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ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: Bigborektm on January 25, 2016, 02:51:23 PM

Title: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Bigborektm on January 25, 2016, 02:51:23 PM
Please excuse my ignorance, i have not been able to find the thread that will help me sort this out.  I am in much need of a steel axle housing for my sidekick.  I have broke two aluminum ones at this point and don't want to break another.  I have been searching craigslist high and low in order to find a xl7 or grand vitara with a steel housing.  do both the grand vitara and the xl7 steel axle housing bolt into place on my sidekick? 

Thanks,
Dennis
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: kreator on January 26, 2016, 03:26:41 PM
My steel housings came out of a 1999 Grand Vitara with a manual trans and it bolt rite in with the Sidekick IFS brackets , you will need to make sure you put the correct gears in and take out the GV carrier . I dont know what XL7 has steel housings but I have heard that take differant IFS brackets.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: ebewley on February 03, 2016, 05:20:26 AM
If you go to our home / main page and type in what you're searching for in the upper right hand corner.. you'll get some amazing results! :)

http://www2.zukiworld.com/?s=steel+sidekick (http://www2.zukiworld.com/?s=steel+sidekick)

Good luck, Eric
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Bigborektm on February 06, 2016, 09:09:59 AM
Thank you gents.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Ridjobradi on March 14, 2016, 01:55:38 PM
I can confirm that the XL7 steel housing has different mounting brackets.  I learned the hard way after finding one and buying it before seeing it.  I thought about building brackets for it, but I haven't had the time. 

If we can talk Kreator into manufacturing a set of brackets that will bolt an XL7 front differential into a Sidekick, we will have many more steel differentials to choose from.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: kreator on March 15, 2016, 09:46:15 AM
Are all the XL7's housing the same ? I have an XL7 that I could pull the housing out of for a mock up
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Ridjobradi on March 15, 2016, 10:39:25 AM
I will look for pics and post them again.  I don't think my old post is on the forum any longer.  I bought mine shortly after you beat me to the one you picked up a few years back.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: BRD HNTR on March 16, 2016, 03:28:05 AM
You could always build your steel front diff out of a sami rear diff.  It is not going to break like the aluminum ones.  It didn't take that long convert mine, and now I have modified mine again to make it even better, it would use factory bearings and seals.  I even put a poly bushing in the passengers side improve seal life.
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_86HP5-adsWc/SROFgcNxdZI/AAAAAAAACZc/NRkRG_poxvg/s512/CIMG3119.JPG)
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Ridjobradi on March 19, 2016, 06:17:20 PM
This is what the XL7 steel front differential looks like.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: fordem on March 19, 2016, 06:21:30 PM
There are two very different XL-7 front differentials - the one pictured above is from an 03~06.

The front diff from an 01~03 XL-7 is very similar to that used on the GV and will interchange provided you use the matching third member "snout" mount with it.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: kreator on March 20, 2016, 11:00:56 AM
Ya the XL7 that I have is a 02 , I will have to find another 3rd housing as well
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: BRD HNTR on March 27, 2016, 09:25:37 AM
I have tried to make a rear mounts that come off the diff housing, extending it back to the cross member, and the forces on it are too much.  I was fortunate in that the mounts I made eventually broke, instead of bolts to the housing.  I ended up welding a duplicate mount to what is on the aluminum housing snout, Now I can use stock rear mounts.
There is a lot of force on that rear mount.
Title: RE: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: arced on April 08, 2016, 08:24:06 PM

#1. Notice that 4xfourart has more vehicles on their product page than their main page:

Main Page:

http://www.4xfourart.com/English.aspx (http://www.4xfourart.com/English.aspx)

Product Page:

http://www.4xfourart.com/EN/163/Product.aspx (http://www.4xfourart.com/EN/163/Product.aspx)

Vitara Products:

http://www.4xfourart.com/Products/19/Vitara.aspx (http://www.4xfourart.com/Products/19/Vitara.aspx)

http://www.4xfourart.com/Products/19/Vitara.aspx?Page=2 (http://www.4xfourart.com/Products/19/Vitara.aspx?Page=2)

http://www.4xfourart.com/Products/19/Vitara.aspx?Page=3 (http://www.4xfourart.com/Products/19/Vitara.aspx?Page=3)

VITARA F DIFF HAUSING:

http://www.4xfourart.com/Product/84/VITARA-F-DIFF-HAUSING.aspx (http://www.4xfourart.com/Product/84/VITARA-F-DIFF-HAUSING.aspx)

VITARA F IRON HAUSING:

http://www.4xfourart.com/Product/85/VITARA-F-IRON-HAUSING.aspx (http://www.4xfourart.com/Product/85/VITARA-F-IRON-HAUSING.aspx)

#2. Calmini Anvil Front Axle Housing:

http://www.calmini.com/detail.php?b=2&m=5&t=3&p=694&n= (http://www.calmini.com/detail.php?b=2&m=5&t=3&p=694&n=)

#3. fixing the track/kick front housing BEFORE it breaks...:

http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content/topic,100689.0.html (http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content/topic,100689.0.html)

#4. Trackick Front Differentials:

http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content/topic,111661.0.html (http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content/topic,111661.0.html)
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Toys-n-Joys on August 07, 2019, 11:57:23 AM
You could always build your steel front diff out of a sami rear diff.  It is not going to break like the aluminum ones.  It didn't take that long convert mine, and now I have modified mine again to make it even better, it would use factory bearings and seals.  I even put a poly bushing in the passengers side improve seal life.
([url]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_86HP5-adsWc/SROFgcNxdZI/AAAAAAAACZc/NRkRG_poxvg/s512/CIMG3119.JPG[/url])



Does anyone have any more information on making your own steel front differential? Could you offset it to work like the calmini anvil? 2 of the same length axles?
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: fordem on August 07, 2019, 07:04:47 PM
Use the forum search (or google) to find brd hntr's posts - the conversion is documented in one of his threads - and since you're doing the conversion you get to offset it as you see fit.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Ridjobradi on August 07, 2019, 07:07:31 PM
I picked up one in Phoenix yesterday. He had at least one more.
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: fordem on August 08, 2019, 03:30:00 PM

Does anyone have any more information on making your own steel front differential? Could you offset it to work like the calmini anvil? 2 of the same length axles?

The link below will take you to Brd Hntr's build thread - the axle conversion is on page 2 of the thread, but it's probably a good idea to go through the whole thread - there's a lot of good stuff in there.

https://www.zukiworld.com/forum/build-diaries-how-to-diy/tracker-2x4-rockers-frnt-bmper-4-dr-sprngs-lwered-frnt-diff-$30-steel-frnt-diff/msg185688/#msg185688 (https://www.zukiworld.com/forum/build-diaries-how-to-diy/tracker-2x4-rockers-frnt-bmper-4-dr-sprngs-lwered-frnt-diff-$30-steel-frnt-diff/msg185688/#msg185688)
Title: Re: Steel front axle housing for suzuki sidekick
Post by: Drone637 on August 26, 2019, 01:33:10 PM
On your question about offset, I think your talking about being able to use drivers side CV on both side.  For that you need to have someone build you an adapter, or just order one.  No change is needed on the width of the axle.  The only issue is making sure you get one for the right spline count.

Then you just need to bring a single spare CV for both sides and you can swap them out without pulling apart the side of your rig.