I've had an issue since doing the "Hagen Widening Mod" in that as the wishbones have moved out, so too have the bottom spring mounts, so the spring sits on a funny angle, i.e. it's not sat horizontal as the spring seats aren't in line, as the bottom seat as moved out and forward slightly... add to this the angle of the wishbone (read on) and it causes a bit of a problem in that the springs bulge sufficiently that on full lock to the right, the springs hit the disk brake callipers and the brakes fade! Read "stop working" !!! So I've been trying to think of something to remedy it for a while... read on, dear reader ;)
So, I started with a suitably sized piece of box section that was lying around (literally! my garage does need - another - tidy!) and jacked it up between the wishbones...
Then used a tape measure to measure the distance from this flat surface on top of the box section to the pivot of the wishbone...
Then transfered this measurement to a spare wishbone (let's face it, we've all got a few in the garage just in case? LOL) and mocked it up the same on some bricks and blocks...
So that we get a mock-up of the angle of the wishbone... now, this will surprise you...
If I sit a spare lift spring on it... you can see the angle the spring is forced to sit at when we lift our Vitaras (Sidekicks, Trackers, Escudos, depending on where you're reading this... ooh, or even X-90's), now imagine where the top spring seat is, and you get an idea of why the spring bulges so much... then consider mine are out an extra inch due to the "Hagen Widening Mod" - see link at top of page... and you begin to see the seat (haha, couldn't resist it) of my problems...
If you stare around the bottom of the spring in the picture above you'll see some black circles drawn around the spring seat... the idea being to cut the spring seat out and reposition it! ;)
So, we need some rings of steel to hold it all in place... and as if by magic, I've also got a new galvanized skid plate to pickup from the same fab. shop! So, off we go...
I get there, and explain what I want, and get the usual reply - "... go help yourself!" ... have to explain, this is no ordinary fab. shop, this is my Dad's old place, Dad's now retired, but he sold out to his partner, and - luckily - he still treats me like family... so I go help myself... ;)
I find some suitably size 6" diameter tube and load it into the horizontal band saw... and wait, and wait...
As the saw slowly cuts me off two 2" rings of steel ;)
I pay for them (well a nominal amount) and fly back home... fit the skidplate and then, before I can do anything more...
The heavens open! Persisting it down I retreat in doors... got to be back in the shop for 3:30pm anyways, so time to grab a shower... should get back out on Sunday, weather permitting... (it's Tuesday as I write this) LOL
(Updated) Just dug out this photo which shows how much the Hagen Widening Mod moves the bottom spring seat position -
You can see how much out and forward the wishbone had moved... the bump stop should line up with the centre of the spring seat...!
I guess in essence, I'm trying to make a...
...wishbone similar to a Calmini one? that must solve the angle of the spring too?
Ahh, a few weeks (months?!) have passed, and inspired by a discussion on www.shropshire-suzuki.co.uk , and by the fact I'd popped a CV in a driveshaft yesterday - so I had to strip the front suspension anyway... I thought I'd continue with this...
So I jacked the truck up and took the front springs out, and then put the wishbones back to where I'd measured them, and worked out the angle I wanted the spring seats to sit at...
Then, get the "spare" wishbones out of the garage, and attacked them with an angle grinder, around the offset (back to original) circle I'd drawn on the wishbone.
LMAO! The wishbone is full of caked dried mud... note the tubular support for the raised inner of the original spring cup.
The diameter of the pipe I'd got before was too big... so I cut a few inches out of it, and then slit it half way through, every inch or so... and fought with it in the vice until it was the right shape to fit round the spring seats I've bought from the www.offroad-armoury.com
Test fitting the spring...
A bit of a fuzzy photo, but here's the spring losely clamped inside...
Bit more grinding, and then when I was happy with the fit, I welded the pipe into the wishbone... then welded the bolt to the bottom of the spring seat, and played around until the angle of the new seat looked right, and then tacked it in place...
Happy with the look of it I migged it all up...
So the spring now sites 3/4" back, to allow for the Hagen widening mod pushing it forward at the bottom and making it bow out and hit the brake caliper, that was causing braked fade...
Just got to do the other one, hopefully tomorrow, and might as well poly bush the wishbones before putting them back... and a lick of paint as well! ;)
Hmmm... a bit late getting back to this, life gets in the way doesn't it?! ;)
Anyways...
Back to it! -
There we go! A bit of time with Mr. Angry the angle grinder, and the Mig welder... and we've got a matching pair! All ground down and tidied up, and ready for a lick of...
Paint! Hammerite Blue as it was in the garage... Also painted the spring clamps that fit over the big M16 bolts too...
Then, anticpating the paint drying and reassembly early this week, I set about stripping out the existing wishbones (remember, I'm working on a spare set I had)...
Ahhh... where I've done the Hagen widening mod, I must have done it with the front axle out? As now the big M12 bolt won't come out as it hits the axle casing... Shoot! Didn't fancy stripping the front axle out, so a quick slash with the Angle Grinder, and the wishbone is out... easier to buy a new bolt than strip the axle out! ;)
And there we are... front wishbones stripped out ready for replacement with the re-jigged ones ;)
While I've got the hubs on the floor, I might as well strip the crap-plates out, as they are rusty and bent...
See here for details - http://www.shropshire-suzuki.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6610