Sidekick arms are definitely wider, the Vitara has a 4" wider frame but the arms are shorter to keep the overall track width about the same. Less unsprung weight for better handling.

No pics of blown diff since I still have my skid plate on since I haven't got my new stuff to install yet. Not much of a story, I was waiting for a ferry with a bunch of people and I was showing off, trying to climb up these huge logs that barely fit under the front bumper. Truck started bouncing when I tried using the brakes and gas at the same time, bounce bounce SNAP. Unlock hubs, disengage transfer case, drive away with tail in between legs and oil pissing out of front axle. Smoooooooth.

I am thinking about removing the BDS extensions and getting the Bits4Vits ones, but if they are only a half inch shorter, that won't really assist me that much more. I don't really want to put the Calmini spacers back on cause they are a hassle with my strut brace. Sorta stumped.

hey, i have an idea, bolt your strut bushing on TOP of the steel brace off the frame.

then you can use triangle exhaust flanges as shims.  you can still use your extentions, but make the system adjustable at the same time.


now that it mounts to the top, when you add shims, your moving the strut mount UP. shortening the extension.

i know it sounds hack, but if done right, it may be a solution.

-Lance

the bits for vits extensions are at least one inch shorter, probably more like 1.5 inches shorter, sorry i never took pics to compare but i do recall thinking wow, that's gonna be a lot less travel... then thinking that was probably a good thing for the front end!  also, when i ran the bds extensions with no diff drop for 3yrs i had the sway bar on, this may have help limit free travel..

hey, i have an idea, bolt your strut bushing on TOP of the steel brace off the frame.

I was also thinking something along these lines, however, I think the strut tower brace would be sitting up against the hood if you raised it by any significant amount. I might look into these Bits4Vits pieces though, sounds like what I need.

what if you cut down the calmini strut brace spacer?

i know i have all the room in the world thanks to my body lift hahahah

Looking around on the Bits4Vits site.  They now have 2.25" strut extensions.

Yeah I took some measurements today...

the BDS strut extension is exactly 2.75"
the Calmini strut spacer is exactly 1.375"

Anyone want to take measurements of their Bits4Vits extenders?

i'll try to take a quick measurement for you, i can most certainly tell you they are at least one inch shorter for now.

if you don't want the calmini spacer up there just order these in the 1.5inch length and you'll be happy.

Hmm, that is quite rediculous. My struts made alot of squeaking noise on the trip that they blew out on, so you'd best be keeping your wallet handy for a new pair!

Yeah, my Calmini struts blew out a few weeks ago, taking the strut bushings out with them.  I got new mounts/bushings from a junkyard and bought a set of OME struts from Rocky-Road.  These struts are ALOT nicer.  They don't squeak, ride better, and they have 1.5" more travel.  I can actually say I have around 3" down travel now, meaning I have the lift the front of the vehicle over 3 inches to get the front tires off the ground.  =)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Minion33088/Shittystrut.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Minion33088/0919091145.jpg

OME struts>stock struts>Calmini struts

So, now that you've got the OME struts installed, are you still running the blue Calmini strut spacer?
And, are you still running your swaybar?

Installed my Bits4Vits extensions today. Here are some pics on level ground, before and after.





Calmini strut spacer = 1.375"
BDS strut extension= 2.75"
Bits4Vits strut extension= 1.5"

I also measured how much wheel travel I got by measuring the height of one of the marker light screws and then jacking it up till the wheel was just off the ground enough to start spinning freely, and then measuring the height of the market light screw again. The Bits4Vits gave me something like 2.5 IIRC and the BDS was 5". Hopefully my down-travel has not been reduced so much that it performs exactly the same as the Calmini spacer, because then I'll be ordering OME struts down the road......I have yet to take it off road with this setup but I need to install my front diff still so it might be another week or two before I can report my results.

i think you will be ok with the performance, i finally took my sway bar off and run the same front extensions and things work well.  what are you running for rear shocks?  when i took off the longer front extensions i went to longer rear shocks which more than made up the difference. 

i think you will be ok with the performance, i finally took my sway bar off and run the same front extensions and things work well.  what are you running for rear shocks?  when i took off the longer front extensions i went to longer rear shocks which more than made up the difference. 

NO DICE

Took the rig for a 2WD test run the same night I installed the 1.5" Bits4Vits extensions, and it is set up just as horribly as with the 1.375" Calmini strut spacer. Works fine on pavement, but on gravel roads with potholes, and trails with baby-head sized rocks, the struts are always running out of down-travel. Guess maybe I should have got the 2.25" extensions, but that's only 0.5" shorter than the BDS ones I just had in there, and they were WAY too long.

well that sucks, can't understand why you are having such issues with this..  is that stiff calmini front spring just bouncing back up with too much force for the struts?    do you have stock fronts that you can use with a coil spacer to test with a different spring?