Springs vs coilovers swap

[Anton]

Mike - where'd you think I got the idea for the rotating trailing arms?



That's silverzuk's silver zuk - built by Rockwatt, right?

[mike harris]

Yeh that's the one :£

[Anton]

Ths Silver Zuk does seem to be the "Gold Standard" for coil conversions, but because they've added additional protrusions to the chassis (the spring perches, panhard mounts etc), VOSA would probably threaten to have the vehicle crushed if they got their hands on it. They'd most certainly insist on having it officially inspected under the 8-point system.

It's probably safer and better built than any "standard" SJ on the road. Unfortunately the law says you can add additional crossmembers, but anything that changes the outer dimensions of your chassis is illegal and requires the dreaded IVA kit-car test, unless such an extension is BOLTED on using EXISTING bolt holes.

Here's where VOSA sent me when I asked them about it:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/forms/~/medi ... inf26.ashx

Section 3: "Vehicles that have been radically altered". If you're considering a coil conversion and want to stay road legal, *READ THAT NOW*. You may get away with an undeclaired coil conversion, but run into an MOT guy who knows Zuks *and* is a jobsworth, and you could be in trouble if you don't comply with those rules.

http://www.ozthegopher.com/thebigmin.htm - scroll down to the bit about trying to get it MOT'd. Ignore the link about being stopped by VOSA, that's about his lorry and a dodgy bulb.

If you know and can prove you have 8 points under the system, you only have to book in a quick viewing of the vehicle and VOSA'll alter the vehicle documentation to suit the vehicles new description - so if you swap the body, like the guy in the link above, they won't let you call it a Suzuki anymore but they will pass it as road legal and simply change the V5c to say something else (he chose "maine" - his surname).

At least, that's what the VOSA pdf and the big mini story seems to indicate!

Anyhow, that's why I want to use the existing spring perches and want to add a "Y" shaped upper link, instead of going with a panhard bar - the "Y" link would be connected to a new crossmember between the chassis rails, which is perfectly legal.

Anyone getting a headache yet?

[mike harris]

Silver zuk isn't road legal anymore.

[ROBBIE]

I know they aint cheap but would the quality of work would pass an iva test?

[Anton]

Robbie - I remember someone in the kit car industry telling me that the IVA test is so strict, most of the cars manufactured by the big names up until a few years ago wouldn't pass it. In fact, some cars in dealerships *right now* wouldn't pass.

Although he didn't tell me which ones!

Anyhow, my point is that a *stock* SJ wouldn't pass the IVA test. Getting the mods he's made through the IVA would probably not be that difficult, the stupid fact is, though, that he might have to replace indicator stalks, door handles, round off anything in the dashboard that has even a semi-square profile edge/corner etc etc.

It's my personal impression that the IVA test was deliberately over-strict to try to discourage so many people from trying to build their own cars, because of the misguided belief that kit cars result in less sales of mainstream cars (which generate more tax). But I could be dead wrong about that.

http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... ist-hints/

Look at the length of the list on that post - getting a mini (an otherwise perfectly road legal car) through an IVA test requires *serious* work. An SJ wouldn't be any different.

Unfortunately the Silver Zuk is probably never going to be road legal again. Damn shame if you ask me, I think that car is one of the best engineered vehicles in the world.

But that doesn't mean that people who want coils on an SJ have to pass up on the dream - as I said before, it should be possible for the car to be built up in such a way as it just needs an 8-point inspection. Still means paperwork though!

[dantheman6106]

Maybe worth speaking to the guy who built Fat Zuke apparently he copied the RockyRoad set up and built his own , I think he is on Diff lock.

[ScottieJ]

Best place to read up and look at coil and link set ups is pirate4x4, loads of threads on geometry and 100s of custom linked vehicles and buggies. There is no one perfect way to link and coil a 4x4.

The Americans are ahead of everyone in the world when it comes to offroad suspension in my opinion.

Just don't sign up and start asking lots of questions, use the search function a LOT.

[Anton]

Best place to read up and look at coil and link set ups is pirate4x4, loads of threads on geometry and 100s of custom linked vehicles and buggies. There is no one perfect way to link and coil a 4x4.

The Americans are ahead of everyone in the world when it comes to offroad suspension in my opinion.

Just don't sign up and start asking lots of questions, use the search function a LOT.

As much as I love to wind up 'mericans, those guys *really* know how to build up a rock crawler or a mud plugger. "Built not bought" type rigs on Pirate are often works of art, and make me wish I had more time to improve my fabrication skills.

Still, in my opinion, the silver zuk is at *least* as good as anything I've seen on Pirate, so some Brits have the magic too!

I mean, YOUR rig isn't exactly unimpressive!

[ROBBIE]

Just seams a shame that such a professional build couldn't be road legal. Especially when you see some of the death traps that people have bodged together driving around with mots