Is it possible to use the Anvil without using the Calmini lift?
Will I have problems with the lenght of the CV shafts?
I've just broken my 3th passenger-side CV shaft, cracking the diff cover too as always, and I think it's time to find a solution.
Mine is a '99 Santana Vitara 8v cabrio ('95 8v Kick for you I guess), having stronger front Kilen coils (from the 2l V6 Kick Sport) with RRO spacers on top and OME shocks (2' billet aluminium extensions available but not installed yet...).

the anvil's position is the same as if u use the lowering brakets form the calmini 3" lift. i don't know if it will cause drive line issues though.

I can't see why you would have any problems with the driveshafts. You might need the Calmini centre drop bracket to go with it though (good luck on getting that seperately, I couldn't get a replacement for mine  ). Do you have the OME struts or strut spacers? With that much lift you wouldn't have much wheel drop left.

If you go with an XL-7 3rd member you can mount it without the snout drop bracket. ( see the Zigs Beef article in the archives) I dont know what other problems would come out of it without a lift though :-/

I'd go for it.  The best way to figure out if the axils length is not right would be to install the Anvil.  Remove your front spring, hook up everything and see what the axil length looks like when the axil is straight across (closes point where the spindle and the will be).

If it's too tight you could widen the front end so that it would fit.

See http://www.zukiworld.com/month_120102/feature_hagan_frontendmod.htm

If it's too loose add spacers.

I tested the 'spare' travel on mine by removing the springs and jacking the wishbones up until the shafts were horizontal. There was a little under 1/2" inward travel left. That should be the worst case but if the Anvil is a little wider you could have problems.

OK, let me think about this...

Did I REMOVE the Calmini drop bracket, when I installed the Anvil?  I THINK so!

You're breaking CV joints because you installed the RRO spacers (which increases CV angle) without dropping the diff (which decreases CV angle).

BUT - if you drop the diff, without putting longer A-arms in (the rest of the Calmini 3" lift), your outer axles will be TOO LONG.  So you gotta get longer A-arms, or custom axles to drop the diff, and get the benefits of lowering the diff.

But look at Wilds CV's.  His have big extions on them and he's still running with stock arms.

I still say go for it.  I bet it will fit.

Thanks for your help guys. I feel that the reason I'm breaking the shafts and the diff cover is because I'm using coil spacers on top of the already stiff V6 springs, combined with the slightly longer OME shocks and the poor quality Spanish CV joint. Hooking everything up except springs would be the best way to test it.  
From what you say, I think I'll have to relocate the stock A-arms outwards if I drop the diff 3''... Maybe a 2'' drop would let me use tha stock A-arms without problem?

Hooking everything up except springs would be the best way to test it.  

This is a good Idea. I do this with almost every suspension mod I do.  Also keep in mind that less cv angle is always stronger. I also think the anvil would work.

Mike

From what you say, I think I'll have to relocate the stock A-arms outwards if I drop the diff 3''... Maybe a 2'' drop would let me use tha stock A-arms without problem?

I doubt if you'll have any problems. Lowering the diff won't make the arms any longer. The worst case is when they go horizontal. After that they get shorter again.
I tested mine by removing the springs and jacking the wisbone up and done.

Just had a thought, not sure thou ,,

The Calmini axle drop brackets , arent they only 2 inches anyway as they dont drop any lower than the subframe that the 3rd bolts too?

I dont have anything to compare it too but I know its a 3 inch kit but thats with the calmini A arms & strut spacers but they were limited on the axle drop due to the subframe.

Need someone to add a bit to that :-)

Just had a thought, not sure thou ,,

The Calmini axle drop brackets , arent they only 2 inches anyway as they dont drop any lower than the subframe that the 3rd bolts too?

I dont have anything to compare it too but I know its a 3 inch kit but thats with the Calmini A arms & strut spacers but they were limited on the axle drop due to the subframe.

Need someone to add a bit to that :-)

Yeah, its a tricky one to measure. The Calmini brackets aren't a lot longer than the stock when you put them side by side but the angles are very different. This lets them drop the diff further. I reckon is somewhere between 2"  and  2 1/2". I have some pics somewhere I think.

I am not entirely clear on what you mean by shock extensions. Do you have spacers on top of the struts? You need them with a lifted Track/Kick.

I doubt if you'll have any problems. Lowering the diff won't make the arms any longer. The worst case is when they go horizontal. After that they get shorter again.
I tested mine by removing the springs and jacking the wisbone up and done.

That's the problem they told me! The shafts may be ok when the A-arms are horizontal, but will be too long when the A-arms drop down, so they may not  leave the A-arm to drop fully.

I am not entirely clear on what you mean by shock extensions. Do you have spacers on top of the struts? You need them with a lifted Track/Kick.

That's what I meant, 2'' alu spacers that bolt on top of the strut. If I use them now without lowering the diff, they wil let the right A-arm to drop furhter down, and probably break the CV shaft once more.
Btw, do US Kicks have a right CV shaft with 26-spline on the diff side???   I suspect they would be different than my 1999 Spanish Vit