Dzimm Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 17 hours ago, Pete M said: can you bend tube? I do not have access to a bender without cost. I have been doing a bunch of research on cheaper tubing benders that actually work and haven't really found one I am confident in at a decent cost. I've also been researching the "no bend" cages. I have come across a few forums on these "no bend" cages and everyone who uses them claim that bending is not as strong as a properly welded and triangulated cage and that most people bend because racing organizations don't want to take the chance on people's welds, and because bending is easier to do. They even pointed out that a lot of trophy truck frames only have a couple small bends at most. I'm currently leaning towards the "no bend" cage because of huge cost savings for me and the fact that I don't really see a situation I would have this thing in where I'd have a really serious rollover. And if the thin factory roof held up as well as it did in a 60+mph rollover, I don't see why even a "no bend" cage couldn't sustain a low speed rollover. If I did go this route, I'd prolly make two joints for the "bends" to give it more of a gradual edge. Also I've been researching using a stick welder for a cage on some welding forums. Many welders claim that it will produce a stronger weld but it's difficult to keep a good arc on round tube and ironically also stated racing organizations won't allow it because they don't trust people's ability to arc weld tube. They unanimously said to use 7018 Excalibur welding rods for the cage to get the best welds. Any input is greatly appreciated. And yes I know money doesn't matter when it comes to safety but money does matter when it comes to this vehicle and the roof is not structural anymore so anything is better than what it has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 I believe "properly welded" is the key there. how good are your welding skills with a stick buzzbox? I have neither a good welder nor a bender and so I found a local guy that had both for my rollbar. I kept my design simple (4 bends, 4 notches) and it was very affordable (I did all the prep work and built the mounts myself). you'll need a front hoop, a rear hoop and some runners. in its simplest form that's 4 bends and 6 notches. add in a couple diagonals and you're way ahead of the game. Just remember that your cage is only as good as the mounting points so give them some thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Pete M said: I believe "properly welded" is the key there. how good are your welding skills with a stick buzzbox? I have neither a good welder nor a bender and so I found a local guy that had both for my rollbar. I kept my design simple (4 bends, 4 notches) and it was very affordable (I did all the prep work and built the mounts myself). you'll need a front hoop, a rear hoop and some runners. in its simplest form that's 4 bends and 6 notches. add in a couple diagonals and you're way ahead of the game. Just remember that your cage is only as good as the mounting points so give them some thought. Yeah I used to be a pretty good welder buy I haven't used anything other than a MIG for 5 years. I'd definitely practice quite a bit before going for it. I have actually contemplated buying this Calmini cage and adding from there but being for a 2 door, idk what the difference would be in a 4 door. I don't plan on using the back doors so that isn't an issue. The problem is that with shipping, it leaves me no room left in my budget for this thing. I guess really thinking about it tho, a "no bend" cage requires more tube so would I really save any money? https://www.calmini.com/detail.php?b=2&m=5&t=5&p=692&n= As for mounting points, I will be sandwiching the floor with steel plates and grade 8s for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 Bought a 2'x4'x1/4" sheet of Lexan off eBay to replace the windshield, which should be here around Christmas. Will soon be driving the Suzuki out to my new house and continue the project since I'm too broke to do the work I want to on the Jeeps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Have you worked on the Zuki at all lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 No it's sitting out on the farm currently. Need to get it out to the new house so I can work on it. Have been busy with house and Jeep projects. I do have the lexan for the windshield and an old XJ mirror to ziptie to the door to make it "street legal" to drive it the 25ish mile trip. I'm getting married in September and a tube bender will be on the registry so hopefully I will be building a cage and can chop it this fall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 Tube bender, on your bridal registry. That is so much a WIN Looking forward to updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 55 minutes ago, mjeff87 said: Tube bender, on your bridal registry. That is so much a WIN Looking forward to updates. I've got permission to add any tools I want! Helps we own a house together and have most of the "normal" young couple registry type gifts already. Amazon has a deal where if something is on your registry and nobody gets it for you, you get a huge discount on it so I will be taking advantage of that for sure! Updates will come, hopefully sooner rather than later. Free time is hard to come by