Next up were some necessary additions, considered standard fare for any off-road suspension. Until now, the Samurai had no bump stops or limit straps to control excessive travel or compression. The 14-inch Sway-A-Way 2.0 RaceRunner air shocks were eventually dialed in with just the right pressure, oil, and valving for slow trail driving, but they were often on the verge of bottoming out on fast bumpy fire-road blasts. Installing bump stops of any kind requires careful measuring, precise positioning, and custom bracket fabrication whether it's a basic $10 rubber unit or the ultimate, yet pricier, hydraulic bump stops. Considering the huge amount of fabrication it would take to outfit the suspension with bump stops, it was clear that hydraulic units were the best choice. Thoroughly impressed with the performance of the Sway-A-Way air shocks, a set of matching Sway-A-Way RaceRunner hydraulic 2-inch bump stops were soon on the way. To make the installation as easy as possible, a set of pre-fabricated mounting cans were ordered from AA-Fab. Specializing in custom brackets, mounts, and tabs, AA-Fab also builds custom-fit limit straps, so with a set of limit straps also in order, we were about to cure the last of our suspension woes.
Until now, axle droop was controlled using only center-mounted limit straps. The rear center strap was initially installed at an awkward angle due to clearance issues, so some real attention was finally spent redesigning a more effective setup. The new, custom-fit limit straps from AA-Fab were then installed on each shock using the existing shock bolts. With the bump stops and limit straps mounted, the shocks were now properly protected, allowing the Sami to be pushed to its full potential without worrying about shock damage.
The new modifications had now affected the shocks, requiring them to be re-tuned with different oil levels and nitrogen pressures. While shock tuning can be done in the driveway, the only true way to get it right is testing and tuning on the trail. Power Tank recently unveiled a new portable shock inflator kit designed specifically to address this need. The kit includes a small, lightweight nitrogen bottle, an inflator, and all required tools, packed into a portable case. Realizing the new hydraulic bump stops would also need to be tuned using nitrogen on the trail, there was a real need to invest in the Power Tank shock kit.
The supplied axle mounting...
The supplied axle mounting tabs were briefly tacked into place, checked for clearance, and solidly welded to the axle housing.
The Currie kit also includes...
The Currie kit also includes two long, pre-threaded connecting rods designed to be cut down. We cut a section from the center, inserted a piece of solid bar, and welded it up to the desired length.
To improve the steering a...
To improve the steering a new, longer panhard bar was custom fit into place after notching the frame and bending the bar around the upper link axle mount.
Using pre-threaded tube adaptors...
Using pre-threaded tube adaptors from AA-Fab the new front panhard bar would soon bolt right into place.
The bend in the panhard bar...
The bend in the panhard bar was gusseted with a plate to provide adequate strength for this critical suspension link.
With the drivers-side end...
With the drivers-side end of the panhard bar mounted directly in line with the pitman arm, an elaborate axle mount was fabricated to position the Heim joint directly in line with the steering knuckle.