Suzuki Steve's '97 4-door Sidekick Build (the real build thread)

[sixstringsteve]

After going back and looking at the sliders, I would try to beef up the mounting.

On some rigs you can tie them into the body mount (frame side) to help with the frame flex.

Mine were attached to the toy frame in 4 places, I still bent the frame where they attach and pushed them up.

Yeah, these do tie in to the body mount. I still think I'd like to add two legs on it just to make sure.

 

[Chevycrew]

I guess i was trying to say out further away from the frame on the body mount, not just in close to the frame.

But it looks good, quick build! Does everything work as hoped?

 

[sixstringsteve]

yeah, I am VERY impressed with the kit. It rides tons better than I thought (especially on the street and washboard roads). And it seemed to flex well on the trail. I'm looking forward to having lower gears in it.

I still have some stuff to do. I thought I'd be able to use my stock exhaust, but it's in the way of the links. So I need to get a new cat back and I'd like to double-check and get it aligned before I start driving it all over the state.

I still need some mud flaps, but that's about it. I'll be tweaking spring rates and lengths, so that'll be an ongoing process.

 

[meach4x4]

Have you had a chance to take it out on a second run yet? Wondering if you are going to get any more sag on the front.

Also, are your tires 33/10.50/15's? Or are they 12.50's? Also, are you wheels 7 or 8"?

I am going to be coming up to SLC to pickup some housings and get this show on the road. Probably won't be able to get up there until Sunday, though.

 

[meach4x4]

Ok, I'm a dufus. Now that it's not midnight I took a better look at what my door was catching on, and it was only the little plastic trim piece on the rocker panel. I feel a lot better now. I still may be beefing up those arms, but maybe not.

I looked at those sliders today, and they are a LOT more stout than I thought they were. If anything, I may consider getting them and then adding another brace down to the links mount after it is installed. Do you think I should wait until the suspension kit is installed to install the sliders and bumpers? Would it make a difference? Otherwise, I may as well be installing them while I wait for the Trailslayer kit to ship.

Sorry to hear the exhaust needs to be changed. I'm trying to hold down costs, and every little bit is a pain right now. :sick:

 

[sixstringsteve]

Have you had a chance to take it out on a second run yet? Wondering if you are going to get any more sag on the front.

Also, are your tires 33/10.50/15's? Or are they 12.50's? Also, are you wheels 7 or 8"?

I am going to be coming up to SLC to pickup some housings and get this show on the road. Probably won't be able to get up there until Sunday, though.

No, it hasn't moved an inch since that run. I needed a break from it. Tomorrow I'll be getting the pinion backlash reset (assuming that's the issue) and I'll get it aligned so I'm 100% sure the caster is right, and the axles are centered and parallel and all that jazz. Then I plan on getting an exhaust done this week, finishing the driver's slider install, and adding mud flaps. Then it'll be ready to drive again.

I looked at those sliders today, and they are a LOT more stout than I thought they were. If anything, I may consider getting them and then adding another brace down to the links mount after it is installed. Do you think I should wait until the suspension kit is installed to install the sliders and bumpers? Would it make a difference? Otherwise, I may as well be installing them while I wait for the Trailslayer kit to ship.

Sorry to hear the exhaust needs to be changed. I'm trying to hold down costs, and every little bit is a pain right now. :sick:

YES! You definitely need to wait to install the suspension before the sliders. You need all the clearance you can get with your drill to drill the holes for the center crossmember. THe sliders would be in the way. It wouldn't hurt to drill the holes for the bolt on sliders before you get the kit, but I wouldn't bolt them on until you're done with the suspension.

Bumpers don't matter, you can install them any time.

I do think the trailtough sliders are good sliders, but I'd feel a lot better if they had 3 or 4 legs to the frame. That being said, they're pretty short, and there's not much room to tie them into the frame because the center crossmember is in the way.

 

[meach4x4]

I do think the trailtough sliders are good sliders, but I'd feel a lot better if they had 3 or 4 legs to the frame. That being said, they're pretty short, and there's not much room to tie them into the frame because the center crossmember is in the way.

