[TC.Barky]

Hey all,

Got a few questions for ya. Sorry if they are common ones.

1. What is the deal with this opening on the front of the intake? Can I blank it? Is it some kind of EGR system that has been removed? Vaguely remember that was a thing on other suzukis (some kind of hose off the exhaust manifold came across?). Can feel a butterfly inside that still opens and closes when I push on it. Doesn't look like a great idea for water crossings as it is



2. Anyone running bigger batteries than the factory tray will allow? Wanting to run a small fridge but want to avoid dual batteries due to weight (will put a flexi solar panel on the roof) so I was thinking something like an optima or similar dual purpose jobbie.

3. Tyre size and rim offset (yes, sorry). Can I confirm my current understanding of VSI8 - 75mm max lift without engineering (25mm tyres, 50mm suspension) and 25mm track increase? Anyone have any bearing etc issues running the wider offset with heavier tyres?

4. Tyre spec. I'm used to heavy 4WDs so I've always gone LT and load range E. Given the car is lighter, I imagine that might not be the best idea unless I want to run stupidly low pressures whenever I'm offroad to get the tyre footprint up. Anyone got a recommendation on this?

5. Leaf springs. Seen mention of OME and EFS, either considered 'better' (can of worms?) Anyone doing parabolic springs (is that even a good idea? Never dealt with leaves before). Have seen the advertising blurb from Terrain Tamer on them in the past they sound like they'd be better if anyone is making them. No plans for extended shackles (my understanding is they're illegal?) but want some lift without reduction on flex.

6. Steering wheel is slightly off centre (typical on older cars obviously). I was just gonna pull the wheel off and recenter it but just wanted to make sure there's nothing else I should be checking that would cause that? Everything looks straight, minimal play.

7. Get a bit of oil coming out of the exhaust esp when labouring when cold (eg reversing up wheel ramps, sprayed my tool bag grr), any common issues to cause that? No blue smoke (or any smoke for that matter) that anyone has noticed, does smell like it runs a little rich. Head replaced about 6 months ago. Was gonna check out the PCV but other than that not sure where to start (or if I should even worry). Haven't checked the plugs yet.

Sorry, few questions there but thought I'd chuck em all out there. Any responses appreciated.

[Jack jr]

G'day
the opening is the hot air intake and can be covered.
as for tyres i'm running 6 ply rag tyres and they work fine off road with 10psi in them but i don't know how stiff/soft they are compared to LT tyres.
i have efs springs with a leaf removed all round unloaded they ride rough but carry a load well so touring they are perfect, i have had no problems with them but i only run small tyres, stock gearing and a stock engine.
is it oil coming out the exhaust or is it condensation mixed with carbon? mine has condensation it looks like oil.
Cheers Jack jr

[TC.Barky]

Jack jr wrote:

G'day
the opening is the hot air intake and can be covered.
as for tyres i'm running 6 ply rag tyres and they work fine off road with 10psi in them but i don't know how stiff/soft they are compared to LT tyres.
i have efs springs with a leaf removed all round unloaded they ride rough but carry a load well so touring they are perfect, i have had no problems with them but i only run small tyres, stock gearing and a stock engine.
is it oil coming out the exhaust or is it condensation mixed with carbon? mine has condensation it looks like oil.
Cheers Jack jr

Thanks mate. Good point, I'll chuck some gloves on and see what's in the exhaust. Might just be soot mixed with water when cold.

[sideways]

TC.Barky wrote:

Hey all,

Got a few questions for ya. Sorry if they are common ones.

1. What is the deal with this opening on the front of the intake? Can I blank it? Is it some kind of EGR system that has been removed? Vaguely remember that was a thing on other suzukis (some kind of hose off the exhaust manifold came across?). Can feel a butterfly inside that still opens and closes when I push on it. Doesn't look like a great idea for water crossings as it is



There used to be a hose from that to the exhaust manifold to suck hot air in cold climates. There's a thermostatic vacuum switch in the airbox that controls that butterfly. I'd remove it, not needed in australia. There is a conventional EGR system, the valve is a UFO shaped thing on the side of the intake manifold. It's vacuum operated and causes problems.

