Sure you would!

Here is how I did it.


These are exhaust flanges for a big block Cheby.


7" of space.


This is what Calmini uses on top of their strut flip.


All three stacked equal an inch.


This is what it all looks like installed.


Now I have 8" of space! One more inch of down travel.

I am not worried about CV angles, the front diff has a drop on the 2" Calmini kit.
Do you all think it will work?

Cwkick

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Looks pretty good...

What are the exhaust flanges made out of? Looks good, should work fine as long as the exhaust flange material holds up to the weight of the vehicle and suspension movement.

Zig

Can't see anything wrong with that, I should think the exhaust flanges are much stronger than the Track/Kick strut tower. Only thing I can spot is that the strut mount is flipped, which is free (more or less), so thats 1 3/4" of extra travel for $25 

I'd like to see some welds to tie the flanges together. Any movement is not a good thing.

What are the exhaust flanges made out of? Looks good, should work fine as long as the exhaust flange material holds up to the weight of the vehicle and suspension movement.

Zig

They are Big block Chevy header flanges.  3/8" thick.  They are made out of some pretty strong steel.  I painted them to slow down the rust.  They appear to be the same thing Calmini uses, but thinker.

I'd like to see some welds to tie the flanges together. Any movement is not a good thing.

I am thinking about doing this.  I will see how the flanges do being loose.  Welding them together would be the best way to go.

Cwkick

Does this reduce your up travel? Are you just "sliding the scale" of useable strut or actually increasing overall suspension travel? I'm guessing that your bumpstop is still in play and is stopping the upward movement of the suspension rather than the strut but I just thought I'd ask... Because bottoming out, or for that matter topping out, the struts aren't too good for them!

FWIW -Eric

Does this reduce your up travel? Are you just "sliding the scale" of useable strut or actually increasing overall suspension travel? I'm guessing that your bumpstop is still in play and is stopping the upward movement of the suspension rather than the strut but I just thought I'd ask... Because bottoming out, or for that matter topping out, the struts aren't too good for them!

FWIW -Eric

I am just useing the wasted inch of strut travel.  The strut is more centered now, allowing more even up and down travel.  The bump stop is stopping the suspension, not the strut.  That would be bad!

Cwkick

Quote from: ebewley on August 17, 2005, 06:37:24 AM

Does this reduce your up travel? Are you just "sliding the scale" of useable strut or actually increasing overall suspension travel? I'm guessing that your bumpstop is still in play and is stopping the upward movement of the suspension rather than the strut but I just thought I'd ask... Because bottoming out, or for that matter topping out, the struts aren't too good for them!

FWIW -Eric

I am just useing the wasted inch of strut travel.  The strut is more centered now, allowing more even up and down travel.  The bump stop is stopping the suspension, not the strut.  That would be bad!

Cwkick

Cool....


-Eric

You could get a little more if you took some tubing and welded that in between the exhaust flanges. I did that, and ended up with about 2" more, if not a little more.

Don't ask about my CV angle......

Where did you purchase? Local Napa, Advance?

Would you be able to get dimensions of the header flange? This is along the same lines I was looking at for adapting the late model Trackick upper mount to the stock Vitara mount, keeping the stock struts in use.

Where did you purchase? Local Napa, Advance?

Would you be able to get dimensions of the header flange? This is along the same lines I was looking at for adapting the late model Trackick upper mount to the stock Vitara mount, keeping the stock struts in use.

I got them at a local exhaust shop that does a lot of custom work.  The center hole is 2.5".  The outer holes are 3 1/8" apart.  They are 3/8's thick.

Cwkick

You could get a little more if you took some tubing and welded that in between the exhaust flanges. I did that, and ended up with about 2" more, if not a little more.

Don't ask about my CV angle......

With the strut flip and the flanges, I have about 1 3/4" of extra travel.  With the diff drop of the Calmini lift, I think the CV's will be fine. (fingers crossed)

Cwkick

wanna see my CV angle?

2" strut spacer, and 2" coil spacer, no front diff drop either. still all good.

what did you do for a wheel alignment there?  they look like stock bolts on the strut.... 

that's some serious cv angle.