Suzuki Club UK

You know how it is?

When one thing goes wrong, lots seems to go wrong.

Well three weeks ago I set off on a laning trip with five other 4x4's. Heading for the Lake District. On my way to the meeting point in Keighley, I was driving along a dual carriage way at about 50, when for no reason at all the front near side wheel locked up big time

Luckily it was early Sunday morning, nothing else on the road, so disaster averted. I pulled in to check it over, all seemed fine.

Anyway I got to the meeting point with no further issues. For safety's sake I jacked the wheel up to give it a spin. All seemed fine, front prop turning as expected, as I thought the CV joint might have failed.

So off we set.

Heading up the Skipton by pass at 50-60, the earlier "issue" made its self known again.



A call to the friendly AA sorted me out. Even though from the pics I was sent I missed a cracking day, with some challenging lanes.

So into the garage for a few repairs.


So this was the damage.
Well all that got repaired, mostly from "stock".

I thought I'd best check the other wheel bearing too. This is the finding.
Cock, another one to change. Ah well.

I think this must have been lurking from when I got stuck for 20 mins or so in wheel deep in water, and it took quite a while to recover. Lesson learned, when submerged in deep water, check and clean wheel bearings.

So all sorted, and first trip out today.

Five us arrange to meet at Cowm quarry, near Rochdale. A good hour or so's play time, then a mate with a Trooper points out a tricky run. "I've only ever seen one truck go up there" he says. "Doesn't look too hard" I replied.

He goes first in a well modded Trooper, and fails to get up.

So it's my turn, the only two of us from five to have a go.

Front wheels up the rock, easy this. Then a big bounce, foot hits the floor, car lands, rear drive shaft snaps.

Ah well.

Another phone call.
Best £80 I've ever spent!!

Brings back memory's of many fun filled trips in the old SJ. Good to see not too much damage and all back to gether

I've never seen a front hub seperate itself like that! guess it got a bit hot if it looked like the one on the other side.

Time for a full float rear

Wow that is a lot of bad luck.

Looks like you've got it all under control.

Love that M15A power sticker.

ScottieJ wrote:I've never seen a front hub seperate itself like that! guess it got a bit hot if it looked like the one on the other side.

Time for a full float rear

Yeah just a bit!
What's the advantage of full float?

I'm considering removing the beadlock rims first. They are heavy, I can't see that helping.

It might be under control, but it damn frustrating.

Full float kits let you run front stub axles, hubs, bearings, and brakes on the rear with a floating half shaft so it doesn't have to bear the weight of the vehicle as well as providing the drive. Takes the strain off the shaft and they are harder shafts too.

Another shaft!

Ive got a couple of spare pairs here if you dont go full float.

dan_2k_uk wrote:Full float kits let you run front stub axles, hubs, bearings, and brakes on the rear with a floating half shaft so it doesn't have to bear the weight of the vehicle as well as providing the drive. Takes the strain off the shaft and they are harder shafts too.

Ah, make sense I suppose. Won't that make it a bit wider?

Custom shafts (I presume) sound expensive, so what would the going rate for the bits be if I go that route, and how available are they? Or would I just need the shafts, and the rest is standard front axle bits?

andyrew wrote:Another shaft!

Ive got a couple of spare pairs here if you dont go full float.

Yeah, another!

Big heavy wheels, lots of torque at the wheel and big rocks don't mix

I will have a look in my rapidly diminishing spares to see how I'm fixed.

The rs-mfg kit adds a total of 3" to the axle width. The shafts are only around £90 each I think and the kit is around £250???? For two adapters and shafts.

And yes the rest is front axle parts.

You probably won't break a full float shaft with 31s. Problem with the semifloat set up is that the axle shafts will flex slightly with the axle while bouncing, the more the shaft is subject to a bending force the less it can cope with the simultaneous twisting loads

The robb storr kit is 270 delivered for the shafts and adapters

Then you need front stubs hubs and caliper mounts from a front axle