Bryan_FRO
Member
The rack itself is rated to hold 660lbs. Driving weight I wouldn't recommend anything more than 150-200lbs max.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on our Front Runner products.
Bryan@FrontRunnerOutfitters.com
'11 Suzuki SX4 AWD
- Thread starter WagoneerSX4
- Start date
The rack itself is rated to hold 660lbs. Driving weight I wouldn't recommend anything more than 150-200lbs max.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on our Front Runner products.
Bryan@FrontRunnerOutfitters.com
I think the rack itself is good for 600 pounds, which is far in excess of what the roof rack rails themselves are good for (120 lbs, if I recall correctly). It would handle a spare with no problem.
EDIT - hah, replied without seeing the next page.
Also for a comparison, I have 2 of the same slat components - but longer ones - holding up the RTT plus two adults on my Nissan pickup with no issues. I'm sure the rack will long outlast the vehicle.
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Mongoose Maine
Observer
I have been going over some of the older post and now I'm hooked. I bought a 2008 SX4 last month and already started doing some of the less expensive mods. I added Novline mats and had the car undercoated and the rear skid plate painted and I added a rear bumper protector. I also added a Rocky Road skid plate and a curt hitch. I hoping to get it lifted by Christmas!!!
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WagoneerSX4
Adventurer
I saw your post over on clubsx4. It's coming along nicely!
I like those floor mats, they're on the wish list. The OEM rubber mats really don't do the job in the winter.
I haven't done much on the car this year, the bike got most of my attention this summer. I did just wash, polish, and wax it in prep for it's yearly oiling.
I like those floor mats, they're on the wish list. The OEM rubber mats really don't do the job in the winter.
I haven't done much on the car this year, the bike got most of my attention this summer. I did just wash, polish, and wax it in prep for it's yearly oiling.
So, about front recovery points...
I ended up with a pair of those bolt-on tow hooks that you can put on the front tow points if you drill another hole, but... I'm sort of lazy and don't want to drill anything. I also don't want another several pounds of weight hanging under the front bumper 24/7.
But, I do want to throw the hi-lift on the roof rack every once and a while to bail me out when I do something stupid. (also have chains and a synthetic winch extension, and maxtrax)
Solution:
http://www.amazon.com/Towing-Hauling-Trailer-Wrecker-Cluster/dp/B00R5777O8
Literally just got mine out of the mailbox. The hook does fit through the front tow/tie-down point.
I don't think I'd want to use this to pull with another vehicle, but if I'm bringing the Hi-lift I don't need to.
I ended up with a pair of those bolt-on tow hooks that you can put on the front tow points if you drill another hole, but... I'm sort of lazy and don't want to drill anything. I also don't want another several pounds of weight hanging under the front bumper 24/7.
But, I do want to throw the hi-lift on the roof rack every once and a while to bail me out when I do something stupid. (also have chains and a synthetic winch extension, and maxtrax)
Solution:
http://www.amazon.com/Towing-Hauling-Trailer-Wrecker-Cluster/dp/B00R5777O8
Literally just got mine out of the mailbox. The hook does fit through the front tow/tie-down point.
I don't think I'd want to use this to pull with another vehicle, but if I'm bringing the Hi-lift I don't need to.
Mongoose Maine
Observer
WagoneerSX4, I have a question for ya. I have been reading a lot of positive & negative reviews about the RRO lift kit, I'm just looking for some added ground clearance. The reason why I'm hesitant is to the problem people seem to be having with the struts. I would only use the sx4 on camp roads / dirt roads due you think this would be a problem that I would encounter ? I'm asking you due to some of the photos I've have seen and that is extreme compared to how I plan on using mine. Thanks for your time and opinion.
WagoneerSX4
Adventurer
Well, I don't think there's another SX4 owner out there who has put their car through the kind of abuse I put mine through, and I've had zero issues with my struts, or even with my alignment. My hypothesis with all these failures is the way they're installed is the cause of failure. The instructions that come with the strut spacers are weak at best. It also states to apply ALL the loctite to the studs when installing them. This ends up being way too much and it squeezes out onto the mating surface and doesn't allow for a clean contact. Once the loctite dries and cracks away with all of the torquing that the strut sees, it ends up with a gap that allows the spacer to back away from the strut. After that it's only a matter of time until the stud snaps. If you use vice grips and the proper amount of loctite (just enough to fill the valleys in the threads) and torque down the top nut tighter than you normally would with a pillow mount setup, then I can't see it ever backing off and resulting in snapping the stud.