[EDIT] Just to add, someone has removed the vacuum hose to that thermostatic valve on the air box. It would be worth doing a vacuum hose round up. Over time they split or get loose/fall off and if someone has messed with it before then it's quite likely it's put together wrong. Just make sure there's no leaks and that the dizzy is getting vacuum (it doesn't get vacuum at idle, starts at part throttle). Pull the hose off and suck on it to make sure the dizzy diaphragm isn't split, common problem.

2. Anyone running bigger batteries than the factory tray will allow? Wanting to run a small fridge but want to avoid dual batteries due to weight (will put a flexi solar panel on the roof) so I was thinking something like an optima or similar dual purpose jobbie.

With a little work you can squeeze an N70zz (landcruiser battery) in which will get you plenty of capacity. Lots of Sierras ended up with commodore batteries, they just drop in. Optimas have a poor amp hour capacity for their size/weight, there's dual purpose conventional batteries that would be better suited. Personally I have a dual battery system in my Sierra, I retained the standard NS40 size battery and my second battery is a commodore one. It probably weighs about the same as an N70zz + solar panel ect and is easily capable of running an Engel, camp lights ect overnight.

[EDIT] It looks like you already have a larger than standard battery. The standard battery is an NS40 which is pretty tiny. IMO it's a bit marginal for a carbureted 4wd as you will end up driving the car with the starter motor when you get on certain angles and the carby calls smoko.

3. Tyre size and rim offset (yes, sorry). Can I confirm my current understanding of VSI8 - 75mm max lift without engineering (25mm tyres, 50mm suspension) and 25mm track increase? Anyone have any bearing etc issues running the wider offset with heavier tyres?

Dunno about rules in your state but no, -12.5 more offset wont cause any issues.

4. Tyre spec. I'm used to heavy 4WDs so I've always gone LT and load range E. Given the car is lighter, I imagine that might not be the best idea unless I want to run stupidly low pressures whenever I'm offroad to get the tyre footprint up. Anyone got a recommendation on this?

Regardless of tyre construction you will end up running stupid low tyre pressures. I have passenger construction mud tyres on my Jimny and I still run 3-5psi offroad but that's for sand. I see no reason to run LT tyres, that said I'd still buy either. Lots of mud tyes are only available in LT construction even in smaller sizes.

5. Leaf springs. Seen mention of OME and EFS, either considered 'better' (can of worms?) Anyone doing parabolic springs (is that even a good idea? Never dealt with leaves before). Have seen the advertising blurb from Terrain Tamer on them in the past they sound like they'd be better if anyone is making them. No plans for extended shackles (my understanding is they're illegal?) but want some lift without reduction on flex.

Personally I'd go EFS 65mm and remove some leafs to make it ride properly/lower it a little. I'm not aware of anyone running parabolics in Australia. There's some suppliers in europe, Santana in Spain license built Sierras and fitted parabolics as standard. If you can get them, I'd give it a crack! Yes, extended shackles are illegal. Aside from doing a "half ruf" I don't see any reason to run extended shackles on a road going Sierra. Lift wont reduce the flex if done properly. Most spring packs are supplied much to stiff but with the appropriate rate a lifted spring will allow more flex as they are longer than standard springs.

6. Steering wheel is slightly off centre (typical on older cars obviously). I was just gonna pull the wheel off and recenter it but just wanted to make sure there's nothing else I should be checking that would cause that? Everything looks straight, minimal play.

Because there's no panhard bar the steering wheel angle will change with suspension height. You'l probably find the springs have sagged a bit and caused it.

7. Get a bit of oil coming out of the exhaust esp when labouring when cold (eg reversing up wheel ramps, sprayed my tool bag grr), any common issues to cause that? No blue smoke (or any smoke for that matter) that anyone has noticed, does smell like it runs a little rich. Head replaced about 6 months ago. Was gonna check out the PCV but other than that not sure where to start (or if I should even worry). Haven't checked the plugs yet.

Black specks of slightly sludgy stuff? Pretty normal.

Sorry, few questions there but thought I'd chuck em all out there. Any responses appreciated.

[Gwagensteve]

Comprehensively beaten by sideways. It’s difficult to even think of anything to add to that.

[TC.Barky]

Thanks Sideways, great answers much appreciated.

