suspension too hard!

[colinl]

Hi All, Ive recently bought a Samurai with all the mods already done but have found that the suspension is solid.I was wondering whether there is anything that can be done to soften it up a bit as there is hardly any flex and is always cocking a wheel.I would post a pic so you could see if anything could be altered or has been done wrong but not sure how to!
I am fresh to the SJ as i have always had Discoveries so please explain in simple terms as i wont have a clue what your talking about.

thanks in advance

[turbo-tom]

Hello ive gone the oppersite way got my sj and now going to the discovery seen! , by looking at your pics the front looks like its not flexing properly because the shocks dont look like there traveling enough as there limiting the travel , so i would fit bigger shocks and if you truck hasnt got them i would get bigger brake lines too

i might be wrong though so someone correct me if i am

[Edweird]

Hello ive gone the oppersite way got my sj and now going to the discovery seen! , by looking at your pics the front looks like its not flexing properly because the shocks dont look like there traveling enough as there limiting the travel , so i would fit bigger shocks and if you truck hasnt got them i would get bigger brake lines too

i might be wrong though so someone correct me if i am

It looks like that to me too. I think the shocks are limiting your travel. It might be fitted with lift springs which will also stiffen up the springs but they wouldn't limit your travel like the shocks seem to be. That would be my first thing though, longer shocks. Looking at your flat-land photo I'd say you're probably looking at +3 inches?

[colinl]

I never give the shocks any thoughts so you are most likely to be right so i will have a look tomorrow but is there any way i can soften up the suspension as it really is a solid ride?

[ScottieJ]

to clubUK

As the other guys have said it looks like the shocks could be a limiting factor.

What I would do is take the shocks off and flex it up, you'll probably find it flexes more so then crawl underneath and measure between the shock mounts to get the open and closed lengths, -1" off the closed length and add a few inches to the open length so as the springs soften up they have room to droop more. You could also fabricate some new upper shock mounts for the front and rear to allow longer bodied shocks if you find that the existing mounts won't allow you to run a shock as long as you need.

Lift springs are usually a bit stiffer than standard springs but they should still flex well and will soften up over time. To speed it up you can always remove a leaf from each spring and then put it back in after a while if they start to loose any of their height.

[colinl]

does anybody know where i can get these longer shocks from or what i can get them off? I could probably fabricate upper shock mounts quite easily so that wouldnt be a problem if need be.

[ScottieJ]

Rough country shocks are available from llama 4x4 in loads of lengths.

A cheap alternative is the 1990 Astra gte oil(softer) or gas (firmer) filled shocks, they need the original power bushes removed from the bottom and then the sj ones fitting to fit on the front and then for the rear you need to make an adapter bar as they have pin top mounts, however a few of us have successfully cut the pin off and welded on an eye mount. It's a bit sneaky but does work well.
Iirc they are 14" closed and 23.5" open

[Jay18]

does it have an anti-roll bar up front? i hear that they can also have an effect of the amount of flex you get, after doing your shocks and brake hoses remove the anti-roll bar, im sure scottie or tom will correct me if im wrong, but i would say the same as them that your shocks arent long enough...

[colinl]

does it have an anti-roll bar up front? i hear that they can also have an effect of the amount of flex you get, after doing your shocks and brake hoses remove the anti-roll bar, im sure scottie or tom will correct me if im wrong, but i would say the same as them that your shocks arent long enough...

Hi there is no anti roll bar fitted and brake lines have already been done so tomorrow i will have a look at the shockers to see if it is these that are restricting the flex which i suspect they are.

[Darrell]

Any chance of some pics of the spring packs. Seem very thick to me IE: front 3 full length springs and the fourth quite long. As said though just jack it up off the chassis, unbolt the bottom of the shock and see if it will droop further.