New guy here first post.

So I have been reading about the front diff issues in these vitara's because my wifes just got done being lifted. Its an 04 with the 2.5 and auto so the crappy all aluminum diff. I am very particular about the way I build things and I do not want the lift to be any more noticeable than it has to be to the performance of the rig on road. I want to keep it geared as closely to stock as I can get and er on the side of a tad lower in the diffs to compensate for the extra rolling resistance and wieght mass.

So it looks like I want 5.62's for the 30.1" tall tires to get back to exactly stock. I am thinking about building an all steel front diff and want your opinions on it please. I want to do a track/kick calmini anvil housing with a samurai steel third 4 pin carrier with a lock right locker hy-brid'd to get the lower gear ratio and ditch the vacuum actuator (with the correct sidegears and inner shafts of course).

Here is the rig and the specs. 04 we picked up reading 28,000 original miles being a motor home pusher its whole life. We just had a 2 inch body lift paired with the calmini lift installed. Rolling on 245/70/16's hankook dynapro MT's on mickey thompson fail locks. This will get used offroad but has to be a dependable daily driver for my wife. The reason everything matches...she is a chick. On to the pics






Any insight into what you think the best front diff would be is greatly apreciated, John.

I built my front diff out of a Sami rear diff.  It was not hard to do, but have had to "adjust" it to get everything working right.  You have to pay close attention (measurements) to where the bearing seat and seal seats are.  Then how you want to hang it in place.  Here is my build and how I did it http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/build-diaries-how-to-diy/tracker-2x4-rockers-frnt-bmper-4-dr-sprngs-lwered-frnt-diff-$30-steel-frnt-diff/.  As this is a daily driver that HAS to work, go with Suzuki or Calmini.

I believe that your 04 has the electronic 4X shifting, and that will give you some problems when eliminating the air engagement on front diff.  The computer systems need to see an electrical load from the air compressor before allowing it to shift into 4wd.  This load is about 25 amps (so it takes a big resistor to simulate it) and only about 4 seconds.  Or you could leave the compressor in place and install a solenoid valve on outlet to close with power.  That way it would pressure up when compressor is turned on and depressurise when off, so it would have the initial load required to shift into 4wd.

I would only install an ARB up front, or leave it open.  (Put the lock rite in back and you will know why I would not use one up front.)  I am running ARB's on both ends, awesome (but pricey).

That is a very clean rig.  I hope your wife appreciates what you are doing for her.

Is there some reason IFS specific why not to run a lock rite in the front? I have had 7 lock rites total and loved every one of them in the front. And nothing any one can say will convince me to run another in the rear of anything. I would rather DD a full spool in the rear than an auto locker.

I cant stand the noise of dd'ing a lock rite in the rear and I have tried it in 4 seperate rigs.

In 3 of the same (straight axle) rigs i had near flawless results out of them. Going forward I have never yet had one stay locked in when I needed to steer. Only when reversing one time in 4 low on flat ground did the front in a samurai not kick out and it busted a stock shaft. Other than that I wouldnt hesitate to run them up front.

thanks for the reply, nice rig BTW.

Is there some reason IFS specific why not to run a lock rite in the front? I have had 7 lock rites total and loved every one of them in the front. And nothing any one can say will convince me to run another in the rear of anything. I would rather DD a full spool in the rear than an auto locker.

I readily agree with you.  I have seen two with lock rites up front that behaved as badly as mine in the rear did.  Since getting an ARB to replace the lock rite, the frustration of not being able to set it right is gone.  If you can't power it in a turn, it don't work good enough for trail work.

Maybe it's not so much an issue where you live, but i was always told that running a locker up front is a bad idea for a DD because when it snows or there is ice on the road the axles will lock and you will loose your steering.

Not to mention that normally when offroading, people get stuck (or need more traction) when going up hills. When going up a hill a lot of the vehicle's weight will be on the rear axle, therefore it makes sense to put the locker there.

Looks like I need 5.62's based on the original tire size of 235/60/16 and the new tire size of 245/75/16

Here is the gear calculator that I am going off of
http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html

For an update the car gets around pretty well but has certainly suffered some fule mileage loss. I am hoping that a gear change will bring it back a bit and give the car the bottom end torque back. I would also like to try some 4.24:1 t-case gears. Does any one know what the stock low range ratio in a vitara is?

5.62's are hard to find, but are probably the simplest way to restore your power (and I am not sure that the rears will fit in the newer GV).  I don't think they make the 4.24 tc gears for the newer GV's either. 

Yeah not so sure about the 5.62's. $1000 for the only set I have found for sale so far. The 4.24's for the track/kicks fit in the auto GV's but not the manual ones.

The 30 inch tall tires are just wierd size to regear to. Cant get close to correct without the 5.62's or larger tires. I would like to put 4.30's in the diffs and run a divorced samurai t-case but even stock that makes the high range ratio 6:1


 

Nice gv. Can you post more pics of the front diff and under carriage of the calmini lift?

Bad gas milage can be improved with a exhaust and intake. Ive found in summer sunning 89 octane i get 40-50k more a tank.

Also cant see but do you have manual front hub locks ?

Instead of regearing, I'm eventually planning on running Trail Tough's Undertaker.

Thanks y'all. Been trying to post more pics but having photo bucket issues. Took it on a round trip to moab and back. Did long canyon wich is an easy trail but scenic. Its just over an hour to get from my house to down town moab so we go a lot, I love it there.

The rig kicks in and out of OD on the highway and low range doesnt hold itself back at all when descending hills. But man does it ride nice quiet and smooth compared to the o'l leaf sprung straight axle samy. We always had to tow the samy because it was to tight inside for me to spend much travell time in it. The GV obviously wont go as many places off road as the built samy on 32's but the trade off for the highway was worth it I think.

Been there nice easy trail.  We are going back for EJS again this year.

Where do you live at???

Nice looking rig!

Where do you live at???

Bow, Wa.  60 miles north of Seattle.