right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 It has been about 6 months since I've seen it and over a year since this thing has even been started. With the wedding coming up this weekend out at the farm I decided to get it cleaned out to have some fun and put the back seat in to haul people around if need be. We went out there yesterday for the game and I went down to see how it's faired sitting there. Put a battery in and it fired right up!! The young cousins wanted to go for rides so I took them out for some spirited offroading and they had a blast. All told it ran hard for about 2 hours just fine and only stalled once when I climbed up on a tall log but it started right back up. Later this week I will be going out to put the windshield on, change the oil, clean it up, putting some tranny fluid in to maybe fix the slipping in reverse, and install the backseat. Pictures will come then and of course fun will be had! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 awww, I forgot all about wanting to see that. next time for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 7 minutes ago, Pete M said: awww, I forgot all about wanting to see that. next time for sure! Yeah I thought about taking you out to the farm but it's 45mins 1 way from my house. Next time hopefully it will have a cage and whatnot so we can really have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMO413 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Pete M said: awww, I forgot all about wanting to see that. next time for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted September 19, 2019 Author Share Posted September 19, 2019 Not going to be able to do all of what I wanted today. Someone changed my plans on me. Luckily I was allowed a few minutes to install the windshield and side mirror. It's a sheet of 2x4x1/4" polycarbonate ziptied on for now. It's a little big on the passenger side since it's crushed in but I don't want to cut it until I have a cage so it fits nice in that. The side mirror is an XJ mirror I had laying around. It's basically...ish street legal now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 yup. totally legit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 The kids (I think mostly the adults) wanted to go for rides in the Suzuki the morning after the reception. The windshield works fantastic! No need for safety glasses anymore and the weeds and bugs no longer pepper my face. I also jumped it further than ever before, flew about 20ft from take off to first contact on the ground and took a huge chunk of turf because it nosed forward so far. Luckily it just bounced and was good but of course nobody video taped it, they were too busy screaming when it took off cause they thought I was going over. I need to do something to balance the weight out for anything bigger or it will stab the nose and roll. I should probably also do some suspension upgrades because I don't think the stock suspension will handle much more. The landings are suprisingly soft though. There are some things that need fixed now though. - The brakes don't work anymore, I suspect a hole in a brake line but the handbrake works so it's still driveable... Kinda - The exhaust came off and is up against the driveshaft so it doesn't sound good. - The engine dies at idle, I suspect because some of the vacuum lines are broken. - Transmission still has issues with disengaging or not engaging right away, I still think it's low on fluid but haven't checked yet. - Needs an oil change bad. - The battery needs to be held down better. On the second jump the battery bounced and landed so the positive terminal was touching the hood. Nice spark show and melted a hole in the hood structure. - Side mirror needs more than zipties for offroading. - Really need to disable the passenger airbag so it doesn't go off in someone's face for no reason. Although it survived the big jump somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drahcir495 Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 On 9/23/2019 at 10:19 AM, Dzimm said: I also jumped it further than ever before, flew about 20ft from take off to first contact on the ground and took a huge chunk of turf because it nosed forward so far. Luckily it just bounced and was good but of course nobody video taped it Dang, I would love to have seen that! Be careful and video tape it if you do it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted December 3, 2019 Author Share Posted December 3, 2019 3 hours ago, Drahcir495 said: Dang, I would love to have seen that! Be careful and video tape it if you do it again I will definitely do that. I need to make it safer before really jumping it hard again though, or really driving it... It's taken quite a bearing, it won't idle anymore, have to keep some revs to stay running. It also has no brakes, only handbrake. It's quite a sketchy rig right now. Need to devote some time to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 It's been over a year since I've updated this thread, dang time flies.. It just came to mind after 89MJ posted videos of jumping his soon to be parts truck. Figured I'd update on it since there has been some work done and as I get projects knocked out, it's getting closer to the top of my priority list so it'll be coming up again soon. Since the last update the brakes have been fixed, turned out to be a rusted brake line along the