[ninjamoses]

So... I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction here cause I am getting more then a little frustrated with it.

Trying to get the front bumper/grill off my SV420 Vitara since Im doing a body lift on it, but it appears to be magically stuck on something I cant see.

Thing is... I dont even know what needs to come off first. I managed to get the central grill out easily. But that leaves the main bumper, the main front trim panel and the 2 headlight surround panels. I have undone every damn screw I can see but still not having any luck.



From what I can tell, there are a plastic grub type screw holding the bumper on located under each headlight surround (arrows in the pic above). That makes me think the headlight surround come off first, but they appear to be stuck on bloody well and I am trying to avoid snapping one.

Apart from all the screws Ive shown in the above pic, does anyone else know of anything Ive missed?

Just taking a wild guess here, but I assume the headlight surrounds come out next, then the main trim panel, then the front bumper?

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance,
Kris

[Joe]

Not sure if this will help but i know on a 94 vit the bumper comes of first then then grill but yours has a diffarent grill so i could be wrong

[PJ.zook]

Ive spotted the problem. I see some screwdrivers and a torch, but no large hammer.

[shep]

rope + tree = fixed

[atari4x4]

it's been a while since I had mine apart... the headlight surrounds just clip in, you need to grab them from the top or bottom & pop the plastic clips.

Once the surrounds are off, you should be able to get to the last couple of bolts to get the front panel work off & you should then see the bolts that hold the bumper on.

I don't have many pics uploaded, but I hope this one helps

[atari4x4]

Hey ninjamoses, I've done some photoshopping to show where the clips are on the headlight surrounds, get a thin flat blade screw driver wrap it in cloth or something so you don't mark the paintwork & gently pry the surround from the top so you can see were the clips are. Mine have been out a few times & I can grab them & pop the clips.

[ninjamoses]

Many thanks for your help Atari. Have since ripped it all off. Unfortunately one of the top clips on the left surround snapped (typical... it had to be the suzuki specific blade style clip and not the plentiful round type on the bottom lol), but that is minor and a cheap fix so its all good.

While I'm asking questions, any other tricks you can remember specific to the SV420s from when you did yours?

Ive got the front/rear bumpers completely off. The fuel filler stone guard is off and the filler hose loosened. All bolts are undone and a trial lift shows it is starting to come up from the chassis.

Wasnt entirely sure what to do with the steering column. I've loosened the column mounts under the steering wheel so it can flex a bit, but I assume I'm meant to loosen the steering joint off also?



Apart from that the only thing I'm waiting on is to go get a second trolley jack before I have a crack at it.

[atari4x4]

Yeah loosen the bolts on the steering column uni joints near the steering box & fire wall, I didn't worry about the column bolts under the dash.

I had the calmini 3" lift in before putting a just_cruisin' 2" BL in, I loosened off the brake union on the inside of the RH chassis rail down near the bottom of the firewall.

I would chase down a longer LH front brake line, I ended up relocating the mount on the inner guard which was a headfuck...

spewing about the clips...

[ninjamoses]

Thanks again for ya help mate. One last question for ya (or anybody that can help for that matter).

Body lift is finally all in and things are looking good. Steering doesn't bind, and after a session with the hammer the front tyres are now clearing the guard.

However, she doesn't want to go in to any of the bottom gears (2nd, 4th, reverse), and while it sits in 2H you can just tell it wants to pop forward in to 4h. I've pulled the gear knob off and the rubber boot, which leaves the bare stick and another inner boot. Thats about as far as I have got so far.

I presume if I take off the console piece, then pry out the inner rubber boot, there will be some way of me being able to take the gear stick out so I can bend it yes?

What have other people in the same situation done?

thanks in advance!

cheers,
Moses

EDIT: Bonus question that I forgot to ask about.... what did you do with your front strut brace? It now fouls the shit out of the shock towers. Did you just leave yours off? Did it majorly change the handling?

[ninjamoses]

Alright, ripped off the metal boot holder thingos and am now looking at the bare gear sticks coming straight out of the gearbox & transfer case.

There seems to be 2 bolts opposite each other holding each stick in. Is there any trick to taking these out, or is it just a matter of loosening off the 2 bolts and it will pop right out?

