calmini 5" sierra lift

[SIERRA BANDIT]

has anyone got this kit?
i was thinking of getting it but instead of geting the shocks in the kit id get rancho 9000 shocks and maybe other brand leaf springs like rock crawler or OME if thats if they make the same size at the ones in the kit.
also how much would the full kit be
what is the shacke reverse theyre talkin about.
if anyone else knows of any other kit like this id like to see it as ill compare and go for the most suitable kit.

thanks

[bazooked]

this has been talked about a million times before




http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... 525c8adfa3

[Spike_Sierra]

i wouldnt recommend it, to stiff, no flex, only good if you want to fit bigger tyres, pretty expensive too..

[cutzook]

3 letters for you SOA

[Rhett]

get working on that cage joel

[SIERRA BANDIT]

i dont think i can get SOA registed up here id like it but
how wouud a combination of rancho 9000x 3" and rock crawler leaves go.
id then probably get a 2" body lift to reduce the chance of tyre rub.

[HotAe92]

thought i mite revive this thread, and remind people of how limited flex a 5" calmini lift has.
This is my mate Trento's 88 softop. He went a bit further than he had to and got the diff lodged on the log. Took 3 of us to push it off, and it came down quite hard, and actually bent the springs - so that the car was on a lean, i took two of us jumping on the sidesteps to bring them back to normal.

Anyway

[Gwagensteve]

One of the problems with stiff like this is that it gives SPUA a bad name. By all accounts this is a rubbish kit but people buy it because they don't want to go SPOA. Of course they get whipped by SPOA cars and then think that only SPOA can do the business or they have to have a car that only flexes and rides like a stock sierra.


Sorry for the whinge.

[Pat Murray]

The calmini 5" kit sux! It has no flex and I remain singularly unconvinced about the value of the shackle reversal. Their version of shackle reversal just offers further obstruction at the front of your truck. SPOA is overrated, IMHO. I ramp 800+ on a 23 degree ramp with SPUA. Keep your centre of gravity as low as possible. Cheers.

[nicbeer]

Hey Pat,

Whats been done to yours?

Nic

[Spike_Sierra]

i ramped 730 on the same ramp with spua.

from memory pat has 3/4 arse end with climax front end.

i have flat springs and extended shackles with long travel airshocks.

a zook with the calimin kit only got 450-500..didnt it pat?

[SiKiD_01]

from memory pat has 3/4 arse end with climax front end.

guys, how does this set up work? and what is needed to be done for it to work? shock towers extended? longer slip in drive shaft? obviously brake lines?

thanks

[Pat Murray]

Yeah, you got a good memory Spike. Kings long travel springs,3/4 elliptic rear, Tough Dogs and up front there's Climax shackles, Snake hoops, Rancho 9000x shocks, extended braided lines and alloy tailshaft spacer.

[Bluey]

hey pat, i thought you were going to pull the 3/4 out of the rear

Lance

[Gwagensteve]

Skid,

Sierra shock tower locations are such that you won't get more than maybe a 2" travel increase with the stock shock locations. If you space the bumpstops down you can get a bit more shock in there, with the corresponding loss of compression travel (which might be no bad thing if you are trying to fit bigger tyres with low overall lift)

Abou the time you need to change the front shock mounts, you will need to change the brake lines. Get new ones made and go about 4" over stock when you do. This would normally cover any travel increase you will get, although you plans for Climax shackles might effect this.

The rear brake line chassis mount bracket can ususally be adjusted to cover nearly any amount of travel with the stock hose. Again though, pretty cheap to replace with a longer one.

Generally, any modification made to shackles, 3/4 etc won't have very much effect on the slip yoke. I have never seen slip yoke length become a problem on the stuff I have built. It becomes a much bigger problem with links or shackle reversal.

In relation to what climbax front+3/4 rear is like, I am sure the people here who have run the setup will comment, however, there are a couple of problems with it that I will mention.

Any shackle with an unfolding mechanism adds another pivot into the suspension. This will lead to increased "play" in the steering when used on the front end. Whether it is "excessive" or "scary" will depend on the individual user, but it isn't really sound practise.

