Beating on a VX.... Top ten things that would break?

[REDLYNER]

If one were going to be abusing a VX offroad (highspeed plus low speed rocks), what would be the 10 things in order (opinions) that you think would break?

I ask because in theory these would be the 10 items I would want to beef up first.

Example:

1. Bushings
2. Ball joints
3. Lower control Arms
4. Ring and Pinion
5. Engine Mounts
6. Etc
7. Etc


Opinions??

:)

[etlsport]

tie rods
CV boots/joints
alternator if you are in muddy water
transmission mounts

[Riff Raff]

If one were going to be abusing a VX offroad (highspeed plus low speed rocks) .......... I would want to beef up first. Opinions??

Abusing any VX is a crime and fills me with a great sense of sorrow.:_crying:

The #1 item I would "beef up" first would be my Bank Savings Account with $$$ and prepare for its subsequent depletion.:yeso:

:bgwb:

[Ldub]

Abusing any VX is a crime and fills me with a great sense of sorrow.:_crying:

The #1 item I would "beef up" first would be my Bank Savings Account with $$$ and prepare for its subsequent depletion.:yeso:

:bgwb:

:rolleyesg...ohferchristsake grandma...live a little...:laughing:

[Anita]

:rolleyesg...ohferchristsake grandma...live a little...:laughing:

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-taunt003.gif
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-merv/fishing.gif

[Ldub]

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-taunt003.gif
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-merv/fishing.gif

:yesgray:.:laughing:

I'm rediscovering one of my favorite hobbies...:smilewink

[VXorado]

tie rods
CV boots/joints
alternator if you are in muddy water
transmission mounts

+1...and lower links can bend on rocks

[pbkid]

:rolleyesg...ohferchristsake grandma...live a little...:laughing:

:tweed:


seriously?-

1. CV axles
2. Tie rods
3. control arms
4. transmission mounts
5. hubs
6. then your onto mashing up some steel ;)

[ZEUS]

1. Tie rod (only thing I ever broke on my VX)
2. Transfer case (no skid plate)
3. Lower links (weak and can bend)
4. CV's (I have seen them take a beating tho)
5. U-joints
6. Bump stops (one of my rear one's disappeared)
7. Cladding
8. CD Changer
9. Seat back
10. Er... Thumb? (by putting your thumb inside the steering wheel ring and smacking into something) er... old OE shocks could blow out

[RamAirZ]

your pride when you smash a body panel?

[VX KAT]

:rolleyesg...ohferchristsake grandma...live a little...:laughing:


http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-taunt003.gif
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-merv/fishing.gif


:yesgray:.:laughing:

I'm rediscovering one of my favorite hobbies...:smilewink

http://www.pic4ever.com/images/25r30wi.gif

http://www.pic4ever.com/images/banana_smiley_7.gifhttp://www.pic4ever.com/images/banana_smiley_36.gif

[REDLYNER]

I'm debating between a few vehicles right now to actually use as a race rig. I like the VX because of the price for what you get: $4.5k to $5k for IFS (which just destroyed King of the Hammers and Baja) along with the solid rear on long arms. Wheelbase is a little short, but a TJ won one of the races last year in Class A with a 94" wheelbase, so maybe it's not too short.

Besides reliability (this would go with any 12+ year old vehicle), my only real concern is the Torque on Demand. I've watched dozens of Vehi youtube clips (many by Triathlete on this board) and it looks like once a tire is lifted, you are SOL on traction. Basically being open/open. I think an Aussie up front would hinder racing and an ARB would eat up nearly half of my parts budget to get it race ready.

That being said, my wish list is around $3.5k in parts (including a cage and tires), but my parts budget will only be around $2k to start.

My initial list (which covers several of the weak points listed by you guys) looks like:


Tires: $800
HD Lower links: $450
HD Tie Rod ends: $250
Comp Springs: $170
Wheel Spacers: $120
Fire Suit: $100
Greasable Bushings: $30


Then I would still need:


Cage: $500
Airbumps: $300
Reservoir Shocks: $300
Harness: $65



Class A racing allows one locker and 33" tires, or no locker and up to 35" tires. Originally I was thinking 33"s for the VX (285/75 16's), but was also thinking about about 32"s (265/75 16's) just for the sake of less stress on the parts.

