[tails83]

I'm looking to get one of these spacers for my vit, I don't have the tools to make one so if anyone knows anywhere to get one. i only have 60mm of lift and commodore shocks so that ball joint is limiting the flex, eventually I'll be getting bigger spacers(currently 40mm springs/20mm spacers).

not buying one off Bit4Vits on ebay as it's way over priced.

if anyone has any ideas it would be great.

i'm in brisbane too so someone around my area to get it from.

thanks.

[TZAR]

[url=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-Vitara-Rear-Axle-Heim-Joint-Articulation-Spacer_W0QQitemZ130276406601QQihZ003QQcategoryZ10426QQtcZphot[url=oQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262]BITS 4 VITS EBAY SHOP[/url]

Do you mean this part?

[tails83]

thats exactly the one but cost $120 plus $20 postage within the U.K. so god know how much it would be to Australia. i'm sure something similar could be made up for under $100.

also found this, just need it made.

[Damo]

Ahh, so that spaces up the ball joint that joins the rear suspension a-frame to the Vitara rear diff. For when you put a lift under these things right?

Damn Vitara owners and their fancy-pants suspension!!!

[Bruce]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-Vitara-Rea ... 2001r12575

[Damo]

Bruce wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-Vitara-Rear-Axle-Heim-Joint-Articulation-Spacer_W0QQitemZ130276406601QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20081218?IMSfp=TL081218112001r12575

Good on ya Bruce

tails83 wrote:

not buying one off Bit4Vits on ebay as it's way over priced.

[Hybrid]

tails83 wrote:

thats exactly the one but cost $120 plus $20 postage within the U.K. so god know how much it would be to Australia. i'm sure something similar could be made up for under $100.

also found this, just need it made.

I've never had anything machined but wouldn't you just be able to rock into a machine shop with that schematic and have it knocked up?

[felix]

I believe that outdoorauto or whatever their name is sells them here....

[steve]

Hybrid wrote:

tails83 wrote:

thats exactly the one but cost $120 plus $20 postage within the U.K. so god know how much it would be to Australia. i'm sure something similar could be made up for under $100.

also found this, just need it made.

I've never had anything machined but wouldn't you just be able to rock into a machine shop with that schematic and have it knocked up?

"rocking" in to a machine shop costs about $50
"schematic" anything, you can add another $150
"knocked up" will take about 2 weeks and cost $600

my estimated total: $1000

[Bruce]

It's all under control

[zuk94]

how did you go wuth the spacer Tails

[tails83]

just_cruzin was gonna make up a really good one but atm i got 4 bits of box steel 35mmx35mm welded together and drilled it, works awsome, had to undo a couple of the hand brake cable holders as it was stretching and for the break line, i just bent the bit down that hold the brake line to the chassis. now the shocks fully extend and control max extention. problem is the springs almost fall out, i wired the spring spacers to the springs and now no chance of it happening and all is sorted and perfect.

[royce]

so when you were bolting your SHS creation into a massively important part of the car THAT HOLDS BITS THE FUCKING WHEELS ARE BOLTED TOO in place you didnt bother to think that hey this could be a bit suss?

fuck me plenty of people in the know have said time and time again the whole idea of putting a spacer in there is fucking dodgy, puts more load on things not designed for it, alters the geometry, whats the ball joint do in compression? all for a bit of fucn look at me and my fucking awsome flex photos

you gotta relise that thing fucks up and somebody gets hurt, it makes fucking worldwide news, nobody gives to fucks about the old lady in the coralla hurts somebody cause she didnt notice teh car coming but if the news get a wiff of the HOLY FUCK MONSTER ILLEGAL 4WD KILLS WHOLE SCHOOL FULL OF KIDS story we all just look like asses again

[zuk94]

Do you think he's the only one on any forum that has done home modifications. Think you lost the plot their royce . I understand that and respect where you are coming from but that's uncalled for. Newbies need direction not a hammering. PM me if you like and i'll talk to you about it.

[royce]

did you miss the bit where he talked about 4 bits of fucking box welded together and bolted in?

plenty of people do mods, plenty of people do a very good job as well, but unless you understand what work something is required to do how can you think you are equipped to improve on it?

if the problem you think you have is the balljoint not being in the correct operating plane then why not make a better arm? not hard to do and you arent throwing out the suspension geometry or placing UNKNOWN stresses on other parts.

plenty of people have been getting the subtle hints that what they are doing isnt the best and maybe they should rethink it and just plain dont listen cause they want the sick massive lift and awsome flex, ive had enough of being subtle

[zuk94]

No I didn't miss it nor have I seen it, and I also don't know his capabilities.
I did however get your view.
From what I gather by his discription his welds aren't holding anything . The box section ( hopefully thick walled not furniture ) is held in by high graded bolts not ones from Bunnings. Not agreeing with his method here ,but you don't know what exactly he has done.

I'm all for proper advice , the problem is a good percentage of replies arn't helpfull .
Can't expect you to never let off a bit steam . How about a bit advice to help with what he's trying to achieve. Not everyone reads every post so it's easy to miss something.

Leave it at that .

[Fluffy]

under 100$ i can knock these up for about that (dont quote me)
nice drawing some of these i have seen have an angle machined on the top of them... any one have any input......
fluffy

[joeblow]

tails83 wrote:

just_cruzin was gonna make up a really good one but atm i got 4 bits of box steel 35mmx35mm welded together and drilled it, works awsome, had to undo a couple of the hand brake cable holders as it was stretching and for the break line, i just bent the bit down that hold the brake line to the chassis. now the shocks fully extend and control max extention. problem is the springs almost fall out, i wired the spring spacers to the springs and now no chance of it happening and all is sorted and perfect.

you freakin tight arsed dodgy prick! and we all complain about how the authorities won't let us modify vehicles anymore. its because of brain matter challenged people like yourself. box tubing should never be used for anything that has a bolt runnung through it and has to deal with compression forces...i.e the bolt pulling down. you obviously have NO IDEA as you wanted to use exhaust flanges as strut spacers too. so stick with being a soldier boi, stick with drag racing as they don't travel far and can't take corners and keep your dodgy shite off public roads!........rant at tool over.....

