Suzuki Club UK

Is there anyway of improving the handleing?
Ive been told that zuk can be prone to turn over.

As i would be driving on motorways an such i dont fancy tipping over.

Wheel spacers or wide wheels or run some sammie axles as they are wider than 410 axles

all that turnover stuff is a load of crap dreamt up by the americans.

I can drift my lifted sammy on big knobbly tyres on a dry roundabout without any hint of tipping!

Truth about Samurai playlist patience needed its at least 4 videos long.

Dan

Roll over is a myth. I've done it once and was really trying. On road no bother.

They are 20+ years old on leaf springs. They'll never handle like a corsa never mind ferrari.

Just remember when modding, as you go up you need to go out.

Power steering will make handling easier, i wouldn't say better.

Jordi

Ratty wrote:Is there anyway of improving the handleing?
Ive been told that zuk can be prone to turn over.

As i would be driving on motorways an such i dont fancy tipping over.

The reputation SJs got for rolling over came from a report by the consumer union in the states. What the report didn't say was that the Suzuki was taking a harder course 20 miles an hour faster than the Chevys and Fords it was being compared to.

The Yanks running the CU didn't want Suzuki to break into their 4x4 market with something that was cheaper, better off-road and more economical than anything they had so they made it look bad.

I can drive my SJ round bends at the same speeds as my work car (a MK4 Astra diesel) and it copes without any trouble. If I pushed the Astra to the point where it understeers that might be the same time my SJ would roll. I should point out as well that my SJ is one of the early ones with narrower axles, so would be more likely to roll over.

If you're driving on motorways the last thing you need to worry about it roll over, there's no bends!

You're going to want to look at fuel economy. I'd recommend an SU carb conversion. They're more reliable, give more torque and better fuel consumption.


I'd say the only thing you've got to worry about, MAYBE, is the Scandinavian flick. Used in rallying more than anything else, it's a way of getting the cars rear end to slide sideways by steering away from the direction you want to go before a corner then turning the correct way quickly. On tarmac in something with a high centre of gravity this is dangerous.

Did you see the Top Gear episode where they all bough second hand vans? Hammond had a Suzuki Super Carry, one of those little vans with tiny wheels. He tried to do a Scandinavian flick and laid it on its side.

In the real world, entering and exiting a roundabout can cause the same effect. Turning left to get on, right to go around and left to exit. The likelihood of going fast enough for it to even lift the inside rear wheel is tiny though, let alone actually rolling over.

It's almost in inbuilt safety feature in an SJ. If you're cornering a bit too fast the inside rear wheel will lift just enough for the diff to route all power to it, so you'll slow down a bit and it'll put that wheel back down again with a little bit of tyre squeal.

Thankyou for your replys i feel better about going to buy a zuk now.

Ratty wrote: Ive been told that zuk can be prone to turn over.

It's amazing how everyone knows about the 'suzuki roll over' myth. I told my dad I was buying an SJ and his response was 'aren't they the ones that roll over' That little bit of misinformation ruined suzuki sales for years, I hope suzuki got a bloody good lawsuit against the consumer union!

Personally id have a drive in a suzi before you plan any mods, I personally don't think they handle any worse than an equivalent 4x4

Tramp wrote:It's amazing how everyone knows about the 'suzuki roll over' myth. I told my dad I was buying an SJ and his response was 'aren't they the ones that roll over' That little bit of misinformation ruined suzuki sales for years, I hope suzuki got a bloody good lawsuit against the consumer union!

Personally id have a drive in a suzi before you plan any mods, I personally don't think they handle any worse than an equivalent 4x4

Yeah, my Dad and all of my Dad's friends all asked virtually the same question so I just respond with things like "No more than yours understeers into a hedge".

If I remember rightly Suzuki took the CU through legal proceedings that took years. By the time the CU admitted what they had done the Jimny was on sale. I've seen footage showing the course alterations, higher speeds and someone threatening the test drivers that if they couldn't tip it over they'd be sacked.

Suzuki got an absolute bombshell, like hundreds of millions.

Just take a look through the gallery and you'll see some of the strange angles we've had Zuks at in the past. It's amazing where they go, even as standard.

Jordi