[stocker]

Don't know if this is just because i haven't got enough weight over the Front Springs or what, but i've noticed a few times after putting the 3" Calmini Kit in. that if i go round a round about and give the Vit a bit of acceleration that it wants To Lift one of the Front tyres off the ground...

Obviously its not normal. and i was wondering if its just a weight Issue??? or if the springs just need to bed in a bit

[Fatzook]

Rear springs are WAY too soft.

You still got a swaybar?

[stocker]

There is no Sway Bar on the REar end of a vit. ..Well as far as i know. just the 2x Draglinks. and Heim Joint ( V-Bar )

[Rusho]

stocker wrote:

There is no Sway Bar on the REar end of a vit.

He probably means the front

[stocker]

Right, well yes i definitly do have a swaybar on the front. although i had to reverse which side they mount on to get them to fit into the new control arms... not that i can see that having to do with the problem...

[atari4x4]

are your struts topped out when parked, eg do you have any down travel?

[kirstyandgrace]

How much is a bit of acceleration ?

[SierraDan]

Used to happen in my pajero, soft as rear springs and stiff front. If I dropped the clutch in a take off I'd lift a wheel. Stiffen the rear up.

[want33s]

atari4x4 wrote:

are your struts topped out when parked, eg do you have any down travel?

BINGO.....

[Gwagensteve]

In my experience, the Calmini kit is designed for a pretty heavy car - i.e a bar and winch, AND offset rims.

Why do the rims make a difference? Offset rims increase the leverage on the springs effectively lowering the front spring rate.

If you're not running a bar and winch and offset rims it will be a bit stiff and tall in the front.

You might want to try some of the taller (GV?) OME front springs. These should give you the 3" of height without the binding and excessive rate.

I would also pull the swaybar. The stock swaybar is operating in a range it wasn't designed for now and they really want to bind up. Additionally, lowering the roll stiffness in the front is a good thing - it will balance the handling out a lot more - it will feel less like a car and more like a lifted 4WD, but it will also feel more progressive and predictable.

Do bear in mind that Calmini are retards and can't design suspension, so they use the springs as bumpstops. When they talk about the spring "settling in" it's because the springs bind before they get anywhere near the bumpstop. As a result, the spring flogs out a bit over time and it will soften up. Give it a bit of a flogging and it will settle a bit. Retarded but true.

Steve.

[stocker]

Righteo. well i'll start with the Bar and winch and wider tyres... and see how that goes, i'll have a look if the struts are topped out when parked and let you guys know.

Cheers dudes

[atari4x4]

put a jack under the front jacking point & jack the front end & watch the strut where the chrome shaft goes into the body of the strut... if you don't have 2 heads like buzzy the tasmainian stick a bit of masking tape around the shaft where it goes into the strut body before you lift it, jack that side up & then see how much down travel you have left.

[DarkHorse]

Surely should have some front down travel with a new Cal kit? Springs might need to sag a bit I guess.

My limited experience with the rears is that they are way too soft, which will allow the car to 'squat' when you put the foot down - combine this with the sideways roll through a corner or round-about and that's why one front will want to come up.

FWIW I reckon fixing the underlying cause (rear softness) rather than the symptom (insufficient front travel) would be a better bet. I know I'll be looking for some firmer rear springs when I get the car back.

[Chop]

Get the recommended minimum tyre size for starters!

[steve]

I have the same problem.....

[skyman]

How well does the rear handle a load? if the rear sags when you have passengers or a load, then DarkHorse is on the money.

I think he may be right anyways, but that is a sure way to find out

[royce]

your rear springs/shocks are too soft, the wallowing you get makes a vit shake around funny when they are lifted like the front is going crazy

you arent lifting a front wheel, you can see in teh pics of steves the speed you need to be doing to achieve that

[Timbo_]

i wouldnt worry too much. I get that much body roll they had to modify the lane change test for me. At first i was getting the front wheel up in the air. Now with the front springs flogged out and brand new shocks in the rear, im now getting a rear one up now and then.

Its a vitara haha id just put it down to character.

[stocker]

royce wrote:

your rear springs/shocks are too soft, the wallowing you get makes a vit shake around funny when they are lifted like the front is going crazy

you arent lifting a front wheel, you can see in teh pics of steves the speed you need to be doing to achieve that

no It literally lifts a front wheel royce. i made a mate stand on the corner of my street i gave it a tramp and sure enough it lifts one wheel about 4 inches off the ground.

As for the bigger tyres. im strapped for cash atm. so they will have to wait... i guess i will just have to take it easy for now.

I Really don't see the point in pulling the swaybar off the front... i don't believe this will help the problem.

and as for the Soft springs / shock's i'll have to see how they go when i load them up for the next trip.

