resurrection and restoration of suzuki carry

My truck has a lowered front dif that was done before I got it. I'll try take some pictures today so you can see how that was done in comparison to yours.

 

Well due to the fact its going to cost me 40 some dollars to order 4 longer bolts to drop the motor cross member......... Its more if a "ain't no way I'm pay in 40 bucks for bolts" thing than anything. I'm going to go ahead and cut the cross member and add a bit of steel then bolt it together. That way when I get the real lift.....cause this is just temporary ....... I can go back and make it right. Grrrr all just to put my new shoes on front hahahaha. I can't wait to send my parts off and have everything done right. Buy this is the best way to see how much I really actually need.

Thanx Daner

 

Well...... The bolt together adjustable xmember idea was a nice thought. I ended up cutting and welding. At least i did it in a manner that permits me to do it again hahaha. Everything paid off though. Now i know how much i need. Woo hoo....... Now i really cant wait to box up parts!!!

 

After is on top and the when we got her is on bottom

 

Looking good! It sure gives you a lot more room.

 

Yea it does. We just git back from a real test drive. I need to drop the front end down more. 2 inches wasnt enough. I have some vibration and noise i dont like at all. Strange thing is tuat in the air full turn full drop i can spin the hub no problem no noise. I did notice that the noise would go away on the low side in a 3rd gear turn or side hilling. So i know it has to be the cv. Dang it. Have to order longer bolts and make a bigger spacer. Im goin to go out and measure the lift blocks i ordered as well....... I think their taller than 3 inches hahaha

 

Ok. So i measired one of the lift blocks i ordered. The long side is just under 3 1/2 inches. The short side is just over 2 1/2 inches. And i have just under 7 inches from wheel well to rubber............. I guess i do need to drop the A arms some more hahaha

 

I decided to go a different way with my truck but my experience with the truck, tells me that the easiest way to get the best results is to drop everything with rectangular tubing, and help stablize the blocks by using grade 8 "square-bend" leaf spring u-bolts. They usual run about $20, for a kit of two, but I've had a custom set made up for me, for my P30, at a truck shop. They're cheap.

A spring-over in the rear, will get you 4 1/2"; no shackles needed.
The tranny cross member, mod for a "hanging mount" at the rubbers, again, grade 8 u-bolt; single, custom, 9" wide. Just a cupple tabs welded to the u-bolt needed.

Engine cross member, 4 1/2". Same treatment for the A-arm cross member. Single front diff mount drop; 4 1/2".

You see where I'm going with this.
Anyway, that's just my 5 cents (no more pennies here )

Good luck...op:

 

Thanx spaner. How did ya get the u bolts to work? I have a box frame and the unibody is attached to it in front. I did do some better investigating today. The short cv is the one that tightened up on me. This is all good though simce its just temporary till i get the real lift kit. Very helpful and insiteful hahaha. I think im going to remove the blocks from the top of the struts and see if my tires still clear. If they do im good to go and will be impatiently waiting to get her all done right. If they dont ill put my stock tires back on and cry hahahahaha

 

Yea, I didn't. Went with the slider. I've probly see 20 different ways to do it though.

The way with the u-bolts, I don't have a pic.
You sandwich the frame rail, cu'z it's wimpy, and will bend very easily under torsional forces.
5/8" U-bolt, 1/4" plate, frame rail, 1/4" plate, 4" length rectangular tube, 1/4" plate...cross member.

4 1/2" lift. You weld the plates to the tube, after it's installed, and you drill the holes right through to 5/8"

Some guys just use what ever is laying around, but this was the best solution that I saw.

 

This is how it looks, u-bolt at the top, right through the tube, another plate, then the cross member, washers, locks, nuts...there are other pics around here somewhere.




The short shaft will bind with anything other than a 2" spring lift. The springs just take advantage of some of the strut extension. Any blocking, and the short shaft will bind/pop as it is beyond "full extension"; when the strut is fully extended...

 

Yea i found that the 275 pound springs ride like i wanted but took all the free space in th top of the strut. So when the truck fomes back up from its bounce the strut bangs to full extention. So i need to make limiter straps. I think the aprings actually gave it closer to 3 inches of lift. The way i did my front A arms..........
Took 2 inch square stock and drilled threw. Used longer bolts and bolted right to the same spot they were. When i get the final lift done and imstalled i know that im goimg to habe at least a 6 inch block to put in. So ill plate that so it will have ears to slide up the frame on both sides. Then bolt threw the top of the block to the frame as well as threw the ears to sandwich it all together. Then drill and tap the bottom of the block and bolt the A arm frame to that.

