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: olija on June 22, 2009, 09:19:19 PM
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So those of you who have been following my story...I finished installing my Calmini lift on my 01 Vitara 2.0L in mid-May, took it 4x4ing once up a trail and took it 60km down a gravel forest service road, and under 1000km of on-road driving. The Calmini struts blew out after 2 weeks!
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450023_large.jpg)
So I got around to removing the blown struts and this is how the driver's side one looked:
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450024_large.jpg)
And here is what the end of the strut looks like after the retaining nut falls off and the piston is rubbing against the strut body due to catastrophic failure.
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450025_large.jpg)
Now I just finished installing some Monroe Sensa-Trac OEM replacement struts and I think I am going to have EXACTLY the same problem. Why? Because my truck is lifted too much. I lowered the vehicle down and it appears that I have a whopping 1/4 to 1/2 inch of suspension down-travel AT BEST. The struts are just about topped out driving around on the street, which means that any off-road travel or even a rough paved road will cause the same stupid result. I have heard that the Calmini springs need time to settle in and sag down, however I think that out of the box the suspension should have more than a half inch of down travel.
What am I missing here...my truck is a 2001 Vitara 2.0L 4-banger. I know the kit is designed for the 2.5 V6 model which weighs a few more pounds. Also my truck does not have any skid plates on it yet and it doesn't have any heavy steel winch bumpers, and I also do not have a 31" spare tire to match the set. Is this the problem, that my truck simply does not weigh enough to compress the springs?
Or did I screw up the install? Was I supposed to take the rubber spring isolator out of the upper coil bucket before I installed the Calmini spring? It seems redundant to ask, but I'm trying to cover all my bases here...
What else can I do to get my front end down? Just driving it around seems like a bad idea because I don't want to shell out another $100 for new struts and then another $100 for an alignment. Suggestions are very welcome.
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My Calmini lift was ridiculous when I first installed it. My suspension was totally articulated just driving around. I took it easy on it for a week or 2 and now it's much better. When the springs were new I couldn't even get the coil spring spacers in. It took over an hour just to fit ONE spring in the front. Now it rides much better, the front settled an inch or so. Once I get a front bumper and winch I will probably put the coil spring spacers in the front.
Another thing, my struts make one heck of a squeaking noise. They seem loose...
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Hmm, that is quite rediculous. My struts made alot of squeaking noise on the trip that they blew out on, so you'd best be keeping your wallet handy for a new pair! :P
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If you add a 150# bumper and a Warn winch, the front does what its designed to do.
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(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450019_large.jpg)
(http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv114/stage3vtec/DSC02939.jpg)
you front end lift looks similar to mines..
personally, i don't think those springs are well suited for the lighter 2.0L models.. under heavy braking, my front end barely dives.. and when i go over a small crest at moderate speed, if feels as though the front tyres lift off the ground..
i hope those springs 'settle' down a bit over time..
and it appears that I have a whopping 1/4 to 1/2 inch of suspension down-travel AT BEST. The struts are just about topped out driving around on the street
please explain what you mean by 'down travel' and 'topped out' for me? is your struts fully extended?? and how is your downward travel only 1/2"?
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If you add a 150# bumper and a Warn winch, the front does what its designed to do.
Has Calmini started selling their bumper? In the 5 Years I've had my Tracker, their website has continued to proclaim: "Coming soon! Now taking pre-orders!" RRO states: "Stay tuned for our AWESOME line of pre-runner bumpers!"
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I took mine for a burn out in the street yesterday and you're completely right, the front end barely goes down at all when I stomp on the brakes.
What I mean by "topped out" is the struts are at the top of their travel. That is to say, they are just about fully extended. When there is weight on the vehicle, they go down 1/2" which gains me a WHOPPING 1/2" of suspension down-travel when going over obstacles. Hope that clears it up a little.
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i had jacked the front end of the vehicle until one front tyre came off the ground, i.e. strut was fully extended..
i then measured from the top of the strut to a mark on its body.. with the tyre lifted, i got 9 5/8"..
then i lowered the vehicle back to the ground and measured 9 1/8" to the same mark..
subtracting the two figures show that the front struts ONLY compresses 1/2 an inch with the weight of the front end on it!
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i also measured the amount of lift necessary to pick the front tyres off the ground..
(http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv114/stage3vtec/DSC03074.jpg)
the measuring tape was originally set to the height of the fender with the vehicle on the ground..
i then slowly jacked up the vehicle until the tyre just came off the ground.. it takes approx 2" to get the tyre in the air...
seems as though i gotta get a winch and heavy skid plates to weigh the front end down!!
