ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki Grand Vitara, Vitara, Chevy Tracker (Gen. 2 Platform) 1999-2005 => Topic started by: nprecon on December 29, 2007, 04:05:09 PM
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Had a set of Jeff's coil spacers installed on Buster this past week. They required some slight mods (grinding) but worked well. The 2 inch lift created some grief on the sway bars (as noted by several guys on this forum). Fabricated a couple of shims 3.25 inch long by 1.25 inch wide, tapped 9mm holes in them and re-attached with longer 8mm grade - 8 bolts into the stock mounting holes. Worked well. The frame where the sway bar mounts to is at roughly a 45 degree angle to the ground, so any thickness (shim) you add pushes the bar forward AND down a little. A 3/4 inch thick shim seems to be the ticket. Attachment at the A-arms is almost vertical.
For anyone considering installing new springs OR coil lifts.. this is NOT a painless process. I'm a complete amateur. I could not have completed this project myself in two days. I lack air tools, grinders, etc. Ended up having installed 2 new struts (one strut was seized to the strut mount and both struts turned out to be "dead"), then had to "buzz polish" the upper strut shaft with an air polisher so the Boondox strut extensions would fit/slide over the shaft in order to thread them on, the cam bolts didn't allow enough movement in the wheel to return to normal camber so the top mount holes got opened up and Ky ended up using the original bolts.
End state though... Buster now has 11" of clearance under his frame (including the one inch of lift from the 235/75/15 Michelin LTXs).
I went with the Crown Vic rear shocks several of you recommended. they were spot on! They have right at 2 inches of extra travel over the stock Suzuki shocks which you need with the 2 inch coil spacers.
OME probably makes some great suspension springs, struts, etc, but Buster's ride is quite nice now. I attempted to attach some pics of the sway bar shims in place, but my pics were too large, even after I saved tham as jpegs, so I remain "computer challenged" and I didn't post any.
Norm
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photo! photo!very interesting i wait for photo!!
Bye Marc
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who need sway bars anyways ::)
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I use my swap bar as a fire pit poker!
Yank it off and through it away, I've driven 100,000kms without it.
3" lift, 3" body and I don't even notice its gone.
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Yep, they actually ride better without them. I can't feel anymore sway than I could with it on there.
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open your pics with paint and resave as .jpg's, they should fit, if not crop the crap off that is not relevant!
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Thank you bzzr2!
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Last one.
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Right above the last pic shows the polished metal from my tire rub I'm getting on the frame from 235s. M/Ss don't have too aggressive tread lugs so when it rains, I just get a little vibration/resistance in the wheel but thats it during fully locked tuurns.
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These show Jeff's coil spacers mounted on the front of Buster. The spacers fit fine with no required mods to them on the front end. I had to grind the coil sleeve spacer (on the bottom) off for the rear install because the spring wouldn't fit around them. I also had to bevel the upper lip to allow it to sit up into the spring cup on the top. Since one of my struts froze to the strut mount, I had to cut it off. I couldn't recover ther OEM strut covers so I bought these after martket ones to protect the strut rod surface. Last pics are left and right wheel well pics reflecting the lift Jeff's 1.5 coil spacers provide in the front. i will also throw a pitch in for Jeff's product and service. He's an honest broker, delivers the product he describes, with quick service and at a competitive price.
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Last pic shows sway bar attahment angle to the a-arm after inserting the spacer under the frame mount.
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Where do you buy those jeffs Spacer i never heard of that before.
Tank s
Nice pics
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forum name: jeff1997 real name is Jeff Hoepkers, he lives in Illinois. He mills them as a side hobby I believe. Charges $80 for two - two inch coil spacers for the rear of the truck and two - one-one-half iinch spacers for the front (four spacers total).
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well thats good, think i just take that sway bar off, and as for spacers, i just went straight for longer springs, more more travel.
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Yeah, I debated for about three months which way to go with this, but opted for the coil spacers for now. Especially when I kept hearing from forum members that two inches was about all the lift I'd probably get before I might start replacing parts of the front drive without drop brackets for the front axle .