Cheers.
Stocker

[royce]

stocker wrote:

royce wrote:

your rear springs/shocks are too soft, the wallowing you get makes a vit shake around funny when they are lifted like the front is going crazy

you arent lifting a front wheel, you can see in teh pics of steves the speed you need to be doing to achieve that

no It literally lifts a front wheel royce. i made a mate stand on the corner of my street i gave it a tramp and sure enough it lifts one wheel about 4 inches off the ground.

As for the bigger tyres. im strapped for cash atm. so they will have to wait... i guess i will just have to take it easy for now.

I Really don't see the point in pulling the swaybar off the front... i don't believe this will help the problem.

and as for the Soft springs / shock's i'll have to see how they go when i load them up for the next trip.

Cheers.
Stocker

get video, I want to see this!

[stocker]

lol it also does it in 4wd going around the culdesac...


I'll try and get one later on today for ya but for now i've got some wiring to do

[atari4x4]

4wd on tarmac.... that's going to end in tears.

[Gwagensteve]

stocker wrote:

I Really don't see the point in pulling the swaybar off the front... i don't believe this will help the problem.

So reducing roll stiffness in the front won't increase flexibility? Golly, I better go and put all the swaybars back on all the cars I've built over the last 15 years then.

You can't afford any other solution, but you choose to disregard the free solution that takes 10 minutes to try?

Royce is right in that the rear is softer than the front. Critically, it's softer than the front in roll stiffness, which is "fixed' by running offset rims. Offset rims will lower the roll stiffness of an IFS, but not your live axle rear.... or you could pull the swaybar, which will also help to try and match the roll stiffness front to rear.

Steve.

[Teracis]

I know a bloke who can lift a wheel in his coily sierra in the hungry jacks carpark...

So it can be done, it looks pretty crazy.

Also, to the OP. Just do what the boys say and remove the swaybar and take it for a test run, if it doesn't work you've lost maybe half an hour of your time.

[stocker]

Gwagensteve wrote:

stocker wrote:

I Really don't see the point in pulling the swaybar off the front... i don't believe this will help the problem.

So reducing roll stiffness in the front won't increase flexibility? Golly, I better go and put all the swaybars back on all the cars I've built over the last 15 years then.

You can't afford any other solution, but you choose to disregard the free solution that takes 10 minutes to try?

Steve.

Geese Buddy don't take it personally i wasn't challenging your 15 years of Wisdom and knowledge. I Do appreciate the Free Advice that everyone posts up. but you have to understand that not everyone is going to do exactly as you say. I will start with the FREE set of 31's that im picking up this weekend. and go from there, if it still does it after i do that and put a decent set of Steelies on the front then i will look at removing sway bars etc...



And yes Gus it will end in tears... i was just turning around in a carpark after we got off a track

[Gwagensteve]

Nothing to do with taking it personally, but claiming you don't believe lowering roll stiffness will help is very confusing. Is it that you don't believe lowering roll stiffness will help or you don't believe a swaybar raises roll stiffness?

I'll add too that it doesn't matter what diameter the tyres you are going to try are - it's all about the offset of the rims. With the "right" offset your current tyres could help to fix the problem too.

Calmini clearly state this kit is designed for offset rims and a bar and winch.

Steve.

[stocker]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Nothing to do with taking it personally, but claiming you don't believe lowering roll stiffness will help is very confusing. Is it that you don't believe lowering roll stiffness will help or you don't believe a swaybar raises roll stiffness?

I'll add too that it doesn't matter what diameter the tyres you are going to try are - it's all about the offset of the rims. With the "right" offset your current tyres could help to fix the problem too.

Calmini clearly state this kit is designed for offset rims and a bar and winch.

Steve.

Listen steve you wanna help then help, I'm going to try a set of 31 x 10.5 R15 Rims and tyres on a -15 Offset rim FIRST. I didn't say that im going to rule Pulling the swaybar off completly... I Will work my way through a few things that i need to get on the car first before i pull it off though.

[atari4x4]

just ditch the swaybar... all the cool kids have done it.

[Gwagensteve]

I'm trying to help stocker, I really am, and so are lots of others on here.

You've asserted twice that you don't believe pulling the swaybar will make any difference.

You haven't posted a response to the question about how much droop your front end has as it sits now. If it's close to topping out, your swaybar is binding as it sits right now. I'm speaking from experience though, so don't pay any attention.

You posted you don't have any money for tyres and wheels, but you'll start with fitting a bar and winch and tyres before you do anything else...

You're now going to pursue some loner wheels that will offer the "correct" offset, and will assist roll stiffness, but it won't magically add droop, and they will create their own clearance and gearing problems.

Steve.

[ajsr]

steve your such a bastard for trying to help this guy
some people just have to find out the hard way (like me )