ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: standog on June 18, 2004, 08:12:31 AM
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Ok here goes another lift question..
03 Vitara
lift idea:
BDS 2inch Coils
RRO coil spacers
OME struts and shocks
Anybody see a problem with driveline or cv's? I love the calmini but just can't justify the cost plus. This lift I could do some at a time. Thought ideas and suggestions would be great.
Last thing this is a poll question?
Who would like to see Calmini sell the parts to there kit seperatly?
I would like to have everthing except the coils and the struts and shocks.
Thanks.
Clay
-
Ok here goes another lift question..
03 Vitara
lift idea:
BDS 2inch Coils
RRO coil spacers
OME struts and shocks
Anybody see a problem with driveline or cv's? I love the calmini but just can't justify the cost plus. This lift I could do some at a time. Thought ideas and suggestions would be great.
Last thing this is a poll question?
Who would like to see Calmini sell the parts to there kit seperatly?
I would like to have everthing except the coils and the struts and shocks.
Thanks.
Clay
Are you looking at this for what size tires? You may be better off with either spacers or coils along with a body lift for the tire space.
I'm just going the route of 2" spacers and haven't been able to get them installed up front yet. Coil compressor didn't help. (Have an idea to get it done, just haven't gotten around to it yet.) The rear is simple and easy enough and done already, except for longer shocks. The parking cable is the problem. The lay out route hinders any articulation with longer travel shocks.
Installation up front requires the removal of the struts as well as disconnecting the axle shafts, steering, and loosening brake line and ABS lines. Not difficult but required.
My comments: 2" lift coil along with spacers is too much angle on the cv's without dropping the axle housing and not providing a longer control a-arm. (Have you heard of the high lifted TJ's running with stock length short arms having handling problems? Same idea.)
I'd suggest either the springs or the spacers and not both. For the strut, I'd wouldn't go for the OME struts. Your stock ones are fine enough unless the OME's are 2-3" longer when extended fully. The strut is already at a max extension with either coil or spacer installed. You'll need to design a drop bracket for these as well as adapting the brace up top. I suggest: the earlier years upper mount is about 1/2 size (have pics in webshots for comparison). Fab a flat plate to mount the Trackick mount to mount to the stock upper mount. This will keep the brace stock with no mods. (My plan is to do this.) With the slight lift, the axle won't need to be adjusted. As well as the steering won't be too effective and you could possibly install the tie rod upside down (after reaming) into the knuckle. Steering is rack and pinion so it's difficult to do anything else. What you haven't considered, you need to consider longer bump stops and/or raising the bump stops points for both front and rear, brake/abs lines needing relocation or extension, and lastly the parking brake cable.
In the rear, if you go too high, you'll need to adjust the track arm mount as this centers the axle under the vehicle. By raising the vehicle without modding it's mounts, you basically pull the axle to one side and will be what is called 'barn driving'.
As for higher lifting the Vitara, think of this for fabrication: dropping the axle so that the pinion is secured underneath the crossmember rather than on top of it. Bracing the pinion to the crossmember as well as the control arm drop bracket. The axle is also secured to the lowering brackets of the arms rather than hanging from it's stock mounts, thus reducing the torque arm of the axle. Arms are mounted to drop brackets and could be custom to get the most out of static lift without being the limitation on ground clearance. Struts are mounted like idea stated above with more bracing to the strut frame mount. Steering is secured to custom knuckle design which raises it to keep it horizontally level, ie the new designed knuckles for the larger IFS trucks getting 6, 8, 10" of lift up front.
The rear gets longer and curved lower arms as well as upper arms. Rather than have rubber bushings, add the spherical bearings. You could custom fab the upper arms to triangulate or keep the track arm, but make it longer as well as level.
Not knowing, does your rear ds have u-joints at the pinion or is there a rubber isolator in the joint (my -7 has this)?