Thoughts on tire size??




Just doing my research now so when I do pull the trigger, I can get it built quickly. There are 5 races this year and it would be nice to get one or two in.

Other rigs that are/were being considered:

H3 ($12k = too much)
TJ ($5k, but we have one and wife doesn't want another- and its SFA)
XJ ($2.5k, but 12 out 15 or so of the racers are racing these- and its SFA)
Ranger ($3k, haven't done the parts research on these)

[SlowPro48]

For Class A does the non-locked diff have to be completely open? In other words, would an Aussie in back, Isuzu LSD in front and tires 33" or less meet the rules? Seems like that would be a good compromise as far as traction vs handling...

[Ebenezr]

Somebody correct me on this but I thought that a lower link is a tie rod - just different names for the same thing. If not then what is a lower link?

[Triathlete]

LL's are the 2 bars that attach to your rear axle housing that keep it tracking straight.

[circmand]

CD Changer
Rims


They break w/o hardship

[Ebenezr]

LL's are the 2 bars that attach to your rear axle housing that keep it tracking straight.

My understanding is that those are called lateral rods by Isuzu in the manual. In steering terminology the center link or I believe upper link is the long rod that connects to each inner tie rod end, the pitman arm, and the idler arm. So I made an assumption that lower links were the name for the tie rod (also called an adjuster sleeve). Without those lateral rods (that your calling lower links) if you hit the gas your rear axle would go flying out your front end and you'd be staring at it. Those lateral rods ought to be called push rods ha ha ha cause that is exactly what they do. They push the vehicle forward or pull it backward.:grinb:

[REDLYNER]

Limited slips are ok, so you could do the rear locker/front limited slip. Do you have to reset the gears for either of those? I know in jeeps the Aussie is a bolt in driveway job.

My main concerns now are the engine and transmission. The races are between 30 and 50 miles and last around 2 hours. Highspeed, rocks, some mud, and everything in-between. 3 classes- A is stock modified and is where the Vehi would run. Each class has a harder track (A, B, C)

[ZEUS]

Hmm... Ebz the VX has a 3-link rear suspension which is misleading since there are actually 4 links/bars/arms/rods to locate the axle. "Link" is common terminology in live axle suspension design whereas "lateral rods" is something I have never heard before so it must not truly exist. HAHA! J/K However, the term 'lateral rod' seems like it would better apply to the track bar/panhard bar since it locates the axle laterally.

[ZEUS]

Limited slips are ok, so you could do the rear locker/front limited slip. Do you have to reset the gears for either of those? I know in jeeps the Aussie is a bolt in driveway job.

My main concerns now are the engine and transmission. The races are between 30 and 50 miles and last around 2 hours. Highspeed, rocks, some mud, and everything in-between. 3 classes- A is stock modified and is where the Vehi would run. Each class has a harder track (A, B, C)If you were to replace your rear limited slip with a locker of any type then yes you would have to reinstall your gears with a new carrier/diff. Going from an open carrier to a carrier with ratcheting halves tho only means you need to remove the 3rd, remove the spider gears, and install the locker in the original carrier, so tolerances are not changed. That is just my understanding tho, the Isuzu carrier accepts the Aussie from what I have heard...

[ZEUS]

deermagnet, could you post up one of those iso-schematics with the steering parts identified as well please? I'd like to see some of the terms they used for that stuff...

[deermagnet]

deermagnet, could you post up one of those iso-schematics with the steering parts identified as well please?

I don't got one. Ya might find something like that in the repair manual or at www.myisuzuparts.com (http://www.myisuzuparts.com).

Mark

[VX KAT]

hey Mark, where/what is that "driveHQ" ? Is that like a CD or disc or something with all that Isuzu/VX info & great diagrams? Can I get a copy?

[Riff Raff]

Class A racing allows one locker and 33" tires, or no locker and up to 35" tires. Originally I was thinking 33"s for the VX (285/75 16's), but was also thinking about about 32"s (265/75 16's) just for the sake of less stress on the parts.

Thoughts on tire size??

For a wider alternate size M/T tire in the 32" O.D. range, check-out the 285/70R16 (32" O.D.) tires from TOYO and NITTO tire brands (they are the only two tire manufacturers that make this rare unique size). It may be just what you're looking for instead of the narrower 265/75R16 size. Best of luck to you on your racing endeavors. Please put the website of "Vehicross.Info" somewhere on the exterior of your VX when it's ready for racing. Cheers.