Another question for the brains trust. It's got seats that are out of a Hyundai on custom mounts to space the seat higher. Not surprisingly, it was flagged on the roadworthy as I don't have an engineering cert (was done in NSW anyway, so it's irrelevant). Anyone got any factory front seats lying around they want to loan or sell to me? otherwise what seats would peeps recommend if I'm going the engineered route anyway, have seen mention of swift seats? What year? The hyundai ones are ok but a bit weird so if I can pick up better ones and get those engineered instead that would be betterer. Priced up a new Stratos out of interest, my jaw nearly hit the floor ha.

[sideways]

2 door swift seats and Baleno seats are an easy conversion and look/fit pretty well stock. Passable Sierra seats are really hard to come by, the vinylish material was poor quality/poorly constructed and they lived a hard life in mostly soft tops. Yours being a hardtop probably had cloth seats originally, assuming it's a JX (clock, tacho, dipping rear view mirror, all the luxuries!)

I added a couple of edits to the above post.

[TC.Barky]

sideways wrote:

2 door swift seats and Baleno seats are an easy conversion and look/fit pretty well stock. Passable Sierra seats are really hard to come by, the vinylish material was poor quality/poorly constructed and they lived a hard life in mostly soft tops. Yours being a hardtop probably had cloth seats originally, assuming it's a JX (clock, tacho, dipping rear view mirror, all the luxuries!)

I added a couple of edits to the above post.

Thanks Sideways. I'm hoping to avoid having to get a cert for the moment, hopefully some factory seats in any condition will turn up. Yeah it's a JX, very swish

And RE your edits, yeah the battery being bigger is a bit of a problem as the bloke who sold it chucked out the battery restraints as they didn't fit, another RWC drama lol. And yep vac tracing are one of the first things on my list once I get the RWC through. Idle is sliiightly lumpy when the throttle doesn't stick open slightly ha (might just be how it is).

[bumstein]

I strongly recommend a dual battery if you’re going to run a fridge. The extra weight is worth it IMO and running the fridge off the second battery safe guards your starting battery. Even if you’re running solar panels you can have overcast days or run the fridge in the evening while you’re drinking beer.

Also consider an alternator upgrade, plenty of info in the good tech section on falcon 110amp upgrade. Stock alternators struggle to keep up with anything more than standard lights and electricals

[Gwagensteve]

I have some time in front of a computer.

My preference is OME springs. They are the softest riding and in a car that you're likely to pack for camping it's unlikely you'll need to remove any leaves to tune them. They also offer a maximum of 45mm of lift. The cars on EFS leaves I've seen sit very tall without derating, but that might have been the springs chosen rather than inherent with the brand. Parabolic springs aren't well suited to a Sierra - they don't allow sufficient ability to tune the rate. I haven't been impressed with the larger cars I've seen on parabolic springs either, they've all seemed too stiff to me.

2 door swift (Mark III GTi, specifically) are very nice seats, and are shared with the Baleno GTX. I believe they fit with redrilling two holes on the stock sliders. I don't believe this will be an issue for RWC. I didn't even know stratos still existed! well, there you go. If you're prepared to spend proper money on seats I'd leave Stratos alone and go with Recaro, they're a much better product.

I dislike dual battery systems and dislike the stock battery position on Sierras. ergo, I dislike mounting another battery on the passenger side, where it's above the vehicles COG. If you MUST run a dual battery, consider mounting it behind /under the passenger seat so it's inside the wheelbase and below the GOG. Also, consider using a manual switch like one of these to avoid a costly dual battery system dying and killing one or both batteries. https://www.noldtrading.com.au/blue-sea ... witch.html

A D34 optima will fit in the stock spot - It's the same size as what you have now. I've run optima batteries for over 20 years. You will be able to get a battery clamp from supercheap/autobarn - it's a common size. You won't be able to go larger in the stock position.

Definitely upgrade the alternator to a 100A/110A EF/EL falcon unit, and swap to polyvee belts. This should pretty much be a mandatory job for any sierra owner - the stock alternator is only adequate for running the standard car, not accessories.


