lemme start by saying that i searched for about an hour before i asked this question. trying combos like "sidekick lift" "sidekick gears" "tracker gears" "tracker lift" "1.6L Gears" la de da!
anyway,
my friend is planning a 5 inch lift for his '96 Sidekick 4dr and we want to run 31" tires, but are wondering how bad the acceleration and gass mileage will drop if we keep the stock gears.
spending the 299.00 for 5.29 gears(per axle) seems like such a high price as we bought all the parts for the lift (5" and still IFS) for less than 140.00

thanks for any help...

The gearing depends on if an auto or manual the manual had 5.13 to start with so 5.29 wont help much you would need 5.83. Also 140.$ for 5" lift, for a tracker, kick would worry me unless it is 3" body and coil spacers, which still would be real cheap.

The best thing is to run the OTT set up and run either 4.1's in the Kick case or 4.7's in the Yota case.

the lift is:
Cherokee coils
1 inch spacers
home fabbed 3" body lift
Dosestech (whatever the name is) Tech shocks
and extended parts here and there with custom fabbed brackets for dumb stuff like bumper lifting and break master cylinder drop
:rolleyes:

I was wondering about the suspension part of the lift, which cherokee springs are you using the stock ones and what do you do about the front arms and other suspension parts?

Cherokee coils??? I've been down that road. Here is my post from another board... Stock Spring rate for the 4-door front coils is 508.7 PPI. Jeep coils are much softer (Even ZJ V-8)

Since Zuwharie I have been collecting coil springs to replace the GV coils on the front of my Kick. I custom fabbed the IFS suspension to drop 4" and then Installed a pair of GV V-6 front coils with a Jeep Cherokee Coil spacer and a .5" thick ring (Piece of hard plactic / cutting board). I now have 3 sets of Jeep Coil springs (unknown applications TJ & XJ and a set of Like new Sammy Coils. Well chatting on the BBS about Tracker Lifts and having to go cut grass around my dead Kick. Got me itchin to check out the coils I've been collecting. The GV coils and coil spacer did not give me the lift I expected so Installing longer coils seem like the next best answer. If only it were that EASY...

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/804043.jpg

GV Front coils (2wd V-6) compared to stock 4-door Front Coils (Rears are the same size).

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/804044.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/804041.jpg
Jeep Tj Coils compared to GV 4-door coils 4.25" longer (But smaller Dia wire with similar # of wraps... Hmmm ??? :-\\\\ )

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/804042.jpg
TJ coils inplace of the GV ones...

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/804045.jpg
Desired 4-dr ride hight / stance. Ok maybe not quite that high (tires are off of the ground), But close... [naughty]

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/804046.jpg

But once down off of the Jack stands ... THe coils compress to the bump stops. [crying] [crying] [crying] THe A-Arms act as a leaver requiring a much greater spring rate.

I need a list of coil spring rates for OEM vehicles springs...

Growing Up is Hard to do!!!!!

Next step is to dig up those old stock 4wd Ford Ranger coils I've had laying around for 14 plus years, then maybe look to the local spring shop for some advice / information.

And here is the solution... I still have lots of tweaking to do but it is wheelable as is. Hope to be streetable on 35's IFS soon.

(From Zuwharrie BBS IFS 9-03-04)
I installed the 4wd Ranger coils in the front of the Sidekick last night. The Kick sits much higher now and the spring rate is close. They do not compress to much under static load but can be bottomed out & flex well. I think the spring rate might be a little soft, but we will see. The Kick is definatly much further up in the travel of the IFS driving down the road.

I just placed the Ranger spring in un-modified. The upper is about a inch to big and if falling off of the Jeep coil spacer on one side. The spring needs to be flipped and trimmed but I can not afford to loose the height. This spring is the closest one yet, But Not THE ONE, still looking. Hope to soon modify the upper link so I can install the Jeep coils and make the rear match.