:bgwb:

[Ebenezr]

Here's a good look at the VX rear so ya can point things out-

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/vx/vxrrsus.gif

And the front-

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/vx/vxfrsus.gif

Mark

Thanks Mark. Good diagrams. When I was reading the manual I mistook Lateral rod for the trailing links. On page 2a-37 of the manual or thereabouts is a diagram of the steering linkage. The terminology used by Isuzu is center track rod for the large linkage that the pitman arm attaches to and "outer track rod" for tie rods. I could swear that several months ago when I was going through all this stuff at other websites and parts websites that somewhere someone labeled them center link and lower links.?????

[Ebenezr]

You know what would be funny...?? disconnect all those rear axle links then put the VX in reverse and gun it hard. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Make sure someones behind you. the driveshaft would disconnect at the splines and someone would be wearing the rear axle. ha ha ha ha. Hey would one of you like to try that.???? If you do please set up a video recorder for us..:yesy::yeso::yesb::yesgray::bwgy::smilewink:

[ZEUS]

"Wait for it........."

[Ebenezr]

Zeus..ha ha ha. I just can't wait any longer I been thinking about this. We could have an axle throwing contest. kinda like a watermelon seed spitting contest. Maybe when you all get to Moab you could line up and disconnect your links then everybody 1..2..3.. gun it. backward ha ha ha.:jump:

[DutchKiwi]

I work a lot with rally (WRC Style) and Off-Road Racing Cars and Teams.

Important parts overlooked by many (and yes, me too on my own VX) are:
- Brake Pads
- Brake Rotors
- Front Hub
- Front Wheel Bearing/Seal Kit (at least one!)
- Brake Hoses (luckily I manufacture these for a living :-)
- Uprights ("Knuckles") left and right
OR preferably complete (preset) assemblies for left and right "corners" - makes changeovers a breeze.

Although I keep the caining to "occasional" I keep the following as spares in my own workshop:
- Trailing Arms (make these myself from Chromoly)
- Adjustable Top Link
- Adjustable Panard Rod/ Lateral Link
- Left and Right Front Corner Assemblies complete with Brake Hoses and HalfShafts
- EXTRA Set of CV Joint (outer) (1 only)
- Top Ball Joint (1)
- Lower Ball Joint (1)
- Wheel Bearing Kit (1)

Still needed (on my to-get-list):
- Lower Control A-Arms (L&R)
- Upper Control Arms (L&R)
- Beefy Adjustable Sway Bar (may have to make this sucker)
- a pair of nice adjustable Bilstein Shocks!
OMG where does it end???? $$$$$
Perhaps purchasing a spare BigHorn or Trooper to Pirate the parts of.....

[LittleBeast]

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/vx/vxrrsus.gif
I love how even in their description just above the photo they use different wordage:

Trailing links = trailing arms
Lateral rod link = lateral rod

And then it states "the same shocks are used on the front"..... What? No they are not. The reservoir on the fronts points upwards and on the rear it points down. The attachment is totally different and the travel on the rear shocks is much greater than the front. Hmmmm

[vt_maverick]

Drive HQ is the online cloud storage service I use for all my videos and most of my images. I also use another service to host my website and all my web pages and some of my images.

http://www.drivehq.com (http://www.drivehq.com/)

Their service is phenomenal! It's so reliable and easy to use, and pretty cheap also.

The immense amount of Isuzu data and documents I have is all on my PC. When I post stuff like the suspension diagrams, it's just a screen capture from some Isuzu document I opened on my PC.

Mark

Seems like you'd want all that irreplaceable stuff in the cloud too.

[VX KAT]

That stuff is NOT going up in the cloud. Some of this info is so rare and of such a sensitive nature that I don't want any internet/computer gurus to have even a chance to access it. http://www.wtv-zone.com/markg/mags/mags2/sneaky.gif

But don't worry, it's safe. I know that anything on my PC could vanish in a heartbeat at any time. I have it all burned to CD's AND backed up with Norton, which is very secure. It's in an area on my PC that I believe is fully protected from outside intruders. That reminds me I should do another burn and back-up for anything I may have added recently.

