CUSTOM BUDGET SPRING OVER AXLE LIFT

The 1st Thing I did was head down to the Steel Shop and buy some steel. I got 3X2X3/16in. Square tubing, and had them cut them in 4 equal pieces. 2nd thing was to have a piece of cardbord cut to the width of my axle, and use it as a stencil to cut the steel. I made the perch about 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer to lift it up more.

Since I didn't know how to torch something good I had my friend do it for me.

This is what it looked like after I cut it with a torch. You would think that the Air Force would buy some good welding and torch sets, not at my base, it sucks. Anyway, It took most of the steel away. Now it was time for my friend and I to start grinding away the steel to fit the axle.

It took my friend and I over three hrs. to grind the extra metal off the perches and to get it to fit the axle good and tight. That is me trying to grind off the 3/16" metal off, what a pain in the arse! After that you have to drill a hole so that the spring will fit on the pearch.

Here is what it looks like with the perch on top of the axle. What you have to do is with the rear U-bolt plates is flip them if you want to use the stock shock mounts on the plate, what I mean is take the right side and put it on the left side.

With the springs off the vehicle, you take a pair of vice grips or just a vice and hold the spring into palce. You then take the bolt that holds the springs togeather and flip it to the other side. That way when you mount the U-bolt plate on top of the springs the spring bolt will fit into the hole.

This just shows the front of my Zuki. Here you can see the springs are on top of the axle and my shackles are shorter than before.

Once the pearch is mounted on top of the axle, it is time to put the springs back on. What I did was aline the spring bolt with the hole in the pearch I made and then put the U-bolt plate on top of that. The U-bolts are harder to install if you flip the mounting plates from right to left on the front. It is because the diff. side if just a bit wider then the other side is. You will have to clamp the U-bolt and then slide the mounting plate on over that. If you want to you can also take a BFH to it and try your luck.

After you get the U-bolts on the leaf spring you have to torque the nuts down. The Suzuki Automotive Repair Manual Specifications say to torque the nuts down 44 to 58 ft-lbs. I used 50 ft-lbs and that was good for me. Watch out you might brake a few U-bolts if you torque them down too much.

After everything was torqued down to the Spec's, you can then weld everything into place. I then had a problem with the brake lines being too short under full flex. I then removed the front brake line brakets and relocated them down about an inch or more. Welded it to the frame and works well, I gained a few more inches to the brake lines. I still need to get some longer lines and front shock mount towers. Can't wait to get them in.

I can say that the SPOA was the best thing I have done to my Samurai. It handles 100% better than before and with the big tires I can't tell the diff. Look at some of the pic's of the SPOA on the trail test! I have to say lots more flex than before and with 36" Super Swamper TSL's on it does all right!