[frak]

So from reading on here the shockies and springs are crap with this kit:
https://www.calmini.com/detail.php?b=2&m=5&t=1&p=690&n=

What is the lower wish bone doing compared to stock? Does it move the wheel forward a bit, for example, or does it just meant to be stronger?

Presumably the control arms are meant to be stronger. Are they?

Spending $700 and chucking most of the kit away seems like overkill. Is there an alternative for the above components?


I have 31s with 50mm lift as I got the car. I wonder if the suspension as it is is a bit off (some stupid things done to the car by the previous owner). I did notice today that after a fair bit of travel on black top definite scrub marks so wondering if the toe-in is a it too much. Also seems to be a lot of bump stear as-is.


I will be cutting the front guards.

thanks,
Mathew

[Pico42]

There is a secondhand calmini kit for sale in the for sale section.

From reading some of the U.S. forums, I think there was a significant improvement in the springs a few years ago over what they had been producing. From memory, the same may apply to the shocks/struts.

Do the 31's rub anywhere with your current lift? Is that body or suspension?

Alternative front control arms are available from 4xfourart, a Turkish outfit.

[frak]

Not really taken it offroad aside from a quick test down some muddy tracks to be sure 4wd was actually driving the fronts.

That said I only get rubbing on the front guards at the rear when I turn too far.

I do want to get this car to engineered (NSW) stage eventually hence a little cautious about what I do to it. Replacement wishbones is certainly something I expect an engineer to look at closely.

Will check the for-sale.

thanks,
Mathew

[Gwagensteve]

Although not a Vitara owner myself, I do have plenty of experience with this kit.

I can't comment on whether the springs have been changed recently. My experience with the Calmini kit is on a SWB hardtop and a couple of LWB's - I thought the spring rates were pretty good to be honest.

As far as I am aware, the shocks and struts haven't been improved. I don't think the shocks are too bad. The struts are basically just stock replacement items of inferior quality.

Calmini kits have been engineered for use in Australia in some form or another. The lower front arms are well constructed and very strong. The arms correct camber (they're slightly wider than stock) so with lower spring lift you can have some negative camber. The engineer who was passing the kit here in Melbourne wanted all the fabricated parts crack tested. I have no experience with the 4X4art arms, but their SJ80 4" lift scares me a little from what I've seen with some pretty limited understanding of suspension design, so, personally, i'd struggle to recommend them.

I don't really understand the use of the replacement A-arm and heim joint. It's a cheap joint which still bottoms on full flex, so it wears quickly. I'm sure that in theory the rear has more travel than the stock arms allow but I think all the rear stuff is there to put lots of blue stuff under the car for bling. A small ball joint spacer could be used to roll the pinion a little and reduce bind in the ball joint, which is all the calmini stuff is doing. I particularly dislike the stiff urethane bushes they use in the lower control arms.

However, none of this is actually going to have any bearing on your rubbing issue. 31's will still catch the guards on full compression/full lock with the calmini kit fitted. the best solution is to trim the guard (actually, the outer guard shouldn't require trimming if you have the correct rim offset, only the inner guard liner just inside the guard edge)

Steve.