[4x4ish]

and yeah my break lines were tight but still ok and i still have to extend my diff breather as it sometimes pops off.

[atari4x4]

Chop wrote:

shandy92 wrote:

Chop wrote:

Go to a $2 shop and buy a cheap vice, and press them out with a socket!

Chop

and do what? swap the old vit bush for the new commo bush? so putting the vit bush in the commo shock?

the guy at the shop said that it would more than likely ruin the bush as they are glued in and also would need heat to do it?

mick70b - ok thanks, did u get the shop to put the vit bush in the commo shock??

cheers
Mitch

Sounds to me like he wasnt interested in your business and is a lazy bugger! more likely if your not buying anything from him he wont help you.
I think you'll find a few on here have done the vice and socket method
I know i will soon when i put some commo shocks in the rear of mine.
chop

yes, vice & 2 sockets...

but i ended up using the steel sleeve from the calmini shock & pushed it into the commo shock as the OD's were the same.

[shandy92]

atari4x4 wrote:

Chop wrote:

shandy92 wrote:

Chop wrote:

Go to a $2 shop and buy a cheap vice, and press them out with a socket!

Chop

and do what? swap the old vit bush for the new commo bush? so putting the vit bush in the commo shock?

the guy at the shop said that it would more than likely ruin the bush as they are glued in and also would need heat to do it?

mick70b - ok thanks, did u get the shop to put the vit bush in the commo shock??

cheers
Mitch

Sounds to me like he wasnt interested in your business and is a lazy bugger! more likely if your not buying anything from him he wont help you.
I think you'll find a few on here have done the vice and socket method
I know i will soon when i put some commo shocks in the rear of mine.
chop

yes, vice & 2 sockets...

but i ended up using the steel sleeve from the calmini shock & pushed it into the commo shock as the OD's were the same.

hmmm ok, anyone got a spare set of calmini bush's lol??

[atari4x4]

lol... nope


joseph "might" have kept the rear shocks from his wreck, i know stuey grabbed a few of the left over blue bits that weren't r00000ted.

[shandy92]

atari4x4 wrote:

lol... nope


joseph "might" have kept the rear shocks from his wreck, i know stuey grabbed a few of the left over blue bits that weren't r00000ted.

ahah yeah wasnt really expecting to many yes's lol.

OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII JOEEEEE, me thinks he wont hear me. maybe i PM might get his attention.

cheers atari.

Mitch

[redzook91]

Instead of starting a new thread this seems an appropriate place to ask - a mate of mine has a lowered commodore and the shocks are too long, is it possible to swap the shorter vitara ones for those? it stads to reason that if those ones fit vits then vit ones should fit them... am i crazy or would this work?

[4x4ish]

yes it should work in theory, what he would have to do is change the metal sleeve in the bottom to a commodore one from the vitara one. vit shocks have maybe a 40-50mm shorter closed length.

[atari4x4]

the vit shocks are tiny in diameter, i would think they will be working overtime in the back of a commonwhore.

[Mick70b]

Quote:

the vit shocks are tiny in diameter, i would think they will be working overtime in the back of a commonwhore.

Yep, have to agree with this, that's why the commo shocks work okay in the Vits to start with ... because they are bigger overall, diameter, valving etc.

[4x4ish]

surly a 4x4 shock would be made more heavy duty to an equal shock size for a road car where corrigations and no major bumps would be encountered thus meaning to equal a 4x4 shock the road car shock would be thicker? i could be wrong but that i my common sense talking to me. my common sense also tells to to put a steel diff in the front of a 4x4 but suzuki got that wrong also so who knows. only way is to give it a go.

[Chop]

how much does a vitara weigh? and how much does a commo weigh?

Chop

[4x4ish]

Hey Mitch, once you get your shocks sorted, can u pls let me know how the 180 coils ride on the road in terms of stiffness/ softness sitting in the vitara?

[shandy92]

4x4ish wrote:

Hey Mitch, once you get your shocks sorted, can u pls let me know how the 180 coils ride on the road in terms of stiffness/ softness sitting in the vitara?

yeah, spoke to a mate who is a mechanic. he has a press at his work so ill be getting him to do it on fri i already have the springs in, so for the past week i have been driving around with shock that bottom out going over small bumps lol. With these springs i only have about 1" of down travel, only thing i have noticed is a slight increase in body roll, but i am used to it already.

