mattscort Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Thought i may as well make a thread for this, seeing as I havenever made one for escort. Picked up cheap SJ on weekend, wof/reg almost run out so that is first mish. Sick of using IFS isuzu and breaking it. Leaf springs all round = win. plans are 2" suspension lift, locker in rear, 29" or 30" mud tyres, and sort all the rust patches out. Chassis is surprisingly solid. If anyone knows any hidden rust traps or small faults that are common to these let me know cos I know FA about these. And this is what its replacing. ISUZU is for sale....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpr Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 sweet, was thinking about getting one of these. to many projects already tho go locker in the front i recon, will help more than a rear locker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 yeah thats what i keep hearing, but i also have driven 4wd with locked front diff and it can make steering difficult, And the suzi has no power steering. Sweet though the front and rear diffs are identical so can swap them around and see what works better. I too have wanted one for a while, make into hopefully cheap road legal off roader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Air lockers for the win - especially in the front. Great for mud patch raping... wait, that sounds dodge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turoa Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 My brother has got a sj410 flat deck that my dad and I have built up for. Its 4age powered with 32x11.5x15 wrangerls. beadlocks and jus recently, 2" OME lift springs. If you are going to lift it, avoid longer shackles and bodylifts and go for the OME lift springs. They are incredibly good. Awesome ride and wicked flex. My bros one was too budget for the shocks aswell so it runs commy wagon rear shocks in the front, and some other random shocks I had lying around in the back. With the motor and the suspension and tyres, it is truely amazing where this thing goes. It kicks the ASS out of 90% of trucks Ive been wheeling with, which mostly consist of heavily modifed non road legal wagons. Im not a massive fan of the 4age and would go swift gti next time but the things that make it good are Suspension (it just ran out of flex before and it cross axle situations it plain sucked, and the ride was crap) Decent tyres (make a huge difference to teh wheelability) Motor (cause you gotta be able to spin them tahs) Seat time (mods dont make a truck great, drivers do) Leave it without lockers for now, with the right driving these things go anywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 bro had an sj413 on the most roadgoing tyres I think you could buy at the time. he got it stuck once which required 10 minutes of shovel work. the other 5 or 6 times it got stuck were beacuse of it lying on it's side hah. we found it'd climb so steep that the front would often start to lift off the ground. epic. jsut didn't have that much sideways stability, and lacked grunt in a big way. epic little machines though. my god we went some places in that thing. drove it all over the place. on road handling is weird to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 handy trick lock (weld) the front diff add manual hubs if you're in tight stuff turn one hub off and you' won't have trouble steering or break axles, and if you get in the shit you'll never get stuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 Have decided to go with 4 new maxitrac leafs and budget ass monroe shocks. Shocks needed were hq holden in the front, liteace rears. This should be a two inch lift with more flex. Total cost $730 all brand new crap, 4wdbits dude quotes like $1600+ for similar stuff but branded EFS. Probably a slight quality difference but not worth over double the price in my opinion Hopefully install this weekend if weather is sweet as. Also got radiator recored last week, seems to have solved water usage problem, hopefully don't have to pop head off for testing. If anyone knows where i can et a indicator lense cheap/free let me know man, i think it will be my only pickup for warrant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthwurmJurm Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 what a good cunt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted August 17, 2010 Author Share Posted August 17, 2010 ? that you jeremy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escorto. Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 ive got maxitrax springs in mine too. heres a tip, you see how the eyes on the front springs turn down.. you can get an extra lift by swapping the original rear (yes rear) top spring onto the maxitrax front spring pack. the extra spring length from the rear top leaf gives more flex also. ive put the maxitrax top rear leaf onto the front pack. and im getting custom leaves 3 inches longer made for the back. EDIT: also if its on standard reyums you can turn them around to get more offset. may need some washers on the front to clear the caliper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 yeah, sounds like a plan later down the track. How did you find the maxitracs? stiff/flexible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escorto. Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 they look like there are guna be too stiff for the light weight. may have to take a leaf or two out. i dont have an engine in mine atm. guna fit a 1600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted September 1, 2010 Author Share Posted September 1, 2010 Well the weather was semi ok on weekend so have fitted suspension lift. No dramas really, just seized on bolts etc. Lifted the back about 75mm, front about 50mm. Also removed swaybar. These springs actually feel softer than the old ones, but wait till it gets offroad to decide if i need to remove leaves. Have also tidied up the surface rust spots (most of them anyway). Next mission is some good offset rims and mud tyes........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escorto. Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 if you find some good offset white spokes (-24 offset or more) id be keen to buy four also if that gets us a discount of some sort. ive struggled to find anything in nz tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizzl Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 http://www.4wdbits.co.nz/ProductDetails ... uctID=1540 try these fullas for rims... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escorto. Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 best they got there is -19 offset. pcd is 5x139.7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testament Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 http://www.4wdbits.co.nz/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=1540try these fullas for rims... email him and ask about what you are looking for I found him pretty good to deal with - he managed to get me some rims for my jeep that were not listed on his website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 Well after arsing about trying to find secondhand muds on trademe/sella/t&e for a couple of weeks decided to bite bullet and go brand new. Bridgestone dueler 693's, firestone target road did me a mean deal and i don't even know the guy, was stoked. Came out way cheaper than the supposed "budget" brands (like nexen) quotes from discount/ tyrebusters/ etc. 29"..........Rubbed badly on front bumper. So removed bumper, angle grinder chop job and new brackets and black spray paint..... picture of new bracket hopefully get out in it this weekend. Still looking for indicator lense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattscort Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 oh Escorto you should google speedy wheels i'm pretty sure they make -24 offset wheels and are distributed in NZ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.