It all seems so easy at first hahaha. Ive been seriously thinking about cutting the A arms and makimg them longer to pull the cv back out of the cups and keep the ground clearance. But i only have a wire feed welder. No tig. Grrrrr hahaha

 

Lots'o ways to do it, like I said. Part of the fun sometimes is figuring it out. I don't have all the answers, but I've seen a lot done on this particular model.
The spring lift and shackles (2") is safe for the CV's but, you have to put up with the extension bang; occasional.
Blocks are not safe for the CVs, as they bring the CVs beyond the factory angle design....
Unless, you use a "hutibar" design for the A-arm mountings, dropping the pivot point low enough to be below the CV joint center point. This gives extension of the shaft, while extending the suspension. Giving more available angle for the suspension to extend. Which is the opposit of the factory design of "axle stuffage" and less angle available with suspension extension.
Don't go to far though, or the stubs will get pulled right out of the diff.
Also, this mod has a major flaw, the joints cups are much more prone to shatter, when the cage is at the edge of the cup and at a high angle, as apposed to being deep in side of the cup, at less of an angle.

It could be a lot of tinkering it get everything aligned just right...but wait...they already did all that at the factory...
You just have to lower everything equally...some would call it a body lift, but really, it's not.
Then you can go back to the factory springs, and get the full travel of the struts.

Either way, enjoy the wrenching, otherwise, what's the point..right?..

On another note, I decided to go a whole different route on my slow speed, high load, additional cooling install.
Firstly, I decided to let the front stuff, do it's own stuff...what I need is better cooling of the engine, not the rad, sometimes, not always.
AND, got fricken really tired of vendors, who-ever, trying to take my money...why, it should be free.
In north america, people throw away perfectly good TVs, just cuz they're not LCD-flat-screens...
Anyway, free stuff;
Found an old (70s) RV SS range hood with 12vdc 4-blade fan. Broken wire, works fine. 3.5A motor, talk about CFMs Jeez. So I'm just going to mount the whole range hood under the bed. Then a Rad, what do people throw away by the millions, that has a small rad, with lots'o vains per inch as they say; more vains, more money...
Window type air conditioner units...free...
Mount rad to hood, hood to bed rail...free..

Thought you might like that...

 

Nice hahaha we dont usually need more cold up here. Usualy we are trying for more heat. Except this year. We are actually getting a nice summer. Record breaking heat. 80 deg here is really unheard of let alone for a month strait. Feels like ive been sitting in an oven hahaha. A month ago we were still freezing solid at night. Even had snow.

I understand everything needs to be droppes equally to keep things from doing what they shouldnt but that only allows for larger tires and the same groumd clearance. Im hoping that some day when ive hit my head on the wall enough times ill figure a way for longer arms and cv to make a true long travel suspension. Then i wouldnt have to make sure i have a couple side by sides to ride with every time i leave hahahaha

I know just dreaming at this point. But without dreams we wouldnt have the drive to make em come true. Hahaha i did pull the blocks out on top of my struts. Now its just a waiting game till i can get everything and do it right

 

Well, right is when it's done and you go, "I like it". Then it's right.

Finished my cooler this morning and; "I like it"..

Probly put it in tomorrow.

It was 34 here this morning...and that's not C...

 

Hahaha i hear ya there. Its such a relief when ya get to say i like it hahaha. Glad yours went well. We had 75 here today. Also not "C" hahaha almost misery...... Normal for alaska right now is about 65 but we have been breaking records for a week or so now. Oddly. Since i only pulled the 3 inch blocks out my cv click on sharp turns. I left the arms and diff dropped 2 inches figuring the extra height i got from the springs would need that. Glad to know i can have all that 2 inches higher than the actual amount the struts are dropped. But just to make sure....... Im removing all the blocking and going to remeasure everything......... Again hahahaha. At least ill be able to help one of our local mini truck brothers later down the road hahahaha best help ever...... DONT DO IT!!!!! Its a trick!!! Its trying to trap you into being a modification addict!! Hahahahahaha man i think the heat has finally gotten to me. Sorry

 

Here are the pics I promised awhile ago... Sorry they aren't much good. It was getting dark and I couldn't see anything.





This one is from the rear drivers side.


My spring towers have a 2" ish spacer. I haven't actually measured.

