Offroad-Express

As the title say's has anyone done or know of any body who has done the "Stan's" Toyota CV conversion and CV's and hubs to the front diff of a vitara using the Calmini Anvil steal housing?
This mod is referred too as bullet prof, so no more breaking front CV's and the good old Vitara weak point commonly referred too as cracking the alloy housing, apparently you do have too change the bushel's every now an then as they wear quick and cause play being the only next weak point in the chain....

I'm trying to gather any information on this mod too hopfully price an be able to do to my truck.

Here's a link on one that sold a wile back:

http://auszookers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17471

Only what I have seen on some of the USA forums, zukiworld and zukicrawler. It looks an excellent option to beef up the front drive shafts. As best as I can tell, the only remaining part of the driveline needing some additional strength is the rear axles (which Calmini do for the older Vitaras) and you can run 35's reasonably comfortably - apart from the lack of power. Stan's pseudonym on those forums is 37kicker. I had PM'd him with some questions a while back, he is a bit intermittent with online access though and I am waiting for a response from the last PM. From memory the kit was about $US300. The problem with many of the threads is that the pictures are no longer current.

In fact, here is the thread - looks like many of the pictures are back up.
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=9229.0

The other option is if there is someone willing to try some R&D in NZ?

The other option is if there is someone willing to try some R&D in NZ?[/quote]

What do you mean by R&D?

Research and Development.

Chairmen wrote:The other option is if there is someone willing to try some R&D in NZ?

What do you mean by R&D?[/quote]
Resting and Drinking????

It is possible to use the whole front set up from a surf (and rear axle too) for even more gearing options.

The IFS diff will fit (been done - lost the link) with front shafts etc and rear axle you get a stronger set up with more gearing options off the shelf.

Of course lowering the front diff an inch or so will take the stress off the cvs allowing higher lifts (or you could fit porsche cvs like offroaders do for even more angle tolerance).

Anvil diff seems like a good idea until the price landed is quoted (dont forget GST and import taxes on top of the shipping etc). Maybe talk to an engineer and get one made.

Or a simpler/stronger option might be a beam axle conversion (surprised no-ones said it yet ).

The problem with eliminating weak links is that the breaking point moves up the drive train. If the Hubs, cvs, diff housing,diff centre are all bullet proof then all that leaves is the drive shaft and the gearbox. Can drive out on anything forwards of the gearbox/tcase (within reason) with some difficulty but break the gearbox/tcase and you are stuffed. Just be wary of eliminating simple fixes and creating major potential problems (with practice you can do a cv in less than 1 hour - and do it track side too, or in the worst case still be driveable home). A spare cv or two takes up bugger all room. Maybe look into the hagen mod where you only carry one spare for both sides (Think its the hagen mod).

At the end of the day big tyres will blow the puny zook cvs even if you take it easy (rotating mass vs torsional sterngth of the steel - or something like that).

Pico,
Did Stan get back to you about the Toyota cv kit? I'm interested blown two cvs in half a dozen outings. Will have to put some other stuff on hold until it is sorted.

No he didn't, but that was probably due to the zukiworld site - all my sent PMs seem to disappear. I may send another PM via a desktop instead of the ipad and see if that changes anything.

I did find a thread where there was someone who got it to work without the Hagen widening mod. They used eccentric control arm bushes - i did have some supapro ones, but they were for stock control arms and we didnt use them in the calmini arms.

Now I am seeking dimensions of the Calmini bushes so we can source offset ones. If we can do that, it just leaves us with putting the mods in place (sourced either from Stan/37kicker on ZukiWorld or from BenT on here). I did email BenT about this a while back, but haven't followed it through - been preoccupied with work and the Rubicon.

Keen to make it happen though.

Mike Hagen had the widening mod on his calmini control arms in his article. I've ordered some explorer cvs to make some hybrid shafts. I'll do the widening mod on my 4xfourart arms, otherwise I'd be in the same position as you, looking for some offset bushes. Altered ego motorsports control arms look similar to both the calmini ones and the 4xfourart ones.