Vitara Spring Spacers. Easy lift or not?

[aimless]

See this trade me listing. Is this an easy way to get a 30mm lift or are there better ways to go?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 233760.htm

[Heath]

Seach young pedawan...

Spacers will give you lift but if the springs bind on compression its not good. the vitara front is limited by the struts so a lift will give height but not any extra down movement (you'll likely loose some up as well). Height also has an impact on the CV angles which can cause premature failures too.


http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... itara+lift

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... ft#p230550

[kernels]

What vehicle are you looking at lifting ? I see on that auction the guy says that it's only for vehicles without tapered springs, all the vitaras I've seen have tapered springs (at the top)

If you have a 3 door 1600 you could look at getting some secondhand springs from a 5 door or even 5 door V6, they are supposedly good for about 30mm lift. There was a guy on TM selling a set recently for $200

A full set of new 30mm longer springs all round will set you back about $400.

A few more things to keep in mind:
* Good thing to fit a A-Arm spacer at the back if you do a suspension lift.
* As mentioned above, you don't get any more travel out of any of the options above, but easily fixed with shocks, spacers or strut mount flip

Good luck
Hein

[Big-AL]

What vehicle are you looking at lifting ? I see on that auction the guy says that it's only for vehicles without tapered springs, all the vitaras I've seen have tapered springs (at the top)

What are tapered springs? do people know if these spacers will fit a 91 escudo?

[kernels]

What vehicle are you looking at lifting ? I see on that auction the guy says that it's only for vehicles without tapered springs, all the vitaras I've seen have tapered springs (at the top)

What are tapered springs? do people know if these spacers will fit a 91 escudo?

The springs are narrower at the top than the bottom. As in the diameter of the coils are smaller at the top where the spring sits in the body mount than the bottom where they sit on the suspension arm. Hope that makes sense!

[Big-AL]

maybe i am showing my lack of mechanical thinking, but why does it mater if the spring is tapered if you are puting the spacer above the top factory spring mount anyway?

[kernels]

maybe i am showing my lack of mechanical thinking, but why does it mater if the spring is tapered if you are puting the spacer above the top factory spring mount anyway?

Yeah, I had wondered about that too, maybe the spacers have to be smaller to fit into the body space. Sounds like it wouldn't be an issue if you made some smaller spacers. Maybe it has to do with how the spring sits if you use spacers to space it down ? ? ? It does seem odd that the guy on TM specifies that's the spacers are only for non-tapered springs. Anybody have any other ideas ?