hi all,
seeing as i've sorta blown up my vitara motor, and its just sitting in my driveway with a full 6 months of rego (tags, tickets, etc etc...) left, i'm having mixed feelings. feelings of great sadness, as i dont have enough money for a rebuild yet, and just a week after putting the weber and locker in, its off the road.
but then i got thinking, and seeing as its off the road, maybe i could do some more/different mods to it. as the topic says, extending the wheelbase. i know this may have been covered before, and i tried to search, no results, and i went back 46 pages, and didnt find anything.
the reason why i'm interested in extending the wheelbase, is because i need new uni joints in the rear tailshaft, and i also had some advice to get a pro shop to do the unis in the tailshaft. the guy at the shop said he could lengthen the tailshaft properly also, and balance it out, thus eliminating the need for tailshaft spacers which are really expensive here. and so....
i was thinking the rear is the easiest to do, and realise that i need to make up a new upper A arm to suit, and lenthen the trailing arms too. in the trailing arms, i saw a joint which is sorta like a ball joint, i think they call them johnny joint or something here. instead od having a rubber bush to pivot, its a ball joint thing. and also on the upper a arm, i know its off set, and length will play a big part as to pinion angle. is there anyway to make this arm adjustable? this is also the arm that stop lateral left right movement of the diff, right? so maybe i can replace the ball joint completely.
currently, my vitara stands at these measurement.
Dhh= 44" (door handle height)
Chr= 13" (chassis rail height)
W= 70" (width)
T= 31" (tyres)
Wb= 86" (wheelbase)
also with extending the wheel base, not sure how much yet, i want to get more suspension lift for more height under the chassis. i cant afford new tyres yet, but eventually want to run something near 34".
i also dislike having a forward rake to the vit, as it always feels funny when driving on road, i was thinking about how hard it is to drop the front sus a couple of inches. i think there is a bit of work in it, but if its possible, i'm ready and willing.
so is it possible to get some guidance, advice, tips, links, and the most important, PICS?
i've only posted this here, as this to me is the most sensible place to get feedback on a post, which results in results and happiness.
should i be setting any goals and or limits? a lot of sierras/sammys are aiming for the 100"-110"ish wheel base. thats a 14" increase for me? i dont think it will be practical for a 14" increase. also, i see a lot of vits cut rear guards to fit 34"s, so maybe a wb increase will omit the cutting.
this is a long term project, 6 - 12 months. but i want to start it asap, but the $$$ will govern the way.
thanks a lot in advance, and i know there are many knowledgable people on here. thanks.
Steve