Yes, you will run "stupidly low" pressures, it's a light car. I have beadlocks (and my car is very heavy by Sierra standards) but with load range C tyres when I lock the hubs I air down to 5PSI, regardless of the terrain or trip. Some people with load range C tyres run less. 215 75 15 is the largest 100% legal tyre which also requires zero guard work/bumpstop spacing or body lift. Gearing will also be tolerable on and off road with a 215. Above that gearing will become marginal and the amount of work you have to do to fit the tyres increases. There is no need (or good reason) to change rims to run a 215. Bearing life will be fine. I'd consider running around 10-12 psi on a 215 for general purpose 4WDing at a pinch you might want to go less off you're struggling with a particulate climb, for example. You won't find a suitable P metric tyre, everything is LT. Lots and lots of people end up on 235/75, 30X9.5 or 31x10.5 but these all require gearing correction, aren't legal, and require progressively more work to fit. The point of diminishing returns is at 31X10.5 - above that the work to fit the tyres increases exponentially and the capability of the car only increases slightly.

There is no other adjustment for the steering wheel position- just remove and replace in the right spot. You'll need to move it again after you fit a lift.

[TC.Barky]

Gwagensteve wrote:

I have some time in front of a computer.

My preference is OME springs. They are the softest riding and in a car that you're likely to pack for camping it's unlikely you'll need to remove any leaves to tune them. They also offer a maximum of 45mm of lift. The cars on EFS leaves I've seen sit very tall without derating, but that might have been the springs chosen rather than inherent with the brand. Parabolic springs aren't well suited to a Sierra - they don't allow sufficient ability to tune the rate. I haven't been impressed with the larger cars I've seen on parabolic springs either, they've all seemed too stiff to me.

2 door swift (Mark III GTi, specifically) are very nice seats, and are shared with the Baleno GTX. I believe they fit with redrilling two holes on the stock sliders. I don't believe this will be an issue for RWC. I didn't even know stratos still existed! well, there you go. If you're prepared to spend proper money on seats I'd leave Stratos alone and go with Recaro, they're a much better product.

I'd really like to spend the money but no way the minister would approve that thanks for the tips RE models to look at. I'll have a ring around some wreckers tomorrow. Do you know any spots they often show up around Melbourne? Or is there a facebook group that you're aware of that they tend to pop up in?

I dislike dual battery systems and dislike the stock battery position on Sierras. ergo, I dislike mounting another battery on the passenger side, where it's above the vehicles COG. If you MUST run a dual battery, consider mounting it behind /under the passenger seat so it's inside the wheelbase and below the GOG. Also, consider using a manual switch like one of these to avoid a costly dual battery system dying and killing one or both batteries. https://www.noldtrading.com.au/blue-sea ... witch.html

A D34 optima will fit in the stock spot - It's the same size as what you have now. I've run optima batteries for over 20 years. You will be able to get a battery clamp from supercheap/autobarn - it's a common size. You won't be able to go larger in the stock position.

Definitely upgrade the alternator to a 100A/110A EF/EL falcon unit, and swap to polyvee belts. This should pretty much be a mandatory job for any sierra owner - the stock alternator is only adequate for running the standard car, not accessories.
Def on the list. Once I've done a few basics.

Yes, you will run "stupidly low" pressures, it's a light car. I have beadlocks (and my car is very heavy by Sierra standards) but with load range C tyres when I lock the hubs I air down to 5PSI, regardless of the terrain or trip. Some people with load range C tyres run less. 215 75 15 is the largest 100% legal tyre which also requires zero guard work/bumpstop spacing or body lift. Gearing will also be tolerable on and off road with a 215. Above that gearing will become marginal and the amount of work you have to do to fit the tyres increases. There is no need (or good reason) to change rims to run a 215. Bearing life will be fine. I'd consider running around 10-12 psi on a 215 for general purpose 4WDing at a pinch you might want to go less off you're struggling with a particulate climb, for example. You won't find a suitable P metric tyre, everything is LT. Lots and lots of people end up on 235/75, 30X9.5 or 31x10.5 but these all require gearing correction, aren't legal, and require progressively more work to fit. The point of diminishing returns is at 31X10.5 - above that the work to fit the tyres increases exponentially and the capability of the car only increases slightly.