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If you add a 150# bumper and a Warn winch, the front does what its designed to do.
Has Calmini started selling their bumper? In the 5 Years I've had my Tracker, their website has continued to proclaim: "Coming soon! Now taking pre-orders!" RRO states: "Stay tuned for our AWESOME line of pre-runner bumpers!"
Nope, you have to build one.
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Think there is sound logic to adding the front bumper, skid and winch for a better ride. If their front end wasn't stiff, adding these items would crush your front suspension down. Calmini is an off-road aftermarket parts dealer. I had the same thought with the coil lifts and OME medium springs I have on my trucks. The coil lifts provide a stiffer ride than the OME medium springs do. I've thought many times if your threw on a bumper, skid plate and possibly a wich you'd lose at least an inch of height on the OME medium springs. I think the coil spacers with stock srpings would retain more of their ride height than the medium coils and ride better with more weight on the front end to boot. The heavy coils weren't available/on hand when I ordered my springs from OME. They are supposed to be about a 1/2 inch shorter than the mediums as well.
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A friend of mine used his stock springs with coil spacers. Got the lift with a ride similar to stock, works great. My experience with the Calmini springs have been pretty hit and miss ( installed quite a few kits over the years ). The kit is good but the springs and shocks/struts are questionable at best.
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I think i'll change back to my OE springs and add some coil spacers to them.. that way i'll get back a softer ride up front and gain some more down travel on the front struts..
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i've seen a lot of past posts where guys state they get out for a good long day of wheeling where the front end gets some exercise flexing that thing start to soften out. might be worth a try before changing your springs?
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but it is also possible to damage the struts from alot of flexing / constant limiting out the struts.. i really don't want to chance damaging them while trying to work them in..
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i've seen a lot of past posts where guys state they get out for a good long day of wheeling where the front end gets some exercise flexing that thing start to soften out. might be worth a try before changing your springs?
I went 4x4ing up and down a rocky creekbed (2 hour round trip) and I also drove about 120km on a poorly maintained gravel road. When I add the street driving to that, I get a little over 1000km. I think that struts which are designed for a lifted vehicle application should be BROKEN IN by that point, not BROKEN.
When I went wheelin' up the rocky trail, thinking back, I could feel the struts topping out. People who saw me driving around town that weekend said my front tire was actually off the ground when I was cornering.
On my Sidekick I have a 1" front spring spacer that nets me 1.5" lift. Therefore I'm guessing I'd need about a 1.75" spacer to get 2.5" of lift. My other option is some custom springs that are the same rate as the factory springs, just a little longer. My Sidekick has never had any problems with the spacer lift and it they fairly easy to install. So...is there any advantage in longer springs or should I just cheap out and get some spacers?
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the advantages of longer springs without the use of spacers seems to spark heated debates on this forum for some reason. for the sake of simplicity i think the spacer route is fine, it's not like we want the extra travel upwards so what advantage does a longer spring in this case make..
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hey guys, i'm looking for a 2" front coil spacer.. i figure the 2" front spacer with the softer OE coils will be a safer bet with the 'short' Calmini struts..
can someone recommend a set of 2" spacers for me.. i prefer to purchase from somewhere in the US..
thanks
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I think you can just cut your coils down and be ok. This is what I am trying right now. I removed one Calmini spring and my dad took the Calmini spring and the factory spring to a custom spring shop and the guy there analyzed them with his CNC spring machine. Turns out that the Calmini spring is barely any stiffer than the OE spring, this would probably be because the OE spring is 9/16" diameter steel and the Calmini spring is 5/8", and the Calmini coils are wound slightly closer together.
What this means is that the Calmini spring is simply too long for our 2.0L applications, not too stiff. I think Calmini designed the spring to be long enough to absorb the weight of the 2.5 V6, plus skid plates, plus a big heavy winch bumper, and still have decent amounts of travel. However, without all this extra weight, our little 2-liter beaters simply don't have what it takes to compress the springs enough to overcome the built-in preload of the springs. The only thing holding the springs in the vehicle is the maxed-out struts, really. So my conclusion is to cut the springs down by 1 coil. I tried half a coil on the driver's side and it didn't make a huge difference, but I think a full coil should be just right. I also tried putting the factory spring in just to see where it sat in the strut's travel range.
