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Coil springs for samurai 4 link suspension - what to use?

Landslide

Landslide

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I don’t see a thread on this searching but I suck at that I guess.

So, I plan on doing a 4 link suspension on my samurai front and rear using Dana 44 front and 9” rear differentials. I know the springs need to be narrow or skinny from what I see out there.

What is out there that works really good y’all recommend?
 
A 10" long spring will have 5" of travel maximum though, That's why they're stacked on a coilover to achieve travel. I'm aware that some kits use very short springs between the chassis and axle which can achieve useful flex but vertical travel and overall vehicle height suffer.

I used 3.5" Calmini tracker rear springs all round on my car. They are very long (~18") and therefore have quite a lot of travel -around 9". Rate is 100lb/"

You can see the general arrangement in these photos. 4 link rear/three link front. 2.5"X12" Kings. Car sits at stock ride height when on its wheels, which is impossible to achieve with a spring under the chassis.

Rear springs required tender springs and sliders to stop the springs going loose on droop, because the springs are outboard, they're doing very close to shock travel. wasn't an issue in the front where the springs are inboard of the shocks.

IMG_3386-X2.jpg



IMG_3388-X2.jpg
 
I used 2.5 coil over springs in the front. 150lb rate and 12 inches long.
 
Gwagensteve said:
A 10" long spring will have 5" of travel maximum though, That's why they're stacked on a coilover to achieve travel. I'm aware that some kits use very short springs between the chassis and axle which can achieve useful flex but vertical travel and overall vehicle height suffer.

I used 3.5" Calmini tracker rear springs all round on my car. They are very long (~18") and therefore have quite a lot of travel -around 9". Rate is 100lb/"

You can see the general arrangement in these photos. 4 link rear/three link front. 2.5"X12" Kings. Car sits at stock ride height when on its wheels, which is impossible to achieve with a spring under the chassis.

Rear springs required tender springs and sliders to stop the springs going loose on droop, because the springs are outboard, they're doing very close to shock travel. wasn't an issue in the front where the springs are inboard of the shocks.

IMG_3386-X2.jpg



IMG_3388-X2.jpg
Click to expand...
Love your car dude
 
One thing I’m not really limited on is narrow axles like a stock Sami or Toyota. I have a D44 front and 9” rear to use so they will offer up elbow room to work. I may end up narrowing them but it’ll only be down to like scout II width.

I’d prefer narrow or skinny coil springs but now I’m wondering if I get them too long, is there a chance of one trying to push out on down travel and getting kinked?
 
I don't understand how that could be an issue. If the springs are correctly retained and the axle path is correct the spring could never be offset enough to pop out.

The issue most people seem to have is with springs falling off their seats (or out of the car) if the springs are allowed to go loose on full droop. That's poor design, a spring should never go loose, it's not 1999. A whole lot of unintended/unpredictable things happen when springs go loose.
 
Gwagensteve said:
I don't understand how that could be an issue. If the springs are correctly retained and the axle path is correct the spring could never be offset enough to pop out.

The issue most people seem to have is with springs falling off their seats (or out of the car) if the springs are allowed to go loose on full droop. That's poor design, a spring should never go loose, it's not 1999. A whole lot of unintended/unpredictable things happen when springs go loose.
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I was t really talking about popping out of seat as I’ve always secured both ends of a coil spring on 4 links I built years ago. I’m just curious about using narrow springs vs TJ front springs I’ve always used
 
The nice thing about c/o coils is virtually unlimited spring rates and lengths. Plus most places will exchange for free if you don't scratch them.

Downside is limited travel as mentioned. Mounting them on trailing arms in the rear could help :smokin:

I feel like jeep coils used to be popular, TJ, ZJ? Hard to imagine something that came with an iron I6 could have coils that work in a samurai, but we use YJ leafs also.

Google says jeep coils are about 5" od. 2.5 ID coils are what? 3.5" OD
 
Bebop said:
looks to me that travel is good enough on C/O springs.
Click to expand...