I was thinking of putting another leg from the center of the slider down to the center crossmember by using a couple of welded studs in the crossmember and then welding a plate on the end of a leg tube (similar to the legs that bolt through the frame.) This way, you would be able to get the added support, plus that center crossmember looks pretty stout to give added support to the sliders.

(Tire and wheel size?)

Gil

 

[sixstringsteve]

33x12.50x15

15x8 Chevy rally wheels with 3.75" backspacing

 

[sixstringsteve]

I found out that my vibration wasn't the pinion preload, it was a ujoint vibration from a bad pinion angle. So that's good news.

I took it on the freeway for the first time today. I hit 60 MPH, but thankfully we were in a construction zone (first time I've said that), so the speed limit was only 55 MPH. I don't have the power to go much faster than that, especially up hills, and it was pretty squirely at 60 MPH with unbalanced wheels and no alignment.

It feels like the wheels need to be re-balanced. I'll give more freeway driving impressions tonight after I get it back from the alignment shop.

 

[zukijames]

i had to drive my tin top on 33's to orem once for a safety and i/m i was so glad there was construction and traffic the first few miles lehi to af no traffic.. just people flipping me off traffic the rest of the way it was so scary..

my current zuk. i got on the freeway once got off the next exit lol and that was with 35s

 

[meach4x4]

...

I'll give more freeway driving impressions tonight after I get it back from the alignment shop.

How did it go after the alignment?

 

[sixstringsteve]

I only drove it a mile. I was planning on bringing it home tonight, but I ended up just leaving it at the muffler shop tonight since it was so close to the alignment shop.

It drove a TON better just for that mile though. I felt it in the steering especially. And now that the front caster is set right, my shock doesn't hit my panhard mount, which is a very good thing. I'll be ordering a new shock to replace my dented one though.

The alignment guy said he could only get the rear pinion angle to 25 degrees or something, and he wanted 28 degrees. It definitely looks better though. Everything else he was able to get into spec. He said my alignment was WAY out before, so I'm assuming it'll only drive better now. I'd still like to get my wheels re-balanced, but I'm on the home stretch. Muffler tomorrow, mud flaps this weekend, and it'll be street legal(ish) again.

I can't wait to get my undertaker reduction box so I can drive this thing on the freeway at 65 MPH +!

I'll still be making the trip to hole in the rock in April though. HOpefully it doesn't smoke the tranny with such high gearing.

 

[Bart]

Congrats. I love it when a plan is coming together.

 

[sixstringsteve]

thanks Bart. I'm excited to work out the kinks and have it in daily driver mode.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I picked it up from the muffler shop today. It sounds a lot quieter, and seems to have a little more power.

I decided to take the freeway home to see how it handles with the new alignment. It did great. I feel like the front is a little too soft for fast corners, but a swaybar would fix that. I got it up to 60 mph and it felt so much better.

I need to re-balance my wheels. The u-joint in my rear driveline is still making noise, but it's better than it was.

This weekend I'll be wiring my elocker, making mud flaps, instalilng a fuse block, installing part of my CB, painting my wheels, and tidying up a few other things on the rig. I'll be ready for the noob run for sure.

 

[krany]

need a sway bar? i have a few sitting around if you need one.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Thanks for the offer. I don't feel like I NEED one yet, but I may want to fab a quick disconnect swaybar up sometime.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I got the sliders on last night.

I tried bolting them on, like they're meant to be, but it was just too hard to drill 16 holes through the frame, per slider. So I decided to weld them on.

The rear springs are settling in, but the front still sits higher. I'm still thinking I'm going to swap to a 14" coil in front. We'll see if it settles a little more after this weekend's noob run.

 

[meach4x4]

I ordered my Trailslayer kit on Monday. I went for 200 lb. 14's in the front and 200 lb 16's in the back.

 

[sixstringsteve]

cool meach. Let me know when you've got a build thread going. I think that spring combination will work great.