vitara & commodore rear shocks fitted (pics)

[atari4x4]

g'day all,
i picked up some VL commodore rear shocks for my 97 vitara 2.0 they look the goods for compressed & extended length, but what have people done with the lower shock mount as on mine the factory bolt is m12 & on the commodore it is m10?

i was thinking of drilling the roll pin (sleave) out to 12mm rather than letting the shock bolt slop around in the lower mount or replace the bottom bush & sleave with the correct one & if thats posible does anyone know of one that fits? or even getting a new sleave machined up but wall thickness would only be 1mm.

any ideas or inside info would be great.

cheerz
atari4x4
aka lowrange junkie

[Impulsive]

I don't suppose you could remove the roll sleeve, drill out the rubber bit and then insert the roll sleeve off your original shocks?

Might need tapping out with a large tapometer and punch I'm guessing, but should work.

Regards,

Adam

[moose]

just punch the sleave out !!
then it should be a12mm hole in the bushing !!!
i have commo shocks on the front of my sierra , & thats all i did !!!

[atari4x4]

I don't suppose you could remove the roll sleeve, drill out the rubber bit and then insert the roll sleeve off your original shocks?

Might need tapping out with a large tapometer and punch I'm guessing, but should work.

Regards,

Adam

now you're talking, got a couple pairs of vitara shocks, i didn't even think of that cheerz. will have to make the journey down to the stock pile of parts in the workshop at home & get to, its cooler down there anyway.

going to get to around 37 today in adelaide.

[atari4x4]

done, pushed out original sleave from commodore shocks in the vice, replaced with stock sleaves.

17mm outside dia
12mm indside dia

some approximate measurements of shocks

stock: 290mm closed
470mm open

calmini: 340mm closed
570mm open

VL commodore: 365mm closed
630mm open

pics of shocks & flex shots to come.

[atari4x4]

i didn't take any pics while pressing the sleaves out, but it was pretty easy, & it was to hard to try & take photos while compressing the shocks so no pics of compressed length. so it looks like i've got an extra 2 1/2 inches of travel out of the commodore shocks & it rides better on the road than the calmini shocks & i'm sure its going to flex good when i go for a wheel later on.

top shock is VL commodore
middle shock is calmini
bottom shock is stock






now i need some more stickers for my new shocks

"go the bilble its your're friend"

[atari4x4]

still reckon they could be longer as it looks like they have run out of travel, might have to do some more research. maybe relocate lower shock mount up to diff housing.

[MUD-PIGSIERRA]

My mate is running VT Commodore rear shocks with his Calmini Kit and they are alot longer than the Calmini shocks he got. We got the standard Commodore shocks not FE2, I believe the VT shocks are again longer than the VL shocks from my Commodore knowledge.

[atari4x4]

cool,
thats good to know, i grabbed these from a wrecker for $2o vurtually brand new. so when i go to buy new ones i'll check the lenghts of the 2 different shocks. bloody great improvement over the calmini shocks anyday.................. they have rebound!
cheers
atari4x4

[Gwagensteve]

stock: 290mm closed
VL commodore: 365mm closed

I;m not having a go, but taking into account the mounting position of Vitara shocks, you must have at least 60mm bumpstop spacers.... right?

Commodore shocks are a good length and are generally softly valved, but they are typically not heavily enough built to last long in a 4X4 application. I have seen them easily damaged, and the eyes are often weakly built and will ovalise when trying to support the weight of a live axle and big a$$ tyre.

I think that with bumpstop spacers and limit straps, or at the very least captured coils (both ends, not just one) they might last OK, but they are no substitute for a shock designed for an off road application.

Just because it goes in the hole, doesn't make it right.

They are cheap though. The FE2 versions might be a bit more suitable - they should be a bit better damped and might be more durable for the application- I hadn't thought of that.

Steve.

[suzukiboy]

I modified my shock mounts mainly because the standard ones were damaging the shocks but I did raise them by 1.5â€

[atari4x4]

stock: 290mm closed
VL commodore: 365mm closed

I;m not having a go, but taking into account the mounting position of Vitara shocks, you must have at least 60mm bumpstop spacers.... right?

Commodore shocks are a good length and are generally softly valved, but they are typically not heavily enough built to last long in a 4X4 application. I have seen them easily damaged, and the eyes are often weakly built and will ovalise when trying to support the weight of a live axle and big a$$ tyre.

I think that with bumpstop spacers and limit straps, or at the very least captured coils (both ends, not just one) they might last OK, but they are no substitute for a shock designed for an off road application.

Just because it goes in the hole, doesn't make it right.

They are cheap though. The FE2 versions might be a bit more suitable - they should be a bit better damped and might be more durable for the application- I hadn't thought of that.

Steve.

nah thats cool steve,
i had started another thread re bumpstop extensions, cause i was concerned about the coil binding more than anything.
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic.php?t=99240

cheers
atari4x4

[Charged_ZooK]

hey fellas i am going to lift very soon and was woundering what struts you have used.....??

i will be going 2" king springs with by the sounds it commo shocks... i can get a set of vt wagon shocks for free.... any good????

cheerss


NICE LOOKING RIG MUD-PIGSIERRA

[Charged_ZooK]

anyone??????????

[atari4x4]

g'day,
i'm runnig calmini struts in mine atm, not that good at all. i am planning on changing over to OME front struts, the only option that i can find that has an increase in travel and aren't complete junk, i ran OME in a GQ SWB pootrol and it was the plushest combonation re: spring & shock matching each other.

has anyone else run aftermarket struts in a lifted vitara?

[TheOtherLeft]

Are Calmini shocks/struts that bad

[atari4x4]

the rears had no rebound, and the fronts are made in mexico i think!

[TheOtherLeft]

As far as I know, all shocks except Bilstein, Monro, OME are made in Meixco.

But is the rest of the Calmini kit is OK then?

[cj]

Are Calmini shocks/struts that bad

pretty much

[cj]

As far as I know, all shocks except Bilstein, Monro, OME are made in Meixco.

But is the rest of the Calmini kit is OK then?

You need to look at your t-case gears before you start worrying about Calmini lifts

[Ric]

the rears had no rebound, and the fronts are made in mexico i think!

errr thats because they are not gas... commodore shocks are designed for much more weight, i tried them in the back of my vit for a while and found they were crap for ride quality onroad/offroad, so i stuck with the calmini shocks.

[atari4x4]

the rears had no rebound, and the fronts are made in mexico i think!

errr thats because they are not gas... commodore shocks are designed for much more weight, i tried them in the back of my vit for a while and found they were crap for ride quality onroad/offroad, so i stuck with the calmini shocks.

yeah i was aware that they were hydrolic shocks.
the gabriel VST gas shocks that i fitted ride heaps better on road & off and this might be because of mine being a hard top & that little extra weight over the back axle. but i say its an improvement over the calmini rear shocks by a long shot.
i never tried stock commodore shocks as they are all clapped out by the time they end up in a wreckers somewhere.

[suzukiboy]

the rears had no rebound, and the fronts are made in mexico i think!

errr thats because they are not gas... commodore shocks are designed for much more weight, i tried them in the back of my vit for a while and found they were crap for ride quality onroad/offroad, so i stuck with the calmini shocks.

There are a few post here and other forums about Calmini shocks are crap, but I have not had a problem off road or on road.