The difference between the factory spring and the calmini spring is huge though. Even just cutting half a coil off the Calmini spring makes it A LOT easier to install the spring. An untouched Calmini spring definitely requires spring compressors to install, whereas with half a coil cut off I used a prybar to keep it in the lower bucket while my dad jacked the A-arm up. With the stock spring I didn't hardly need to use the prybar cause it slipped in so easily.
3stagevtec, I'm sure Jeff will sell you some custom spacers.
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All right, another update. I cut 1 coil off my Calmini front springs and my suspension travel is looking pretty good. The downside: the truck sits a little raked. With stock size tires (215/65/16) the back is 11 5/8 inches off the ground at the framerail underneath the rear doors, and the front is 10 1/4 inches at the framerail just behind the body mount behind the front wheelwell. So it's sitting an 1.5" lower in the front. I don't have insurance on the Vitara right now so I couldn't do much driving around but I hit the gutter at the bottom of my driveway a few times and it feels pretty good. My front suspension actually works now, and when I slam on the brakes it actually dives like a normal vehicle would. I think once I put my spare tire back on, and put my toolbox in the back of the truck it should level out a bit too. I also busted out the articulation ramps (just 2 12" high ramps that I set up on diagonally opposed wheels) to see if I have any down travel this time around, and low and behold, yes I do!
My conclusion would be to try cut 3/4 of a coil off if you don't want the slightly raked look. I have to see what it looks like and if the tires still fit with my 31's on it and then decide if I will add a small spacer to level it out or just leave it as is. If you need pics let me know.
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Olija, if you slip a small spacer in won't that defeat the purpose of removing a piece of the coil spring up front?
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All right, another update. I cut 1 coil off my Calmini front springs and my suspension travel is looking pretty good. The downside: the truck sits a little raked. With stock size tires (215/65/16) the back is 11 5/8 inches off the ground at the framerail underneath the rear doors, and the front is 10 1/4 inches at the framerail just behind the body mount behind the front wheelwell. So it's sitting an 1.5" lower in the front. I don't have insurance on the Vitara right now so I couldn't do much driving around but I hit the gutter at the bottom of my driveway a few times and it feels pretty good. My front suspension actually works now, and when I slam on the brakes it actually dives like a normal vehicle would. I think once I put my spare tire back on, and put my toolbox in the back of the truck it should level out a bit too. I also busted out the articulation ramps (just 2 12" high ramps that I set up on diagonally opposed wheels) to see if I have any down travel this time around, and low and behold, yes I do!
My conclusion would be to try cut 3/4 of a coil off if you don't want the slightly raked look. I have to see what it looks like and if the tires still fit with my 31's on it and then decide if I will add a small spacer to level it out or just leave it as is. If you need pics let me know.
thank you for this review! i was pretty scared to cut the coils, but it was on my mind..
the reason i was looking into the 2" coil spacers was because i didn't want to damage the calmini coils, if incase i wanted to add a heavy steel bumper / winch in the future..
post some pics of your vehicle to show how it sits.. and the rear springs are pretty soft, so drop in a lil music subwoofer box and you should level out nicely ;)
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So my conclusion is to cut the springs down by 1 coil. I tried half a coil on the driver's side and it didn't make a huge difference, but I think a full coil should be just right. I also tried putting the factory spring in just to see where it sat in the strut's travel range.
did you cut 1/2 a coil on BOTH sides or just one when you tested here?? if you only cut one side, the sway bar & uncut spring on the other side will actually lift the cut side.. thus hiding the true results..
i have a few questions,
- what is the new suspension down travel? i remember we both measured 1/2" with the full length coils..
- when you sort out your insurance, give another driving review on the cut springs..
i'm very interested to try this myself as it will save me some $$ in purchasing coil spacers and i will get to continue using the calmini springs / shocks..
thanks again for this review! very helpful..
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Ok first off, pics as promised:
(I have my 31's on my Sidekick, going wheelin this weekend! If you need, I can post pics with the mudders on when I switch it over. I have a few other things to figure out still though.)
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450027_large.jpg)
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450026_large.jpg)
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450028_large.jpg)
As you can see my front suspension actually has DOWN and UP travel now. If you look at the frontal shot the angle of the A-arms makes this quite apparent. One CV was parallel with the axlehousing and the other one was angled down quite nicely.
Olija, if you slip a small spacer in won't that defeat the purpose of removing a piece of the coil spring up front?