Sorry for the crappy pics, it was 10pm, I didn't have the camera with me when i flexed it up in the ditch. Maybe better pics once the rear is done. Until then.. :P

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/95041.jpg

This pic is taken with 32" Pro Comp Muds all the way around.

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/95042.jpg

Steering link and A-arm must be Parallel, But the A-arm was dropped 4" :eek:

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/95043.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/95044.jpg

I am now looking at some Explorer 2" lift coils (15.5" total free legnth) so I can trim off the small ford pig tail coil and loose the Jeep coil spring spacer. I am also redesigning the Strut spacers to correct the Camber Issue.

FOr gears I'm looking at the Kicker III mainly because the Sammy case will also give me High range reduction. I am not concerned about the rear D-shaft angle with the sammy case, Hey i'm looking at IFS with 35's so you know I've got a few screws loose. Besides the Toy rear axles seem to do fine in a sammy so why not a Sammy t-case behind a Kick. My kick is an auto with OD which means it comes with 5.13:1's. My crawl ratio with the 32's was not bad. The auto would allow me to crawl up hill with the 4:1 Sammys but down hill sucked.

ANd for steering I'm looking at the New Cal mini Dropped pitman arm for the Kick PS gear box & Fab-n-drop the Idler and = amount + add the Cal mini reinforcment (Or +$$$ Sky mfg unit.). Also looked at the tie rod flip by Goforit off road. http://www.goferitoffroad.com/images/products-thumbnails/trf3-t.jpg
But this would require me swapping to Jeep tie rods. Not sure the insert will fit in the knuckle or if the Jeep tie rods will clear the wheel.

posted for prosperity, looks like this one is dead already :( But. Wouldn't it be cool if for a few hundred dollars you could buy a beater with a multiport EFI 1.6L 16v, Powerteering, 5.13:1 gears, 3 link rear and coils at all 4 corners... Oh? Yea! You can... Tracker / SideKick

A N Y W A Y . . .

Turned a few wrenches on the 4-door again today. Got the 2"+ explorer coils up front and Jeep Tj coils in the rear.

Jeep coils flexed enough to drop the Coils out on the ground. Needs some work on lines and limit straps to make the stuff live. Explorer coils were a little stiff and didn't give much but they look like they might have potential in the rocks once they get broken it. Lots of other details but I'm out of time...

Mean while here is a few pics ;)

Inner fender sheet metal beneath the headlight (Flat just beneath the parking light) measures 34" to the ground (basicly bottom of the grill if their were one).

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/915042.jpg
Explorer & Tj coils installed with 1 3/4" spacer in the rear on top of the TJ's also installed my modified upper link bracket.

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/915043.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/915045.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/915049.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/9150410.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/9150411.jpg

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/9150412.jpg

I need to locate some stiffer rear coils to make the front end move more...

For gears you should call Trail Tough they are having a really good sale on 4.1 transfercase gears for the kick/track. I know because they just got them in stock.

Thanks, I've got a $100 gift cer. from TT (event raffel). I'll be calling them today.

to bring this one back up to the top as well as say a few new things:


anyone ever tried F-150 coils? they fit into cherokees for a 3" lift and have a spring rate of ungodly ammounts

im still talking my friend into this, but i want to make the cheapest lift possible...

i am an XJ guy, so bear with me...

thanks
-Ranger

I am happy with the Explorer coils for rate. But I would like a 4"+ coil as I still need +2" more up front.

I just picked up a set of Ranger 6" coils and XJ 2" coils. I will try and get them in soon. I now have the TT 4.24:1 T-case gears and am working a deal on the OTT Kicker set up running a Sammy case. This will give me some high range reduction.

Meanwhile, Here is a pic of my Buddy's rig. I sold it to him bone stock in Nov. This is his daily driver (not trail rated), Still IFS and on 36" Irocks.
He is ready to get it dirty but it is mainly still running stock components. Still pulls 70MPH up I-95 to work with no trouble. He is running 5.38:1's which came stock in his 91 1.6L 8v 4dr 4wd.

