[just_cruizin]

Straight off the bat I know most will say I'm over tyre'd for Suzuki diffs, whatever I doing this and am looking for solutions.

Current running 35 silverstone xtremes, 3.7 diffs and 6.5 transfer with a G13bb. I've broken quite a few rear unis and a couple of rear axles which has taken out the rear locker. So I'm looking to resolve the axle issue, Unis I can live with as they are a cheap fuse. My driving style needs work, I'm heavy on the loud pedal. Car is just a social wheeler and comp car so very little to no road. Terrain is rock and steep climbs.

I'm going to change tyres to something with a bit more rubber on the road, the xtremes are more suit to mud and loose stuff. Axles are being upgraded to ADD floaters to take some load off the axles and allow the axle to be pulled if the do let go with will reduce any un-necessary centre damage.

Chasing advice on diff gearing. Would going to 5.12 diffs be beneficial? The lower gears will allow for a slower crawl speed however I will massively increase the torque through the axles, CVs and hubs and loose a bit of acceleration/top end speed.

Second question is regarding traction bars and or stiffer rear shocks. Currently running full EFS rear packs, drivers side has an extra second spring. This is to reduce wrap. Shocks are in boarded. So would I be better 1. modding the floor to allow the shocks to stand up and be more effective. 2. Just running stiffer shocks 3. Fit a track bar and softening the springs up. Of course combinations of the above is always an option

[shep]

I would try 4.6 diffs to spread the load.

[31zook]

Diff gears, and a track bar. You shocks won't control axle wrap, they will however help with 'hop' or 'pig rooting'.
Track bar advice, build something huge too the point that you consider linking it, cause sierra diffs are known for pulling the housing apart. Also i would do a traditional slipper joint with shackle for vibrations dampening.

Or maybe a vit rear diff is a stronger start. Dunno.

[MrRocky]

Perhaps even 4.1 diffs
Ive only ever seen 5.12's die on cars 33" and up

[just_cruizin]

Right , I have the 5.12's but can sell them on. I'll keep an eye out for 4.1 or 4.6, see what turns up first. I knew the shocks wouldn't stop wrap but need something stronger to control the heavy springs.

[watermouse]

MrRocky wrote:

Perhaps even 4.1 diffs
Ive only ever seen 5.12's die on cars 33" and up

It is my understanding that higher ratios were stronger. eg 3.7, due to having a physically larger pinion gear = more teeth doing less work.

IMO the trick would be to try and equalise, as best as possible, the ratio drops across your gearbox, transfer and diff to minimise the extra stress any one of those components will see running the tyre size you want.

[just_cruizin]

Yep, good points. 4.1 are abouts a 10% reduction, 4.6 about 20%. Gear teeth longevity is vital so Eilat they're not a huge reduction I think 4.1's would be the best solution

[got_bar_work]

Go to a vit floater and link it. 35 r to much for a 50mm leaf driving on rock. U will be forever fighting spring rap. Do it right the first time.

[just_cruizin]

For the comps I compete in I have to keep it leaf. I'll see if I can modify a Vitara diff

[MrRocky]

Perhaps a 34x9.5 would be more forgiving

[just_cruizin]

Swampers tend to be a harder compound. Designed for digging similar to the current xtreme

[MrRocky]

Do they have oddball tall skinny creepys in japan ?
I just think if you can knock of some kgs from the rotating mass your gunna prolong driveline gear

[MrRocky]

Seems they all run this tyre in land of the rising sun

.

[just_cruizin]

Weird, not a lot of contact rubber

[Reubs]

Wasn't Daisy running narrow 34" Swamper LTBs which are a soft/sticky? He was running regular upgraded zook drivetrain so they mustn't be too heavy.

[31zook]

5.12 diff gears would spread the load out. Going 4.6 puts more tension at the end of the drive shaft before it hits the ring and pin. You have room for a 12.5 tyre, why not buy a wrangler MTR 35x12.5 or any of the other soft compound tyres?

[Gwagensteve]

My 2C - go 5.12's. It will be very low geared, but 5.12's are cheap and easy to find - 4.6 are far harder. I wouldn't bother with 4.1's - not enough difference to justify the work.

I don't believe 5.12's are weak. In the vic club we've had a range of cars running 34-35's on 5.12s and had very few issues. Those we have had can be put down to poor diff setup judging from the wear patterns observed on the failed gears. I would run a solid spacer and use a good diff shop.

5.12's will take a lot of load off of your uni's and transfer and should help to lessen spring wrap too.

No, 5.12's won't massively increase torque load seen by the CV's etc - you still only have the same amount of traction.

Steve.

[tanshi]

dad tore 4.6s apart in his. he now runs the 4.5 aftermarket gears from lowrange and hasn't broken one since. they are very hefty in comparison

[Gwagensteve]

Agreed those 4.57's seem pretty tough, and I'd say nominally that 4.6 is a better overall ratio than 5.12, but the availability of 5.12 (both to suit a sierra centre and as a vitara rear) makes the 5.12 appealing IMHO.

Steve.

[henno]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I'm putting 4.8's in mine. But only because I have them.

[just_cruizin]

The idea of changing tyres is to gain extra traction so in that theory torque will be increased. What I hope to do is by gaining traction I 'should' be lighter on the right foot thereby reducing the wheel spin, pig rooting and shock loading to the axles.

I want to quit rebuilding diffs and incurring costs of replacement parts and consumables. More trail time and less spanners

[tanshi]

Change tyres first and see what you think you need. Do it staged so you know what each change feels like

[just_cruizin]

Could be costly if I keep breaking shit. Diff is apart so if a ratio change is on the cards I rather do it sooner rather then down the track, going to better axles will move the weak link, other then Uni, so if I can improve this area now I rather do that, then wheel, then work suspension out.

I think there is 2 problems caused by the tyres, axles and separately wrap. The wrap is what I think is taking out the unis

[31zook]

With a special floater kit you can drop a center without even taking the wheels off the car

You seem to have heaps of suspension, so maybe tyres and axle wrap will help give you a better idea of what gearing you need.

Am i right in assuming QLD wheeling is technical flat-ish rock/ruts?

[just_cruizin]

We do have climbs similar to Carnage though not that long. Comps wouldn't be that long though steep climbs of 20m odd are common

[MrRocky]

Flex seems to kill sierra unis pretty quick

[BlueSuzy]

Hilux. It's a name unliked here.

People hate them, But i wouldn't be doing 1200kms on zook diffs, 35's and driving the hard stuff if i wasn't confident that she would be problem free.

My specs are 1.6Baleno, Stock gearbox, 6.5's and 4.3's, 80' series front shafts(wtpattern) 35"Km2. 1440kg with a full tank as you saw her.

Yes they are heavier. Common ratios. Steering isn't much different, If its different at all. Bigger driveshafts.

Trailer makes things a lot easier. But whats going to break next? Do you like pulling things apart all the time?

[just_cruizin]

Yeah, lux's have been mentioned but the comp I compete in (sometimes) I have to run zuk diffs, may be able to stretch friendship to use a Vit rear on leaves.

Plan is to build another rig for a more social drive

[MrRocky]

I dont see axle wrap as too much of an issue running standard length efs 65mm. Also the need for longer shocks is going to be completely reliant on how much the spring will flex and standard efs isnt going to require super inboarded shocks.

[Reubs]

just_cruizin wrote:

Yeah, lux's have been mentioned but the comp I compete in (sometimes) I have to run zuk diffs, may be able to stretch friendship to use a Vit rear on leaves.

The current Tough Tracks rules allow for a Vit diff under a Sierra if I can recall correctly when they were changed at least a year ago.