[steak_knife]

just above the 2 bolt's is a rubber boot, peel that back & you will see a steel insert, push that down & twist to the passenger side, pop, your out.

[ninjamoses]

Thanks steknig, had found my manual shortly after posting and that had said the same thing. Much easier then undoing the bolts. All good, cheers.

[atari4x4]

ninjamoses wrote:

Thanks again for ya help mate. One last question for ya (or anybody that can help for that matter).

Body lift is finally all in and things are looking good. Steering doesn't bind, and after a session with the hammer the front tyres are now clearing the guard.

However, she doesn't want to go in to any of the bottom gears (2nd, 4th, reverse), and while it sits in 2H you can just tell it wants to pop forward in to 4h. I've pulled the gear knob off and the rubber boot, which leaves the bare stick and another inner boot. Thats about as far as I have got so far.

I presume if I take off the console piece, then pry out the inner rubber boot, there will be some way of me being able to take the gear stick out so I can bend it yes?

What have other people in the same situation done?

thanks in advance!

cheers,
Moses

EDIT: Bonus question that I forgot to ask about.... what did you do with your front strut brace? It now fouls the shit out of the shock towers. Did you just leave yours off? Did it majorly change the handling?

on mine, i opened up the gearstick hole for 2nd, 4th & reverse... it had a hot date with the air hacksaw & the gear stick was bent sort of like the layback seat poles you could get for BMX bikes in the late 1980's!

the transfer leaver was extended.

do not leave the strut brace off... can you get yours on while the wheels are on the ground? i find i need to take the weight off the front before i can get mine on or off!!!!

where the brace is hitting the inner guard panel work around the strut top also had a hot date with the air hacksaw to open up the bottom edge.

oh stuey, i'm hoping your reading this... as it's all coming back to me sort of like a bad/good 1970's acid flashback!

[ninjamoses]

Yeah mine is the same, shock towers move a good 10mm each when weight gets put onto them. No chance in hell you get the strut brace on or off unless she is jacked up a little to get the weight off it.

Interesting idea about the gear stick, opening up that bracket shouldnt be to hard and is something I can tackle myself. I know its just the bracket causing the issue as well, as once that was off it hit all gears fine.

Not sure what to do about the transfer lever. Wonder if I can bend it slightly to just make do for now.

Cant say I am looking forward to hack sawing the shit out of the inner guards for the strut brace though lol. Sounds like I need to get me one of these air saw things.

[atari4x4]

Mine wasn't hacked, it was done really neat to make it look factory! Get a magic marker & draw the cut lines before doing anything, you shouldn't need to take to much off... I looked as spacing the strut brace up off the strut tops but this gives it more leverage & it's not sitting flush on the strut top

Not sure about the transfer lever as mine was extended 3".

[ninjamoses]

Bit of an update for anyone who had been following my progress...

After trying 4 different places today it became obvious pretty quickly that no one was going to be able to extend the gear levers today. Not wanting to wait until next week before I get to drive the thing, I took Ataris advice and attacked the gear boot bracket with an air nibbler this afternoon, and then took to the back side of the gear stick hole with the grinder and hammer.

Pretty bloody happy with how it turned out, and Ive gained an extra 20mm clearance. Have already testing it and gear shifting is thankfully back to normal again.

The trasnfer lever really needs to be extended, however until that gets done I have massaged the back side of the transfer case hole just to give it a little more room also. Havent been able to test it yet cause after 15 minutes I still couldnt get the bloody gear lever back in so will have to continue my efforts tomorrow.

Other then that, I've still got to refit the strut brace and refit the bumpers. Picked up some longer bolts and some 50mm square tube today so hopefully another half day of mucking around and it will be finished.

Then I just have to buy and fit some flares to keep the popo happy.

[steak_knife]

ninjamoses wrote:

I took Ataris advice and attacked the gear boot bracket with an air nibbler this afternoon, and then took to the back side of the gear stick hole with the grinder and hammer.

With out doubt the most effective way to make Lil 1/2 moon shaped bit's of steel that find their way into everything & love to get stuck in your shoe's!

Good work mate, you seam to have forgotten your camera tho