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/Davekick1.jpg

I've never tried F-150's but if they were cheap / free I'd give it a go.

If they are a little stiff you can widen the front stance by moving the rear lower a-arm mount out 1" and bigger wheels / tires. This should give more leverage and get the coils to move.

Also their is a Kick mod to install a toyota CV shaft in the works.

More Info at Zukiworld.com

http://photos.zuwharrie.com/users/whitfimb/davekick3.jpg

My daughter on a PW-50 just to give a better ideia of how big this thing is.

He has since added 2" more lift with coil spacers.

1.5" in the front and 2" in the rear should give close to 2"

Again 235's should fit stock.

DeVinny in Krusty Aftermarket4x4.com

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Krusty was so rusty that you gould see through the floor in so many places that it was tempting to just junk it. Instead we put a set of 235/75/15's on it and see if they would rub. Well they did rub, but just a little in the front fenderwells. We ran the little silver Tracker around the lot a bit and used it as a junker to carry stuff around, but along came a friend of mine with an idea (thanks Drew!).... Take this stock P.O.S. and fit on a set of 31's with only some fender trimming A.K.A. "virtual lift". I guess it's possible so out came the sawzall and the 2 pound sledge hammer and we went to work on it. A little while later we installed the 31's and they did rub so we dropped on a set of the 2000 Vitara Coil springs that gave it about 2 inches of suspension lift. Ahhhh, just enough lift to clear the 31" Swampers, but the tires still just barely rubbed. Out came the 5 pound sledge hammer and back to cutting and beating until the tires had plenty of clearance even at full flex. I am not sure who had the idea first, but with the excessive cutting that we were doing we decided to go ahead and flat-fender Krusty and with that and the heavy use of the sledge hammer the rubbing was fixed. All the rust on the body meant that we had to do alot of cleaning to do underneath Krusty every time we worked on it, I mean LARGE sections of the rocker areas and the underbody literally fell off every time we touched it and the rear bumper actually fell off as the frame crumbled at one point leaving the gas tank hanging by two bolts. Now you know why it was named Krusty! So here it was with 31" Swampers on a Tracker without spending any real money on it and we could finally take it up over the dirt hills and through the gravel and mud on the 3 acre lot I rent without fear of getting it stuck. That didn't last long......
Well, Zuwharrie was coming up and Krusty had been such a blast to beat up around the lot we thought "Hey, why not take him with us" and another insane idea was born........ "Wonder if 34 X 9.50 Swampers would fit with a 3" body lift?" I guess you never know till you try and so we tried. We pulled Krusty back in the shop and started the body lift by trying to remove the bolts on the studs and amazingly after several days of soaking them in PB Blaster penetrating oil they came off. As we raised the body up off of the frame three of the eight body mount studs stayed on the frame. Evidently it was so rusty the body mounts separated from the actual body! This presented a big problem since the body needed to be securely mounted to the frame somehow and so out came the torch and the welder. All kinds of thing were taken out of the scrap pile to rebuild Krusty including an old Jeep Wrangler front bumper (holds the rear of the body to the frame), some old F350 dually wheels (cut up to use as body mounts), Chevy Suburban brake drums (more body mounts), part of an old telephone box hub station (more body mounts!), and just about anything we could find helped keep him together. The rust was so bad in the rear that the gas tank had to be replaced and while I was under there I went ahead and lifted the tank 3 inches for better clearance. We also pulled out the rear 3rd member and welded it solid then reinstalled it, which is a cheap way to get traction for a cheap wheeler. After about a day of work the body lift, gas tank replacement/lift, and the Lincoln Locked rear were completed then it was time to test fit the 34" Swampers. Well, believe it or not they fit on with the extra 3" body lift and only rubbed a little on the back side of the front fender wells, so a bit more cutting and beating was necessary. This time with a 10 pound sledge hammer and it worked great. The body just crumpled up and gave us the clearance needed! Next the fenders were rolled under to keep the sharp edges away from the tires and as far as I was concerned the beast was finished, but I was wrong
.....

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