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: fatboy4848 on May 05, 2010, 10:36:12 PM
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Hi every one, I am a newbie to the site but a long time owner of my Vitara. I am looking to add a body lift and a suspension lift in the near future.Wondering if any body had any suggestions on what brands are the best for the money. I've read some about calmini products, OME(rocky Road Kits) and masterkit1 body lifts. Not sure if I should run wheel spacers or not etc. I am looking to transform my rig from our every day driver to my fun rig and getting me back and forth to work. Any insight on this subject would be great. thanks
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I've got an '02 two-door with a body lift and shocks, struts, and springs from Rocky Road (OME). I wasn't happy with their coil spacers, so I went with jeff1997's spacers. I am totally pleased with this setup. I hope this helps you.
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Thanks for the feedback.May I ask what was wrong with there spacers and were you happy with there springs,shocks,and struts.I was considering the rocky road kit do to all the negative comments I've read on the calmini kit.What makes Jeffs1997's spacers so much better? Thanks again for the feed back.
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Jeff's spacers are just the best all around!!!! LOL. I think the problem guys have with some other spacers is they are too soft and they crush over time. I actually had Rocky Road's spacers and they went from 1.5" to less than 1" in about 2 weeks. Let's face it, a coil spacer is a coil spacer, it all depends on what material they are made from. I use some very expensive urethane elastomer to make mine and so far they have held up great for everybody. Just my VERY biased .02 worth.
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Jeff is correct. The Rocky Road spacers crush and roll up like a doughnut. The shocks, springs, and struts, however...so far, so good!
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start with Jeff's spacers , tires and a rear locker.
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Thanks guys for the info.My rig has 148k on the original shocks,springs,and struts probably time for some new ones any way.So where do I find Jeff's spacers? I've been in the fabrication business for the past 30 years and plan on doing over time a complete offroad make over on the all stock vitara of mine,one off bumpers,rock sliders the works. What is a good low cost locker? and is it recamended to run one in the front diff, or is that to hard on the cv shafts? Thanks again for the info. when I get started on the project I will keep you all up to date.
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What is a good low cost locker?
If you mean a manually controlled locker, afaik there is only one - ARB - not low cost.
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I am the "Jeff" of Jeff's spacers. You can PM me for more info.
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Looking for more info, I would like to run a 31x10.5 tire on my GV,is that possible with just a 2" suspension lift or do I need the 2" body lift as well, or do I need to do even more modification. Any input from all your experience would be great.
Thanks in advance for all your input.
Mike
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You can get away with 31's using just my 2" coil lift. You will need to trim the front fenders at each corner so it will turn OK. Even with the 2" body lift some trimming would be needed.
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Thanks for the info Jeff,as soon as I get all my p's&q's in order and my plan for this project laid out I will be ordering your 2" spacer kit. Thanks again for all the feed back. on another note what size tires are you running on your rig?
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31/11.5/16 Super Swamper LTB's
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Awesome, your running a 3" body lift? Did you fab your own bumpers? I'll be posting pics of my project when I get started. I'd love to see some pics of your bumpers if you can post some. later
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Yes it has a 3" Masterkit1 body lift. I did fab my own bumpers and roof rack as well. I do not have many pictures and I also do not own it anymore. I sold it about a year ago so I could buy a bigger vehicle, an Eddie Bauer Expedition. I truly miss it but needed more room for my 3 kids and wife. We just got a new 2010 Town and Country but still need 2 vehicles that can haul 5-7 people. I will get another one sometime but do not know when.
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Can I get some ordering info for the Jeff's spacer lift After all Ive heard I want a set
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My email address is: hoepkers|removethispart|@charter.net. It is just "hoepkers", ignore the "remove this part". That is my paypal as well. If you send payment through paypal please add a note telling me what year and model it is for. I sell a lot of these and want to keep everyone straight. You can call me also: 618-304-8564, Jeff
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I've been doing some more reading and are hearing people mention a panhard bar mount extention. Is that some thing that is needed when installling a 2" spacer lift?
