Mikes Samurai build / use / fixing broken bits after abuse

[mike harris]

One wheel done, boxes turned up from Richard too

[ScottieJ]

Nice work. How come you have a 4.16:1 as well as the 6.5:1?

I would have thought you would have welded all 4 wheels at once? Less cleaning of spray guns involved when it comes to spraying them

[mike harris]

4.1 is one I just had done I had spare.

I had to go off and do some work today, so didn't get much done.

Il try again tomorrow but I've got work lined up.

Take a week off and work the whole thing, couldn't write it.

[mike harris]

Twin stick awesomeness !!

Richard Wattam you are the man !!

[mike harris]

There on !

[mike harris]

Wheels

[ScottieJ]

Looks amazing! Still very intrigued to see how the axles hold up with the size and offset....then again if they do hold up maybe I'll look out for a set myself

Have you thought much about the rear axle re-location yet? think the relocation plates like I suggested could be the easiest way to go and easily reversible if you ever change the set up back. Guess your gonna have to get your rear prop lengthened or is there enough slip yoke to allow for the axle relocation?

[mike harris]

Prop has a huge slip joint, cruiser props it's about 7 inches long and at the moment it's about 0.5 of an inch out so should be ok.

I'm still unsure how I'm going to do this, il move the axles outward first see where that gets me, il cut the sills back, front wings and rear quarters. Where I need to make new springs up again as mine are too soft for winching I'm going to experiment with making a really hard leaf pack. With more clips holding leafs together. Then I may redrill the centre pin to allow the a or to move further forward. I think il end up ordering more springs anyway.

Il cut the rock sliders each end of at a much greater angle, these don't matter for now as there not msa spec anyway, and soon it will be having an msa complete cage made. This is why I may bend the hoop inline with the rear of the doors for it to sit further along the rock slider.

I was looking at it the other other night, the rear I may not move very much or even at all, where the tyres are so big I want to use as much of the arch as possible, so won't have to cut as much. And il limit the upward travel which will help. The stupid flex days of my Suzuki are over be use under winching the springs where going through some funky angles. This makes making the tyres fit easier as they won't be able to travel far up into the arches.

But il get too it and see, my mates of work soon so he can get cracking !

[ScottieJ]

Only thing about limiting flex too much is that it will make the Sj more unstable in cross axle situations. I think increasing the wheelbase slightly and trying to keep as much up travel as possible is probably the best way to go if you are going to be entering more comps, a bit more wheelbase will also help with stability on climbs and descents.

[mike harris]

I don't agree at the moment, winching pulls down on the front so hard it will just bend more springs.

Until I start to chop it and move stuff it's hard to say, il get stuck in and see how we go.

I may just move the front axle a lot more and leave the rear where it is. I'm going to trim the bumper too.

Main thing is I want it to still look like an Sj !! I don't like the way some are cut to fit big tyres.