Description
Suzuki Samurai SPOA Lift Kit
Why a Rocky Road Suzuki Samurai SPOA Lift Kit?
Here are a couple reasons….
- The first being, clearance. SPOA (this is short for SPring Over Axle) lifts not only raise the vehicle for larger tires, they also raise the spring packs to the tops of the axles for maximum clearance.
- Second is that Samurai SPOA lifts offer the best articulation of any leaf-spring lift on the market due to the extra leverage which deflects the spring packs and provides for more twist. Contrary to what some uneducated retailers might argue, the SPOA does not break springs and does not produce poor steering handling over other lifts when castor is properly set. In fact, Toyota pickups, Jeep Cherokees, and most 4WD pickups come with their springs SPOA from the factory! We believe you’ll find our kit extremely well thought out, incredibly beefy, designed for serious offroading, and the demands it puts upon a vehicle.
- Our SPOA lifts were the first of their kind in the world to engineer a system that fit into the stock spring perches for precise alignment, and maximum strength in the welded system. Cheap copies have come and gone, but Rocky Road kits maintain engineering superiority.
What is included in the Rocky Road Samurai SPOA kit?
- 4 Wraparound Samurai SPOA perches
- Extended front brake lines
- 2 drive shaft extensions
- 1 Rear brake line (1986-1988 vehicles will need to purchase an additional line
- Front and rear long travel shock mounts
- 6″ kit includes new ubolts
Some might ask how the Samurai SPOA lift stacks up against the latest passing fad…. the shackle reverse??? Extremely well. There are a couple reasons why.
- Clearance is one. You install a lift to increase clearance on your vehicle. Bolton shackle reverse towers (some folks call them “fangs”) hang down and dramatically reduce approach angles. Also, with the shackle trailing in back as with S/R kits, they poke down several inches below the original spring perches and really reduce under-frame clearance. SPOA lifts put everything above the axle for max clearance!
- Stability. ‘Brake dive’ is a common problem with shackle reversal in emergency braking which does not occur in standard SPOA lifts. This is why the manufacturer put the shackles on the front of your Suzuki to begin with. If all it took for a smooth ride was to put the shackles in back, Suzuki would have made them this way from the factory (not to mention Jeep with the Wrangler, and Toyota with the Landcruiser). There is a reason the shackles are up front and it is a safety issue.
- Finally, bolton shackle reverse kits severely limit your tire size. Very frequently we hear from folks who have purchased bolton S/R kits who are very unhappy about the damage to their tires from the tire being shoved back into the fenderwell. Why do they call us instead of the company that stuck them with the lift??? Most end up throwing away their expensive bolton S/R kits to go with a new SPOA system.
Now… on to the most popular lift on the market for Samurais, The Spring Over Axle lift kit. We offer weld-on and bolton Samurai SPOA kits.
The Rocky Road Deluxe Samurai SPOA kit is the best on the market. Why???
You can’t mess it up. Our spring pads self align every time. Just drop in place and go!
- Start with our spring perches (Patent Pending). They are custom built and designed to weld onto the factory spring pads to make the mounting system extremely tough and durable (read more). We put alot of energy into engineering and fabricating these pads to insure your axle housing does not suffer damage in the harshest trail conditions. Our spring pads are also fully gusseted, BY FAR the strongest, and easily the safest on the market by far for you, your passengers, and your Samurai. They self-align for proper castor setup every single time. They do NOT require professional welding (as other saddle style spring pads require) and are very easy for the novice welder to install. Our perches come in 5″ lift for running 31″ tires, and 6″ for 32″ tires.
- To properly correct steering angles, we offer our steering links. Lifting a vehicle stretches out steering geometry and causes some peculiar things to happen. Your steering becomes cockeyed, linkage hits springs, etc. The steering correction kit puts things back into shape. It is fine-tune adjustable in length to properly align your steering, and can be custom made to fit your lift height.
- BEWARE!!! Other “Deluxe” SPOA lift kits on the market are missing the steering systems. You don’t catch it and their price is slightly lower, but you will need to buy one separate if you go with those kits. They price their kits very low and conveniently forget to mention that steering correction is mandatory when doing a Samurai SPOA.
Samurai Spring Over Axle Lift
- When you talk about lifts you must include longer shocks. When you talk about Samurai SPOA lifts, you have got to include good ‘long travel’ shocks. This, since it has such flexy potential. To accommodate the new longer shocks you must install new shocks mounts. We offer new rear lower shocks mounts, new lower front shocks mounts, and a top mount system for the upper rears. We tilt the shocks inward to allow for much longer shocks to be used.
- Taller lifts necessitate longer brake lines. You don’t even want to take the chance of snapping a line on the trail, so longer brake lines are very important. We’ve used many combinations and brands of brake lines over the years and have experienced the best overall result with rubber brake lines. We have cut and rubbed through too many braided steel brake lines to feel safe about offering them for sale. Bottom line….. we feel stainless steel lines are dangerous! Also, keep in mind that in all lift kits with stainless lines, those lines are only 3″ longer than stock. Not good with a 5″ or 6″ with lots of articulation. So in our kits, we offer only 7″ over stock extended DOT approved rubber brake lines.
- Another needed item for a proper SPOA lift is to install driveshaft spacers. Not only does the Samurai SPOA lift increase the distance between your pinion and Transfer case mounting flanges, it also provides for a greatly increased amount of articulation. So much that your driveshaft can come apart on the trail. Also, driving around with little spline engaged on your driveshafts an a daily basis can cause them to wear out quickly. Driveshaft spacers cure these problems.
Rocky Road Suzuki Samurai Spring Over Axle, SOA Lifts.
The bottom line is that no other Samurai SPOA system on the market comes close to the Rocky Road system. This, for ease of installation, warranty, engineering, and quality. Do it right the first time with Rocky Road.
Ordering…
You can order your Rocky Road Samurai SPOA kit online, or by phone. Please relate any special considerations which may affect the fitment of various components of the SPOA system to your vehicle. Items such as: taller than stock springs, modified axles, taller than stock shackles, etc.
