Goodbye Jimny, Hello 02 G/Vitara(FS: Old Susspension)

[bendev]

I'm so happy with the ride, I'm also happy with the approach angle.

[bendev]

Anyway Grand Vitara 1 - Feroza 0

We keep a score card on how many times we recover each other.
Here you will see John and his Feroza bottomed out and stuck in the mud.
Out comes the snatch strap and Grand Vitara to the rescue.

[bendev]

Basically here are the rest of the photos from my first day out.

[bendev]

Not wanting to ruen the day, I got a little stuck, so instead of turning around we simply winched the GV to safety and kept going. Basically without a lock diff I wasn't getting up there.

[bendev]

To finish off a great day we went to Stockton Beach and gave the cars a run down the beach.
Took some photos of the sun setting, aahhh nice.

[GRPABT1]

Screw hand winching lol. I did it once then bought an electric

[zookieboi]

hah the vits starting to look pretty mean

thats mine put the 31 inch tyres on it last weekend
but yeah nice job on yours

[zookkid]

wow mate looks like you had a great day.
Great pics!

[reprise]

Thats really looking the goods. My missus is going to purchase a car soon, and i hadn't even thought of a GV till i saw this thread. So now i have some convincing to do. $8000 - $10 000 budget so we might be a little short keep my fingers crossed.

How does it compare to the Jimny?? Looks alot nicer IMO

[JIMNY EXTREME]

nice job looks great.

Probobly go a gv for comfort but its independent front, so the jimny for offroad as its a live front. just my opinion

[bendev]

Having driven both the Jimny and the GV, I can honestly say the GV drives so much better. It has so much more power and so much more room.
The trick is you must buy the 2.0L version of the GV. You notice the lack of power from the Jimny, mostly on the beach and me being a little bit bigger than the average bear (or fat) I found that when two adults sat in the front you sort of bumped into each other. From very rough measurements I found that the GV is about 250mm wider on the inside.

Jimny G13bb - 1.3lt
59kw @ 6000rpm
104Nm @ 4500rpm

Grand Vitara J20A - 2.0lt
103kw @ 6000rpm
183Nm @ 4000rpm

The independent front suspension of the GV is nothing but a pain, only because I'm trying to lift it so high, but on the road the GV drives just like a car. The Jimny with a solid diff was stiff on the road but was a breeze to lift up.

[Brendan-s]

Cool pics mate, the ones of Port make me a bit homesick! I grew up not 4km from that lighthouse (right near Tacking Point Tavern).

Spent many underage Saturday nights dropping back beers with mates at that Lighthouse... even got my first *cough cough* in the carpark down the bottom from it (on the left as you drive in)

Good times

[fordy1]

[TheOtherLeft]

Pics look AWESOME.

What size coil spacer did you end up using?

[bendev]

Pics look AWESOME.

What size coil spacer did you end up using?

OME 30mm springs with 30mm spring spacers.

[bendev]

Screw hand winching lol. I did it once then bought an electric

LOL, GRPABT1 you read my mind. John and I have never worked so hard.
Me steering, John winching. LOL
I found these pictures on my computer but i can't remember where I found them on the net.
I was thinking of making or buying this set up. That way when you need it you lock the winch in and it can also be used on the back, as long as you have a tow bar.





But before I attempt this I think I should make some skid plates for the bottom. By any chance does anyone have a template for a 2-door GV?

[Mugwui]

I'm just about to embark on my own lift on my 99 LWB GV, is the process the same as your SWB? & if you can, would you mind telling me where you got all your bits and what $$$ an I looking at?

[GRPABT1]

That whinch doesn't look very big what's the rating on it?

[fordy1]

he got some from bits4vits.com and some from
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Outdoor-Auto

[bendev]

Hey everyone,
Just a short little video of my driving down a dune into some water on Stockton Beach. Nothing new as yet on my car but I am getting excited as we are planning a trip to Fraser Island in Feb. 2008.
Accom. booked, Holidays approved, now just the wait. If anyone has some tips or pointers on Fraser I'm more than happy to listen.
Anyway check out my little video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXNDOoyusUQ

[WRXZook]

[quote="bendev"] I am getting excited as we are planning a trip to Fraser Island in Feb. 2008.

How did the trip go

[bendev]

I am getting excited as we are planning a trip to Fraser Island in Feb. 2008.

How did the trip go

Sorry, typo
the trip I'm planning is in Feb. 2009
nothing to report yet
Sorry again

[bendev]

I fitted some Hella Rallye 1000 Pencil Beam Spot Lights today.
I really wanted some LightForce lights but without a nudge/bull bar they are just too deep to mount in front of the grill.

Apart from that, hopefully my snorkel arrives next week, so as soon as it does, i'll have it on and some photos up.

[Mugwui]

I was wondering, where did you get your coil spacers and what size did you use in both the front and the rear.. Nice Rig.

[bendev]

i got spacers from bits4vits from ebay uk.
hes a good guy to deal with
both front and back are 32mm
if you look on ebay australia the guy for outdoor auto has some good stuff aswell
good luck

[Mugwui]

Thanks Bendev,
With your 32mm spacers all round, did it sit level or did you have to adjust other stuff, as I have been told I should be putting in 15mm front and 30mm rear, this is on my 99 GV LWB but looking at your pics, yours looks just fine to me, also did you or have you found all of the other parts to be nessecary eg: diff drop bracket,panhard rod adjuster, camber bolts, front and rear drive shaft spacers, front shock/strut spacers, rear shock spacers, REAR AXLE HEIM JOINT ARTICULATION 2" SPACER BLOCK, etc etc. I would like to no as I am just about to start the lift on mine and I dont want to spend the dollars on things I'm not going to need.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[TheOtherLeft]

I fitted some Hella Rallye 1000 Pencil Beam Spot Lights today.
I really wanted some LightForce lights but without a nudge/bull bar they are just too deep to mount in front of the grill.

Apart from that, hopefully my snorkel arrives next week, so as soon as it does, i'll have it on and some photos up.

That's some neat spottie brackets. Are they mounted to the plastic grill or further in? If further in what are they mounted to?

[bendev]

Thanks Bendev,
With your 32mm spacers all round, did it sit level or did you have to adjust other stuff, as I have been told I should be putting in 15mm front and 30mm rear, this is on my 99 GV LWB but looking at your pics, yours looks just fine to me, also did you or have you found all of the other parts to be nessecary eg: diff drop bracket,panhard rod adjuster, camber bolts, front and rear drive shaft spacers, front shock/strut spacers, rear shock spacers, REAR AXLE HEIM JOINT ARTICULATION 2" SPACER BLOCK, etc etc. I would like to no as I am just about to start the lift on mine and I dont want to spend the dollars on things I'm not going to need.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

All GV sit a little down in the front end so by using same size spacers in both front and back I got the chase to sit level. Diff drop brackets help minimize drive shaft angle, panhard rod adjuster helps center the rear diff after the lift and well you need camber bolts to correct camber. If your using standard front strut / shocks you will need spacers but if your going for after market OME or alike you don't need them for the front but you do need them for the rear to compensate for the extra stretch. Lastly you will need the rear tail shaft spacer as it pulls out way too far from the transfer case. You can see this in my photos earlier in this thread.

[bendev]

That's some neat spottie brackets. Are they mounted to the plastic grill or further in? If further in what are they mounted to?

They just poke through the grill. I made brackets that bolt between the head lights.

[Mugwui]

Thanks Bendev, you have just saved me a stack of cash. I'll post some pics when the job is done.[/code]