Oh I totally agree. 6" of travel per wheel is probably pretty decent for most samurais :laughing:

Bebop said:
artlittley3.jpg


www.rocky-road.com

Samurai Coil Conversion: Suzuki Samurai Coil Conversion

The Rocky Road Suzuki Samuri coil conversion will turn your Sami into the ultimate crawler.
www.rocky-road.com www.rocky-road.com
Click to expand...

Man I haven't seen that Sami in a while! I wore out that issue of ttc with that rig in it :smokin: was the rig that made me start to really like Sami's.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Oh I totally agree. 6" of travel per wheel is probably pretty decent for most samurais :laughing:



Man I haven't seen that Sami in a while! I wore out that issue of ttc with that rig in it :smokin: was the rig that made me start to really like Sami's.
Click to expand...
That was Jake Hallenbeck’s samurai
 

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Pretty sure it was Jake's first, talking 2000 ttc

Pretty sure it got like 3rd or 4th against v8s and 40-44s. Even with dnf on tank trap because the winch cable got wrapped around the tire under 4 feet of water :laughing:
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Pretty sure it was Jake's first, talking 2000 ttc

Pretty sure it got like 3rd or 4th against v8s and 40-44s. Even with dnf on tank trap because the winch cable got wrapped around the tire under 4 feet of water :laughing:
Click to expand...

Nah it was Art's

Popsicle – Art Lilley’s Samurai – iZook – Suzuki 4×4 Tech Information, Accessories, Travel & Adventure

www2.izook.com www2.izook.com

username was nc_zuk on bbs.zuwharrie

www.pirate4x4.com

Zuwharrie pics

www.pirate4x4.com www.pirate4x4.com

I think we're looking at 2 different vehicles.
 
Bebop said:
Negative.

It was Art Lilley, local NC legend :



Unless Art bought it from Jake ?
Click to expand...

I'm a nut from the zuwharrie site, I wheeled with Popsicle when xtreme4x4 came down with the final edition of the diesel zuk build.

Those are 2 different vehicles.


Also throwing in my 2 cents. Tj rear coils are the best for a light weight rig. There is something magically about them. This one had stock tj rears on all 4 coils and I think we rolled it once.

samtrack.jpg
 
bad zuki said:
I'm a nut from the zuwharrie site, I wheeled with Popsicle when xtreme4x4 came down with the final edition of the diesel zuk build.

Those are 2 different vehicles.


Also throwing in my 2 cents. Tj rear coils are the best for a light weight rig. There is something magically about them. This one had stock tj rears on all 4 coils and I think we rolled it once.

samtrack.jpg
Click to expand...
Hey, nice to see you.
 
bad zuki said:
I'm a nut from the zuwharrie site, I wheeled with Popsicle when xtreme4x4 came down with the final edition of the diesel zuk build.

Those are 2 different vehicles.


Also throwing in my 2 cents. Tj rear coils are the best for a light weight rig. There is something magically about them. This one had stock tj rears on all 4 coils and I think we rolled it once.

samtrack.jpg
Click to expand...
That was a baaaaad unit. Love the raisin-ed body.
 
Yeah, I almost died in it a few times. Great rig. When he first finished building it, It had working tail lights, AC heat, and sealing doors. First 2 trips and it was none of that.

Here is the build thread. It was one of the most stable rigs/wheelbase ratio I've ever driven.
 
Bebop said:
looks to me that travel is good enough on C/O springs.

artlittley3.jpg


www.rocky-road.com

Samurai Coil Conversion: Suzuki Samurai Coil Conversion

The Rocky Road Suzuki Samuri coil conversion will turn your Sami into the ultimate crawler.
www.rocky-road.com www.rocky-road.com
Click to expand...
It's not that easy to tell how much flex it really has and whether the springs are going loose but the ride height is very, very tall (especially) for the tire size and the car is sitting up high on the obstacle, which hurts stability and makes the car feel awkward and spooky.
 
My cousin has a samurai with that kit. Super tall. Geometry is terrible, but it rides nicer than any leaf sprung samurai I’ve ever ridden in. That may be the only nice thing I have to say about the RRO kit.
 
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