Depends how big the spacer is...I have determined 1 coil to be 1.5" of lift. So if I put in a spacer that gives less than 1.5" lift, it wouldn't defeat the purpose.
did you cut 1/2 a coil on BOTH sides or just one when you tested here?? if you only cut one side, the sway bar & uncut spring on the other side will actually lift the cut side.. thus hiding the true results..
First off I don't have the sway bar installed. Much easier and nicer that way. Second, I first tried just half a coil off the driver's side, tried it out and decided a full coul would be the way to go. So I took both sides out that night and took them to work and used a zip cutter to cut the remaining half a coil off the driver's side, and a full coil off the passenger side since I hadn't touched that one yet. You can try cutting half a coil on both sides...just remember, you can always cut more, you can never get it back.
- what is the new suspension down travel? i remember we both measured 1/2" with the full length coils..
I'm getting sleepy but I recall it being about 2". So, quite an improvement over the full length spring!
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your truck looks really good with that 2" body lift! did you ever post a review / install log for it?
2" down travel sounds great! i think i will try cutting two thirds of a coil 1st, measure and evaluate the new down travel / ride quality, then adjust again if necessary..
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Um, I don't think I've ever made an official review on the body lift but I have positively commented on some people's threads. It's without a doubt the best, most complete body lift you can get for these trucks. Costs a bit more than the simple ones, but you DO get what you pay for!
And hey, just in case you don't know this...I'm assuming you do since it isn't rocket science: make sure you cut the BOTTOM of the spring, not the top!
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lol, that's for the tip.. and the review on the lift kit, i'll look into it for sure..
this thread was VERY helpful :)
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Just to add to the helpful-ness of this thread...I discovered the outer tie rod ends Calmini uses are just some generic off-the-shelf units you can pick up at your local auto parts store. So I upgraded them to some nice Moog ones with grease nipples since I was being a dumbass the other night and stripped the thread on one of them. So it might be worth thinking about doing if you feel the need...your truck's gonna be in pieces anyways. I should have my junk back on the road next week hopefully, then I will give my 2 cents on how it drives with the chopped springs. Cheers!
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haha, ok, i don't wanna get in trouble for vendor bashing here but what good is the calmini lift, the tie rods are nothing special, it's obvious that the control arms don't do anything for the track width, otherwise all the other parts would need to be longer to match.. struts are crap, front springs are very questionable, diff drop & panhard brackets are nice and can be purchased elsewhere.... sorry, i am not trying to put down your lift as i know with the bugs ironed out it will work but that is crap in my books.
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([url]http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450028_large.jpg[/url])
Is that Calvin peeing on your truck?
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it's obvious that the control arms don't do anything for the track width, otherwise all the other parts would need to be longer to match..
Well, don't forget that the diff actually gets dropped a bit, too, which mimicks longer axle shafts for the same lift compared to stock a-arms.
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that is a good point beercheck however in the past there were a couple posts in which somebody had compared their stock and calmini arms and posted the difference to be maybe a 1/4inch if i recall correctly.. it just seems that most people buying these lifts are experiencing a variety of issues with them to me.. just a personal opinion.
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Yes, I definitely agree that a lift "kit" that is advertised on their own website as "a suspension system, not just a lift kit" should be complete, tuned, and have all the kinks ironed out. Obviously this is far from the case.
I think the tie rod ends are a good idea, they are noticeably larger and beefier than stock. Never a bad thing when you're going from a 26" pizza cutter to a meaty 31x10.5. Everyone beefs up their drivetrain, but I don't think steering should be overlooked either.
I'm pretty sure the A-arms aren't really meant to increase the track width by an awful lot. I think their main purpose is to make sure the spring is seated properly and not curved like crazy like if you would use a longer spring on the stock a-arm.
I can't really confirm if the struts ARE actually crap. I think if the springs were a proper length to begin with, the struts probably would have been fine. ANY strut would have pulled apart under these circumstances.
And no, that is not Calvin peeing on the truck! haha, it's my dad, standing beside the picture to give some proportion to it. Gotta let the old guys feel important still eh...
I put the truck all back together now, got my big tires on again. Rolled it out of the garage without insurance and it drives pretty nice in the cul-de-sac. Insurance is going on it Tuesday night, alignement Wednesday morning. Bush camping Friday/Saturday. YEE HAW!
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I'm pretty sure the A-arms aren't really meant to increase the track width by an awful lot. I think their main purpose is to make sure the spring is seated properly and not curved like crazy like if you would use a longer spring on the stock a-arm.
The control arms aren't meant to increase the track at all - but rather to correct the track and camber changes that result from lifting the vehicle.