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I do make and send with my kit spacers for the upper strut mount brace. I do not know what a panhard bar mount extension is.
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The panhard bar is the same as "track bar" right? If so, I think you will need one for a 2" or greater lift. Else the axle will shift to one side.
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I have never heard that before. I have sold several dozen kits and no one has mentioned that it needed it.
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I'm not sure either, but i saw one for sale on an old post along with some other lift do dads.there was no info on who made it or where to get one if it is needed. I guess I'll have to do some more research.I want to make sure I have all the parts I need when I start this project.
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The GV does have a Panhard Bar, called "Rod Suspension Lateral" running from the leftside of the rear axle towards the rightside of the frame.
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I'm thinking if your suspension lift is greater than 2 inches, the pan hard bar extension would be neccessary. Dave at "Bits 4 Vits" installed lift springs and coil spacers in one of his demo trucks which required the panhard extension (which he also sells). I have had Jeff's 2 inch coil spacers on one of my trucks for over two years and OME springs on the other. Both track straight with no rear end alignment problems.
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Thanks for the info on the track bar mount extention.Since I'm only going to be using Jeff's 2" spacers I guess I won't be needing that. Any suggestions on a good 2" body lift, I was leaning towards the Rocky Road 2" body lift,struts,and rear shocks.I'm waiting for my new camera to come in the mail,as soon as I receive it I'll post a pic of my GV stock and as I make changes I'll post in progress pics. Thanks again for all the info.
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As far as body lifts go, I would not get metal spacers. The mounts are supposed to compress slightly and absorb bounces. I bought a Rocky-Road body lift, but the blocks were a hard plastic. The kit did come with steeering extensions which were nice, and brake line extensions but I think they were the wrong ones. I didn't like the look of the Rocky-Road lift, so I never put it on..
I would get a poly body lift from bits for vits. It's polyurethane, but it replaces the orginal body mount as well, which is much sturdier than the Rocky-Road blocks which just sit ontop of the stock mounts.
I would highly recommend the Rock-Road OME struts, they are awesome! Much better than stock, and way better than those crappy Calmini struts!
My .02.
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Question about using Jeff's spacer lift with OME struts - would I just need the coil spacer and not the strut spacer? I was under the impression that the OME struts already compensate for the small lift provided by their matching springs keeping the alignment in check.
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Frank84 that's a very good question regarding the strut spacers in conjunction with the OME struts. I would like to hear any feed back on this subject as well. If all goes well I will be starting to order my parts in a few weeks.. It would be really nice if I could get the combination right the first time. On the subject of the body lift, is there a web site for Vits & Bits, How do I find those parts(2"body lift).
Thanks for the input.
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OME springs give 30mm lift, and OME struts have 40mm longer travel.
See http://www.offroad24.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d674.html (http://www.offroad24.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d674.html)
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I own one 2nd Gen Tracker with OME springs under it and another 2nd Gen Tracker with Jeff's Coil spacers under it. 1 1/2" spacers in the front with 2" in the rear. BOTH have strut extenders (not spacers) on them. The difference in height between the two is just at 1/4" on the front fenders. The shorter truck has 70 series 235s on it (versus 75 series) which accounts for this slight difference in height, I believe.
I wouldn't hesitate to mount a set of OME struts on either or both of them. In fact, I think OME struts would be preferable and "more secure" over the extenders although Dave |removethispart|@ Bits for Vits makes a very hefty set of extenders. I got ahold of a set of Dave's extenders recently, but I haven't replaced the ones on either of the trucks yet.
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I'm confused with the metric tire sizes. I am going to be running my stock 16" wheels and would like to run a 31x10.5 tire so what metric size is close to that(245/70-245/75 etc.) any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
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I'm confused with the metric tire sizes. I am going to be running my stock 16" wheels and would like to run a 31x10.5 tire so what metric size is close to that(245/70-245/75 etc.) any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Closest to 31x10.5 seems to be 265/75R16 or 275/70R16.
I used http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html). The 275s are a bit wider, but closer to 31" dia. But tires don't usually come out at the nominal measurement anyway.