thanks for the advice here. Will have to get used to running lower pressures by the sound of it. All part of the fun

There is no other adjustment for the steering wheel position- just remove and replace in the right spot. You'll need to move it again after you fit a lift.
Yeah haven't done it yet, gonna lift it this weekend so figured I'd wait and sort it out after that

[TC.Barky]

So I ended up with EFS suspension mostly due to availability. Not exaggerated when people say they are stiff hoo boy. Having never worked with leaf springs before, do they have a typical bedding in period where afterwards they settle and become less crap? I went with 50mm lift (SUZ-03E and SUZ-05E which I was told were comfort rated springs but with the height set 50mm higher) and new EFS shocks. I ended up with an average of 90mm lift over what was in there before, so safe to say the old springs were fooked I'd say.

It feels like the shock absorbers can't control the ride, especially on the front. The springs themselves feel good when pushing on the car, certainly not stiff like a board and the suspension dips slightly still when in the drivers seat just feels like the shock absorbers can't deal with it. Get about 6 bounces out of the front before it stops if I push the front of the car down and release. Feels downright dangerous on the road. Anyone had this experience before?

One thing I did forget was to grease the poly bushes but was hoping it wouldn't be a big deal.

[Gwagensteve]

Your experience is exactly what I'd expect of "2" lift" springs generally and is not uncommon for EFS (there's a reason I recommended OME). That's because advertising a lift height means the manufacturers just make a stiff spring that has heaps of camber because if customers put the springs on and don't have at least 2" of lift, they complain. Despite the fact is 2" of lift is far too much for stock front sierra geometry, and I bet you've go closer to 3" of lift. I'm not surprised the car is driving poorly, it's most likely at or very close to full droop at rest, so when the car encounters a bump, the suspension compresses a little but when it rebounds the shocks top out and that makes it feel like the car isn't riding at all.

I bet if you jacked the car up off the chassis there would be <25mm of droop in the suspension. I also imagine your shackles are vertical or very close and this also results in harshness.

It's not that the shocks "can't control the springs" - a Sierra drives perfectly acceptably with the shocks removed. (That's not a typo). the car is so light and the springs have sufficient internal resistance that the shocks do very little. The problem is the springs are far too stiff and are most likely exceeding the maximum height the suspension was designed for.

No, your old springs weren't unserviceable, from the photos it didn't look like it hadn't sagged much at all from new. I suspect you would have had ~30-40mm of compression travel, which is plenty. I bet if you put the stock springs back on with the EFS shocks it would probably drive quite nicely.

Your options are to derate the springs by removing leaves, go back to your stock leaves, or swap to a better riding spring. There are some potential problems with removing leaves- it can result in excessive axle wrap because you'll end up with inadequate leaves to locate the axle, and sometimes the leaf that needs to be removed contains the spring clamps, so the springs are prone to fanning apart which increases the risk of bending a main leaf. It's one way of having some control over height and perhaps some increased travel over stock but minimal work and outlay.

No the problem is not due to failure to grease the poly bushes.

It's disappointing you've had this experience but it's sadly very common.

[TC.Barky]

So if we assume I wasn't told porkies and that the spring rate is at least vaguely close to stock, I take it from your reply that the issue is more that I'm gonna be close to full droop then. I'll take some measurements later. Pretty disappointing really. I'll probably see what EFS say about taking them back as they ain't exactly fit for purpose. Probably more likely to get some traction if I say I'll take some non lifted springs, is that also a poor decision in your eyes lol. Other than availability I went with EFS as I'd read some issues with OME springs getting shagged pretty quick.

The old springs, the eyes had started to open and some of the leaves had inverted so they weren't in great shape.

[Gwagensteve]

The problem is that with the amount of camber those springs have, a rate "close to stock" is far too much rate. When we do RUF conversions we end up with a derated rear pack with a rate around 100lb/" - a stock front spring is 220lb/"

There's no option for no lift from EFS, the part # you've chosen is for 60kg of constant load (I don't know what that means*) and 50mm of lift. to achieve those things the spring must have substantially higher rate than standard. Looking at your car, I can only see an alloy bull bar so it's not surprising you'll have a very harsh ride and excessive lift. 03E might have been better, but they'll still have too much camber and be too stiff in my opinion.

