[Sunny]

Hey all!
I'm looking for a 1997 SV420 lift kit and after reading many older forum posts, most lift kits mentioned such as OME or Ironman are no longer available.
Budget is around $1500 AUD. Not too fussed how big the lift is. Not looking to go overboard. Thinking of pairing it with a small body lift later down the road.

I'd greatly appreciate appreciate any input as to which options I should consider, or if you have a better suggestion I'm all ears!

First option I had in mind was these Tough Dog 40-50mm raised shocks for $780. These will need to be paired with the appropriate springs as the Online Auto Parts website lists them as suitable for an extra height of 40-50mm (the official Tough Dog website has no useful info), however I can only find Tough Dog 30mm springs for $400 which would be too short, so why would a vendor only stock incompatible springs? I must be missing something here :/

An other full set using the same front shocks as before (now with rear foam cell shocks instead of gas) were these Tough Dog shocks + King Springs for $1232. Though the listed front and rear springs, KSFR 16 and KSRR 17 respectively, spec an added height of 20mm for front and 30-40mm for the rear, which would still be too short for the recommended shocks! That 40-50mm figure from earlier must be wrong?

Would this Black Raptor kit for $1190 specced for a 2" lift be a viable option? I'm unsure about the brand.

Many thanks in advance,
Sunny

[BlazeOrbit]

Hello Sunny, it appears that you have already started with some good research! It is important for you to be careful with the mismatch between the heights of the shocks and springs in the Tough Dog set up,it’s really odd that the manufacturer missed this out. If 40-50mm is what you have in mind, then I would propose revisiting King Springs but perhaps reach out directly to them or another vendor for a potential better match on that shock height. The Black Raptor is said to be decent for light off-roading, although its strength is questionable, I think. Perhaps take a look at some recent reviews. With your budget, I would go for something like Tough Dog; only if it has a matching spring of course.

[Gwagensteve]

I have been working on Suzuki suspension for over 30 years. I still have absolutely no idea what a "XXmm raised shock" is. As best I can tell, this term is nonsense. The extended length of a shock is dictated by its closed length. The closed length of the shock is dictated by the design of the vehicle (i.e hard points you can't easily change)

If the shock fits the vehicle without modification of the shock mounts or requiring other parts (shock relocation brackets, bumpstop spacers etc) then the shock will fit the vehicle. That's the only compatibility you need to worry about. spring lift height it irrelevant.

Note that for certain combinations of parts for GV/XL7 front suspension, OME used to supply a front bumpstop spacer - an example of why they had such a strong reputation - they actually employ suspension engineers, and also why their claims were often the most conservative.

4WD suspension is a minefield of marketing claptrap. It's vitally important shocks are a brightly coloured as possible, use terms like "extreme"" and are always suitable for lift because lift is always good right? Despite that it can be very difficult to find someone who can accurately explain why this is true - hint - if anyone says it's to "fit bigger tyres" they don't know what they're talking about because that's not remotely true. Vendors are pretty keen to tell you what you want to hear and they all sing from the same songbook.

Note, (and to add confusion) it is not uncommon for a lift spring to be SHORTER than the factory spring when at full extension.

[Sunny]

Thanks all!

Great to hear regarding shock compatibility Steve. Definitely clarified that for me.
I think I worded the 'raised shock' part wrong. The Tough Dog shocks previously linked have 'extended travel' and are intended to be used with up to 30mm raised springs. The shocks themselves are not 'raised', my bad.

I'm also well aware of the marketing minefield I have found myself in, hence why I'm here seeking advice Reading previous posts of yours explaining misconceptions about tire clearance and lift kits has been very helpful, so I am cognizant of what (and what not to) to expect.

Found the TD shocks mentioned in a catalogue where they state the shocks are suitable for 30mm lift. Wherever that website is getting 40-50mm from is completely false. Seen a few other websites list the same shocks as being suitable for 40mm lifts, why even...
Hence why TD only make 30mm shocks to suit. I also gather the 30-40mm raised rear springs from the 2nd kit would thus be unsuitable. Regarding that 2nd kit (ignoring incompatibility), is it not weird to pair 20mm raised front springs with 30-40mm rear springs, or is that common practice?

I've seen Dobinsons pop up a few times, and their online configurator lists front springs with a raised height of 40mm, and rear with 30mm. (see catalogue below)
Optioning the Dobinsons kit works out to AUD $1400, and the Tough Dog components required for a 30mm lift would be $1200.
Is there any notable difference between the two brands quality wise?
How about the difference in setup with the Tough Dog being raised 30mm both front and rear, with the Dobinsons changing that to 40mm in the front?

If there are any better shock and coil spring manufacturers / suppliers that you would recommend I'd be very grateful, unless the Tough Dog or Dobinson options are my best bet of course.

Cheers,
Sunny

Tough Dog catalogue

Dobinsons catalogue

Edit: Catalogue images wouldn't attach properly

[fordem]

Sunny wrote:

If there are any better shock and coil spring manufacturers / suppliers that you would recommend I'd be very grateful, unless the Tough Dog or Dobinson options are my best bet of course.

Old Man Emu - and yes, they still make them - they are still listed in the application guide (August 2024) with no indication that they plan to withdraw them.

I've no experience with ToughDog; Dobinsons recommend a higher spring rate than I am comfortable with; OME, I'm pretty happy with.

[Gwagensteve]

Sunny, I'm not sure you've followed my point.

All aftermarket rear* shocks for a vitara that fit without other vehicle modifications (mounts, arms etc, so I'm discounting things like the 3.5" Calmini or 4.5" altered ego kits) will be near enough the same length and that length will be very similar to stock, and therefore suitable for any spring that also fits without other vehicle modifications.

There is no such thing as a shock that "suits" a lift height.

There are reasons for small variations in extended and compressed length - some manufacturers eat up some safety factor to run a slightly longer shock compressed. Generally the internal parts of an aftermarket shock are larger than the standard Suzuki shock and this will also make them longer fully compressed.

If OME is still available, buy that. They offer the best product and have a wide range of springs to ensure the car will work properly.

*front struts are bit of a different case. OME offer a softly valved and long travel front strut. Not everyone offers this. The OME front struts are excellent.