Hey Heather, what are the advantages over the body lift? Was it to run the bigger tires, or to do more aggressive trail runs? I have always considered your rig as a benchmark for every 4 door I have crossed paths with and I'm always interested to know why you make the choices you do. My four door has a way to go, but it's always nice to learn from the mistakes (and triumphs) of those that have gone before you.
steveo 
Steveo,
Since I didn't see her reply, I think I can speak for her. (she's sleeping in this morning)
There were many reasons for the SAS conversion.
To put in into perspective, we were planning on the Moab EJS in the spring, (it was December). We were already on 33s and made a visit down there the previous month.
We were contemplating adding t-case gears, going Calmini Anvil or XL7/GV steel front end, custom CVs and skid plates to help protect the front end pre-Moab EJS. (expensive work)
Ultimately, we did a pro's-con's worksheet before we started and came up with almost 30 items in each column. ~30 SAS pros and cons on one side, ~30 IFS pros and cons on the other. We took EVERYTHING into account,
cost, ride, daily driveabilily, longevity, upgradablility, etc.
I couldn't definatively say it was any 1 thing which made the choice, but SAS had slight advantages in nearly every category, but one, daily driveability. (which I'll get into later)
I can speak about some of the greatest advantages we've enjoyed and some of the disadvantes we've loathed.
#1) The body lift; A body lift doesn't give us any additional frame clearence. Sure we can fit larger tires, but we were always dragging frame over obstacles here in Idaho, (trees, rocks, curbs, etc) . Our November, pre-EJS, visit to Moab highlighted this, when we were on some 'level 2' trails/obstacles, we dragged frame. (which sucks, because of the fear of high-centering)
Our SAS gave us ~12 inches of suspension lift, totallying about 23 inches of frame clearence, and DAAANG, I can drive over the wildest stuff almost 2 feet tall an not touch ANYTHING.
#2) Flexiability; IFS in these little trucklets, plain old sucks in the flex department. It doesn matter if one has a totally tricked out, modified Calmini 3 inch lift. It still sucks. To put it into words of a fellow Jeeper here in Idaho.
"Suzukis allll suffer from CFFS. Can Flex Fur SHEEEIT. Which is why all the Sammy guys go Wrangler springs."
So, our SAS upgrade is using Wrangler springs. But have you seen Heathers profile pictures? Can we say Stuffing the tires? We are able to go over obstacles here in Idaho that we would have NEVER even attempted before, and stuff that left us up on 2 wheels before is now a no brainer. We keep all 4 tires on the ground, all the time.
#3) We've also wanted to go to 35s to get more diff clearence. Modifying the 4 door to go 35's would have taken a lot more out of the sheet metal, which we just didn't want to do anymore. (The rear doors were in the way)
Now, we've got room for 37's, easy.
#4) Steel, rear diff, in the front. (even the GV/XL7 steel conversion can't acomodate this.) Bigger ring gear, more locker options, stonger dropout,etc.
#5) Since we are all steel, lifted way off the ground, no need for skid plates.
We haven't needed them once. Nothing touches the underside of the Kick now.
Now for the primary disadvantages.
#1) Drivability; Since its on soft springs and 6 more inches from the ground, it leans. No way around it. If you want a flexy trail rig, it's going to lean. We've got a sway bar from a Sammy up front, to help, but it isn't enough. We plan on the high performance Sammy sway bar up front (half an inch larger in diameter) and add one in the rear to help. But it's still going to lean.
This means that when the truck registers 4900lbs on the scale, (thats right, almost 2.5 tons) with all of our camping gear, and I'm cruzing along the Payette River at 65 mph, my ass puckers closed over the seat like a frog in water.
(Which is wierd, because we've never had it on 2 wheels even on steep side hills and whipping around city corners) But it SURE feels like it.
#2) Bump steer, Since I did such a poor job of keeping the drag link level, we've got some (in my opinion) bad bump steer. (this is easily correctable now with the drop pitman arms and high steer kits available.)
#3) Drive lines; SAS forces us into needing flanged t-case outputs to keep us from pulling our drive shafts out. Sure I might have been able to pull it off by having my Kick t-case modified, but when I can buy a Kicker 3, and put a Sammy case behind it and it already has flanged outputs. It seemed like a no brainer.
Now we have drive lines with such sharp angles that the yokes are all messed up. High clearence u-joints are needed. (custom= expensive)
#4) Wind resistance, Fortuantely with the Kicker 3, we've got a great reduction in high, (5000 rpms at ~80 mph, in 5th gear means we are in our power band all the time) But I'm afraid that when we go with the FJ80 axles, that luxury will be a gonner. I think that the additional height will require us to go to 4.88s in the diffs. (cheaper diff gears for Toyota stuff then Suzuki stuff, but cost still the same)
########
Heather and I still drive the Suzuki as a daily driver and enjoy taking it out more now then before, even more than the Druango. (pass up leather seats, V8 motor, nice ride *boggle*) But it's the truth.
Sure I don't take the Suzuki out Baja style across the desert floor anymore, but when there is a massive rock pile, tree, ditch or river. I don't look for the easier ways around, I look for the hardest paths to cross.
~Nate
I think I've still got our Pros-Cons worksheet someplace, If I find it I'll scan it and post it up here.
