[jimnynutter]

Hey guys, thinking about buying a spool for the rear of my vit

Anybody got one and care to comment on driveability

I've got 31inch muddies on and even with a new engine I can't get it to skid out in the rain and believe me I've tried
So having what is essentially a locked rear end 24/7 in regards to driving in the wet doesn't worry me but what about car parks and the rest of road driving? What about dirt driving?

[henno]

Why not an auto-locker? It'll clunk in U-turns and car parks occasionally but whenever they clunk just tell yourself over and over again, "It's better than my axles going *CLUNK*".

Dirt will be unnoticeable.

[Gwagensteve]

Should be fine with 31's. The back end of Vitaras has stuff all traction anyway - all the traction is in the front.

If you are really abusive you might be able to do in an axle on road with a spool. They seem to go pretty easily on the road if you're abusive on 33's.

Steve.

[alien]

once you lock the rear end you'll have NO trouble going sideways - infact you get so used to it you become a seasoned drifter by the end of your first winter, as its almost inevitable that the rear will kick out on cornering in the wet.

good fun, but not so much if you overcook it and collect a kerb (or the lightpole beyond the kerb).

As far as gravel goes - there's a high speed section of gravel leaving the powerlines here (i get up to 100km/hr on it and its got bends) - if i do it with my airlocker on i can only go 80km/hr as it tends to oversteer a lot... if i turn my rear locker off i can happily do 100km/hr.

[Gwagensteve]

That depends on a fair bit on vehicle setup though. I reckon your car has much higher rear roll stiffness than front, which will exaggerate the effect of a locked rear.

My car has very low rear rolls stiffness and really doesn't like to drift the rear until it's right at the end of the corner. It's generally pretty neutral. I just mention it because with the sway bar in the front and low lift, vitaras have quite high front roll stiffness relative to the rear. This helps to reduce oversteer.

Vitaras have whacky roll axis though, which does make them roll steer towards oversteer, but that's a different problem and is as much of a problem on a closed throttle with an open diff as it is with a spool under power.

Steve.

[alien]

True, i didn't consider that.

So what you're saying is mine's more fun to drive right? =)

[Gwagensteve]

I think it means that you know that I mean that vitaras aren't fun to drive.

If that's what you mean than yes, that's what I mean.

I can't believe that Suzuki were permitted to sell the SWB Vitara in Australia. I think they are really, critically dangerous to drive. I don't think a spool would make them worse than they already are, mostly because I don't think it would possible to make a car that handles that badly any worse.

I've driven a stock vitara a fair bit and it made me fear for my life. Everyone that owned one I knew spun theirs without warning. I've owned some cars that don't handle (piggles, STi WRX) but vitaras are on another plane of terrible. If your car handles better at speed when it has 3" of lift you know the manufacturer has done something badly wrong.

Steve.

[shep]

I bought a lwb vit with a spool and it was the worst car to drive that I have ever driven. Granted its issues weren't just the rear diff however it was so crap on road that I would never consider a spool on a road going car. Auto lockers are a crapload better in my opinion.

[royce]

I had one in a Sierra and it was fine but its not what ill comment about.

Do you daily drive it? how many km do you do a year? how much do your tyres cost?

Factor tyres wearing twice as fast with the rear locked, for me it was the same amount of money to fit 4 new tyres and an airlocker compared to going through 8 tyres and welding it, not to mention it being better to drive on and off road.

[klutched]

I've got the rear welded in the GV. Does the occasional hop around corners if you're cornering hard or it's tight, car parks is ok just gotta get used to turning the fucker. First few times it took me a couple goes to get straight.

If it's raining I'll pop the A/Ts on to get it sideways even easier, haven't tried the 32s on the road but I could get it sideways with the open diff so I have no doubts it won't do it with the welded rear.

Loose gravel is a bit sketchy at high speeds, can feel it kick sideways a little with the trailer on....

Best of all you can drop dualies

Oh and I haven't broken an axle yet and I'm pushing 32s, touch wood....

[Gwagensteve]

In relation to handling though you have a lifted GV which will have a much better roll axis than a vitara.

Steve.

[jimnynutter]

Ok food for thought. Thanks guys

[stockman]

Spool it.
Most of the non LSD cars I've owned have ended up with a spool or welded diff.
It becomes second nature and before long you forget it's there.