ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki XL-7 (Gen. 1 Platform) 2001-2006 => Topic started by: blacknight on September 01, 2006, 05:37:20 AM
-
What can I do to get more flex front and back from my XL-7. Right now I'm running a Calmini 3 lift (replaced spings from VTTR to get 3) plus ford f-150 4x2 shocks (rear) and a 2" RRO body lift.
George
-
Well, assuming your springs are the right combination of firm enough for road use and soft enough for offroad use there's not a lot you can do simply. Sway bars off or disconnected?
Rubber bushings flex better than poly bushings but good luck finding some that will fit the Calmini, and maybe even OEM, parts. Not to mention they wear out faster.
The front, being short arm IFS, is limited naturally. Short of a Hagan style widening mod or longer arms, not a lot you can do with it simply.
In the rear make sure the 5 link isn't binding up. I've never flexed our GV out much so I can't say what's going on. Did you lower the Panhard bar when you put the lift on? That can affect flex, ride, and other things if the springs are longer, the arms are dropped/longer, but the panhard bar isn't touched. You can have springs with plenty of travel in them but arms that are too short or bind and never see the full potential of your springs.
The sad part is a locker in the rear would solve a lot of this by simply being able to keep going even with 2 tires hanging in the air...but we don't have that option. :P
-
Blacknight,
I did some measuring on my 4-door Vitara with Old Man Emu struts and Doetsch Tech shocks:
Front I am getting 4.25 inches of down travel and in the back I get 6 inches. I thought I got more in back, but, the tape measure doesn't lie. It off-roads pretty well. I too, though, am curious how to get more (would the Calmini kit with the new trailing arms give me much?)
Any idea what you get with the XL-7 and the modified Calmini kit.
And if anybody has a completely stock setup, for comparison purposes, I'd like to see what kind of drop people can get.
One thing that helps is I've got a lockright in rear - too bad nothing is available yet for the XL7.
Jeff