Our exclusive longer control arms increase wheel travel, and maintain proper track width and wheel alignment
Part of the problem that leads to kits such as these receiving perhaps undeserved negative comments is folks not having a clear understanding of what's involved in lifting (or lowering) a vehicle.
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i mistyped... maintain track width, not increase it, the control arms still do not do this. i'm not trying to start a bunch of shard here at all, just noticed over the years that most people have a few issues with their calmini kits...
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just noticed over the years that most people have a few issues with their calmini kits...
Over the years, I've noticed that most people have issues with every lift kit.
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Well, here is my official report.
At a glance you can't even tell that the truck is raked, especially with the larger tires. On road, the truck drives great even without the swaybar. Body roll is not even that bad compared to my old Sidekick with its super spongy springs. Once you hit the rougher gravel it can be a little jarring with 35 psi in the tires, but aired down to 20 or so you will be all right. On the trail it works good, I had it flexed out and it seems to do what it's supposed to do. It sure is noisy though. Lots of spring creaking and groaning, and I guess with my body lift as the frame flexes it creaks a bit too. I just wish the rear e-brake cables were longer. Even with my modified mounts they are still VERY close to full extension when the rear wheels drop down.
Oh and another thing to keep an eye on...the hub bolts! I don't know if this is a problem with mud tires vibrating things too much, or bouncing up and down trying to get over obstacles, or if my bolts just weren't tight enough, but I was driving down the road about 10km from the trail and as I was going around a corner around 80km/h all of a sudden I see my Superwinch manual hub fly out into the field on the side of the road! I didn't find it back either.
I now have about 500 km on these new struts with the chopped springs, so far so good.
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sucks about the hub, think ur supposed to put some locktite on them things..? have any pics of the vitara with the bigger tires and flexed out?
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jump up to a 10.9 or 12.9 metric allen cap bolts, and lock washers and torque the snot out of them. This happens alot when not using the factory cone washers. You can also machine out the bolt holes to use the cone washers, or swap on Kicker hubs with cone washers (which might be the best route since your already down a hub)
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just switch to the tracker cone washer hubs, thats what i did, works great..........
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UPDATE : Well, it's been a fun summer since I chopped the coils down and installed the Monroe struts, but...my struts are blown AGAIN!
My extended review is that I still need more down-travel. Driving down gravel roads and dropping the front wheels into potholes will max out the suspension droop and result in a loud thud. Even on slow-speed rock crawling trails, driving over babyheads at any more than a 1st gear (4.24:1 t-case) crawl will also result in this same topping out of the front struts as I drop off the backside of the rock.
I ordered another set of Monroes, since other than the topping out problem, they worked great. I also ordered a set of Boondox Motorsports 2" strut extensions but they haven't given me a tracking number yet so I have no idea where they are at. I am hoping with the extensions, my topping out problems will be completely resolved...although I still find it wierd how nobody else on this forum has this problem.
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THE SHOCKS CALMINI SENDS YOU ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR THE LIFT. PUT A SET OF OLD MAN EMU STRUTS IN. THEY ARE ABOUT 1 INCH LONGER AND WORK WAY BETTER. I RUN A CALMINI LIFT AND A SKY BODY LIFT AND OLD MAN EMU STRUTS AND 33 INCH PITBULLS AND IT WORKS GOOD. WHEN I SET IT UP WITH THE CALMINI STRUTS IT BOUND UP AND WON'T BOUNCE ON THE STREET AND BLEW THEM APART OFF ROAD.
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hey olija, i would strongly suggest that you cancel your boondox order, i have had terrible experiences with the service more than once, thought i'd give him a 2nd try, bad idea. these extensions will be way long for your setup, when i replaced my struts that had the boondox extensions i replaced them with the extensions from bits4vits, they are of much better finished quality, they screwed onto the strut without sanding/grinding/heating like most experience with the bds extensions from boondox. the bits4vits extensions are also about an inch shorter and would likely be a better choice for the longevity of your front end.
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I'm not interested in spending $300+ on OME right now, specially since I already have the new struts at my house. The thought crossed my mind, though.
I am in the process of cancelling my order with Boondox, seeing as they didn't respond to my email a few days ago requesting a tracking number on my order. I phoned my local 4x4 store today armed with a BDS part number given to me by "sir lance" here and they will have my extensions in tomorrow afternoon, meaning if all goes according to plan, I should have the truck all back together by Saturday, aligned early next week, then off to Alberta, and then down to Power Fest in Oregon!
