ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: Element on November 14, 2007, 08:51:59 PM
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So, I need some advice... I am building an adventure kick, I want to run a 30 or 31 inch tire.... I have been considering my lift combos... should I look at not only a susp. lift but a 2" body lift as well?
Thanks for any input!!!!
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In my humble opinion, I would not go less than a 3 inch suspension lift. I also think the truck needs more lift to move the wheel wells out of the way of the larger tires. 2" body lift should be fine. Hagen Widening, and rear axle over rotation. Longer shocks and OME struts. and at least 31 to 33 inch tires Lower axle gears if your running an automatic. and Trail Tough transfer case gears. Skid plates if you are going to be around big rocks or mud.
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I will be running lower R&P, I have one 5:62 I am trying to find a front to match. Also, I may be adding the lower tcase gears!!!! I am looking to run the 31's and full skids... I had some thoughts of doing 2.5 susp and maybe a 2" body....
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I use my 2" spacers and a 3" body lift and run 31-11.5's. That is all the tire I can get under it due to the design of the rear fenders being part of the doors. I wish the lift was opposite, 3" susp. and 2" body but that is the way it goes for cheap!!
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I had some thoughts of doing 2.5 susp and maybe a 2" body....
Are you worried about lifting the truck more than you absolutely have to? Sidekicks are quite stable trucks. The wheelbase is only 14" longer than the width of the axles. I asure you they are quite difficult to tip over. Unless you are into extreme rock crawling in which case you can tip most anything over if you try hard enough.
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I'm only running a 2" spacer lift (from jeff1997 above), and fit 31X10.50's great. The only rubbing I get is in the rear at full stuff. I had to beat back the seams in the front fenderwells, aside from that, it does great. I wouldn't mind having more ground clearance under the belly cause I do rub on some large boulders on the framerails, so eventually I will probably drop the front diff and add some more suspension lift, or just add a 2" body lift so I can fit some 32's.
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e55/Streetblazin/31MT.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e55/Streetblazin/track009.jpg)
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Thanks for the feedback guys. My biggest concern about the body lift is the 3" ones I have seen look awful and make lots of noise when flexing... I am building this 4 dr for high adventure... not tooooooo extreme crawling or anything.... How does the spacer lift feel on these rigs??? I want a good ride quality. I am diggin my kick!!!! I have 1 5:62 and may have located another. I also will be adding tcase gears!!! I may not miss my sammy as much as I thought!!!
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How does the spacer lift feel on these rigs??? I want a good ride quality.
I've been running a shock/spring spacer lift for a year or so now and its exactly the same as if i hadn't have been really. If you think about it, your springs / shocks are all the same! Just spaced up 2inches. So the ride would be identical to before... The only difference i've noticed is how cornering feels 2inches higher, and ever so slightly wobblyer
You also mentioned about noises from a 3" body lift, well, i have the same noises i had before i installed mine. And i only get those when i'm maxing out a wheel, or putting alot of stress somewhere. Dont be afraid to go for 3"s! It would definatley help with tyre clearance...
I'd say go for a body lift definatley! Its a cheap way to clear big tyres, then i'd spend as much as you can on your suspension lift. Well, this is pretty much what i've done with my swb / 2dr
hope i'm of some help! :)
Andy
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I have done a body lift on my 90 Tracker and if I had it to do all over again, I never would do it again. It was great at first, but I live in the rust/snow belt and the lift blocks have pushed up through the floor in a few spots. Without the body lift, the body has more support points than it does with a body lift, so the connection between body and frame is much more secure without the body lift. I would save my pennies and look seriously at the Calmini 3" suspension or the new zukination lifts. They have longer or adjustable rear control arms that push the rear wheels back far enough to help clear the wheelwells better...
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Thanks for all the feedback. The body lift I am looking at is a 2" poly kit.
As for susp. I was considering the calmini 2" but may be rocking the OME set up.
With a 2 + 2 combo lift, will that let me run the 31's without fender modifing?
???
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Thanks for all the feedback. The body lift I am looking at is a 2" poly kit.
As for susp. I was considering the calmini 2" but may be rocking the OME set up.
With a 2 + 2 combo lift, will that let me run the 31's without fender modifing?
???
I would say yes, a 2" spring lift and a 2" BL should clear 31's .. you may need to hammer the seam at the front firewall, but that's not much of an issue.
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Without the body lift, the body has more support points than it does with a body lift, so the connection between body and frame is much more secure without the body lift.
I don't know who sold you that body lift but I am shocked. Those pads above the frame rails have to be supported. If they aren't the body will break. I can not believe there is someone selling kits that do not support those points.
