Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I have a 85' sierra stock except rebuilt engine (did 315,000 and was getting a bit tired and using oil) 29" mud tyres, extractors and 3" exhaust goes really really well offroad atm, but the ride is shocking (the 300,00 km could explain this too lol) and i can't go on tracks with deep ruts. So i need a better ride and higher while im at it, and i may as well go high the first time so i dont have to do it in more smaller stages.


1)How do i find out which states a SPOA is legal in?? I live in tas and can't find info on it anywhere.

Also if you do this in a state where its illegal while the cars registered can they do anything about it? Or only if it wasnt registered and you did it then.

2) Is it feasable to do a SPOA, suspension lift and body lift? I was aiming for the later 2 but doing all 3 could be possible if SPOA is legal here...

3) How do tires bigger then 31" go for highway use with the standard 1.3L engine (+ extractors and 3" exhaust), what changes when the tyres get bigger? etc. how does acceleration, momentum, fuel consumption, top speeds change? I would prolly use my 29" (current mud tyres) set for road use and later on by a 31"+ for just offroad use, mongrels or similar.

4) What are recomended brands for shocks and springs? Im thinking of getting that 5" calmini kit but could i get a similar hieght setup for under $1800 with new springs and suspension i could look at other options.

5) I rekon instead of buying a snorkel i can make one, just one question about that, how do you go about drilling through the metal for the pipe to go through and painting the bare metal afterwards? Then i will just have to buy the end cap and paint the pipes black.



I will think of more soon.. anything i forgot or you need to know to answer i will answer as best i can, any suggestions you guys have would be awesome!!! to help me clear up a few things.

Thanks!!!!!1

Hey there derelict_frog, welcome to OL's! (thought I'd do the honors )
Now before the regulars jump in and say "search noobie" (and because I've also been asking about the same things) there is a fair bit of info on this site already on most of the things you're asking, except I found it hard to find info on the legalities on SPOA..... Unless you have a hard time searching topics (i always get pages of results, but they stop after page 1 for some reason) you should find a fair bit of relevant info.
In any case, search the calmini topic first. There are a few opinions about that set up. As far as SPOA, suspension lift and body lift go.... if you do all of that you're mad!! Your car will be very top heavy and not required for 31" tyres. But im sure the guys on here will tell you all about that too

Best of luck! If you search my topics im sure they'd be some relevant stuff,.. and some crap!

Cheers,

Jo

Do not buy the calmini lift. Ask apprentice off here about this one.

cheers

Welcome by the way.

Hmm well that kit looks good for me.

If no one likes that i want to spend about $1800 on a new suspension lift of about 3"+ including springs and suspension etc. And i can do a 2" body lift at the same time for free.

Can u do a spoa with new springs and suspension, if so do they just need to be the normal stock height or can u make them longer too?

The 5" Calimini kit does not flex well.

SPOA usually use stock sagged springs for the best flex and least lift.

Think of the biggest tyre you are going to run.

You can run 31's with 2"BL and a bit of cutting. When you want 33's you can then install a 2" RUF lift maybe later down the track.

You would probably want a 1ltr transfer case at least or a rockhopper gearset to turn the 31's properly.

cheers

hey jarrod
do a body lift, and find some springs at the wreckers and make some new packs containing 3 long leaves, should be about my zooks height then. going with 5 inch calmini in a zook is a no no. they are crap. then when your done wallowing in all the mula you saved go buy some motorway muds/mongrels in 31's and get some good long travel shockies. ride qualitly is up to shockies .

oh and do you really have a 3 inch exhaust?? you should have gone with no bigger then 2 other wise your letting out all they ponies the little hamster engine makes.

COILS

OVERKILL ENGINEERING wrote:COILS

coils are the only way to go

Well ill measure it now, im sure the guy advertising it in the paper said 3" though .. me goes and checks now... know any wreckers with sierras in there yards? Yea its a good 2" exhaust (with a rebuilt engine and extractors the power side is pretty good now )

Brendan, do u mean just get 2 old rear springs and put them on the front? (i also looked at the springs then and on the back there are 2 long and 1 a bit shorter and on the front 2 long and 1 a lot shorter. So what springs need to be 3 pack? (To much information on the net ...) I just want to get this good the 1st time so i don't have to make it higher later on.

Yea body lift is obvious, im doing it at the same time i do something else to it or in a few weekends time.


What are some good brand shocks. bilsteen, rancho????


How would a SPOA go (still havent found out if this is legal in tas) with new long shocks and that spring treatment?? (i saw a white spoa zook at margate last week, that was nice and high)

if you dont want to go to the trouble of diff movement(back and forwards) just go to any wreckers and find a car that has really long rear leaves with a bit of bend in them, and then get the angle grinder out and chop and shape them up.
use the main sierra leaf and use 2 other leaves from the new spring packs.