I also thought the extensions might allow too much down travel, but I really am in a time crunch right now and I don't feel like waiting for parts to ship from the UK. If there is too much droop, I'll have to rig up some sort of limiting strap.
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or, put your swaybar back on for a temp measure.....you will be mad if you go all the way to Oregon only to blow up a cv due to over drop, just be sure to have a look in the driveway before you leave lol
ps: glad the number worked out for you, without it, they just look at you like you have 2 heads, Bobby was the only one who knew what i was talking about when i would call up, but she no longer works there.
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for future reference i had my box of parts from the uk in 5 days, the guy runs a post office so my stuff was shipped before i'd even paid for it! i agree that reinstalling the swaybar might be a good idea for now.
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5 DAYS! Who's got that kind of time? I called in my order yesterday, and picked up my strut extenders at the supplier 2 minutes down the road from my work today. You can't beat that kind of service.
Anyway, just like everyone else, the extensions take a bit of elbow grease to get onto the strut, but they are on...Saturday I will install the struts on the vehicle and see how I want to run it.
If the strut extensions give me too much travel, I might try it without the Calmini strut spacers and see how that is, because the strut extensions seem pretty long. Otherwise I will have to rig up some straps as I mentioned earlier.
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how long are the clmini spacers?
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how long are the clmini spacers?
About 2.5" to 3"
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huh, that is really quick service! very nice. hope they workout well, if you setup up limiting straps can't wait to see the pics. there was a guy on the gen 1 forum that had done this last year sometime if i recall correctly
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That's bentparts. He has one sick rig...right down to his custom turbo.
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OK, got my junk mostly figured out now. Worked on it yesterday. First I tried combining the Calmini strut spacer with the BDS screw-on extension, but that combination was WAY too long. With it set up like that, I'd have barely 2" of up travel and the down travel would be so much that the springs would pop out easily. So I took it apart and removed the Calmini strut spacer and only used the BDS extension, and it's almost good like this. The strut piston looks to be sitting right about halfway through its travel now, but I am still going to need some limiting straps because jacking the front end off the ground, my CV angles are pretty intense and the brake hoses are looking very tight as well.
The nice thing about not having to run the Calmini strut spacer is now my front tires don't rub on my strut mounts anymore because they aren't dropped down as far. Also, my cross-brace is much easier to install and remove now since I don't have to deal with Calmini's hokey little tube-spacers.
I still think it's weird nobody else with the Calmini kit has needed to do this... ???
EDIT: pics
Before:
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450032_large.jpg)
After:
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450033_large.jpg)
Also, the Calmini spacer is definitely NOT 2.5-3". It's more like 1.5". The BDS extension is way longer than the Calmini spacer.
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you shouldn't need any straps with this setup, i ran those extensions with no front diff drop for 3yrs without no major issues, couple c clip issues was mostly it, well, ok one cv joint/axle but not sure it was cause of the extensions. just take ur brake lines of the mount clip on the strut and use tie wraps or make a new clip. i'm assuiming you have the calmini diff drop brackets installed
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how did your truck do on your trip?
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I have not gone on the trip yet, I'm leaving to Alberta on Friday and Suzuki Powerfest in Oregon the Friday after that. I just got my alignment today and I am pretty sure I'll need some straps...my CV angles are pretty drastic, like 45 degrees if I jack the front end up. I guess it's not driving around like that all the time but I still can't see that being any good for things in the long run. I'm more afraid of the spring popping out on the middle of the trail than anything.
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just want to add my lil review..
I am running the same Calmini kit, but i cut out 2/3 of a coil on the both front springs since July.. I haven't had any problems with my suspension down travel since then, the Calmini struts are still running fine.. I have taken the vehicle on mild off roading trails and it rides as good as stock.. Very comfortable ride when compared to the uncut springs!
My recommendation is anyone with the lighter 2.0L / 1.6L Grand Vitaras to cut out 2/3 of a coil on the front springs to maintain a proper ride and long life on the Calmini struts.. Otherwise, longer struts will be necessary to run with the longer front springs..
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OK, trip to Alberta went fine other than blowing the front diff being a showoff...anyways I don't know if this front end setup is satisfactory yet. It seems like it bottoms out too easily on small to medium bumps at speed and I still think there is too much down-travel. I measured before and after I installed the BDS extension and I now have 2" more down-travel than before, and I think that is probably quite a bit more than I needed. I am considering taking it all apart (AGAIN! what is this the 5th or 6th time? I've lost count, but I can do it in the dark now so I guess there is some advantage!) and hacking about an inch off the BDS extension if I can still remove it from the strut piston. I hit one particular huge bump WAY too fast and I felt my struts bottom out really harsh - therefore, my bumpstops ain't doin jack-all! So maybe a little fine tuning is still necessary to get this $&*!()!*(|removethispart|@ "system" figured out.
