Builds Jodo 97 LX450 Coilover project

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I dig the BMW and the dog peeking out the rear slide window!

If you are anywhere between santa clarita and Cal city and see a dark green 80 with 4 king coil overs and 4 bypasses it means I finally got mine done.

COOL! Let me know when to head that direction. I want to see it.

Jodo
 
COOL! Let me know when to head that direction. I want to see it.

Jodo

I will let you know. It will be awesome to take the Ducati to track days at Willow Springs and then flog a desert prepped 80 in the mojave with the windows up and the AC on.. Kinda like Ivan's 80 series prerunner..
 
Was that last san Juan shop from the watch tower on Orcas Island?
Looks very fimiliar.....
Very well done.
Just out of curiousity, any plans for the coilover in the rear end or are you happy with the articulation so far in back?
Dave
 
jodo,

Where did you acquire the welding skills? OJT? Classroom? Hobby?

Van
 
The last picture was taken from Orcas Island for certian. You can see Patos, Sucia and Matia in the background. From the blockwall and cabling I would say the watch tower on Orcas too.
 
The west coast rocks that is for sure. Excited to be moving out there!

In the rear of my rig I will be doing a cantilever suspension. The cantilever would actuate horizonatlly mounted coilovers and bypasses.
 
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For more proof, here's a pic of the little woman and me. We toured the San Jaun Islands last year. looking forward to exploring in the LX.

Jodo


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Jodo,
First I was jealous with the truck and your skills. Then you end up married, and to an obviously cool and understanding woman. Now you throw out moto-touring on a GS, and with the same cool wife besides. You are officially my hero.

What's next? Save the planet? Cure cancer? I wouldn't put anything past you at this point. Nice work all the way around. :cheers:
 
I didnt catch what spring rates you were using..? Are they stagered rates, or square?( top.vs bottom)

How do you like it (rates?)? Also, thanks for posting the scales shot. Good to know info. I grew up heavily involved in desert racing, so going fast is always on my agenda. I"ll probably go 2.5" FOA smoothbodies. They are plenty of shock for long duration pounding. Air bumps seperate the men from the boys, and will also be in the works.
 
More patience and skill than I have seen in a long time!

Jodo,
Well Done, you're a finisher as well. I would start this project, get frustrated and sell it. You are a go-getter. I want to know where you got those welding skills myself and it looks like you've got shop access. What do you do for a living? I like your idea of fun.
Geologic
MS man
Married with 2 boys
Old & tired but want to do your project after you perfect it
 
Bmw gs1200 .. ?

Was that last san Juan shop from the watch tower on Orcas Island?
Looks very fimiliar.....
Very well done.
Just out of curiousity, any plans for the coilover in the rear end or are you happy with the articulation so far in back?
Dave



07 BMW GS 1200 Adventure.

Orcas Island at the watch tower is exactly where we were. Good job!

As for coilovers for the rear, Not sure I need them yet but have to do more testing first. Alot more testing.

Jodo




jodo,

Where did you acquire the welding skills? OJT? Classroom? Hobby?

Van

I had metal shop for two years in High School and the rest is just plain hobby exposure. Trust me, my welds have flaws.

Jodo



The last picture was taken from Orcas Island for certian. You can see Patos, Sucia and Matia in the background. From the blockwall and cabling I would say the watch tower on Orcas too.

Good job man! good job! I love that place.

Jodo


Jodo,
First I was jealous with the truck and your skills. Then you end up married, and to an obviously cool and understanding woman. Now you throw out moto-touring on a GS, and with the same cool wife besides. You are officially my hero.

What's next? Save the planet? Cure cancer? I wouldn't put anything past you at this point. Nice work all the way around. :cheers:

Thanks VFRMAN, as for the next project... Installing a EFI 460 in my 4x4 motorhome. I like keeping things simple.

Jodo



I didnt catch what spring rates you were using..? Are they stagered rates, or square?( top.vs bottom)

How do you like it (rates?)? Also, thanks for posting the scales shot. Good to know info. I grew up heavily involved in desert racing, so going fast is always on my agenda. I"ll probably go 2.5" FOA smoothbodies. They are plenty of shock for long duration pounding. Air bumps seperate the men from the boys, and will also be in the works.


I'm currently running 300 over 400. It rides as good as it did stock. Very smooth indeed. I might however go to 350's on top to help control the sway at higher speeds. Or if all else fails cut the towers off and fab new ones for 2.5" x14" coilovers. The 14" really seem to work well.

