Lift Kit

As per my previous post, about the 2 inch body lift kit for your Vitara 2 door gen 2, please note the install instructions. I have just asked the permission from the manufacturer to point people in his direction, so his e-mail address may pop up soon. I remember seeing other lift kits available for other makes.

Kit contains:
10 Body lift blocks
6 M10 female tube bolts
6 50mm diameter washers for M10 tube bolts
2 M10 bolts for front mounts
2 M10 flat washers
2 M10 spring washers

Excuse the lack of pictures but the instructions follow:

The grade of technical skills is rated about a 3.5/5 and do recommend that your mechanic checks over your work after you’re done.

This took about 3 days worth of work but I had never done a body lift before. Good lift kit in my opinion though.

I have just sold the car but the lift kit seemed to have stiffened up the suspension somehow, even though I dont see how.

One word of caution – do not let your chassis slide from your car or you could be in a world of pain.
Installation instructions:
1. Park the vehicle on level ground, and disconnect the battery.
2. Remove grille and headlights and remove the front body bolts.
3. Remove the steel sleeve from the front body mounts.
4. Un-bolt the brake pipe junction from the chassis – located on the right hand
side of the chassis just in front of the firewall.
5. Loosen the clamp bolts at either end of the steering shaft between the firewall
and steering box.
6. Un-clip any wiring from the firewall that runs to the engine.
7. Un-clip A/C piping from inner guard (if fitted).
8. Un-plug the O2 sensor.
9. Loosen the air intake pipe to the air-box.
10. V6 models: Un-bolt fuel lines from the body on the right hand side of the
engine bay. Remove the strut brace – inner arches will need to be trimmed to
re-fit the strut brace after body lift.
11. Remove the plastic console surrounding the gear levers in the cabin.
12. Remove the retaining rings which hold down the rubber gear lever boots.
13. Remove the front and rear bumpers.
14. Loosen the fuel filler hose clamps.
15. Remove the clips from the brake hose to the left front wheel, and pull the hose
free from the mounts.
16. Loosen and remove the other body mount bolts found behind the front wheels,
in front of the rear wheels, and at the rear of the chassis.
17. Slowly jack one side of the body up until there is just enough room to install
the spacer blocks. Take your time, and keep checking that no hoses or wires
are caught or getting stretched while jacking.
18. Remove the plastic sleeves from the body mount studs and install the spacer
blocks with the parts in this order: body, spacer block, rubber bush, chassis.
19. Glue two spacers (4 on LWB) in place between the mid body mounts using
black body adhesive / silicone.
20. Gently lower the body back on to the chassis and loosely fit the rubber bush
and supplied female tube bolts and washers to the studs, but do not tighten
fully.
21. Repeat for the other side of the body.
22. Install the new longer bolts in the front mounts.
23. Once all bolts are loosely fitted and aligned properly, tighten the bolts fully.
24. Bolt the brake pipe junction back onto the chassis. If both bolts will not line
up, move the block up one hole and install one bolt.
25. Tighten the steering shaft bolts.
26. Re-clip the wiring, A/C and O2 sensor back in.
27. Re-attach the intake pipe. 16 valve models may need the alloy intake pipe
spacing up to reduce tension on the hose.
28. Re-fit the gear lever boots and console. Check the transfer lever and gear
lever can select all gears without touching the body or console or popping
back out of gear. Fitting the inner transfer boot upside down can help with
this, or sometimes the levers will need to be re-bent or cut and welded to clear.
29. Re-fit the front and rear bumpers. If using the stock bumpers brackets will be
required to raise the bumper to match the body.
30. Tighten the fuel hose clamps.
31. Drill a 16mm hole in the left hand inner guard, 50mm below the original brake
hose hole. Undo the brake hose connection and move it to the lower hole.
32. Clip the brake line back into place.
33. Bleed the left hand front brakes.

Disconnecting the sway bar: Escudo/Tracker

A few questiosn have come in regarding the sway bar on Trackers/Suzuki Escudos – particularly how to remove them.

The outcome of this is increased attenuation and sadly, increased body roll in turns. This is advantageous in offroad driving but can have a negative impact if the majority of driving you do is in-town.

Without splitting hairs, most offroad enthusiast will tell you to remove it and in my case this has helped my tonka’s ride on-road to be a little smoother while on-road it is now more capable off-road. My rig is the 1600 3 door model and running the v6 springs for a little more hight.

It is a pretty simple process – 6 bolts.

Swaybar in red Swaybar in red

Hi-Lighted is the sway bar/stabilizer arm you are wanting to remove.

Undo the two bottom nuts:

Note boltNote boltArm disconnected

Loosen and remove the 4 remaining bolts:

Top Bolts

Once removed I found it best to screw the bolts onto the chassis so you dont loose them.

Bolt storage

10 minute job assuming you dont stop for a break.

Differentials, Transfer Box, Tranny Fluids: 96 Tracker, Geo, Escudo

Hi, So a question came up as to what fluids would be required for differentials, Transfer case, and Tranny fluids:.

A very good answer came through:

PJF Writes; For all of the above components, I am using Chevron Delo Gear Lubricant ESI 80W-90 because my 1989 Sidekick owner’s manual recommends a SAE 80W-90 gear lubricant where temperatures do not drop below minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees C).

I am told that it is copper-alloy-friendly because it contains less sulfur than other GL-5 oils and provides extreme pressure (EP) protection with a borate additive. I will know after I receive results back from an oil analysis lab in a week or two. After about 1,000 miles, I will test a used oil sample for wear.

If you are not convinced about the copper-alloy-friendliness of this oil, I recommend GL-4 oil, such as Redline MT-90, for your transmission and transfer case.

For 2001 Trackers and older, GM recommends GM #12346190 transmission fluid. For 2002 Trackers and newer, GM recommends GM #12345349 transmission fluid. Consult your owner’s manual to make sure.

Given the temperature at your location, he goes to say; Per my 1989 Sidekick manual, any GL-4 80W-90 or 75W-90 transmission fluid will do depending on the climate. The Tracker manuals specify the GM transmission fluids per my earlier post.

 

Hope that helps.

Sidekick: Body lift kit

So, the Christmas break is around the corner again and I have run out of time for buying myself a mandatory present.

In response to that I have just purchased this 51mm/2 inch lift kit so I have something to do for the new year’s break. I have landed this via the net. It cost $245 NZD delivered to my door (about $185 USD).

This is whats included in this kit:

The manufacturer description follows:

This bolt in, fully reversible body lift kit for your Suzuki can be easily fitted with basic hand tools. 

Great for making room to fit bigger tyres, or for that extra bit of height to improve the look of your Vitara. 

Kit contains: 

10 CNC machined body lift blocks 
6 Custom CNC machined high tensile zinc plated female tube bolts 
6 Large diameter washers for tube bolts 
2 Long high tensile zinc plated bolts for front mounts 
2 Flat washers 
2 Spring washers 
Detailed fitting instructions 

The reviews are positive all around and this is coming from people that have purchased and installed them.

k.lee88 – lift kit fits mint for 2004 hilux thank u very gud deal
lefthandrides – If you want a body lift kit then buy it off this guy, excellent kit with excellent instructions. Great trade.

You get the idea. Looking forwards to putting this in on the weekend, however have already identified an issue I’m going to have – the nudge bar is  going to require new brackets to be machined.

Stay tuned.