Oh, and for what it's worth, I did get in contact with Calmini eventually. They figure that part of the problem might have something to do with the fact that since I ordered my kit in February, I still have their "old style" springs. The difference between their old and new springs is the manufacturing process. The old ones are hot-wound coils and the new ones are cold-wound. This means that the old ones need an extreme workout to get them broken in and to have them sit at the correct height. The new cold-wound springs do not necessitate this, which would possibly explain why not all Calmini lifts suck ass for everyone else out there!
Since I cut my springs down to accomodate for the stiffness, and then wheeled it good and hard over the summer, it is safe to say the springs are sufficiently broken in. Also, I gave them my ride height measurements and they confirmed that it is sitting at the correct height. After reviewing all my information, the only thing they could suggest was to run a 1" wheel spacer up front to put some more leverage on the spring.
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i don't think you can cut the strut spacers down, they screw in up at the top, and only have enough threads to bottom out that lower caller, and i don't think you can tap it any further than where it is, due do the taper where it slides into the bushing.
if that made any sense LOL
i wonder if we could swap in the longer controll arms from a sidekick, we would have to extend the cv shaft length (not that hard just cut and sleeve) and figure out some kind of bracket to make the strut bolt to the knuckle in somewhat of the same angle to keep alignment. this would widen the front end, and make the susp move in a better sweep of motion. and put more leverage on the springs.
i don't much care for the 99+ ifs set up, it does not work near as well as the sidekick stuff.....
ps, post pics of said blown diff, what happend?
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Sidekick arms are wider?
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i'm pretty sure, i've never taken a measurement, but at first glance, i think so....
i don't know if the mount bushings are the same distance apart either....
it would be nice to correct some of the weak links in the newer systems
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Have 2 kicks in the back yard, will have to do some measuring to see whats up.
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Sidekick arms are definitely wider, the Vitara has a 4" wider frame but the arms are shorter to keep the overall track width about the same. Less unsprung weight for better handling.
No pics of blown diff since I still have my skid plate on since I haven't got my new stuff to install yet. Not much of a story, I was waiting for a ferry with a bunch of people and I was showing off, trying to climb up these huge logs that barely fit under the front bumper. Truck started bouncing when I tried using the brakes and gas at the same time, bounce bounce SNAP. Unlock hubs, disengage transfer case, drive away with tail in between legs and oil pissing out of front axle. Smoooooooth.
I am thinking about removing the BDS extensions and getting the Bits4Vits ones, but if they are only a half inch shorter, that won't really assist me that much more. I don't really want to put the Calmini spacers back on cause they are a hassle with my strut brace. Sorta stumped.
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hey, i have an idea, bolt your strut bushing on TOP of the steel brace off the frame.
then you can use triangle exhaust flanges as shims. you can still use your extentions, but make the system adjustable at the same time.
now that it mounts to the top, when you add shims, your moving the strut mount UP. shortening the extension.
i know it sounds hack, but if done right, it may be a solution.
-Lance
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the bits for vits extensions are at least one inch shorter, probably more like 1.5 inches shorter, sorry i never took pics to compare but i do recall thinking wow, that's gonna be a lot less travel... then thinking that was probably a good thing for the front end! also, when i ran the bds extensions with no diff drop for 3yrs i had the sway bar on, this may have help limit free travel..
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hey, i have an idea, bolt your strut bushing on TOP of the steel brace off the frame.
I was also thinking something along these lines, however, I think the strut tower brace would be sitting up against the hood if you raised it by any significant amount. I might look into these Bits4Vits pieces though, sounds like what I need.
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what if you cut down the calmini strut brace spacer?
i know i have all the room in the world thanks to my body lift hahahah
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Looking around on the Bits4Vits site. They now have 2.25" strut extensions.
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Yeah I took some measurements today...
the BDS strut extension is exactly 2.75"
the Calmini strut spacer is exactly 1.375"
Anyone want to take measurements of their Bits4Vits extenders?
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i'll try to take a quick measurement for you, i can most certainly tell you they are at least one inch shorter for now.
if you don't want the calmini spacer up there just order these in the 1.5inch length and you'll be happy.