frame near the rear. I had redone the lines on the rear axle for my buddy when he owned it pre-wrecked a few years back but we didn't touch anything in front of the axle. This time I patched in some new line and disabled the rear weight sensing proportioning valve on it so it'll always have full brake force. Also figured out why it wouldn't idle.... Damn mice made a nest inside the airbox under the filter, it was completely packed. Runs fine now though! The most recent work done was beating in more sheet metal for better tire clearance, added a strap to hold the battery down, disabled the passenger airbag, and removed the rear bumper. The back of it is nice and flat without the bumper and it reminds me of an old school rally hatchback so I'm going to get some big ol mudflaps for the back. Next time I'm at the farm and get it out I'll be sure to snag some pictures. I'm expecting to spend more time on it come spring and summer because my father-in-law and my.. uncle-in-law? both recently bought side by sides. My brother-in-law also got a new 850 quad this year so we've been doing some redneck repairs on the crappy chinese one so we can ride quads as well. More to come once it warms up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 13, 2021 Author Share Posted March 13, 2021 We found a new spot to jump the Suzuki and the landing is so much softer with it being slightly uphill and a little offcamber. We need to cleanup the approach some to hit it more square and carry more speed. I'd like to be able to land flat so there isn't so much pressure coming down on one side. https://youtu.be/pKUhi3SWpq8 Also snagged some pictures of the new battery hold down and the rear without a bumper, truck mudflaps are coming soon for the rear. We also hauled a couch to the burn pile. Just wedged it in and went for it, suprisingly didn't fall out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 Welp.. it's broke! A couple weekends back we had a day on the farm with all the toys, spent many hours racing around and such. The last jump of the day the Suzuki came down perfect but as I was driving away I got a grinding/rubbing noise that I could faintly feel as well. It would get worse with speed and my initial thought was transmission. Yesterday we transferred it out to my house so I could work on it and when strapping it down I noticed the problem.. Diff housing exploded as well as chipped at least one pinion gear tooth. Time to find a new diff!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 oops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse J Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 well thats no good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Well I finally got the Suzuki moved into the shop and started working on it. I got the front end tore apart and the diff housing removed. Surprisingly everything came out pretty easy, the lower strut bolts had to be hammered out which destroyed the bolts but it came apart so I'm fine with it. As for the diff, the main housing is actually fine, the carrier housing is absolutely destroyed and it chipped a pinion and a ring gear tooth so that carrier is complete junk. I was able to locate a new carrier with proper gears in Ohio, I just talked to them again today and it is being shipped out today so hopefully should have it by this weekend. The Suzuki XL7 and Grand Vitara had the same housings in steel as well as aluminum. Unfortunately no yard lists the material of the housing and calling around they aren't too keen on checking for me. A couple said they would check and then I don't hear back. When I call back I get told they'll have me an answer by EOD but no response. Really frustrating because I could really use the steel housing. Ive got many parts on order that are starting to trickle in so I should have another update soon. I'm hoping to get some work done on it this weekend but my brother in law will be home for the weekend so we are going to do some trail maintenance at the farm. He's finally back home for good at the end of September and is picking up his brand new SxS around the same time so this fall should be a lot of fun out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted August 26, 2021 Author Share Posted August 26, 2021 A bunch of parts have shown up, just waiting on a few. I got the new axle assembly from Ohio and turns out they sent the entire assembly with the main housing, inner axle shaft, and mount bushings, I thought I was only getting the carrier/third member. It's nice to have the spare parts. The new carrier is swapped into the old main housing. I took the new one apart to inspect gears and double check the ratio and figured I'd use the old main housing in case it was weakened but the carrier exploding. That way that will hopefully break first and I've already got a spare on hand. The axle assembly is mounted back in the Suzuki and I started assembling the passenger side but ran into an issue with the camber bolts I ordered. They are some kind of new style with a plastic sleeve instead of the integrated metal cam. They don't fit and am trying to decide on making them fit or buying the standard style cam bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 so what's the plan for making sure this breakage doesn't happen again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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