Hi everybody,

I just bought my  Vitara 2 day ago and I already have a lot of technical questions.

I've made some searches here, and maybe my method is not the good one, so, I ask questions I have.

To be sure we talk about the right vehicule, I own a Suzuki Vitara 2004 V6, with manual gearbox.

It's a base model, without ABS.

It's important to know, almost all questions are about brakes. 

1- I think my Vitara have the worst brake of all vehicules I've drove for 10 years. 
  The pedal goes almost mid travel before I can feel a resistance and the truck becomes to decelarate.
And the power of brakes seems to be very limited.

Brakes have been checked when I've bought the truck and they are weared at 25% only. The dealer said me it's "normal" for this generation on Vitara and all others, including XL7 and GrandVitara have the same caracteristic.
Is it true?
I'm not sure...

2- I've seen XL7 (2006 or older) seems to have bigger front brake.
Is it just an illusion?
If XL7 brakes are bigger, may I install them on my Vitara just by changing disk and caliper.
I have made this kind of upgrade on my Eagle Talon (caliper, caliper bracket and disk from a Talon Turbo AWD) , and that works very well.

3- Is it possible to convert rear brake at disk? If yes, something to suggest to me?

At least, I'm looking for a Westin Safari bar, but my Vitara is not listed.

The listing include Tracker 1999-2004 and GV 1999-2005, they use the same bar (PN: 30-0025 for the black one), but it's not the same part number for mount kit (30-1275 for Tracker  and 13-3025 for GV)
http://www.westinautomotive.com/pages/PRODUCT_SL-apps.html

I've sent a email to Westin and here is the reply:

I have no idea we have not tried anything on your vehicle.

Jon W Smith
Tech Support
Fax 507-375-4402
800-345-8476 x 209
507-375-3559 x209
jsmith|removethispart|@westinautomotive.com

 

for the light bar is the same thing for vitara/tracker!!! there are this model too: http://chevroletpartspeople.com/SearchProduct.asp?Model=Tracker&catid=3339733324135669&year=00&productdesc=Fog+Lamps

for the light bar is the same thing for vitara/tracker!!! there are this model too: http://chevroletpartspeople.com/SearchProduct.asp?Model=Tracker&catid=3339733324135669&year=00&productdesc=Fog+Lamps

I think your right about that.

Both have exactly the same front bumper.

Tracker


Mine



Just to confirm, I will go  at a local dealer who has a Tracker to see under the truck.

While I tend to agree about the brakes being some of the worst, they are by no means horrific. Ever driven a full size Chevy truck or Astro?

I think you should replace the brake fluid and bleed the system properly to remove any contaminants and air bubbles. My brakes grab almost at the top of the travel.

My truck tends to warp rotors at an alarming rate. I've had it since new and replaced the rotors 4 times. It's due again but I'm fed up and won't bother until summer.

About bigger brakes on XL-7's? I dont' know. I do know GV's have bigger brakes than Vitara's and Tracker's...

Good luck and let us know what happens.

While I tend to agree about the brakes being some of the worst, they are by no means horrific. Ever driven a full size Chevy truck or Astro?

I think you should replace the brake fluid and bleed the system properly to remove any contaminants and air bubbles. My brakes grab almost at the top of the travel.

My truck tends to warp rotors at an alarming rate. I've had it since new and replaced the rotors 4 times. It's due again but I'm fed up and won't bother until summer.

About bigger brakes on XL-7's? I dont' know. I do know GV's have bigger brakes than Vitara's and Tracker's...

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Thanks for your advice about the bleeding and replacing brake fluid.
I will do that first at soon is possible.

I must say the point of comparaison I have is, maybe, a little bit high.

My Eagle Talon has the brake system upgraded with PowerSlot disks at each corner, bigger disks at
front, stainless steel braided hose and HPS brake pads at front.

That's terribly efficent. 
But, it's a sport car...

If I can just improve brakes on my Vitara at the same level of the my wife's RAV4, that will be a big improvement.

While I tend to agree about the brakes being some of the worst, they are by no means horrific.

That is surprising.  I have a '98 GV with the V6, so pretty well the same, apart from a face-lift.  My brakes are excellent all round, and the handbrake is the best I have ever had on a vehicle.  I wonder if the difference is down to the friction materials used in the pads and shoes?  There has been a shift away from asbestos, and the manufacturers may have gone for too hard a compound, to maintain the life of the friction materials, at the cost of effectiveness.  Perhaps the performance can be restored with softer linings, which would be more "grabby"?

the tracker/vitara/grand vitara is the same thing!!! the truck have no diference between model!!!

the tracker/vitara/grand vitara is the same thing!!! the truck have no diference between model!!!

Ehhh...wrong.

The Suzuki badged vehicles have different front brakes than the Chevy Trackers.  Check any auto parts store or website to confirm this.  This is why Tracker 15" wheels won't fit on a GV, Vit, or XL7, even the smallest 4-cyl 2-door soft top Vitaras.  The Suzuki side of the family have larger front rotors and calipers...which I bet makes their braking performance better.  Not sure what differences there are in the rear.

Not to mention as time has gone on manufacturors have gone entirely over to non-metallic (and obviously asbestos free ) brake pads and shoes and braking performance has suffered from this.  The difference between the extremely dusty OEM pads on our GV and the replacement semi-metallic pads was night and day.

As Neil and I have both worked on each others trucks.... there are a number of very slight differences

As he has the V6, it's a different engine and has a different transmission
The Vitara's do have larger rotors and calipers and come with 16" rims
The fender flares, hood and front grill also slightly different

Asides from that that... well they are the same

The 2.0L and the 2.5L V6 Vitara models basically have identical drivetrains to their Tracker counterparts

There are also more base features on the 2.5L V6 that the Chebby don't come with, such as ABS and power windows

But Axel spline count, carrier, Ring gear sizes, suspension componants, frame etc... are all the same

After being the owner of my 2.0L base Tracker I am very happy with the performance of my trucklet
So far I am running the 2.0L 4dr truck w/ simple coil spacers w/ strut extenders and longer shocks and I run 245/75/16's on the vitara stock 16" rim and so far am very happy with it's onroad and offroad performance

I also did remove my front sway bar and installed some Asin hubs and this has attributed to better streetability and more front end articulation

Still great on gas and fun!

Next upgrades -- 2" RRO body lift, custom front and rear bumpers and some 235/85/16s

Thanks guys for your replies... and continue... it's very instructive for me. 

About the Westin safari light bar, it fits on my Vitara with Tracker mount kit.

The only thing who bothers me, it's the bar is a little bit too far of the front bumper.

I have take some mesurments and, with littles modifications to mount kit, I will be able to move bar 3" nearer of the bumper.