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Lift Plans - Any problems?

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Offline Dihnekis

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Lift Plans - Any problems?
« on: September 06, 2005, 02:54:57 PM »
After doing a lot of reading here and at zuwharrie, and a lot of looking over the members rides thread, I've came up with an idea of what I want to do to my tracker. I have a 2dr 94 tracker.

-4door coils
-strut flip and 1 1/2 spacers all aroud
-calmini 3" body lift
- 15 x 8 old cj wheels with 3" of backspacing or so

I'm hoping to clear 32" tires, but its seeming like 31" is more realistic. I'm not afraid of fender trimming and hammering, and plan on trimming up quite a bit to get rid of rub.

Will I run into any camber problems if I do this? What adjustments should I make to make sure the camber is correct? I won't have any problems with CV angles will I? Oh yeah, and how much would be a good price to pay for some 4door coils?

I've read about camber adjustment bolts but I don't really know how they work or where to get them.

Thanks for all your help.
1988 Suzuki Samurai

31" BFGs, SPOA, 5.14 Calmini Tcase gears, DOM cage, rock sliders, spidertrax wheels

1.6L, header, and 2" flowmaster exhaust coming soon

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Offline Zukipilot

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2005, 06:02:19 PM »
Keep a close eye on the centerlink of your rear axle. You will be close to over extending it  and if you do failure running down the interstate will not be a pretty site.

Zig
Zukipilot
'92 Liberty Overland Sidekick

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Offline tracker8wr

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2005, 07:12:46 PM »
sounds like a good plan. u will run into camber problems. i think the rocky road struts r redrilled to corect the camber for a 2 1/2" lift but u can call them and make sure. i have camber bolts on my tracker and every time i wheel it hard i have to adjust the camber it is a pain in the ass. u shouldnt run into any scv issues as losg as u dont increase the drop on the strut more than 2"s.
4 1/2 body
Coil spacers
cheap but effective
31" LTB Swampers
http://www.geocities.com/race8thwonder01/ http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/769479

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Offline Digger

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2005, 08:52:57 PM »
tracker8wr: you have camber bolts and have to re-adjust them after every offroad ride? What brand? What are they doing, turning on their own or something? I just got camber bolts for the Goblin because I replaced all 4 strut-to-spindle bolts with 17mm full size bolts to remove any possibility of shifting and the OME struts with 1-1/2" coil spacers gave me camber like this: /----\. But I don't want to have to re-adjust them after every run! ::)

Dihnekis: that plan sounds good, but you might want to add a rear Y-link spacer to the top of the rear diff to get it more level so it can operate at a more normal angle...
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Dihnekis

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2005, 09:01:46 PM »
Keep a close eye on the centerlink of your rear axle. You will be close to over extending it  and if you do failure running down the interstate will not be a pretty site.

Zig

What exactly would I be looking for on the centerlink? And is there anyway to correct it?

Would I run into less problems if I just used the coils and didn't do the strut flip? Or would it be better to forget the coils and just do the spacers and strut flip? If I've read correctly, those two modifications give me suspension lift, which improves ground clearance. Sometime in the future I'd probably be looking to do the Calmini 3" super articulation lift (and anvil), I just can't come up with that kind of cash anytime soon. Will these mods make it harder to install the calmini kit in the future?

This is going to be a DD, so I'm looking to avoid camber problems.

Thanks again.
1988 Suzuki Samurai

31" BFGs, SPOA, 5.14 Calmini Tcase gears, DOM cage, rock sliders, spidertrax wheels

1.6L, header, and 2" flowmaster exhaust coming soon

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Offline Digger

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2005, 09:09:15 PM »
The strut flip will push the top of the struts further out a little which is what causes the camber to look like \----/ a little from the front, especially after the coil spacers and springs, but the rims you mentioned will increase the leverage on the spindle, bringing it closer to spec. You might be fine or you might need to investigate one of several camber fixes discussed on the thread "Hateful Camber Issues". It would be hard to tell if you're going to have a problem until you actually do it.

As for the centerlink, in stock form it's level or slightly pointing rear up a little. Pushing the axle down by springs and spacers makes this link point rear down which binds the center pivot ball joint during axle articulation and can cause it to pop out of place if the angle is too severe or the parts are worn. You can add a spacer between the ball joint and the top of the rear diff to correct this and prevent any problems...
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Dihnekis

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2005, 09:20:49 PM »
Ok thanks, I'll look over that camber thread. Know where I can pick up one of those spacers for the rear diff?
1988 Suzuki Samurai

31" BFGs, SPOA, 5.14 Calmini Tcase gears, DOM cage, rock sliders, spidertrax wheels

1.6L, header, and 2" flowmaster exhaust coming soon

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Offline Digger

  • 1991
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  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2005, 09:25:38 PM »
There was a thread about that somewhere, but it's back quite a few pages now. Do a search for rear diff spacer and you should come up with it...
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Dihnekis

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2005, 09:59:45 PM »
Ok I will do.