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I've been running a shock/spring spacer lift for a year or so now and its exactly the same as if i hadn't have been really. If you think about it, your springs / shocks are all the same! Just spaced up 2inches. So the ride would be identical to before... The only difference i've noticed is how cornering feels 2inches higher, and ever so slightly wobblyer
This is right for the rear, but the front does change in a few ways. I won't get into the details, but myself and a couple other members here have already hashed this out on another forum. It all started because I complained I hated my coil spacers because of the added stiffness. AJMBLAZER had worked out the math, i'll see if I can find the info.
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I'm only running a 2" spacer lift (from jeff1997 above), and fit 31X10.50's great. The only rubbing I get is in the rear at full stuff. I had to beat back the seams in the front fenderwells, aside from that, it does great. I wouldn't mind having more ground clearance under the belly cause I do rub on some large boulders on the framerails, so eventually I will probably drop the front diff and add some more suspension lift, or just add a 2" body lift so I can fit some 32's.
'89 psychic(suzi)
my experiment was to do a simple suspension lift + 31X10.5 wheels.
looks like i was following Bandit02to jeff for spacers.- i am quite pleased w/results - and found 2" works great in the rear, 1 1/2" in front is level (2" really drops the arm and CV angles look evil).
i don't mind a little tire rub, and made slight wheel well mods up front.
i put longer shocks in the back and flipped the strut mounts. splurged on some camber bolts, being too lazy to slot the struts and mess up my alignment guy.
observations: tires still too tight - either beat in the wells or lift the body, or put the 235/75's back on.
not enough front droop- need to drop the strut mounts 1"-1 1/2" more and experiment w/ sway bar disconnected(i have no experience)to see how it handles.
this was very inexpensive (so far), fun, and i can see more trail in the future.
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my appologies to Bandit02 re: quote- last is mine' i will be more careful next time.
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I had some thoughts of doing 2.5 susp and maybe a 2" body....
Are you worried about lifting the truck more than you absolutely have to? Sidekicks are quite stable trucks. The wheelbase is only 14" longer than the width of the axles. I asure you they are quite difficult to tip over. Unless you are into extreme rock crawling in which case you can tip most anything over if you try hard enough.
I tipped mine and it wasn't extreme rock crawling although I will admit it was a wacky line :-[
Keep in mind that it is not on;y the diameter of your rubber but also the width and the rim offset/backspacing that has an impact on what is needed o fit it.
Suspension lifts do not allow bigger rubber to fit at full compression but extending the bumpstops can. Body lifts give more space to fit bigger rubber although I am not a great fan of them they do have a time and a place and with the Kick they also help get the rockers away from the ground which isn't a bad thing. IMHO they should also be solid spacers.
The 4dr has an issue with the size of the rear wheelwells which makes it hard to fit big rubber but Mike Hagen's rear rotation mod will help with that if you run out of space there.
I have run 33x9.5 on stock rims with a 2" body and 2.5" suspension lift with minor trimming inside the wheelwells and also 31x10.5 with the same lift but a touch less backspacing on a 4dr. On a swb I have run some narrow 32's on stock offset 16" rims (Kick Sport) with just a Calmini 3" suspension and no trimming in the front and just a touch on the rear bumper to clear the lip. As you can see there are a number of combinations available to achieve an outcome. My approach now is to get the size rubber I want with the least amount of lift. If that means taller but narrower rubber then I will look at that. The beauty of these rigs is that their small size and weight means that they don't necessarily need as wide a rubber as the big rigs do so if you can leave the looks part out of the equation then there a some options out there that will increase your clearance under the diffs without needing to go crazy to fit them although the terrain you drive will have a bearing on the width you may need to run.
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Yea, you will find that there is not much droop in the front. This is the only thing I really don't like about my setup. I did have to trim a little metal out of the rear of my front fenders to stop rubbage there, you just have to be willing to cut and beat on the inner fenders until you don't rub anymore. Even though this is a very inexpensive and cheap way to a little more lift, I have pushed mine to it's limits and it does great, but I do have my eye on a couple trails that sill take at leat some 32-33's and Lockers, so, I have more modding to go ;D
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4 words....STAY AWAY FROM BODYLIFTS
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4 words....STAY AWAY FROM BODYLIFTS
You have to tell us why Fletcher. I have had a body lift on my truck since 95 and I have had no problems with it at all. Infact the kit on lil Suzy is the first body lift ever put on a Sidekick. 12 years same truck no problems
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I will say that Fletcher has a good reason to say that... He added a 3" to an old rig of his. I dont like the 3" I am considering 2" body lift. I have ordered some goodies for my kick and can't wait to build it up!!!
I see many bumper lifts for 1 and 3" body lifts... Am I able to get a 2" to raise my bumper?
