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vitara rear suspension

Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:12 am
by dka_offroad
has anyone cut the rear coil and shock mounts from the chassis and flipped them upside down on a vitara by the looks of this i should be able to get at least 3" of lift by doing this.

Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:51 pm
by danssurf82
if it would work it would prob be good(for the rear) but what r u goin to do with the front? lift it 3 inches and keep chewing cvs out?

Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:13 pm
by Gwagensteve
I don't think it's a good idea. It's feasible if you are a good fabricator, but 3" of lift isn't what the rear of a vitara needs from a geometry point of view - the control arms aren't all that long and neither is the A arm, leading to the ball joint chopping out, the need for a ball joint spacer, raising the roll centre further in the rear.... it all gets quite messy.

I don't think the rear of a vitara needs 3" of lift in any case.

Steve.

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:20 am
by dka_offroad
well i will be doing sas on the front end and will lengthen the control arms and fab a new longer a arm to move diff back or will 4 link the rear if i can get my head around the math of it all

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:34 am
by 11_evl
dka_offroad wrote:well i will be doing sas on the front end and will lengthen the control arms and fab a new longer a arm to move diff back or will 4 link the rear if i can get my head around the math of it all
thats the sort of information you should put in your first post :roll:

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:59 am
by dka_offroad
well i wasn't here to do a build up thread that will come when i get the rear all finished. All i want to know is that has anyone attemped this and if it worked out for them

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:00 pm
by dka_offroad
toy diffs was something i have thought long and hard about but i am going to keep it all zook and try and build it as a budget zook that anyone should be able to do. this will be purely offroad only and have no plans of getting it rego'd and not trying to build this for hardcore comps just something i can take out in the bush and play around with and not worry if i break anything

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:11 pm
by Guy
If its not road driven, and your only looking to get a 75 Mm lift out of it to run bigger rubber .. why not leave it stock(ish) and remove sheet metal to make the tyres fit, boatside it for sill clearnace and have fun.

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:09 pm
by danssurf82
viara rear diffs dont like big rubber... i have snapped over 15 axels!!!

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:32 pm
by Gwagensteve
dka_offroad wrote:toy diffs was something i have thought long and hard about but i am going to keep it all zook and try and build it as a budget zook that anyone should be able to do. .... and not worry if i break anything
This is 100% unpossible.

There is no viable suzuki option for the front axle without $$$$ fabrication/axles etc. WT sierra is too weak/narrow. The only option is a custom diff based on a Vitara rear axle with suzuki knuckles - but to get the width right you'd need custom inner axles, custom tie rod, and a very high level of fabrication skills to put it all together - and that's before you sort your suspension geometry.

I'd be going to 78 series landcruiser or 60 series cruiser, with three speed auto and sierra transfer. That will solve high and low range gearing and get strong axles under the car that are the right width for minimal $$.

Personally, as has been said before, I'd be cutting the guards, jam a steel front diff in it, boatside it, and run whatever size tyres you want. It will be low, stable, and spank most live axle car because of it's stability. Most importantly, you won't spend years and $$$$ building it, or end up with an unfinished project.

Steve.

Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:52 pm
by Highway-Star
dka_offroad wrote:this will be purely offroad only and have no plans of getting it rego'd and not trying to build this for hardcore comps just something i can take out in the bush and play around with and not worry if i break anything

Where do you plan on wheeling it?

Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:08 pm
by dka_offroad
Gwagensteve wrote:
dka_offroad wrote:toy diffs was something i have thought long and hard about but i am going to keep it all zook and try and build it as a budget zook that anyone should be able to do. .... and not worry if i break anything
This is 100% unpossible.

There is no viable suzuki option for the front axle without $$$$ fabrication/axles etc. WT sierra is too weak/narrow. The only option is a custom diff based on a Vitara rear axle with suzuki knuckles - but to get the width right you'd need custom inner axles, custom tie rod, and a very high level of fabrication skills to put it all together - and that's before you sort your suspension geometry.

I'd be going to 78 series landcruiser or 60 series cruiser, with three speed auto and sierra transfer. That will solve high and low range gearing and get strong axles under the car that are the right width for minimal $$.

Personally, as has been said before, I'd be cutting the guards, jam a steel front diff in it, boatside it, and run whatever size tyres you want. It will be low, stable, and spank most live axle car because of it's stability. Most importantly, you won't spend years and $$$$ building it, or end up with an unfinished project.

Steve.

watch this space :lol: ;)

Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:11 pm
by dka_offroad
Highway-Star wrote:
dka_offroad wrote:this will be purely offroad only and have no plans of getting it rego'd and not trying to build this for hardcore comps just something i can take out in the bush and play around with and not worry if i break anything

Where do you plan on wheeling it?
around kholo or ripley and i have a few mates with land out fernvale way