[appsie]

i really am liking some of the replies in this post im not fully sure on where this part that has been fabbed goes as im no vitara man but if its to do with steering,suspension,driveline come on mate get one made proper or go without,it doesnt help any of us with 4bys in the long run.One accident and you know what the papers are like for a week afterwards

i hate myself enough for my extended shackles sometimes a shortcuts ok but not there

[Fluffy]

oh no was that the same guy... exaust flange lift? oh noes

[tails83]

yeah, i had the idea for using exhaust flages as strut spacers, then after googling i found that in the states it the biggest thing, strut mount flip with a few flanges welded on top so it can't be that bad if so many ppl do it. and no i haven't done it.


i'm just wondering if you web wheelers would really speak to someone like you have me on the net, to my face. you guys all seem a little gutless and maybe a little over opinionated. i'm happy for critisim but just straight bagging me out is pretty crap.

the spacer i made is very strong from what i gather(i'm no engineer lol) but i don't think i'll have a problem with it and givin it a flogging and done over 1000km in the 4 weeks it's been it and no drama's at all. i was abit worried about the bolts i used so i went to a bolt shop and got the strongest ones he had. i did them up tight as and the box steel has not bent or squashed and as good as when i first made it.

basically i don't care what you guys reckon, i wouldn't do something to put myself or my family in danger, if i thought it would break or bend i woud remove it straight away. and use the original weeker bolts.

also here's a picture of my spacer, i'm currently looking at doing mass production, if anyone would like one please pm or e-mail me for full details.

[BlueSuzy]

Now i thought i was bodge.

It may be good for a 'see if it works' But get the real thing made up bud.

[joeblow]

tails83 wrote:

yeah, i had the idea for using exhaust flages as strut spacers, then after googling i found that in the states it the biggest thing, strut mount flip with a few flanges welded on top so it can't be that bad if so many ppl do it. and no i haven't done it.


i'm just wondering if you web wheelers would really speak to someone like you have me on the net, to my face. you guys all seem a little gutless and maybe a little over opinionated. i'm happy for critisim but just straight bagging me out is pretty crap.

(i'm no engineer lol)

straight bagging?.....lets see.....you have posted your ideas....people have told you of other more suitable and safer ideas and why they are more suitable and safer....and yet you go pulling this crap out of your a@#e!

and yes, if you ask people such as kenn who is also on this forum i do speak like this to peoples faces. i'm old now....i don't tolerate stupidity and am more than glad to tell someone face to face.

forget the bolts, they are the least dodge thing you have done. i can see atleast half a dozen hair line fractures that are going to develope over time, and this component is very critical in locating the diff, if that lets go at 100k's and hour you could pretty much say goodbye to your brakes also. THE SCARIEST THING OF ALL?.......YOU CARE FOR YOUR FAMILY AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!

[cj_zuki]

As you have pointed out, you are no Engineer. Now that you know the general concept of spacing works please go and get someone who knows what they are doing to make you a proper one and throw away what you currently have. I would suggest using 10mm plate. Your spacer IS putting everybody at risk.

[ball]

Some people just shouldn't be allowed to own or use tools.

[kenn]

Mate if you think that's safe, then you must think that juggling live hand grenades is safe...And if were all just over opinionated gutless web wheelers then take that door stop you call a spacer down to your local automotive engineer and ask him to approve it and when he doesn't ask him why !!!!

[royce]

this is why we have the approval processes we have now, so shit like this isnt allowed on the roads, god help the people you maim when that fails, I hope the cool ramping pics were worth it

so what are you going to do to stop the balljoint popping when it rotates too far from all your mad flex? its not just the up and down you need to worry about

didnt think of that did ya flash

[atari4x4]

you gotta be joking......right?

i hope you don't live anywhere near me!

please post your exact location so we can stay the fcuk away!

[Damo]

tails83 wrote:

then after googling i found that in the states it the biggest thing...

Have you seen some of the shit that's allowed on the road over there!? It's downright scary.

tails83 wrote:

basically i don't care what you guys reckon, i wouldn't do something to put myself or my family in danger, if i thought it would break or bend i woud remove it straight away. and use the original weeker bolts.

I think the welded together block of SHS isn't the point of failure. No one has bothered to point out, or is ignorant of the fact, that you now have much longer bolts holding the whole thing together.

Compare the stock bolts, and the ones you are using now. Consider how much more leverage a side load is putting on those bolts because of the extra length. Then consider how much side load would that joint see? I'm guessing a fair bit with the car full of family members going around a sweeping bend at 100 kph. Considering those thing it's not appropriate to have bolts of the same strength as the factory ones, because they are seeing more load than the factory bolts. Now of course I don't know if the bolts you are using are the same strength as the factory bolts, they could be stronger, they could be weaker. The fact is that they are longer, so you need to be pretty damn confident of their strength so you can maintain any sort of safety margin.

[royce]

I thought about that Damo and was at least using a set either end, another problem with teh load is its not doing through the 2 faces clamped together held by the bolts, its going from head of the bolt to the diff centre, so the bolts are actually bending under load

which I am guessing by teh term strongest bolts they had means they are grade 12 or similar which if I am correct means they withstand higher clamping loads without going plastic but have all kinds of problems when bending and would rather snap