 

Thanx daner. Looks like i did the same thing. Except i dropped the diff. I need to put the diff back to its original spot though. Just till i get the lift done right. Its hitting way too many things and the cv click at times. Strange how the front end can handle the struts being stretched so much. I really miss my other tires........... Thise 10.5 inch wide tracter tires make her ride really nice. Even steers great. I just need to hurry up and send off my parts and get her done..... Stupid back has put a stop to just about everything this year so far......

 

Some red salmon we use the mini truck to go get. Same place we evacuated as many angelers as we could fit in her in our attempt to elude the big mad mamma bear hahaha

 

Not sure why it turned the pic........or how to fix it

 

Man..... Ive got to hook up to the laptop..... I cant get pics to load

 

That's a nice mess of fish no matter how you look at them.

 

We got 250,000 red salmon a day coming up the river right now. My poor mini truck......... 125 fish in the bed aling with people sitting down both sides amd standing in the middle. Ive been making the kids walk hahaha but let me tell ya......their are a handfull of 70-80 year olds that wouldnt have gotten to fish at all if i hadnt driven them down the trail. Everyone including myself has been impressed how this thing forges the creek..... Well off to catch more fish!!!!!

 

Well today I decided to get a spare key made for my mini-mog. ......the suzuki keys at the store werent even close to the right one. But.......I got them to let me look!! Hahaha I found that a gm key number 52 is the right one. Its a little long but after its lined up right and cut it fits and works correctly!!! Unlocks the door as well as the tool box and ignition

 

Big bummed out S I G H.......... My starter quit today. She tries.......but then just groans a not and just clicks when I hit the key. So I pulled it and stripped her down. I was amazed at the amount of sand, gravel, hair, dirt, rust and I think a hobo that was inside. I cleaned everything and polished and greased and put her back together. Boy she spun nice on a bench test. So I put her in.....while hooking up the battery wire I noticed a spark. That bothered me a bit. So I wiped the mud and sand from my eyes and saw that I put the silinoid on upside down Hahahaha. Oops.....so I pulled the starter again. Removed the silinoid and put it on the right way and reinstalled the starter. Fingers crossed........turned the key and vroom fired right up. Hit the key four or five more times and she was fine. Even with 2 of the 4 brushes worn to the wire Hahaha. But here is the kicker......after the engine warms up the starter no go. Just makes that growling noise. So......if your starter is working now I would suggest taking it out and clean it really well. Lube the bushings front and rear and clean the spot the brushes sit in as well as the springs. If you wait till you have a problem with it she may not be fixable. My mission next week is to find a starter STAT!!!! Its moose season right now and I need my mini-mog!!!!!!

 

Still waiting to order a starter. I'm going threw withdrawals!!!Hahaha so i decided to tear into the timing belt. Not as bad as I originally thought. The new distributer cap is a bit different from the one that was in there......so I know I'm going to have to retime the engine. Also I noticed that when I did the temporary lift it pulled the front drive line out if the t case an inch and a half. So.......I guess its a good thing the starter went out Hahaha. Got my work ahead of me now. Need to make angled brackets for the front diff as well as a few other things. Now just need the time!!!

 

All this right in the middle of moose season too.......at least I can still go catch a silver salmon!!!!

 

Since the poor mini-mog is down for a bit I decided to pull the entire front off the truck. Plastic bumper,lights, corner panel NY the window to expose the door hinges. Everything I could. I've resurfaced the headlight housings. They look brand new and ready for the h.I.d. lights. Located a vent above the headlight housing mount location that the ballasts fill fit perfectly in. Word of warning to any that want to install h.I.d lights......DO NOT GET ANY THAT ARE A HIGJER WATTAGE THAN 35 watt!!! the housings are not deep enough and anything more will melt the center of the lenses. But right now the headlights are as bright as say.......6 to 8 JC day lighter off road lights. Just the head lights. And they run at about half the power draw as the stock lights. No need for forward facing led or anything. Now I'm trying to work out the best way to make a bumper/skid plate/tow receiver/ plow mount/brush guard........if anyone has ideas. Mounting locations. Skid plate or plow mount ideas and or pics I'd sure love to see and hear em!!! I think I know how I'm going to do it..... Have scrapped 3 bumpers already due to the fact they weren't multi purpose Hahaha. Thanx!!! I'll finish the timing belt when I get the starter and water pump. Hopefully my lift, bumper, skid plate, plow mount, receiver, winch mount, axle flip, clutch mod, bed liner floor coating inside the cab, amp and extra speakers for the bed and air horn will all be done in the next few weeks and I'll be ready for winter!!!!

 

My bumper so far.....all ¼" plate. All cut free hand with a torch....

 

That worked well.......