Mark

Maybe I'm having a brain far+, OK...um..don't answer that...:laugho: you know...but is your stuff the same as the shop manual we can download? Or what is it? I didn't know there was anything else available, or rare or sensitive.....:_thinking It is something we can purchase somewhere or how can we get a copy? My local mechanic hadn't ever seen a VX up close, but so far hasn't had to repair anything, but it would put my mind to ease if I could get him some more data/info/specs, or whatever, in addition to the shop manual. Gee, while yer a burnin' CDs...could I put in a request ??:flower:

Sorry for the t/j :mbrasd:

[vt_maverick]

That stuff is NOT going up in the cloud. Some of this info is so rare and of such a sensitive nature that I don't want any internet/computer gurus to have even a chance to access it. http://www.wtv-zone.com/markg/mags/mags2/sneaky.gif

But don't worry, it's safe. I know that anything on my PC could vanish in a heartbeat at any time. I have it all burned to CD's AND backed up with Norton, which is very secure. It's in an area on my PC that I believe is fully protected from outside intruders. That reminds me I should do another burn and back-up for anything I may have added recently.

Mark

I worry about what will protect the data from being lost period if something happens (God forbid) to you or your home. In "the biz" we like to say that a backup in the same physical location as the master is no backup at all. I'm still baffled as to why it's so critical to you to keep this data hidden from the community, but if you're intent on doing so, wouldn't it at least make sense to send a copy of everything to someone else here that you trust (Moncha perhaps?) so there's at least some way to recover?

[deermagnet]

My, aren't we curious tonight? :)

I've posted the vast majority of what I have, whole documents or at least the most useful bits. The huge list of very useful Isuzu service bulletins posted here would not exist without me. Didn't I just give up some Isuzu electronic Christmas gifts? A couple of them had never been seen by anyone here before. I've posted a bunch of Isuzu videos here that the world has never seen online, or maybe would have never seen if not for one person with the knowledge and ability to collect and host and post that stuff. That person is me!

Hmmm.... that makes me feel pretty important. ;Dy;

Enough of this thread jack!

I'll have to start a post later this week organizing the stuff I have posted and some stuff that maybe has never been seen before. Oh, the suspense!

And please keep in mind, a lot of the stuff I post violates copyright laws!

Mark Griffin

[VXdoc]

Depending On The Beating Of Course, Ha Ha

[vt_maverick]

I've posted the vast majority of what I have, whole documents or at least the most useful bits. The huge list of very useful Isuzu service bulletins posted here would not exist without me. Didn't I just give up some Isuzu electronic Christmas gifts? A couple of them had never been seen by anyone here before. I've posted a bunch of Isuzu videos here that the world has never seen online, or maybe would have never seen if not for one person with the knowledge and ability to collect and host and post that stuff. That person is me!

Hmmm.... that makes me feel pretty important. ;Dy;
http://smileys.emoticonsonly.com/emoticons/b/bow_down_before_you-960.gif

[Ebenezr]

Can it take a beating like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXPQY_VRP6M
This is a very funny link...watch it. ( I have tears in my eyes from laughing )

[REDLYNER]

Just to give you guys an idea of the races, here are a few videos from last year. Only 40% of the rigs that started the race actually finished. My brother-in-law raced twice and didn't get through one lap, so it can be pretty intense.

Helmet Cam from a Class B jeep Wrangler at Devils Playground (similar track to Class A)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imsHWmLYWPY

Harlan, KY KOH qualifier Class C (DVD preview)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt-vQIgefHY

The Flats, NC Class A (VX class)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV9kbjayrO0

[Triathlete]

I like the VX because of the price for what you get: $4.5k to $5k for IFS (which just destroyed King of the Hammers and Baja) along with the solid rear on long arms.

I have seen Shannons KOH rig up close and personal....believe me, his IFS does not even come close to looking like anything you will find under your VX!:bwgy:

Not sure how the rules work for the class you are entering...If your vehicle comes from the factory with some sort of traction device can you add a locker to the other axle and still comply with the rules? If so your VX has a limited slip in the rear so the best bang for your bucks would be a front locker (ARB or an Aussie with manual hubs).:yesy:

Also I would definately beef up your rear links.