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Bodylifts put to much leverage on the mounts, they are very dangerous and a good way to realy destroy the strength of the body.I have had two bodylifted vehicles.A 94 2door kick and a 1987 ford ranger.Ya they allow for you to put bigger tires on, they look cool and are afforadable.On the ranger I busted mounting bolts left and right and finaly the mounting holes through the body got so beat up I have to just take the body off and go as a trail only rig. On my Tracker the bolts came loose every outing, In real flexed out situations the body whould creek and crack and make all kinds of noises like it was going to fall off the frame.
Then I remember the big as ass gap between the body and frame.....UGLY and how about the frame how it sticks so low than body under the rocker pannels...........UGLY.......Ill never ever do a body lift again. I will say this, when I installed my twin sticks and 4to1 t case, it was much easier with the body lift.
Just be patient,save your coin and go with Toyota Axles and Trail Tough Trail slayer kit.
These vehicles I listed above were not on the street that much and I wheeled the crap out of em.
Maybe as a street vehicle a body lift might be ok, but offroad never.
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These vehicles I listed above were not on the street that much and I wheeled the crap out of em.
Maybe as a street vehicle a body lift might be ok, but offroad never.
fletcher, you make some good points. The 2" body lift on lil Suzy is made from 2X3 inch box tubing. It is fairly heavy duty and I put it together using grade 8 hardware. I have not had any problems with the bolts coming loose or squeaking, and the truck has seen a lot of off-road travel. You may be right that 3" is to much, it is possible that it does put to much stress on the points. The Sidekick frame does flex a lot and the farther you move the body from the frame the more stress is going to develop.
Just be patient,save your coin and go with Toyota Axles and Trail Tough Trail slayer kit.
Agreed, My next project is going be a 16V 4 door auto. It will be getting a 4 link SAS setup and 33's. It will not be getting a body lift because all the lift needed can be incorporated into the suspension lift.
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I just went and checked the bolts on my 2" RRO body lift the other day. I couldn't get any of them any tighter than they already were. It's been a little over 2 years now since I first installed it, and haven't had a problem, with the exception of the silly little mounts that are supposed to support the frame/body up near the rear coil spring mount. Those didn't hold in very well.
When Fletcher first said he was busting mounts and that, i figured he lived on the east coast with bad rust situations, but then i saw his profile, and he's in utah. I personally haven't ever seen frame or body mount problems on a tracker/sidekick, other than those really rusty ones from canada and the east coast.
I do agree that I wouldn't do a body lift, unless i had to, and on my vehicle, i felt it was pretty much a requirement. The gaps are horrible though.
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I tried the Body Lift experience..TWICE and the picky person I am, I just dont care from them. Maybe a 2inch will not be as bad as my 3 inchers. If I need more tire room......get the dremel out and do a clean cut on the fenders, then rap it with some black rubber molding to cover up the bad spots.
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Well, The 2" are high density poly I think... So no square tubing... Fletcher, I am PMing you something...
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Well thanks everyone who voiced an oppinion on this matter. I have (nearly) decided on my course of action for my 4dr. I will be doing the RockMolester lift ( http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=444978 ). This will allow me to run 30" tires. I believe this will be perfect for its intended use. Now I have to start planning for other things....
Oh The Insanity!!!! ;D
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Sky's 2 inch body lift with OME coils, shocks and struts. Gives you about 4.5 inches of lift without an aftermarket front bumper. I am running 30x9.5x15 Cooper Discoverer STT's on 15x7 steel rockcrawler wheels. Works great so far!! My .02
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Well, I did the RRO 2" bodylift. I will post a pic tomorrow when it is light out!!! I know you can do a 3" gastank lift... Will it work the same for a 2" body lift? More mods to come!!!!
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Hi congradulations on the lift. The gas tank lift will not work on a 2 inch lift. You need the full 3 inchs to fully raise the tank. I have a 2.5 inch lift on lil suzy and when I raised the gas tank on her I had to spacer down the front of the tank for clearance. Perhaps you can do the same I don't know. Honestly I don't think so, I think a full inch less will be to much, and the gas tank will sit at to much of an angle.
The reason it will not fit is because of a small box on top of the gas tank. It might be possible to move it, or cut or hammer some clearance into the floorboard to make it work.
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Thanks for that info.... I will research further...
Also, it feels like I am sitting in a highchair now...lol
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I tried the Body Lift experience..TWICE and the picky person I am, I just dont care from them. Maybe a 2inch will not be as bad as my 3 inchers. If I need more tire room......get the dremel out and do a clean cut on the fenders, then rap it with some black rubber molding to cover up the bad spots.
What was it that your picky inner-self didn't like? Gaps? Look? Performance?