Patchy]

anyone please!!! buggy leaf???

[Spartacus]

anyone please!!! buggy leaf???

have you done a toyota/suzuki search?
its pretty much the same principle for all trucks
ill be back with some links...

skippy

[Patchy]

yeah i got pissed searching through pages apon pages of suzzi owners talking crap

havent search toyota pages