[REDLYNER]

I have seen Shannons KOH rig up close and personal....believe me, his IFS does not even come close to looking like anything you will find under your VX!:bwgy:

Not sure how the rules work for the class you are entering...If your vehicle comes from the factory with some sort of traction device can you add a locker to the other axle and still comply with the rules? If so your VX has a limited slip in the rear so the best bang for your bucks would be a front locker (ARB or an Aussie with manual hubs).:yesy:

Also I would definately beef up your rear links.

You could probably go as far as saying Shannon's IFS doesn't look like anyone's on the planet. My comment was based more on principal.


Rules for Class A:


Any axle swap is ok as long as it maintains stock suspension symmetry. So if it is IFS, you can't swap in a solid axle. If it is leaf sprung, you can't switch it to coils and links.
Limited slips do NOT count as lockers and are ok.
You can race with 33" tires and one locker
Or
35" tires and no locker.


Does not matter what it came with from the factory (LSD, Open, Locker).

As an example, the 2009 Hummer H3 Adv pkg come with 33" tires and front and rear lockers. Even though that is a factory option, it would still be bumped up to Class B. The 2006 H3 comes with front and rear limited slips. So I could race that on 35"s and still be in Class A.


Do they make ARBs for the front and rear of a Vehi? I'll do more research on this too.

[Triathlete]

Front ARB yes, Todd Adams & Swordy have 'em. Rear can be done but mods are neccesary, Swordy has done that.
From the rules sounds like your best bet would be leave the lsd in rear and lock the front.

[SlowPro48]

From the rules sounds like your best bet would be leave the lsd in rear and lock the front.

Billy check the vids - it looks like there's a speed element to these events - not just rock crawling - so high speed (relatively speaking) handling is a factor. Doesn't a locker in front adversely effect handling? That's why I was thinking locker in back and LSD in the front would be ideal.

Going up steep hills when traction is critical, weight bias shifts to the rear so the locked diff would be feeding torque through stronger components to the tires with the most traction. Meanwhile the front with LSD would slip a little when needed which would yield better handling in tight corners and also hopefully keep the driveline intact for the whole race. From what I've gathered, the CVs are a weak link and front lockers put a lot more stress on them...

But hey - I'm not an off-road VXer - I readily admit I've never driven a VX (or anything else) that had a locker - so this is all theory. Considering Redlyner is interested in going fast rather than crawling, what are your thoughts?

[Triathlete]

Ideally an ARB in the front. It is selectable on the fly. Flip a switch you are locked, flip it again you are open. That being said with a non selectable locker in front there is a learning curve for driving with it. Manual hubs will cure any on road issues.

[REDLYNER]

An auto locker up front is not an option, it would have to be selectable. Hitting any high speed turn on 33"s in a VX (from what I have seen) would destroy the front end.

Ideally I would run an ARB in the rear and probably keep it open up front. Problem is, an ARB plus 33" tires would run me right up to $1800, leaving me around $200 for the rest of the race mod fund.


Trying to get the best initial bang for the buck setup. Later mods will come.... later.



Also, most important: to finish first, first you must finish.

[Triathlete]

HERE (http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=49811) is an ARB for 650 obo on the Planet...:bwgy:

[surf-life]

^^^

[REDLYNER]

I didnt have VXer but one of my friend bought VXer in 2003 and he likes it very much. He wont give the VXer for not even a single ride to anyone. He treats that as a child. Within two years , it got repaired. From that time, it started giving problems. So finally he decided to sell that.



Im not sure the cost would justify the cause to be perfectly honest. Spending 5 grand on my engine has seen me buy many newer cars.



I'm still not sure what you mean.



The first race of the year was this past weekend, looked like tons of fun. Fastest course yet for the A Class guys. I'll post videos shortly.

[Triathlete]

Yea...I've begun to wonder if he even reads any of the posts before throwing his random two cents in!

[Ldub]

Yea...I've begun to wonder if he even reads any of the posts before throwing his random two cents in!

X-kuuuuuuuze ME...:rolleyesg

But doesn't his sig identify him as a spammer...:confused:


http://www.gpsinsight.com/| http://www.gpsinsight.com/gps-fleet-tracking-system


H E L L O...:_thinking

[ZEUS]

HAHA! Yeah and he has a 2004 VX!

[Ldub]

Im not sure the cost would justify the cause to be perfectly honest. Spending 5 grand on my engine has seen me buy many newer cars.