For those that know perth, more so kingway, there is a bump/ rise at an intersection and if u go over it fast enough if feel like ur getting air. well with my 1" of travel i think i got a bit off air as i heard it make the banging/knocking sound. lol

will let u all know how the shocks ride and all.

Mitch

[bailey08]

Chop wrote:

how much does a vitara weigh? and how much does a commo weigh?

Chop

about the same, vn/vp are 1350 and a lwb vit is about 1300 from memory only.

[Mick70b]

I did notice on ebay there are some heavy duty GT gas shocks (I think Ultima brand), that are the exact same dimensions for both VR-VS Commodore wagon and Vitara (with a 50mm lift). They both state open length 517mm, closed length 300mm, and are 35mm bore bulged body multi disc valving.

I was originally given the WRONG advice on another forum a few years back and fitted VR-VS sedan shocks which are 363 closed and 633 open ... way too long unless you have a 4"lift.

In between the two is the VT Commodore wagon, VU-VX-VY Commodore ute, which is 325 closed and 550 open which would be good for a 3" lift I reckon.

So in theory if there is only 50kg (or so) weight difference then the Vitara shocks could work on the Commodore depending on what year model and wether it is a sedan, wagon etc.

[Chop]

bailey08 wrote:

Chop wrote:

how much does a vitara weigh? and how much does a commo weigh?

Chop

about the same, vn/vp are 1350 and a lwb vit is about 1300 from memory only.

Yeah but its the commo wagon springs you want, and they are closer to 1.5 tonne and its going in a swb isnt it?

Not that it matters coz i had them up front in a sierra. but onroad prowess was horrendous.


Chop

[shandy92]

hey all,

finally got my shocks in today very happy with the result. because of the 180sx springs being so soft and the commo shocks being fairly stiff i gained a small lift so rear left(passenger) ended up being at 720mm and drivers rear was 710mm. so looks weird with rear high and front low. not sure why its not level??

1st thing i noticed was it was rather firm, but i was expecting that so it didnt bother me. i ended up taking it to a mate who is a mechanic and was told just to leave it with him to sort out, he said he would press out the old bush and sleeve from vit and put into commo shock. this didnt work as it was ripping the bush from the shock, so he just cut the entire eye area off the vit shock and re welded it onto the commo shock lol.

doesnt look 100% but nice strong welds by the look of it and he said that they arnt going to break.

will post pics when i can, found a nice rock to drive on near home...drove up it and got a good amount of flex but my breather hose fell off.

cheers
mitch

[Microwire]

Hey Guys,

Just trying to make sense of all iof this, I'm happy with the idea of VC-VN Shocks in the rea (with modification) and 180SX rear coils in the rear.

What do you put in the front? Commo shocks again? what about springs? I've searched a bunch but can't work it out.

[atari4x4]

The front runs a strut & separate coil set up & I don't think there is anything from another car/4wd that will bolt in, there are a few companies that manufacture a longer strut for the Vitara, OME & Dobinson do & I think Ironman also have just started selling an extended strut.

There are a few people running standard GV front springs or you could add spacers (cheap & nasty) or aftermarket coils.

EDIT: the search button seems to work fine for you... you found this thread!

[Microwire]

Ahh, I guess that explains why I couldn't find anything other than part's that were made for Vitara's.

I think I'll pass on coil spacers, holden shocks and nissan coils is about as dodgy as I want to be

Quote:

the search button seems to work fine for you... you found this thread!

LoL it's a good thread to now it's complete.

[dave07]

so does anyone no of a shock that has an open length of 650 or so for the vit

[shandy92]

dave07 wrote:

so does anyone no of a shock that has an open length of 650 or so for the vit

i think VL wagons are really long, or could be VT (same as joe and atari, i think)

im sure they will yell out to help soon.

[atari4x4]

Im running the VL shocks, I "think" the IRS VR sedan shocks were the mega long ones.

[larry]

4x4ish i dont get why your going from rancho's to mix n' match kinda thing,
i thought random springs + commo shocks was like for a budget job.
just askin, cause to me it sounds like your downgrading :/

[LAY80N]

A few sections of RHS bolted in place of a rancho shock would be an upgrade. Besides, if the Rancho's currently in place are too long/too short, they really arn't suitable for the application anyway. Regarding the Vit shocks in Commodore, i would think the valving would be not close enough to the commodore valving.