When your climax unfolds it eats into approach angle significantly. Because the end of the spring is free to swing around, it is easy to then bend the spring (sierra front springs bend VERY easily if you smack them on stuff.)

As to the combination of 3/4 and Climax, I'm not at all convinced. IMHO, a car set up this way will be very scary on side angles, especially if you are on compound angles. I don't like anything that causes the axle to "flop" like too short coils or climax shackles. They do the business for poser photos, but not when on the move.

I am OK with 3/4 because the car "rides" through the transition from road spring to 3/4 leaf, but 3/4 can readily be applied to the front.

Skid, the car you are talking about already has RUF. Let it work fully with correct shocks etc and you won't need to chase more front travel, especially via things like climbax shackles. a 3/4 in the rear isn't a bad idea at all and can lead to very nice balance with the softness and travel of the RUF, but they do need more shock than most poeple give them, which is why they can get a bad rap for floppyness.

Steve.

[Drew]

having actually owned & used the calmini kit i'll give my 2c
insert whinge here:
its ok but expensive for $1700,you can get more for less

for the stiffness pull a leaf or 2 just like everyone else does with their ome springs to get them soft enough.

also if you have climax shackles your approach angle WILL be worse than the shackle reverse & worse again with rears up front & climax's.

if you look at the pic from ae92 the 2 bolts you can see, the distance between is the same as a 1in longer than standard shackle.
don't you just love how everyone uses the approach angle fangs crap straight off rocky roads website

for me it was good for a while but what you expect to drive dictates your suspension setup
with more power & then lockers the zuk diffs became a bad joke so i went coils & lux diffs
the calmini kit is complete, but when you soften the springs up ,the front driveshaft becomes an issue it falls out. pain in the a.. halfway up a rockstep on a big angle so add a custom drive shaft to the price

if i were to build another leaf sprung zuk i would probably go rears up front with cj's in the rear & cut the guards virtual lift.
for cheap long brakelines go with swift ones cheap from a wrecker & plenty long enough
:whinge over

[Pat Murray]

Well there ya go! You build a very capable rig that works beautifully on all our hardest tracks, doesn't break, doesn't fall over, steers good, doesn't "flop" in the spring department and outperforms many coily trucks only to be told it's only good as a pose machine by another forum user. Oh well, I spose I'll have to burn it now and build another one that suits someone else instead.

[lay80n]

Well there ya go! You build a very capable rig that works beautifully on all our hardest tracks, doesn't break, doesn't fall over, steers good, doesn't "flop" in the spring department and outperforms many coily trucks only to be told it's only good as a pose machine by another forum user. Oh well, I spose I'll have to burn it now and build another one that suits someone else instead.

Slow down, everyone is entitled to their own opinion here, that doesnt mean that you have to take it all to heart. Each to their own.
Layto....

[Bluey]

Well there ya go! You build a very capable rig that works beautifully on all our hardest tracks, doesn't break, doesn't fall over, steers good, doesn't "flop" in the spring department and outperforms many coily trucks only to be told it's only good as a pose machine by another forum user. Oh well, I spose I'll have to burn it now and build another one that suits someone else instead.

Slow down, everyone is entitled to their own opinion here, that doesnt mean that you have to take it all to heart. Each to their own.
Layto....

yeah, but not as funny as Phil's thread

[grimbo]

Well there ya go! You build a very capable rig that works beautifully on all our hardest tracks, doesn't break, doesn't fall over, steers good, doesn't "flop" in the spring department and outperforms many coily trucks only to be told it's only good as a pose machine by another forum user. Oh well, I spose I'll have to burn it now and build another one that suits someone else instead.

Who said all of that, I don't get that from any of the answers here. I must be missing something

[dlux35]

well i run the calmini 5" and i love it after playin and tuning the springs
i run 32" wheels they just touch in the front, but it took a while to soften up the springs to ride nice

[HotAe92]

has anyone tried removing some leaves to soften up the ride and maybe get a little more flex?

[lay80n]

has anyone tried removing some leaves to soften up the ride and maybe get a little more flex?

Read the post above yours I would be guessing that is what he has done.


Layto....

[dlux35]

that's it take the overload leaf out and i don't run the rear bump stop and its sweet