As it turned out... I spent $80 for the coil lifts, $50 for the strut extenders and $34 for the Vic shocks or about $200 for the parts to get me 2 inches of lift... after I get into the installation part I spend another $160 for the the struts when I discovered they were smoked, $40 to replace the strut mount that froze to one of the old struts, and another $70 for rear wheel cylinders when I noticed they were seeping, then $150 for front rotors because they were smoked... then front brake pads and rear brake shoes..... etc. So this lift only cost me about $750 dollars total. Thats.... $187 per half inch. Now that's a bargain where I come from!!!!
Seriously, I bought Buster back in September 07. I knew from the git-go he hadn't received the best of care so this was all "stuff" that needed to happen anyway. After I rebuild my "smoked" mad money supply, I might explore putting some longer springs under him in lieu of the spacers. The extra 2 inches of "cush" has to ride better, although the ride isn't bad at all right now. I might even opt for an OME spring set. I don't know. Maybe I'll think about it for about three months.
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more uptravel isn't going to get you any farther, so if you don't plan on installing drop brackets and adding taller springs to your spacers you might as well just drive it like it is until your springs start to sag, which they will soon enough if you do enough rough driving! enjoy!
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I'm not aware of anyone who is currently making or offering a set of springs for these things that will provide an honestl 2 or 2 1/2 inches of lift anyway. So even if I go with longer springs, I'd still end up having to slide in a 1/2 inch or inch shim to push it to where it sits now. If I went with longer springs and the smaller shim, I would probably pull off the sway bar and allow the arms to compress and flex easier. Then again, if worms owned machineguns... those damned birds wouldn't screw with them so much either. It's probably just as good they don't.
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.... I might even opt for an OME spring set.
That, you will not regret.
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Which one would i not regret Ian, 1. not arming worms with machineguns.... or 2. pulling the coil spacers and installing longer springs and removing my sway bar?
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Which one would i not regret Ian, 1. not arming worms with machineguns.... or 2. pulling the coil spacers and installing longer springs and removing my sway bar?
Opting for OME, as I said in the quote ;)
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XJ coil measures: 17" tall, 5" dia. and uses 0.475" dia. wire
TJ coil measures: 18.5" tall, 5.25" dia. and uses 0.575" dia. wire
95 Aerostar coil measures:13.625" tall, 6.5" dia. and uses 0.600" dia. wire
2dr Kick rear measures: 12.5" tall, 4.25" dia. and uses 0.460" dia. wire
2dr Kick front measures: 10.875" tall, 4.375" dia. and uses 0.600" dia. wire
i got me a set of used xj springs off ebay for like $25 and it gave me another inch or so over the calmini springs, and the xj's can take a heavier load, for when ya load up for moab.
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XJ coil measures: 17" tall, 5" dia. and uses 0.475" dia. wire
TJ coil measures: 18.5" tall, 5.25" dia. and uses 0.575" dia. wire
95 Aerostar coil measures:13.625" tall, 6.5" dia. and uses 0.600" dia. wire
2dr Kick rear measures: 12.5" tall, 4.25" dia. and uses 0.460" dia. wire
2dr Kick front measures: 10.875" tall, 4.375" dia. and uses 0.600" dia. wire
i got me a set of used xj springs off ebay for like $25 and it gave me another inch or so over the calmini springs, and the xj's can take a heavier load, for when ya load up for moab.
Did you use them on the front or rear?
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XJ coil measures: 17" tall, 5" dia. and uses 0.475" dia. wire
TJ coil measures: 18.5" tall, 5.25" dia. and uses 0.575" dia. wire
95 Aerostar coil measures:13.625" tall, 6.5" dia. and uses 0.600" dia. wire
2dr Kick rear measures: 12.5" tall, 4.25" dia. and uses 0.460" dia. wire
2dr Kick front measures: 10.875" tall, 4.375" dia. and uses 0.600" dia. wire
i got me a set of used xj springs off ebay for like $25 and it gave me another inch or so over the calmini springs, and the xj's can take a heavier load, for when ya load up for moab.
Did you use them on the front or rear?
X2