If you are only planning to run 31's and want to go spoa, forget the bodylift or lifted springs. Use your standard (most likely flat) springs and get some long travel shocks fitted. Keep ya car low and wide and stable. Get some big offset rims too. What type of terrain are ya plannin to drive mainly. If you are lookin to drive lots of rock, then a rockhopper style transfer gearing would be good, if more interested in mud or beach, then a 1ltr transfer would probably make do with 31's.
Layto....

lay80n wrote:If you are only planning to run 31's and want to go spoa, forget the bodylift or lifted springs. Use your standard (most likely flat) springs and get some long travel shocks fitted. Keep ya car low and wide and stable. Get some big offset rims too. What type of terrain are ya plannin to drive mainly. If you are lookin to drive lots of rock, then a rockhopper style transfer gearing would be good, if more interested in mud or beach, then a 1ltr transfer would probably make do with 31's.
Layto....

as he said but depending how you do the spoa setup the longer shocks without extended shock mounts will hamper articulation , where as standard shocks with no extended shock mounts utilizing the original shock perches now above the diff will give you good flex .
as for legalalities in tas talk to the rego inspection station or just do it and see what happens come rego time
if ya gunna lift it much get some wheel spacers (cheap option) about 2" wide and throw them on as well as the 31's will scrub out on your front leaves and shock towers and out back it will rub on body , with the spacers there will be no rubbing and the extra width makes a world of difference
id be changing your gears as well be it diff or transfer gears and if your going to lock either front, rear or both diffs the lower gearing is a must as the engine will be working so much harder , thats where id be throwing the most of $1800 (gearing) zuks aren't worth $1800 worth of suspension considering they can be made to flex for so little IMO

cheers jai

Awesome guys thats what i was after!


So if i go spoa all i need to spend money on is new shocks and tyres soon after.


Will i still need extended mounts (by this do you mean the ones on 88+ zooks?) if i use new long travel shocks? Any ideas on lengths or brands for this sort of application or should i ask a 4wd shop.


And its registered and when rego time comes i just fill send them money and its all good only chance of being caught is if cops or traffic inspectors pull me over, one guy with a white zook down here with spoa said he had buun pulled over by trafic inspectors for just a blown brake light and they didn't notice that o_0 so that sounds pretty good to me, either they were blind, didn't care or didn't notice?


Im more into driving in mud, not much rocks down here, just deep mud. By 1ltr transfer do you mean the 2wd/H/L/4wd box out of an older suzuki? Like pre 80's or sumfin?


Also is it possible to make offsets easily (safley) or it is best to buy them (ive only seen them at $100+ online????????)

derelict_frog wrote:Awesome guys thats what i was after!


So if i go spoa all i need to spend money on is new shocks and tyres soon after.


Will i still need extended mounts (by this do you mean the ones on 88+ zooks?) if i use new long travel shocks? Any ideas on lengths or brands for this sort of application or should i ask a 4wd shop.


And its registered and when rego time comes i just fill send them money and its all good only chance of being caught is if cops or traffic inspectors pull me over, one guy with a white zook down here with spoa said he had buun pulled over by trafic inspectors for just a blown brake light and they didn't notice that o_0 so that sounds pretty good to me, either they were blind, didn't care or didn't notice?


Im more into driving in mud, not much rocks down here, just deep mud. By 1ltr transfer do you mean the 2wd/H/L/4wd box out of an older suzuki? Like pre 80's or sumfin?


Also is it possible to make offsets easily (safley) or it is best to buy them (ive only seen them at $100+ online????????)

to get your rim centres cut and turned with a big offset is around 60 bucks here in the act, if you go spoa you don't need extended towers but if you plan on running long travel shocks you do , the extended mounts are where they bolt up in the front under the guard , cut the old ones off and weld some longer ones on , overkill sell extended towers , so do alot of after market shops or just make your own . you will need extended brake lines to do a spoa whether or not you have long travel shocks , in the rear you can cut the upper mounts of and repostion them closer together (shocks on more of a lean) allowing longer travel shocks.
the 1ltr transfer case is out of the earlier sierras 84 83 etc the gearing is i believe 10% lower than the 1.3ltr cases if you get the later ones they are the same as the 1.3 but just different gearing i believe and with the nt you have the flanges on the output shafts should bolt straight up.

as with the rego thats what i do with mine , most cops have got better things to do than bust ya for something that they carn't quite put there finger on

cheers Jai

Ok guys soz for just one more bump.

What are some good brand long range shocks...?

If i go spoa with long range shocks where are some exact instructions on where i re weld the mounts and on the back i am thinking that if they are mounted 45o then the fuel tank needs to be moved?

How much do u rekon a 1ltr transfer case is worth? Anbd how hard is it to drop the 1.3 out and put the 1 in?


ALso would aany one recommend a roof swap as i have a high roof one and its ok but i rekon the normal roof ones look a bit better also cant hit as much stuff when leaning over and the center of gravity would be lower too.

Could i cut the roof off at a certain place and weld a new one on?


Thanks!!!!

All this info is really great!

transfer change is easy as undoing bolts and swapping the bits over. bout $200-400

Ranchos seem to be used a lot in the long range shock.

body swap prob easier to do then roof swap.

cheers

Kool cause a guy down the road should have a spare one, does it matter if the kms are high on trasfer cases???

How many bolts etc hold a body on? Lots and have to play with steering wheel, electrics, dash etc...???

the only problem ive heard running the rancho's are they tend to be a bit harsh for the light zook , you'd be running them on the lowest setting , and for the $ its not worth having 10 stages of adjustability if you only run it on one IMO

with the transfer case it should be fine if your a bit worried pull it apart and replace the bearings and gaskets etc , easy as to do .

the body has i believe between 12 or 16 bolts , but thats the easy bit as you mentioned you have all the dash and bits and peices on the fire wall and on the guards , keep the high top till you stuff it then when you have too chop it or change it or replace the whole vehicle with a stocker and transfer all the good bits you accumulate on this one to it , can never have to many spares

cheers Jai

lol my calmini kit will be going in the bin when i get time to put on my yj springs.