Here is another random question.

Whats the deal with flares and street legal? I've seen some people had to put flares on their zuks after cutting fenders or putting big tires on, but I'm not really sure why.
1988 Suzuki Samurai

31" BFGs, SPOA, 5.14 Calmini Tcase gears, DOM cage, rock sliders, spidertrax wheels

1.6L, header, and 2" flowmaster exhaust coming soon

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2005, 10:02:49 PM »
The covered tire laws vary from state to state,
I have a friend that was a cop, says you are
allowed one tread to hang out of the fender.

So he said get some Boggers, tread is like 6" wide  ;)

Wild
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline Dihnekis

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2005, 10:04:21 PM »
Ok thanks for clearing that up.
1988 Suzuki Samurai

31" BFGs, SPOA, 5.14 Calmini Tcase gears, DOM cage, rock sliders, spidertrax wheels

1.6L, header, and 2" flowmaster exhaust coming soon

*

Offline Digger

  • 1991
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  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2005, 10:18:54 PM »
I know in PA, NO tread is allowed to protrude from the fenders. :-\
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline HotRod

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2005, 10:59:57 PM »
For the rear 3rd link spacer.
SuzukiHunter has made (and sells) some really nice 3" spacers to cure that problem.
Try to Em him and see whats he's up to.
95 2dr Geo Tracker with Calmini 6"inch combo lift, 32'inch BFGs M/Tlocked and loaded--D.D is my 06 Racy RED Aerio SX AWD

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Offline Zukipilot

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #13 on: September 07, 2005, 03:13:44 AM »
The strut flip will push the top of the struts further out a little which is what causes the camber to look like \----/ a little from the front, especially after the coil spacers and springs, but the rims you mentioned will increase the leverage on the spindle, bringing it closer to spec. You might be fine or you might need to investigate one of several camber fixes discussed on the thread "Hateful Camber Issues". It would be hard to tell if you're going to have a problem until you actually do it.

As for the centerlink, in stock form it's level or slightly pointing rear up a little. Pushing the axle down by springs and spacers makes this link point rear down which binds the center pivot ball joint during axle articulation and can cause it to pop out of place if the angle is too severe or the parts are worn. You can add a spacer between the ball joint and the top of the rear diff to correct this and prevent any problems...

What he said  ;)

Zig
Zukipilot
'92 Liberty Overland Sidekick

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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Lift Plans - Any problems?
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2005, 04:46:42 AM »
The strut flip will push the top of the struts further out a little which is what causes the camber to look like \----/ a little from the front, especially after the coil spacers and springs, but the rims you mentioned will increase the leverage on the spindle, bringing it closer to spec. You might be fine or you might need to investigate one of several camber fixes discussed on the thread "Hateful Camber Issues". It would be hard to tell if you're going to have a problem until you actually do it.

Flipping the strut top mounting shouldn't affect camber because everything will still be in line. It only affects the working range of the strut.
None of these mods will affect the fitting of a Calmini kit, you just won't need them anymore.


What exactly would I be looking for on the centerlink? And is there anyway to correct it?

Would I run into less problems if I just used the coils and didn't do the strut flip? Or would it be better to forget the coils and just do the spacers and strut flip? If I've read correctly, those two modifications give me suspension lift, which improves ground clearance. Sometime in the future I'd probably be looking to do the Calmini 3" super articulation lift (and anvil), I just can't come up with that kind of cash anytime soon. Will these mods make it harder to install the calmini kit in the future?

This is going to be a DD, so I'm looking to avoid camber problems.

Thanks again.

If you fit the cold without doing the shocks and strut flip/spacer you will end up with the shocks/struts almost fully extended at rest. Under cornering when the body lifts you will get the tyre lifting  too which is potentially quite dangerous. The ride quality is also likely to be very poor as the suspension will be topping out a lot.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2005, 04:53:09 AM by Rhinoman »
2000 Vitara 1.6, 3+3 Lift, 33"MTs, 5:83s, LWB brakes, Winch, Snorkel, Safari Rack
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