5 DAYS! Who's got that kind of time? I called in my order yesterday, and picked up my strut extenders at the supplier 2 minutes down the road from my work today. You can't beat that kind of service.

Anyway, just like everyone else, the extensions take a bit of elbow grease to get onto the strut, but they are on...Saturday I will install the struts on the vehicle and see how I want to run it.

If the strut extensions give me too much travel, I might try it without the Calmini strut spacers and see how that is, because the strut extensions seem pretty long. Otherwise I will have to rig up some straps as I mentioned earlier.

how long are the clmini spacers?

how long are the clmini spacers?

About 2.5" to 3"

huh, that is really quick service!  very nice.  hope they workout well, if you setup up limiting straps can't wait to see the pics.  there was a guy on the gen 1 forum that had done this last year sometime if i recall correctly

That's bentparts.  He has one sick rig...right down to his custom turbo.

OK, got my junk mostly figured out now. Worked on it yesterday. First I tried combining the Calmini strut spacer with the BDS screw-on extension, but that combination was WAY too long. With it set up like that, I'd have barely 2" of up travel and the down travel would be so much that the springs would pop out easily. So I took it apart and removed the Calmini strut spacer and only used the BDS extension, and it's almost good like this. The strut piston looks to be sitting right about halfway through its travel now, but I am still going to need some limiting straps because jacking the front end off the ground, my CV angles are pretty intense and the brake hoses are looking very tight as well.

The nice thing about not having to run the Calmini strut spacer is now my front tires don't rub on my strut mounts anymore because they aren't dropped down as far. Also, my cross-brace is much easier to install and remove now since I don't have to deal with Calmini's hokey little tube-spacers.

I still think it's weird nobody else with the Calmini kit has needed to do this...


EDIT: pics

Before:

After:


Also, the Calmini spacer is definitely NOT 2.5-3". It's more like 1.5". The BDS extension is way longer than the Calmini spacer.

you shouldn't need any straps with this setup, i ran those extensions with no front diff drop for 3yrs without no major issues, couple c clip issues was mostly it, well, ok one cv joint/axle but not sure it was cause of the extensions.  just take ur brake lines of the mount clip on the strut and use tie wraps or make a new clip.  i'm assuiming you have the calmini diff drop brackets installed

how did your truck do on your trip?

I have not gone on the trip yet, I'm leaving to Alberta on Friday and Suzuki Powerfest in Oregon the Friday after that. I just got my alignment today and I am pretty sure I'll need some straps...my CV angles are pretty drastic, like 45 degrees if I jack the front end up. I guess it's not driving around like that all the time but I still can't see that being any good for things in the long run. I'm more afraid of the spring popping out on the middle of the trail than anything.

just want to add my lil review..

I am running the same Calmini kit, but i cut out 2/3 of a coil on the both front springs since July.. I haven't had any problems with my suspension down travel since then, the Calmini struts are still running fine.. I have taken the vehicle on mild off roading trails and it rides as good as stock.. Very comfortable ride when compared to the uncut springs!

My recommendation is anyone with the lighter 2.0L / 1.6L Grand Vitaras to cut out 2/3 of a coil on the front springs to maintain a proper ride and long life on the Calmini struts.. Otherwise, longer struts will be necessary to run with the longer front springs..

OK, trip to Alberta went fine other than blowing the front diff being a showoff...anyways I don't know if this front end setup is satisfactory yet. It seems like it bottoms out too easily on small to medium bumps at speed and I still think there is too much down-travel. I measured before and after I installed the BDS extension and I now have 2" more down-travel than before, and I think that is probably quite a bit more than I needed. I am considering taking it all apart (AGAIN! what is this the 5th or 6th time? I've lost count, but I can do it in the dark now so I guess there is some advantage!) and hacking about an inch off the BDS extension if I can still  remove it from the strut piston. I hit one particular huge bump WAY too fast and I felt my struts bottom out really harsh - therefore, my bumpstops ain't doin jack-all! So maybe a little fine tuning is still necessary to get this $&*!()!*(|removethispart|@ "system" figured out.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I did get in contact with Calmini eventually. They figure that part of the problem might have something to do with the fact that since I ordered my kit in February, I still have their "old style" springs. The difference between their old and new springs is the manufacturing process. The old ones are hot-wound coils and the new ones are cold-wound. This means that the old ones need an extreme workout to get them broken in and to have them sit at the correct height. The new cold-wound springs do not necessitate this, which would possibly explain why not all Calmini lifts suck ass for everyone else out there!

Since I cut my springs down to accomodate for the stiffness, and then wheeled it good and hard over the summer, it is safe to say the springs are sufficiently broken in. Also, I gave them my ride height measurements and they confirmed that it is sitting at the correct height. After reviewing all my information, the only thing they could suggest was to run a 1" wheel spacer up front to put some more leverage on the spring.

i don't think you can cut the strut spacers down, they screw in up at the top, and only have enough threads to bottom out that lower caller, and i don't think you can tap it any further than where it is, due do the taper where it slides into the bushing.

if that made any sense LOL

i wonder if we could swap in the longer controll arms from a sidekick, we would have to extend the cv shaft length (not that hard just cut and sleeve)  and figure out  some kind of bracket to make the strut bolt to the knuckle in somewhat of the same angle to keep alignment. this would widen the front end, and make the susp move in a better sweep of motion. and put more leverage on the springs.

i don't much care for the 99+ ifs set up, it does not work near as well as the sidekick stuff.....

ps, post pics of said blown diff, what happend?

Sidekick arms are wider?

i'm pretty sure, i've never taken a measurement, but at first glance, i think so....

i don't know if the mount bushings are the same distance apart either....

it would be nice to correct some of the weak links in the newer systems

Have 2 kicks in the back yard, will have to do some measuring to see whats up.