I don't know what "shagged" means in relation to OME springs. I imagine some people complain that they don't hold the height they imagined they would, but that's because they weren't designed to. They were designed to work within the parameters of the stock suzuki suspension which is why they can't offer much lift. People used to buy the HD rear springs from OME and put them in light cars and complain of the same problems you're having - no droop and a harsh ride.

What you have now is an example of what happens when the design parameters of the car are disregarded to provide something the customer thinks they need. (i.e 2" of lift) Front sierra springs are just too short to provide that and ride properly.

Once a car has sufficient compression travel to provide a good ride without excessive bottoming, any additional suspension height will have a negative impact on the vehicle.


* Kind if iff topic rant: I get genuinely bamboozled about what a certain weight "rating" means. 60Kg is less than the weight of the driver - what does that mean? do I need +60kg springs if the driver is in the car? what about if I add a passenger? Or does 60kg assume the car already has a driver and passenger in it, which in the case of a Sierra means over 30% of the payload is already taken, before the additional 60Kg is added? Does it mean with (whatever the 60Kg is added to) will the car sit 50mm higher with the extra 60kg in it, or will it sit at stock height? I'm no being facetious, we should be talking about RATE not some mysterious additional weight that's added to some base weight we don't know.

I think what they're trying to say is that the springs have a higher rate by X amount, so an additional 60Kg (132lb) across that axle ( I assume) means each 05E spring will have about an additional 66lb/" rate, the 03E springs about other 20lb/" higher rate. The problem is that unless the spring has LESS free camber than stock, the car will sit taller AND ride harsher. The way to make a car sit a little taller and have a little more load carrying capacity is to add camber but not rate. Yes, that means the car will "sag" when it's laden, but that's just physics. however, it won't sag as low as stock, it will sit taller by the amount of the added camber when laden.

Leaf spring design is fairly complex. not least of which because all leaf spring cars need a certain amount of leaves just to adequately locate the axle. it makes very low leaf spring rates impossible to achieve. It's also the case that more leaves= more internal friction, erodes ride quality and reduces the required shock absorber valving.

[TC.Barky]

To clarify, I've got 03E in the front (05E in the back). The plan is to fit a steel bar and a winch +/- a second battery and some (light, cubelock or similar) drawers in the back so I guess maybe it'll end up ok (is this an excuse to do these things quicker, maybe!). Was also wanting to look at a slightly bigger fuel tank (I've seen you can fit ~70L) to avoid carrying fuel on the roof for longer trips.

In the case of other springs that I've bought in the past (coils) for example in my paj I've got +300kg springs, it means the spring is designed to sit at the described height (+40mm or whatever) if you carry an extra 300kgs of weight over kerb weight (which of course means if you are under that weight it rides like poo and sits too high). I agree I'd much rather see them talk about spring rating.

Just rang the guys who sold me the springs, they want to have a look at it and put it on a safety testing machine (???? whatever that is lol. Maybe it's a shock tester like pedders use)


EDIT: interestingly, just noticed that the same part number (03E) is listed under "65mm lift" and "50mm lift" and on the 65mm page it's listed as "comfort up to constant 20kg" and on 50mm it's listed as "constant 35-40kg" Same as the 05E, it's listed as comfort up to 60kg on the 65mm page and constant 80kg on the 50mm page. That's interesting... which is it??? Does that mean I've actually been supplied a "65mm lift" "version" of the spring (I'm doubtful that's a thing) then maybe....

https://dealers.efs4x4.com.au/find-4wd- ... s=134#tab3

[Gwagensteve]

Who knows what's going on- That doesn't match the EFS website:
https://efs4wd.com.au/shop-efs.html?fin ... N3EKkF&p=1

which implies you can choose load and height, so for example here's the 03E, you can select 50mm or 65mm of lift.

https://efs4wd.com.au/shop-efs/suz-03e. ... k&id=13588

In any case, I think you might have a reasonable spring choice based on the finished weight you're aiming at, which will basically be right on GVM. In the interim though, I'd just remove some leaves from the packs you have now to get the car to sit deeper into it's travel, and then as you add weight you can add them back to maintain acceptable compression travel.