_________________________________
gps tracking (http://www.gpsinsight.com) | gps fleet tracking (http://www.gpsinsight.com/gps-fleet-tracking-system)

Go sell your crap somewhere else SPAM BOY!....:upsetgray

richard (no offence), reported to admin...buh-bye...:)

[REDLYNER]

Just a short update-

10 racers competed in Class A, only 3 crossed the finish line. The race was 10 laps in 2 hours. Time ran out out B and C Class guys, but time was not the enemy in Class A. Radiators, flat tires, and transmissions seemed to knock most of the guys out.



I'm going to test drive a Vehi this weekend, first one that has gone up for sale by me (within an hour) in months.

[vt_maverick]

X-kuuuuuuuze ME...:rolleyesg

But doesn't his sig identify him as a spammer...:confused:


http://www.gpsinsight.com/| http://www.gpsinsight.com/gps-fleet-tracking-system


H E L L O...:_thinking


Go sell your crap somewhere else SPAM BOY!....:upsetgray

richard (no offence), reported to admin...buh-bye...:)

Does that definition mean Billy's a spammer? (His sig has links to stuff to buy too.) If he is a spammer he's pretty soft sell - putting two links in his sig with no additional detail about the products in any of his posts doesn't seem consistent with other spammers we've seen in the past.

Just my $.02.

[Triathlete]

Na, I have never liked the taste of the stuff!:bwgy:

Personally I just think he is trying to pad his post count for some reason...it's not a contest.

[Moncha]

He's good for now... Strange postings indeed but, he's ok

[REDLYNER]

There is a '99 Ironman on Ebay with 187,000 miles on it. Hypothetically, if I were to be able to get this in the mid to upper $3k range, anyone think it would be a decent platform for the race rig?

Or should I run in the opposite direction from it? :eek:

[REDLYNER]

Any objection to this pre-race mod list:

33" Tires: $900
Rear HD Links: $300
HD Tie rods: $250
Comp 912 springs: $175
1" Wheel Spacers: $120
Fire Suit: $100
Alignment: $75
New Bushings: $30
1" to 2" torsion crank: $0


Roughly $2k. Does that look like a decent initial strength build up plan? Anything I am leaving off that is more important?


Down the road I would like airbumps, resi shocks, internal cage, maybe some exo-skeleton tubes, 5 point harness, and what ever else I am forgetting.


I've narrowed it down to a few vehicles- VX, WJ (Grand Cherokee), and TJ (Wrangler). But the wife likes the Vehi the most, so I'm doing the most research on it. There are only 4 races left this year and I probably couldn't be ready for the next one (April), but would like to have this completed by the July race.

[etlsport]

Why the wheel spacers? Seems like one more thing to break... Probably cheaper or similar price for basic steel wheels in a 16.. Factory 18s might be large for a rally

Only thing you may want to consider is bump stops in case you full compress the suspension.. Dont want those larger tires hitting the fenders

[REDLYNER]

Why the wheel spacers? Seems like one more thing to break... Probably cheaper or similar price for basic steel wheels in a 16.. Factory 18s might be large for a rally

Only thing you may want to consider is bump stops in case you full compress the suspension.. Dont want those larger tires hitting the fenders

I've run spacers in the past on other rigs and liked the added balance they provided. They are not a must, just a thought.

I was reading on here about people shortening their bumpstops, are the stock ones not long enough to prevent fender damage? I was planning on trimming as mush as I could as well. I appreciate the input, especially since I haven't even bought one yet.

[rsteinmetz70112]

I was reading on here about people shortening their bumpstops, are the stock ones not long enough to prevent fender damage?

I'm confused. Seems shortening (shaving) the bump stops would allow more suspension travel, making it more likely that tire would hit the wheel well or fender for over sized tires.

Perhaos there's something I'm not understanding.

[VX KAT]

I was reading on here about people shortening their bumpstops, are the stock ones not long enough to prevent fender damage?

I'm confused. Seems shortening (shaving) the bump stops would allow more suspension travel, making it more likely that tire would hit the wheel well or fender for over sized tires.

Perhaos there's something I'm not understanding.