Layto....

[Chop]

larry wrote:

4x4ish i dont get why your going from rancho's to mix n' match kinda thing,
i thought random springs + commo shocks was like for a budget job.
just askin, cause to me it sounds like your downgrading :/

The rancho's arent really suited to the lighter cars. alot of guys on here have had experience with them and 90% say theyre crap for the suzuki's.

Its fine putting commodore shocks in the rears, it all comes down to length suited to your lift. And also depends on what your willing to pay, you can get cheap gabriel from supercheap or get better like kyb, koni and the likes.

[Microwire]

Chop wrote:

larry wrote:

4x4ish i dont get why your going from rancho's to mix n' match kinda thing,
i thought random springs + commo shocks was like for a budget job.
just askin, cause to me it sounds like your downgrading :/

The rancho's arent really suited to the lighter cars. alot of guys on here have had experience with them and 90% say theyre crap for the suzuki's.

Its fine putting commodore shocks in the rears, it all comes down to length suited to your lift. And also depends on what your willing to pay, you can get cheap gabriel from supercheap or get better like kyb, koni and the likes.

And remember just because it's cheap doesn't mean it doesn't work well

My Car is pretty much sponsored by supercheap. Some things I regret buying but a lot are doing quite well, though in saying that I probably would drive around oz with some of the gear but for small 1- 300km trips I have no complaints at all.

But all that said if you have the cash to burn then buy the best bits you can afford.

[larry]

Microwire wrote:

Chop wrote:

larry wrote:

4x4ish i dont get why your going from rancho's to mix n' match kinda thing,
i thought random springs + commo shocks was like for a budget job.
just askin, cause to me it sounds like your downgrading :/

The rancho's arent really suited to the lighter cars. alot of guys on here have had experience with them and 90% say theyre crap for the suzuki's.

Its fine putting commodore shocks in the rears, it all comes down to length suited to your lift. And also depends on what your willing to pay, you can get cheap gabriel from supercheap or get better like kyb, koni and the likes.

And remember just because it's cheap doesn't mean it doesn't work well

My Car is pretty much sponsored by supercheap. Some things I regret buying but a lot are doing quite well, though in saying that I probably would drive around oz with some of the gear but for small 1- 300km trips I have no complaints at all.

But all that said if you have the cash to burn then buy the best bits you can afford.

sooo, would you say that getting (for example) king springs plus commodore shocks, and some sort of longer struts for around $500 would be better or worse than something like an ironman suspention kit for $840

[matty_wall]

larry wrote:

Microwire wrote:

Chop wrote:

larry wrote:

4x4ish i dont get why your going from rancho's to mix n' match kinda thing,
i thought random springs + commo shocks was like for a budget job.
just askin, cause to me it sounds like your downgrading :/

The rancho's arent really suited to the lighter cars. alot of guys on here have had experience with them and 90% say theyre crap for the suzuki's.

Its fine putting commodore shocks in the rears, it all comes down to length suited to your lift. And also depends on what your willing to pay, you can get cheap gabriel from supercheap or get better like kyb, koni and the likes.

And remember just because it's cheap doesn't mean it doesn't work well

My Car is pretty much sponsored by supercheap. Some things I regret buying but a lot are doing quite well, though in saying that I probably would drive around oz with some of the gear but for small 1- 300km trips I have no complaints at all.

But all that said if you have the cash to burn then buy the best bits you can afford.

sooo, would you say that getting (for example) king springs plus commodore shocks, and some sort of longer struts for around $500 would be better or worse than something like an ironman suspention kit for $840

Im running that exact set up in my vitara except i just did a strut mount flip on the front instead of longer struts, also longer struts will give you a whole 5mm more travel then a strut mount flip which is worth a whole $10 in nuts and bolts.

Seeing as your in penrith as well if you want to go for a spin in mine to see what the ride is like PM me.

[Taff]

I put gabriel 69609 in the rear of my vit on the weekend

I went to bunnings and bought a piece of steel tube with the ID of the bolt and the OD of the bush.. cut it to length, slipped it straight in and reused the old bolts.

cost $4 and took 1 minute.

no need for pressing or cutting+welding and the only tool you need is a hacksaw or grinder.