Most people have said the failure occurred during heavy braking, or dismounting a curb, etc. which makes perfect sense as those are very high stress situations for the strut. But I regularly tow with my SX4, have had to make many emergency stops (I also have upgraded brakes which just increases the stress), and have made many off-camber drop-offs from rocks or hills while off-roading with zero issues.
So in conclusion, if installed properly and torquing the spacer down on the stud, I wouldn't be worried about it. This situation is kind of like adding wheel adapters. If used properly, they're perfectly safe. Keep the mating surface clean, torque the nuts down to the proper specs, and make sure they're hubcentric so the weight of the vehicle is on the hub, not the wheel studs. Same concept applies to strut spacer kits like these. I'm going on more than 80,000km of hard use with no issues. At this rate if I break a strut now, it'll be time to replace them anyways
Hey WagoneerSX4
Hopefully you are still keeping up with this.
I just purchased a 2013 SX4 and have a quick question.
Please don't be mad but I am using your SX4 as a template.
My plans are as follows in basically this order:
Roof basket, LED light bar, curt hitch, skids, and when the tires wear out that is when I will lift it and put new rims and tires.
I can't insert links yet but when I can I have a link from ebay of what I believe is the roof basket you have. I just want to verify it is the same before I buy it.
Thanks looking forward to getting this can't drive it home until the 10th waiting for my deposit check to clear.
Kevin B
Edit Test link
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360740775439?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Hopefully you are still keeping up with this.
I just purchased a 2013 SX4 and have a quick question.
Please don't be mad but I am using your SX4 as a template.
My plans are as follows in basically this order:
Roof basket, LED light bar, curt hitch, skids, and when the tires wear out that is when I will lift it and put new rims and tires.
I can't insert links yet but when I can I have a link from ebay of what I believe is the roof basket you have. I just want to verify it is the same before I buy it.
Thanks looking forward to getting this can't drive it home until the 10th waiting for my deposit check to clear.
Kevin B
Edit Test link
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360740775439?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
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WagoneerSX4
Adventurer
No problem on using it as a template! Plenty of other people have done the same. I do have to work on upgrading this thread, I've been lazy. The car has a couple new things including a custom closed intake system with catch can, a custom dual exhaust and some other small things. None of it really expedition related which is why I haven't been updating.
Yes that is the same roof basket that I have. If you're in the states, I'd wait until it goes on sale at harbor freight. You might get it for a bit cheaper than buying it on eBay.
Mongoose Maine
Observer
Wagoneer, thanks for all of your help. I just got my new tires on the other day. Now I need to ask you a favor. Could you please post a picture of your cb antenna mount (close up) I have been trying to find a good place to mount mine (no luck) thanks again.
WagoneerSX4
Adventurer
I used the door frame kit to mount it on the rear hatch. I've been thinking of switching it to the front using a bracket off my light bar. The wiring harnesses don't last through the winter and I've already had to replace two and the third one is already cracking again. I think over the tail light sees a lot of wind and road salt on the highway. With it in the front I can just use a cheap grounded harness instead of a NGP harness and tuck it away for the winter.
Mongoose Maine
Observer
Thanks for the info I just ordered the mount and my car will be going in next week to have some wiring done.
WagoneerSX4
Adventurer
So I finally decided to do a little update since I did something sorta expedition related today. Installed my new CB antenna in a new location. I went with the front of the vehicle on the light bar. For some reason where I had it mounted before must have been a very high turbulence area and it was SO loud above 80km/h. On windy days it was just unbearable. I also ditched the NGP setup because the coax just doesn't hold up to road salt at all and I was sick of replacing and running replacement harnesses that were extremely expensive. At the front it can be easily grounded and is much quieter. It takes some getting used to but it's really not as invasive as you'd think it would be. Now I have a short coax cable going into my engine bay and then another one going through the firewall into the radio. Very easy to replace as it seems to be a yearly thing, unless the firestik NGP cables were made of subpar rubber as none of my light bar wiring has cracked and fallen to pieces like the coax coating did.
I went with a 3' Wilson this time around the quality is every bit as good as firestik.
For the 99% of the time I don't have it mounted I used an old beat-up spare firestik tip to protect the threads for the mount.