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Hmm, that is quite rediculous. My struts made alot of squeaking noise on the trip that they blew out on, so you'd best be keeping your wallet handy for a new pair! :P
Yeah, my Calmini struts blew out a few weeks ago, taking the strut bushings out with them. I got new mounts/bushings from a junkyard and bought a set of OME struts from Rocky-Road. These struts are ALOT nicer. They don't squeak, ride better, and they have 1.5" more travel. I can actually say I have around 3" down travel now, meaning I have the lift the front of the vehicle over 3 inches to get the front tires off the ground. =)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Minion33088/Shittystrut.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Minion33088/0919091145.jpg
OME struts>stock struts>Calmini struts
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Minion33088/1011091725.jpg)
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So, now that you've got the OME struts installed, are you still running the blue Calmini strut spacer?
And, are you still running your swaybar?
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Installed my Bits4Vits extensions today. Here are some pics on level ground, before and after.
(http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450034_large.jpg)
(http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450036_large.jpg)
(http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2646/1901/31613450035_large.jpg)
Calmini strut spacer = 1.375"
BDS strut extension= 2.75"
Bits4Vits strut extension= 1.5"
I also measured how much wheel travel I got by measuring the height of one of the marker light screws and then jacking it up till the wheel was just off the ground enough to start spinning freely, and then measuring the height of the market light screw again. The Bits4Vits gave me something like 2.5 IIRC and the BDS was 5". Hopefully my down-travel has not been reduced so much that it performs exactly the same as the Calmini spacer, because then I'll be ordering OME struts down the road......I have yet to take it off road with this setup but I need to install my front diff still so it might be another week or two before I can report my results.
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i think you will be ok with the performance, i finally took my sway bar off and run the same front extensions and things work well. what are you running for rear shocks? when i took off the longer front extensions i went to longer rear shocks which more than made up the difference.
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hey guys, I'd looking for a 2" front coil spacer.. i figure the 2" front spacer with the softer OE coils will be a safer bet with the 'short' Calmini struts..
can someone recommend a set of 2" spacers for me.. i prefer to purchase from somewhere in the US..
thanks
[Go to Low Range I got mine from them it works great.
quote]
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i think you will be ok with the performance, i finally took my sway bar off and run the same front extensions and things work well. what are you running for rear shocks? when i took off the longer front extensions i went to longer rear shocks which more than made up the difference.
NO DICE
Took the rig for a 2WD test run the same night I installed the 1.5" Bits4Vits extensions, and it is set up just as horribly as with the 1.375" Calmini strut spacer. Works fine on pavement, but on gravel roads with potholes, and trails with baby-head sized rocks, the struts are always running out of down-travel. Guess maybe I should have got the 2.25" extensions, but that's only 0.5" shorter than the BDS ones I just had in there, and they were WAY too long.
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well that sucks, can't understand why you are having such issues with this.. is that stiff calmini front spring just bouncing back up with too much force for the struts? do you have stock fronts that you can use with a coil spacer to test with a different spring?
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No, I don't have my stock springs anymore, which sucks because I would have done just what you said MONTHS ago! I've been corresponding with Dave from Bits4Vits and he is running 3" of lift on his GV with the 2.25" extensions so I'm thinking I probably should have got those.
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how about using the bds extensions with a limiting strap? that way you don't top out your strut anymore?
may be an alternative?
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That part wouldn't be the problem, the problem would be the severe bottoming out that results from only having 3.5" of uptravel. I ordered the Bits4Vits 2.25" extenders this morning, maybe if they get here by the weekend I'll put them in on Saturday.
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ok then, make an extension for your bump stop, its not hard they unscrew. so you can make a spacer that screws in where the stock rubber stop was, than screw the stock rubber to the spacer. make a pipe bomb with a bolt at one end and a nut on the other.
just pull the spring out, hook the strut back up and dry cycle the susp to full stuff, that way you can see how much longer you need the bumpstop to be, so the strut does not bottom out. alot of suspension lift kits come with bumpstop extensions for this reason....
i still need to do it to mine. i have not had the issues you have tho (yet) I always moniter the "dirt" line on the shaft (hehehe) to make sure im not bottoming it out, so far so good.
the front ends on these trucks may need a bit more tweeking than the sidekick ifs, but i think we can figure it out.....
-Lance
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i've popped a few strut mounts but never completely killed a strut to the point it was not driveable. i agree that a front extension to the bumpstop is likely a good idea. bits4vits has bumpstop extensions if you need em.