The rear bump stops on the VX are about 7"-8" long, in a figure "8" shape. But generally have ONLY about 1/2" clearance from the axle or cross member (or whatever it hits)...thus the VX slams into them at the slightest bump....which makes the extreme jarring sensation. Those of us that have cut them in half are indeed allowing for more suspension travel to make our ride more "tolerable".

You're correct, it makes it more likely the tire would hit something...so most off-roaders wouldn't want to do this I'm told. I don't know why they'd buy the shorter polyurethane stops either?
I don't do extreme off-roading, so I was willing to make the sacrifice for the benefit of a better ride on my daily dirt roads. This upcoming Moab trip will be my first with the shorter stops....I'll know a lot better how it affects things after that trip.

Can see OEM rear bump stop here, black thing with the tan color on the bottom of it (that would be my desert dirt) on it. Pic was taken in my garage, so check out how there (WAS) virtually NO clearance on mine. Cut in half, I have about 3"- 4" now. Ahhhhh....much better! Just eliminates the SLAMMING effect in the rear, by no means do I have a smooth ride, even with the Ranchos set low.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCN04351.JPG


Just an FYI, here's one of the front bumps stops (I believe there's 2 sets up front)...not much clearance there either.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCN04381.JPG

[REDLYNER]

Those are great pics!

Now the question is, how can I squeeze some of these in there to cushion the ride:

http://motionoffroad.com/catalog/images/fox20bumpstop.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g16/GiS5_bucket/P1010226.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/78mphgpr/buggybruiser041.jpg

[SlowPro48]

Now the question is, how can I squeeze some of these in there to cushion the ride:

spend mo' money

[ZEUS]

Any objection to this pre-race mod list:

33" Tires: $900
Rear HD Links: $300
HD Tie rods: $250
Comp 912 springs: $175
1" Wheel Spacers: $120
Fire Suit: $100
Alignment: $75
New Bushings: $30
1" to 2" torsion crank: $0


Roughly $2k. Does that look like a decent initial strength build up plan? Anything I am leaving off that is more important?
I wouldn't hit one of those races without at least one skid plate. And for sure on the bump stops - protect the tires and the body with them for cheap. Here is how I did mine:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Bumpstop.JPG
After a few hits over a couple years the zinc coated plate bent a lil bit and I noticed a crack in the poly so it really needs a full plate to mount against.

[REDLYNER]

Where did you get that bump stop?

[REDLYNER]

Here's another question-

Is the risk to reward worth it for 33"s, or would it be better to go with 32"s?

33"s would be better clearance, better traction.

32"s would be easier on the VX components.


I need to be able to make it through the course (a la 33"s), but mechanically, I have to finish the race.

Thoughts? Essentially, I am test drive away from pulling the trigger. The problem is, there is not one for sale within 100 miles of me (Charlotte, NC).

[ZEUS]

Check out this thread: http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=13470&highlight=lift+wiki

The bump stops are from Energy Suspension and the part number is in that initial list - they also come in black. The poly adds some kick-back that the rubber didn't generate, but it is managable.

Since you are not planning on a regearing for a while I would advise the 32"s over 33"s for the lesser impact on performance. The leverage difference is not an issue in that range IMO. There is a weight difference that has more of an impact - in theory anyway. Acceleration, braking, and handling would be easier to deal with, with the lesser weight. I ran 32.3"s and BFG 33"s measure out at 32" so maybe it's not even a topic of concern. Tirerack.com has weights of all the tires they carry and may help you make a decision in that regard. A set of used 16" aluminum modular wheels can be found for a price similar to those spacers which would give you the offset you want and minimize weight gain. :smilewink

Good luck with your search!

[crotchrocket]

Front outer CV's will go pretty quickly with some stick off road, especially with the larger tyres. Also if your giving it alot with the larger tyres you have to think about wear to the auo box

[Joe Darlington]

In case your wondering the type of racing Redliner is wanting to race check out www.ecors.com (http://www.ecors.com). I have been running a 94 Rodeo in Class A and we ended up taking the series championship. Ended up 3rd for the season in Class B with a 99 Rodeo. During the 1st race of the 2011 season the Class A Isuzu lead most of the race, unfortunatly we had some overheating issues late in the race due to a hole in the radiator but still ended up with a 3rd place finish. The Isuzu's do well, just have to drive them smartly... I would love to see a VX out racing ECORS...