Jodo
 
Going with a stiffer spring helps sway at speed but at a cost.. I am looking into fabing a set of dual rate torsion rod and arm type bars with a pneumatic disconnect like ORO sway loc bars for TJ's.

I think a stiffer sway bar rate will get sway under control without hurting flex or ride comfort.
 
Jodo,
Well Done, you're a finisher as well. I would start this project, get frustrated and sell it. You are a go-getter. I want to know where you got those welding skills myself and it looks like you've got shop access. What do you do for a living? I like your idea of fun.
Geologic
MS man
Married with 2 boys
Old & tired but want to do your project after you perfect it


Thanks for the complement GEOLOGIC. Even as a little boy I was a brain stormer. I remember waking my Dad up at night to ask him if my go-cart plan would work. He would tell me to work all the details out in my head before I start. So, before I start a project I built it in my head many times over in many different ways. When I'm happy, it's pedal to the metal. I enjoy the chalange of building something different but cool. Oh, and it has to work too. I have scrapped many of projects in my time before it ever made it to reality.
My garage is my shop. I have just about every tool... (never enough) I need. A TIG welder is in my near future.

My occupation is a Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Coordinator for a large General Contractor. I also have 20 plus years as a building automation (control) technichian. Finishing a project is always a goal of mine.

Jodo
 
Going with a stiffer spring helps sway at speed but at a cost.. I am looking into fabing a set of dual rate torsion rod and arm type bars with a pneumatic disconnect like ORO sway loc bars for TJ's.

I think a stiffer sway bar rate will get sway under control without hurting flex or ride comfort.


I agree there's a cost for upping the spring rate. Fitting a sway bar properly to the front is quite chalanging. The one I'm using is the stock but mounted upside down and backwards. It fits really well but attaches to the radious arms 8" behind the axel. This looses quite a bit of rating from the already small sway bar.

How close are you to fabing up this mock up sway bar???

Jodo
 
Hey Jodo, very nice build up!!!....looks like you were at folsom lake doing some flexing.

If you need some TIG welding I have a miller...Im right around the corner from you (Loomis).

I think I saw you driving on sierra colledge and taylor rd. last week, going into Loomis.

Take care...Scott
 
I agree there's a cost for upping the spring rate. Fitting a sway bar properly to the front is quite chalanging. The one I'm using is the stock but mounted upside down and backwards. It fits really well but attaches to the radious arms 8" behind the axel. This looses quite a bit of rating from the already small sway bar.

How close are you to fabing up this mock up sway bar???

Jodo

It will be easier to do once I move to So-cal with all the Prerunner, SCORE and BITD truck building in the area. Mods (and family more important) got interupted by a 12 mo deployment. Now I need to focus on packing, moving and pre 1800 mile drive PM on the cruiser. As for my plan I have a rough idea. Look at a TJ.. I think a bar like that could be built for our rigs. I dont think I will do a thru the frame tube thing as that was just a good existing spot on a TJ. Probably a mount under the frame.

Here is the ORO SwayLOC for jeeps. The install guide is great way to see how it all works.
http://www.offroadonly.com/docs/swayloc_install.pdf
 
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Hey Jodo, very nice build up!!!....looks like you were at folsom lake doing some flexing.

If you need some TIG welding I have a miller...Im right around the corner from you (Loomis).

I think I saw you driving on sierra colledge and taylor rd. last week, going into Loomis.

Take care...Scott

Sweet! a local 80 brother. Thanks for the TIG offer. Thats very nice of you. I'm near Granitebay and Roseville. I'll PM you.

Jodo


It will be easier to do once I move to So-cal with all the Prerunner, SCORE and BITD truck building in the area. Mods (and family more important) got interupted by a 12 mo deployment. Now I need to focus on packing, moving and pre 1800 mile drive PM on the cruiser.

Wow! you have your hands ful my freind. Stay focused and stay strong. Hopefully the economy hasen't hit them as hard as every one else. Keep me posted with your travels.

Jodo
 
Hey jodo,
Can you clear your pm inbox so I can send you a pm? Thanks.
 
Wow! you have your hands ful my freind. Stay focused and stay strong. Hopefully the economy hasen't hit them as hard as every one else. Keep me posted with your travels.

Jodo

I will keep in touch. The economy has been ok for us. Not great but ok. Things are picking up since we both got good excellent job offers. Employment while I was deployed was a good paying steady job and also tax free so we weathered the storm pretty good and are setup to take advantage of the really low home prices and interest rate.
 

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