I also changed the location of my mic clip which works a heck of a lot better than having it down beside the shift like before. Easy to reach and put back, chord doesn't block the cupholder or even hit my knee. Not sure why I didn't do this before.
Some other non-expedition mods I've done lately have been:
Flowmaster 80 series dual outlet muffler with 3.5" tips. I tucked both the muffler and the tips as far up as I possibly could to maximize clearance.
Custom closed intake system using a BMC canister (retained the downward angle of the stock system to keep water out and also retained the stock snorkel at the top of the hood that has worked very well for me so far), as well as a catch can (I know for this engine it is completely unnecessary, but I did it to learn about catch can systems and see if I could make it work. Had it vented to atmosphere the first time around and the car didn't like the vac leaks so I rerouted it back into the intake and it works perfectly).
And mostly for safety reasons, I ditched the single tone *meep meep* sorry excuse for a horn and installed some dual tone Fiamm Freeway Blasters rated at 130dB.
Not any massive plans for the car this summer other than using it. We did western Canada last summer, and we have a 3 week trip planned for the East Coast this summer. Looking forward to it!
I went with a 3' Wilson this time around the quality is every bit as good as firestik.
For the 99% of the time I don't have it mounted I used an old beat-up spare firestik tip to protect the threads for the mount.
I also changed the location of my mic clip which works a heck of a lot better than having it down beside the shift like before. Easy to reach and put back, chord doesn't block the cupholder or even hit my knee. Not sure why I didn't do this before.
Some other non-expedition mods I've done lately have been:
Flowmaster 80 series dual outlet muffler with 3.5" tips. I tucked both the muffler and the tips as far up as I possibly could to maximize clearance.
Custom closed intake system using a BMC canister (retained the downward angle of the stock system to keep water out and also retained the stock snorkel at the top of the hood that has worked very well for me so far), as well as a catch can (I know for this engine it is completely unnecessary, but I did it to learn about catch can systems and see if I could make it work. Had it vented to atmosphere the first time around and the car didn't like the vac leaks so I rerouted it back into the intake and it works perfectly).
And mostly for safety reasons, I ditched the single tone *meep meep* sorry excuse for a horn and installed some dual tone Fiamm Freeway Blasters rated at 130dB.
Not any massive plans for the car this summer other than using it. We did western Canada last summer, and we have a 3 week trip planned for the East Coast this summer. Looking forward to it!
Code7 NIGHTHAWK
New member
Hey Wagoneer,
Love this thread! Read it about five times already. I'm working on a similar build on my 2013.
Quick question, how'd you modify your rear bumper to fit the tips up so high?
Also, where'd you get your spoiler? I can't find a good place for OEM accessories.
Thanks man,
Can't wait to see your posts about your trip out East, the last one was awesome.
Love this thread! Read it about five times already. I'm working on a similar build on my 2013.
Quick question, how'd you modify your rear bumper to fit the tips up so high?
Also, where'd you get your spoiler? I can't find a good place for OEM accessories.
Thanks man,
Can't wait to see your posts about your trip out East, the last one was awesome.
WagoneerSX4
Adventurer
I cut the holes in the bumper with a combination of a sawsall and a dremel rotory tool with cutting bit. First I measured it all out and made sure it was exactly even on both sides, then I checked behind the bumper to make sure I was cutting out any of the support tabs. Then I drew it out with a tire marking pen and went to town! The pipes leading to the tips are about 1/8" under the end plates of my hitch, so that is as high as you can possibly go if you have a hitch. I put some rubber pieces on the plates just to make sure my exhaust doesn't rub but so far it hasn't touched once. But that's also because I upgraded all the hangers to poly ones which for all intensive purposes are pretty much solid mounts. The exhaust doesn't even move an inch under there. With the stock rubber band hangers the exhaust rubbed and banged around like crazy.
You can actually see in that last photo that the muffler was actually the lowest thing at the back of the car. It's got some good scratches in it from off roading. The flowmaster is now tucked up a lot nicer and the hitch and the rear diff skid plates are the lowest things now.
My spoiler is just a regular OEM spoiler off the sportback. It has the OEM rubber extension piece which is no longer in production and super hard to find. I managed to snag one when people didn't know they were so rare but now if you're able to find one for sale they're usually $300+ on eBay.
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