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Coil spacers in front of a vitara
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 8:48 pm
by cam yagan
I was wondering if i can fit 30mm coil spacers in the front of my vitara. Some people have said the front diff would crap itself. i already have 15mm at the front.
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 8:56 pm
by antt
do you have lifted springs as well in the front? or just stock ones?
if they are stock the cv's etc should be right. but if they're lifted + another 45mm from the two spacers it'll fark them pretty quick, plus you'll have bugger-all downdtravel if you just have the standard strut in the front still.
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:00 pm
by cam yagan
I mean i have lifttd springs that now only give abut 15mm lift. i have no coil spacers in the front.
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:12 pm
by antt
it should be right then. i have about 40mm lift springs in mine, plus about a 12mm spacer (to get it level with the back)
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:18 pm
by cam yagan
thanks. for your help. My car should look wikid with the spacers in. i want 30mm in the front and 15mm in the back to level it up. I need new shockies first though $$$$ :(
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 11:49 pm
by Gonzo
on the front of mine, i have 50mm coils, 30mm spacers, OME struts with the tower mounts flipped
no problems so far
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 11:59 pm
by antt
where did ya's get the 30mm spacers from?
i used cut down tj wrangler spacers
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:04 am
by Gonzo
from rancho, well auto alliance...
30mm in the front and 15mm in the arse - sits even with the winch on the front
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 6:52 am
by Beastmavster
Im using 30mm at both ends with the frotns shaved down to about 25mm.
Unlike you guys it was a real struggle to get them in with the standard springs. Maybe your springs were just r00ted.
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 7:48 pm
by Ric
i am about to make some for my car. i can only buy the nylon in half a meter lengths so i will have plenty left over if anyone is interested. It will be 110mm in diameter.
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 8:59 pm
by cam yagan
are they hard to install. im a pretty boy and dont like to get dirty (clogs up the pores). I imagine the front would be difficult. I have rang up a few places and not many people are prepared to install them.
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 9:28 pm
by Ric
i have never done it before, but the rear would be really easy....
i had a good look at it yesterday as the BL will be going in around the same time.. (same day hopefully), i am making up my own spacers and the only problem with the front is getting the coils back in.. I am going to need to probably buy a coil compressor to make things a little easier.
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 7:11 am
by roadrunner
Put a jack under your front swing arm and jack it up to compress the spring, wire the spring up with some decent gauge, then release the jack and remove / replace the spring as normal............... saves buying a coil compressor for a 5 minute job
coil spacers
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 12:57 pm
by SiKiD_01
the front spacer was by far, almost the hardest thing to put in, for me anyway. i already had some spring compressors/clamps. and even with these, it was a bit of a challenge, mainly due to the bumpstop.
theres a few ways on how you can do this, and its on the net as well, but one was is to jack the the front up under the a arm, and then when the coils cant/wont compress anymore, put a jack or carstand under the body/chassis. wheel must be off. then detach the strut, and also the c clip that holds the drive shaft in the hub, so this can slide out when you lower the a are. before lowering the arm, put the coil clamps in, this saves you winding them up front full length. you might even have to wind them up some more. slowly lower the arm, until you can slide the coil out. i had to use 2 clamps. one on each side, but remember where the are positioned, as there's not much room to move the clamps around.
anyway, this was pretty straight forward with a 30mm spacer, which i have.
i will be putting in 50mm coil spacers soon in the front, and i think the best way for this amount, is to undo the lower ball joint, and lower the are seperately while everything is still connected together.
i didnt have to undo the steering rod. but the sway bar needs to be disconnected (taken off the car altogether is more acceptable)
theres really no one answer, as you have to do what you have to do to get whatever you have to do done.
p.s, i have taken off my front sway bar, like many others here i suspect, theres only slightly more body roll, and you get used to it. if you have wide wheels and tyres, you'll be right, but with the standard wheels, you might have a chance of rolling. i can lose the tail on dry bitumen in my vitara, and its a carby.
hope this helps.
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 7:36 pm
by Beastmavster
Other method...
1) Loosen the three bolts/studs holding the strut in place
2) Jack up car off front crossmember... enough so that the tyre will be off the ground, but not so much that the whole front end decides to fall apart.
3) "encourage" the spring out with probably a leg standing on the a arm
4) insert coil spacer and then spring (will need a little spring compression by hand)
5) lower car slowly while aligning strut bolts again
Nice, simple and completely dodgy.....
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:00 pm
by scotto
i was talking with a mate today about spacers in coils on a vit
surely they d not assist with wheel travel - they are only for lift?
any adeas would be sweet - i dunno cause i drive on leaves
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:46 am
by ljxtreem
25mm worth of spacers in my old one, no body lift, lots of cutting and bashing, and you can fit 33's
Low rider
Mock